Canucks Army THE GAME DAY – Canucks @ Blue Jackets
By Always90four
4 years agoTHE INTRO
Misery loves company is a saying that has been uttered in Vancouver a time or two. Tonight, the Canucks take on the Columbus Blue Jackets in what will probably be deemed “a must-win” game for Vancouver. Both teams are riding two-game losing streaks and for the Canucks, the Pacific is becoming a traffic jam on the daily.
It will be great to see ol’ John Tortorella again but the Canucks need to focus on their own team right now instead of old friends. The games are running out and Vancouver needs the points in a bad way.
Let’s Do This!™
WHAT ARE THE ODDS?
The odds for tonight’s game are: (VAN +108/ CBJ -133) courtesy of OddsShark.com
TV / RADIO / PUCK DROP
SNP / SN 650 / 4:00 PM
LINEUPS
The Canucks current play is the biggest injury going. Brock Boeser is out for the foreseeable future, potentially the rest of the year, but we’ll hold up out because we need it. Jacob Markstrom is on the IR with what many call a meniscus. I think that’s actually what’s hurt so it’s a meniscus injury.
Josh Leivo is out and it really is a shame that many crave his return, what does that say about this team?
Will Louis Domingue start this evening? Thatcher Demko might need a quick breather.
Canucks lines courtesy of Dailyfaceoff.com:
| LW | C | RW | Forwards |
|---|---|---|---|
 TANNER PEARSON Rating: 73.3#53 LW |  BO HORVAT Rating: 76.2#26 C |  LOUI ERIKSSON Rating: 70.1#121 RW | FL1 Rating Rating: 73.19#26 FL1 |
 J.T. MILLER Rating: 78.0#7 LW |  ELIAS PETTERSSON Rating: 77.2#18 C |  TYLER TOFFOLI Rating: 77.6#10 RW | FL2 Rating Rating: 77.61#1 FL2 |
 ANTOINE ROUSSEL Rating: 70.2#116 LW |  ADAM GAUDETTE Rating: 70.9#106 C |  JAKE VIRTANEN Rating: 72.9#64 RW | FL3 Rating Rating: 71.35#19 FL3 |
 TYLER MOTTE Rating: 68.8#144 LW |  JAY BEAGLE Rating: 68.2#158 C |  BRANDON SUTTER Rating: 71.1#100 RW | FL4 Rating Rating: 69.36#28 FL4 |
| DEFENSIVE PAIRINGS | Defense | |
|---|---|---|
 ALEXANDER EDLER Rating: 74.9#15 LD |  TROY STECHER Rating: 71.6#72 RD | DL1 Rating Rating: 73.27#19 DL1 |
 QUINN HUGHES Rating: 77.5#6 LD |  CHRIS TANEV Rating: 71.3#83 RD | DL2 Rating Rating: 74.40#9 DL2 |
 OSCAR FANTENBERG Rating: 70.8#104 LD |  TYLER MYERS Rating: 73.3#43 RD | DL3 Rating Rating: 72.02#14 DL3 |
| GOALIES | |
|---|---|
 LOUIS DOMINGUE Rating: 61.1#68 G2 | |
It’s not just the Canucks who have injury problems; Columbus is banged up too! Josh Anderson has a shoulder injury and has been on IR for some time now, Cam Atkinson has a high ankle sprain, Oliver Bjorkstrand has a sprain/ankle fracture (they didn’t say what it was), Seth Jones also had ankle surgery (what is with the ankles?) so he’s out for the remainder of the regular season most likely.
Does anyone need a break? Maybe grab a glass of water and I’ll keep going.
Alexandre Texier has a lumbar stress fracture and is on IR. That just sounds bad. Nathan Gerbe might play, how’s that for an update?
And finally, Elvis Merzlikins was in a collision in practice and won’t be on the bench tonight.
Lots going on with the Blue Jackets, good thing they don’t play in Vancouver.
