Canucks Army THE GAME DAY – Canucks @ Coyotes
By Always90four
4 years agoTHE INTRO
Winning one game doesn’t make you a playoff team but the Canucks hope that it’s a good start. Tonight, the Canucks (might) play the Arizona Coyotes in a very important late-season matchup. There hasn’t been this much anticipation for a game that involves the Canucks and Coyotes since the Sedins’ final days.
As the great Lil Nas X once said “I’m gonna take my horse to the old town road, I’m gonna ride til’ I can’t no more” and the Canucks will ride their playoff chances until they can’t no more… or something like that. They’ll need these valuable two points to get back in the playoff picture before the inevitable shutdown occurs.
So for the last time in what could be a while…
Let’s Do This!™
WHAT ARE THE ODDS?
The odds for tonight’s game are: (VAN +120/ ARI -140) courtesy of OddsShark.com
TV / RADIO / PUCK DROP
SNP / SN 650 / 7:00 PM
LINEUPS
Brock Boeser has returned to the Canucks lineup after missing out on a month’s worth of games due to a rib fracture. The latest injury to the Canucks roster is Chris Tanev. He’s week-to-week with an LBI. A tough break for Tanev but an opportunity potentially for Jalen Chatfield.
What can this team achieve now that all their horses are healthy? We’re about to find out.
Canucks lines courtesy of Dailyfaceoff.com:
| LW | C | RW | Forwards |
|---|---|---|---|
 TANNER PEARSON Rating: 73.7#39 LW |  BO HORVAT Rating: 74.8#33 C |  BROCK BOESER Rating: 74.1#42 RW | FL1 Rating Rating: 74.20#23 FL1 |
 J.T. MILLER Rating: 78.5#7 LW |  ELIAS PETTERSSON Rating: 77.7#14 C |  TYLER TOFFOLI Rating: 75.9#25 RW | FL2 Rating Rating: 77.38#1 FL2 |
 ANTOINE ROUSSEL Rating: 71.0#99 LW |  ADAM GAUDETTE Rating: 70.2#130 C |  ZACK MACEWEN | FL3 Rating Rating: 70.60#25 FL3 |
 TYLER MOTTE Rating: 68.8#146 LW |  BRANDON SUTTER Rating: 70.1#131 C |  JAKE VIRTANEN Rating: 72.0#82 RW | FL4 Rating Rating: 70.32#19 FL4 |
| DEFENSIVE PAIRINGS | Defense | |
|---|---|---|
 QUINN HUGHES Rating: 75.2#15 LD |  CHRIS TANEV Rating: 71.0#90 RD | DL1 Rating Rating: 73.12#21 DL1 |
 ALEXANDER EDLER Rating: 74.3#26 LD |  TROY STECHER Rating: 71.9#63 RD | DL2 Rating Rating: 73.11#14 DL2 |
 OSCAR FANTENBERG Rating: 70.9#100 LD |  TYLER MYERS Rating: 72.6#50 RD | DL3 Rating Rating: 71.74#14 DL3 |
| GOALIES | |
|---|---|
 THATCHER DEMKO Rating: 66.3#41 G1 | |
There are no outstanding injuries that haven’t been documented in the last week for the Coyotes. Click the link below for up to date injury info.
Coyotes lines courtesy of Dailyfaceoff.com:
| LW | C | RW | Forwards |
|---|---|---|---|
 TAYLOR HALL Rating: 76.4#15 LW |  CHRISTIAN DVORAK Rating: 72.0#81 C |  CLAYTON KELLER Rating: 75.5#26 RW | FL1 Rating Rating: 74.64#19 FL1 |
 CARL SODERBERG Rating: 72.6#59 LW |  NICK SCHMALTZ Rating: 71.2#107 C |  PHIL KESSEL Rating: 72.7#67 RW | FL2 Rating Rating: 72.17#25 FL2 |
 LAWSON CROUSE Rating: 71.9#78 LW |  DEREK STEPAN Rating: 72.7#67 C |  VINNIE HINOSTROZA Rating: 71.9#85 RW | FL3 Rating Rating: 72.17#9 FL3 |
 MICHAEL GRABNER Rating: 69.2#140 LW |  BRAD RICHARDSON Rating: 71.8#97 C |  CHRISTIAN FISCHER Rating: 68.9#136 RW | FL4 Rating Rating: 69.95#23 FL4 |
| DEFENSIVE PAIRINGS | Defense | |
|---|---|---|
 OLIVER EKMAN-LARSSON Rating: 75.8#11 LD |  ILYA LYUBUSHKIN Rating: 71.2#87 RD | DL1 Rating Rating: 73.49#19 DL1 |
 ALEX GOLIGOSKI Rating: 74.8#21 LD |  NIKLAS HJALMARSSON Rating: 71.7#70 RD | DL2 Rating Rating: 73.26#13 DL2 |
 JORDAN OESTERLE Rating: 72.1#74 LD |  JASON DEMERS Rating: 73.2#38 RD | DL3 Rating Rating: 72.65#6 DL3 |
| GOALIES | |
|---|---|
 DARCY KUEMPER Rating: 73.4#6 G1 | |
GAME NOTES AND A STAT OR TWO
- Jake Virtanen is getting ridiculously close to scoring some epic goals. He is tied with Connor McDavid with five shots off the crossbar this season for the league-lead. Virtanen has been buzzing lately and it’s only a matter of time before he blows the roof off and passes the 20-goal mark.
- Quinn Hughes is T-8 in second-assists in the NHL with 22. Second assists are scoffed at in some circles but they usually amount to a scoring play being started. Hughes has been a huge driver in setting up scoring chances this season and he’s only six A2 back of the NHL lead. Did we mention this is his first NHL season?
- Going into tonight’s game, the Predators hold the final playoff spot in the West at 78 points and 28 regulation wins. It’s going to be a bumpy ride to the finish.
- Bo Horvat’s PPG last game has him among the best in the business this season. Horvat’s 12 power-play goals have him tied for sixth in the NHL. His next one will tie him with Alex Ovechkin. OVECHKIN!
- Canucks… please do playoffs for us. Please.
#CANUCKSTWITTER
MY 94 CENTS
Last night was a bit of a scare because if the season ends today, the Canucks are on the outside looking in. The win was a welcome gift but the Canucks are playing way too close for comfort and I wouldn’t want to play the rest of the season knowing every game is make or break. The Canucks either ARE a playoff team or they’re not. It’s up to them to decide and I’m not sure they quite know the answer yet.
AND ANOTHER THING…
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