Canucks Army THE GAME DAY – Canucks Vs. Bruins
By Always90four
4 years agoTHE INTRO
If tonight’s game between the Canucks and Bruins didn’t scream MUST SEE, you probably cheer for someone else. The Bruins have won five straight and 11 of their last 12 games. Simply put, the Bruins are very good. The Canucks, on the other hand, have only won two of their last eight games. Vancouver had won seven of their last eight games prior to this current run so it’s really tough to figure out what the Canucks are doing right now.
Will there be retribution for the hit on Elias Pettersson the last time they met or is it a non-factor? Do the Canucks have a team that can actually beat the Bruins? That’s the real question. Hockey Night in Canada brings out the best.
Let’s Do This!™
WHAT ARE THE ODDS?
The odds for tonight’s game are: (VAN +125/ BOS -145) courtesy of OddsShark.com
TV / RADIO / PUCK DROP
CBC / SN 650 / 7:00 PM
LINEUPS
No changes to the lineup for tonight’s game. Practice didn’t have any surprises to offer. Expect Jacob Markstrom to start again in this high-profile game.
Canucks lines courtesy of Dailyfaceoff.com:
| LW | C | RW | Forwards |
|---|---|---|---|
 TANNER PEARSON Rating: 73.5#46 LW |  BO HORVAT Rating: 75.5#25 C |  LOUI ERIKSSON Rating: 69.4#134 RW | FL1 Rating Rating: 72.81#30 FL1 |
 J.T. MILLER Rating: 76.5#13 LW |  ELIAS PETTERSSON Rating: 77.4#17 C |  TYLER TOFFOLI Rating: 75.8#23 RW | FL2 Rating Rating: 76.54#1 FL2 |
 ANTOINE ROUSSEL Rating: 71.1#99 LW |  ADAM GAUDETTE Rating: 70.7#118 C |  JAKE VIRTANEN Rating: 72.3#72 RW | FL3 Rating Rating: 71.36#24 FL3 |
 TYLER MOTTE Rating: 68.7#138 LW |  JAY BEAGLE Rating: 67.7#163 C |  BRANDON SUTTER Rating: 72.0#88 RW | FL4 Rating Rating: 69.44#26 FL4 |
| DEFENSIVE PAIRINGS | Defense | |
|---|---|---|
 ALEXANDER EDLER Rating: 74.4#25 LD |  TROY STECHER Rating: 71.1#92 RD | DL1 Rating Rating: 72.73#24 DL1 |
 QUINN HUGHES Rating: 76.6#8 LD |  CHRIS TANEV Rating: 71.4#85 RD | DL2 Rating Rating: 73.95#12 DL2 |
 JORDIE BENN Rating: 70.8#105 LD |  TYLER MYERS Rating: 73.1#43 RD | DL3 Rating Rating: 71.94#13 DL3 |
| GOALIES | |
|---|---|
 JACOB MARKSTROM Rating: 72.5#8 G1 | |
David Backes was traded to the Ducks for Ondrej Kase. Kase could be in the lineup tonight. The Bruins beat out the Flames last night and they’re ready to add another W. This team is rolling right now.
Bruins lines courtesy of Dailyfaceoff.com:
| LW | C | RW | Forwards |
|---|---|---|---|
 BRAD MARCHAND Rating: 80.8#4 LW |  PATRICE BERGERON Rating: 80.8#8 C |  DAVID PASTRNAK Rating: 84.4#2 RW | FL1 Rating Rating: 82.00#1 FL1 |
 JAKE DEBRUSK Rating: 74.8#34 LW |  DAVID KREJCI Rating: 75.3#29 C |  DANTON HEINEN Rating: 71.4#101 RW | FL2 Rating Rating: 73.85#13 FL2 |
 ANDERS BJORK Rating: 70.3#117 LW |  CHARLIE COYLE Rating: 75.2#32 C |  KARSON KUHLMAN Rating: 72.2#81 RW | FL3 Rating Rating: 72.58#9 FL3 |
 JOAKIM NORDSTROM Rating: 68.5#139 LW |  SEAN KURALY Rating: 70.6#119 C |  CHRIS WAGNER Rating: 69.1#140 RW | FL4 Rating Rating: 69.42#27 FL4 |
| DEFENSIVE PAIRINGS | Defense | |
|---|---|---|
 ZDENO CHARA Rating: 74.4#24 LD |  CHARLIE MCAVOY Rating: 77.6#7 RD | DL1 Rating Rating: 76.01#3 DL1 |
 TOREY KRUG Rating: 79.2#2 LD |  BRANDON CARLO Rating: 75.4#17 RD | DL2 Rating Rating: 77.32#1 DL2 |
 MATT GRZELCYK Rating: 74.6#22 LD |  JEREMY LAUZON Rating: 72.7#53 RD | DL3 Rating Rating: 73.66#4 DL3 |
| GOALIES | |
|---|---|
 TUUKKA RASK Rating: 74.5#3 G1 | |
GAME NOTES AND A STAT OR TWO
- Vancouver has allowed three goals or more in seven of the last nine games. The Bruins will score in bunches so Jacob Markstrom better have eaten his Wheaties today.
- The Canucks have allowed a ton of shots in the last few months and yet for the last two games straight they’ve only surrendered 28 shots. The last time they allowed fewer than 30 shots was against the Sharks on Jan 18 when they gave up 18. Three of the previous four games prior to Jan 18 also had games of less than 29 shots allowed. Travis Green has a system that has given up 30 shots in 36 of 60 games this season. They’re playing with fire.
- Jacob Markstrom has entered into the top-10 in wins. He’s currently at 22. He’ll need to beat the Bruins tonight to tie the man ahead of him, Tuukka Rask.
- Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller are tied with 24 goals apiece. It’s likely both of these players will hit 30 but the stretch run needs to have some magic in it because it doesn’t feel like there are a lot of goals in this team right now.
- Quinn Hughes has 47 points prior to tonight’s game. It’s entirely possible he finishes second in defensive scoring and gets a Norris nomination. Putting up a few points against the Bruins would be a big deal for Eastern voters. Quinn has done so much already, why not this?
#CANUCKSTWITTER
Good point:
MY 94 CENTS
The last time this space was occupied, I called a 4-0 Bruins win. Pretty amazing, right? Tonight, the Canucks have a few things to prove: they’ve been put to shame a few times in the last week, they’re PP isn’t quite back yet and they haven’t really stepped up since the Grzelcyk hit. Time to get ready for the playoffs, Canucks.
Jake gets back to scoring, Toffoli scores and the Canucks squeak out a 5-4 victory.
AND ANOTHER THING…
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