Blue Jackets lines courtesy of Dailyfaceoff.com:
| LW | C | RW | Forwards |
|---|---|---|---|
 GUSTAV NYQUIST Rating: 72.2#75 LW |  BOONE JENNER Rating: 72.6#71 C |  NICK FOLIGNO Rating: 73.1#52 RW | FL1 Rating Rating: 72.63#29 FL1 |
 STEFAN MATTEAU Rating: 73.2#58 LW |  ALEXANDER WENNBERG Rating: 70.6#114 C |  RILEY NASH Rating: 68.7#143 RW | FL2 Rating Rating: 70.85#29 FL2 |
 DEVIN SHORE Rating: 70.0#123 LW |  PIERRE-LUC DUBOIS Rating: 75.0#39 C |  EMIL BEMSTROM Rating: 71.6#89 RW | FL3 Rating Rating: 72.19#10 FL3 |
 ERIC ROBINSON Rating: 70.1#118 LW |  KEVIN STENLUND Rating: 71.6#92 C |  RYAN MACINNIS | FL4 Rating Rating: 70.86#12 FL4 |
| DEFENSIVE PAIRINGS | Defense | |
|---|---|---|
 ZACH WERENSKI Rating: 78.4#2 LD |  DAVID SAVARD Rating: 72.9#49 RD | DL1 Rating Rating: 75.61#8 DL1 |
 RYAN MURRAY Rating: 73.2#49 LD |  MARKUS NUTIVAARA Rating: 72.6#58 RD | DL2 Rating Rating: 72.90#19 DL2 |
 VLADISLAV GAVRIKOV Rating: 73.3#44 LD |  ANDREW PEEKE Rating: 72.6#59 RD | DL3 Rating Rating: 72.96#8 DL3 |
| GOALIES | |
|---|---|
 JOONAS KORPISALO Rating: 62.8#65 G1 | |
GAME NOTES AND A STAT OR TWO
- Statistics are a funny thing; there are stats that just make you think and seeing that Tyler Myers and Quinn Hughes are the 17th best defensive pairing in the league in CF% with 56.39 is odd. Alex Edler and Myers rank 66th at 52.18 and Hughes paired with Tanev ranks 128th at 49.05. I’m not one to promote ridiculousness but maybe things need to be shaken up?
- History is currently on the side of the Canucks in Columbus. Vancouver is riding a five-game win streak dating back to 2014 in Ohio so if they can clear the chamber after the Leafs loss, this one is doable.
- Quinn Hughes is still keeping the Canucks afloat despite Jacob Markstrom going down to the meniscus. The way he hustles to get back into the defensive zone, usually on breakaways, is next-level stuff. There aren’t many players the Canucks can rely on right now to bring it for 60 minutes.
- This season’s NHL goaltenders aren’t looking to set any records with all the leaders above 2.15. Joonas Korpisalo is giving up just over two goals per game which have him in the top half of the league while Thatcher Demko currently sits at 3.08, a little high. It started with Demko getting the chance to shine and now it might be Demko needing a chance to hang around. It’s only been a few games since Markstrom went down but right now everything happens in a vacuum so the results need to be there.
- Loui Eriksson hasn’t had a point since the Boston game where he put up a goal and an assist. Boston is only two hours away from Columbus via airplane and if he left his A+ game there, he still could get there and back in time to make a difference in the game this evening. Loui may not play today so that could be a moot point. Zack MacEwen will score if he gets in.
MY 94 CENTS
There used to be days where we’d get excited about a Canucks/Blue Jackets tilt. Where did those days go? Vancouver needs to give their collective heads a shake (the team, not you). Travis Green is driving an 18-wheeler this past week because he has a MASSIVE company line to tow. This team is NOT playing well and playoffs aren’t exactly locked up.
Zack MacEwen needs to be injected back into the lineup, give Domingue a start and DO SOMETHING WITH THE POWER PLAY!!! I know, lots of caps just now, I’m sorry. It’s bad enough I have to watch my local junior team cough up leads in the same fashion but this is the NHL and these guys need to push the panic button a bit.
If Jacob Markstrom is the only reason the team is winning, that is a serious problem. If Elias Pettersson, Quinn Hughes, and J.T. Miller are the only other hopes, start booking your spring holidays because you won’t be sitting in front of your TV watching the Canucks. Vancouver has scored a ton of goals this season and they have a serious chance to win some big trophies as well but man, this hasn’t been a fun week.
End of rant.
#CANUCKSTWITTER
Yup
AND ANOTHER THING…
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