Canucks Army THE GAME DAY – Canucks @ Blackhawks
By Always90four
4 years agoTHE INTRO
Hello, darkness my old friend.
If it ain’t the Chicago Blackhawks. Tonight, old friendships are renewed as the Canucks roll into the Windy City to take on the one team that has caused them fits throughout the last decade. Chicago has seen its dynasty run its course and now they’re looking to climb the mountain from the bottom for the first time in a long time.
The Canucks, on the other hand, are trying to shake the label of rebuilding team and they aren’t there yet but it sure feels like it’s going to be over sooner than many of us thought.
#TeamLikeThat vs. Captain Serious
Let’s Do This!™
WHAT ARE THE ODDS?
The odds for tonight’s game are: (VAN -120/ CHI +100) courtesy of OddsShark.com
TV / RADIO / PUCK DROP
SNP / SN 650 / 5:30 PM
LINEUPS
As of writing this, there have been no decisions as to the status of Sven Baertschi, Adam Gaudette, or Loui Eriksson. The early start time will play a factor in the release of the starting lineup.
Jacob Markstrom has to start tonight. Not because he deserves it or that Thatcher Demko will play soon but because he was hung out to dry against the Blues in OT and the fire burning inside of him will fuel an incredible outing.
Canucks lines courtesy of Dailyfaceoff.com:
| LW | C | RW | Forwards |
|---|---|---|---|
 TANNER PEARSON Rating: 72.4#70 LW |  BO HORVAT Rating: 77.1#23 C |  ADAM GAUDETTE Rating: 69.0#181 RW | FL1 Rating Rating: 72.83#30 FL1 |
 J.T. MILLER Rating: 76.3#16 LW |  ELIAS PETTERSSON Rating: 79.1#10 C |  BROCK BOESER Rating: 76.4#13 RW | FL2 Rating Rating: 77.27#3 FL2 |
 JOSH LEIVO Rating: 72.3#64 LW |  BRANDON SUTTER Rating: 71.7#116 C |  JAKE VIRTANEN Rating: 71.8#77 RW | FL3 Rating Rating: 71.95#15 FL3 |
 TIM SCHALLER Rating: 71.7#83 LW |  JAY BEAGLE Rating: 69.8#169 C |  LOUI ERIKSSON Rating: 70.8#93 RW | FL4 Rating Rating: 70.77#18 FL4 |
| DEFENSIVE PAIRINGS | Defense | |
|---|---|---|
 ALEXANDER EDLER Rating: 77.6#5 LD |  TYLER MYERS Rating: 73.9#33 RD | DL1 Rating Rating: 75.75#10 DL1 |
 QUINN HUGHES Rating: 74.3#29 LD |  CHRIS TANEV Rating: 72.1#69 RD | DL2 Rating Rating: 73.20#18 DL2 |
 JORDIE BENN Rating: 73.1#56 LD |  TROY STECHER Rating: 73.3#44 RD | DL3 Rating Rating: 73.24#9 DL3 |
This is the first time the Canucks will face the Hawks this season and no one pays attention to them in Vancouver so this is the first you’re hearing about Connor Murphy going on LTIR with a groin injury. Dennis Gilbert has been sent back down to Rockford. This shouldn’t affect your opinions on him.
I THINK… Robin Lehner will get the start tonight. Corey Crawford is doneskis but he has those Cups so it’s fine.
Blackhawks lines courtesy of Dailyfaceoff.com:
| LW | C | RW | Forwards |
|---|---|---|---|
 ALEX NYLANDER Rating: 74.0#42 LW |  JONATHAN TOEWS Rating: 75.6#35 C |  BRANDON SAAD Rating: 73.3#51 RW | FL1 Rating Rating: 74.32#26 FL1 |
 ALEX DEBRINCAT Rating: 77.1#11 LW |  DYLAN STROME Rating: 74.9#26 C |  PATRICK KANE Rating: 80.7#4 RW | FL2 Rating Rating: 77.54#1 FL2 |
 DOMINIK KUBALIK Rating: 74.0#40 LW |  DAVID KAMPF Rating: 70.1#160 C |  KIRBY DACH Rating: 74.0#43 RW | FL3 Rating Rating: 72.72#8 FL3 |
 DRAKE CAGGIULA Rating: 71.1#86 LW |  RYAN CARPENTER Rating: 71.1#128 C |  ANDREW SHAW Rating: 73.8#58 RW | FL4 Rating Rating: 71.99#4 FL4 |
| DEFENSIVE PAIRINGS | Defense | |
|---|---|---|
 ADAM BOQVIST |  DUNCAN KEITH Rating: 73.1#59 RD | DL1 Rating Rating: 73.06#28 DL1 |
 CALVIN DE HAAN Rating: 72.7#62 LD |  BRENT SEABROOK Rating: 71.5#90 RD | DL2 Rating Rating: 72.10#28 DL2 |
 OLLI MAATTA Rating: 72.1#68 LD |  ERIK GUSTAFSSON Rating: 75.3#22 RD | DL3 Rating Rating: 73.71#5 DL3 |
GAME NOTES AND A STAT OR TWO
- All this talk about the Canucks and Bruins lately and now Vancouver plays the Blackhawks. Vancouver has the second-highest goal differential at +18, two back of the Bruins. Chicago is sitting at -11. Sadly, the Blackhawks have scored the fewest goals so far this season. Real talk.
- I feel bad that I haven’t really perused Moneypuck.com as much as I should have been but there are some super interesting stats on there, gang! The pairing of Alex Edler and Tyler Myers has the highest xGoals For in the N…H…L. They’re not far off from having the highest xGoals Against either. It probably speaks to the fact that Edler plays every second shift of every game. That can’t be healthy, sustainable, or smart. Sure, 10.4 xGF is great but the 8.6 against isn’t all that positive. GET THOSE MINUTES DOWN TRAVIS!
- The bright idea of putting Quinn Hughes on PP1 has paid off in spades. Hughes has 11 points to start the season and 8 of those have come via the man-advantage. He’s T-8 for PPP with 8 and he’s one of only three defensemen in the top-10. Torey Krug and Roman Josi are the only two ahead of him with 10 and 9 points, respectively.
- It’s very unlikely the Canucks carry out their early-season success in the goals column but right now, right now the Canucks have seven players on pace for over 20 goals this season. This would be the highest group of Canucks to achieve this since the 2009/10 season when they had six.
- There have been a lot of stories to start the season and the power-play has been a big one. Brock Boeser, Elias Pettersson, J.T. Miller, and Bo Horvat are the top-4 players in PP TOI/GP from 5:07 to 4:46. Yikes. Horvat has made the most of his time and has five PPG to show for it, Boeser has three, and Pettersson along with Miller each have two. When they’re spending essentially two and a half full power-play a game on the ice together, those numbers need to be higher.
#CANUCKSTWITTER
MY 94 CENTS
Could you imagine if the Canucks rebounded from their very tight game against the Blues to a wide-open blowout over the Hawks? I imagine these things. I also imagine that the Newsroom went on for one more season. So we don’t always get what we want.
AND ANOTHER THING…
So this was a thing the other night against the Sharks. Chicago might be the one rebuilding and really, that’s OK.
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