CanucksArmy Game Day: Holtby’s impressive numbers against the Jets, Boeser’s tear, and Tanner Pearson

Photo credit:© Terrence Lee | 2021

2 years ago

OPENING FACE/OFF

FREEZE FRAME *plays intro to the song freeze frame*. It’s Friday night and the Vancouver Canucks are going to the way back machine and rocking the REVERSE RETROS Y’ALL! The Jets will not participate in the fun but if the jerseys draw inspiration from their early 2000’s predecessors, Winnipeg won’t need to do much to beat Vancouver because the Canucks were horrible in the first version.

In all seriousness, tonight is a big game for the Canucks; a win can put them into the playoff conversation and people will completely forget about the sins that Jim Benning has inflicted on this franchise. Two very valuable points on the line.

Let’s Do This!™

WHERE CAN I FIND THIS GAME?

TV: SNP / RADIO: SN 650 / PUCK DROP: 7:00 PM

LINEUPS

Nothing new on the injury front but after a massive win against the Flames, even if a player like Zack MacEwen SHOULD be in the lineup, it looks like Jake Virtanen is in the marquee until further notice. Something about a trade?

Who gets the net tonight? Braden Holtby after his epic performance or Thatcher Demko, the guy that has upped his game to the point he had consecutive starts this week?

CANUCKS LINES COURTESY OF DAILYFACEOFF.COM:

LW	C	RW	Forwards
TANNER PEARSON Rating: 73.7#38 LW	BO HORVAT Rating: 74.8#34 C	NILS HOGLANDER	FL1 Rating Rating: 74.25#20 FL1
J.T. MILLER Rating: 78.5#7 LW	ELIAS PETTERSSON Rating: 77.7#14 C	BROCK BOESER Rating: 74.1#41 RW	FL2 Rating Rating: 76.78#3 FL2
ANTOINE ROUSSEL Rating: 71.0#97 LW	BRANDON SUTTER Rating: 70.1#131 C	ADAM GAUDETTE Rating: 70.2#130 RW	FL3 Rating Rating: 70.44#27 FL3
LOUI ERIKSSON Rating: 69.7#123 LW	JAY BEAGLE Rating: 68.4#163 C	JAKE VIRTANEN Rating: 72.0#78 RW	FL4 Rating Rating: 70.04#20 FL4

DEFENSIVE PAIRINGS		Defense
ALEXANDER EDLER Rating: 74.3#26 LD	NATE SCHMIDT Rating: 75.5#18 RD	DL1 Rating Rating: 74.89#13 DL1
QUINN HUGHES Rating: 75.2#15 LD	JORDIE BENN Rating: 70.9#101 RD	DL2 Rating Rating: 73.04#17 DL2
OLLI JUOLEVI	TYLER MYERS Rating: 72.6#50 RD	DL3 Rating Rating: 72.56#6 DL3

Pierre-Luc Dubois is on IR. He won’t be in the lineup tonight. Jansen Harkins is in the lineup, though, and the WHL product will have a lot of fans rooting for him from a social distance this evening.

You can bet your bottom dollar that Connor Hellebuyck is starting for the Jets. He’s the Jacob Markstrom of the prairies.

JETS LINES COURTESY OF DAILYFACEOFF.COM:

LW	C	RW	Forwards
ANDREW COPP Rating: 72.5#60 LW	MARK SCHEIFELE Rating: 76.8#19 C	BLAKE WHEELER Rating: 76.3#22 RW	FL1 Rating Rating: 75.22#17 FL1
KYLE CONNOR Rating: 79.5#5 LW	PAUL STASTNY Rating: 74.8#36 C	NIKOLAJ EHLERS Rating: 75.7#20 RW	FL2 Rating Rating: 76.69#4 FL2
MATHIEU PERREAULT Rating: 71.1#96 LW	ADAM LOWRY Rating: 69.2#149 C	MASON APPLETON Rating: 69.5#123 RW	FL3 Rating Rating: 69.95#31 FL3
KRISTIAN VESALAINEN	JANSEN HARKINS	TREVOR LEWIS Rating: 70.1#114 RW	FL4 Rating Rating: 71.72#3 FL4

DEFENSIVE PAIRINGS		Defense
JOSH MORRISSEY Rating: 74.1#29 LD	TUCKER POOLMAN Rating: 71.6#74 RD	DL1 Rating Rating: 72.82#28 DL1
DEREK FORBORT Rating: 70.5#109 LD	NEAL PIONK Rating: 75.3#20 RD	DL2 Rating Rating: 72.92#18 DL2
NATHAN BEAULIEU Rating: 72.1#72 LD	DYLAN DEMELO Rating: 71.8#69 RD	DL3 Rating Rating: 71.95#18 DL3

GAME NOTES, INTERESTING STATS, AND TANNER PEARSON

Brock Boeser is on a tear right now. He’s four goals back of Auston Matthews for the league-lead and a ridiculous weekend could get him close providing Matthews misses a team meeting or something. It’s possible, right? How about Brock, though? He can’t be stopped. His shot looks the same as when he was beating Carey Price and Henrik Lundqvist a few seasons ago. We stan? you!
Jake Virtanen has one official goal. It barely counted. Nikolaj Ehlers has 10 goals and 18 points. Imagine the possibilities. Just… just gonna leave this here for you.
Braden Holtby has feasted on the Winnipeg Jets and it would be a smart play to see him get the net tonight. He’s 11-3-2 all-time against the Jets with a .925 SV% and two shutouts. He did have John Carlson and Mike Green in his corner, so there’s that. He has Quinn Hughes and Jordie Benn now so you should basically expect shutout number three. Please reference this when it happens. We need love.
Tanner Pearson needs to step his game up. Period. He’s been unnoticeable aside from the yardsale Jacob Markstrom threw at him on Wednesday. He needs to be an effective winger for Bo Horvat when Nils Höglander isn’t stealing the show.
The Canucks and Jets are among the league-leaders in deflected shots. Vancouver (21) and Winnipeg (18) are using the deflected shot as one of their premier options although, the Canucks do love themselves some slappers; they have 94 of those. Always a good choice.

TWITTER TOLD YOU

Not Canucks related whatsoever but maybe things aren’t so bad here:

MY 94 CENTS

This may not be the Canucks team we get for the rest of the season but they look like a team right now that has a purpose. Even in the OT loss, they didn’t quit and still earned a point. It’s beyond confusing how they decide to put together 60 minutes of hockey but when has it ever made sense watching this team?

Expect more from Boeser tonight and at some point, Pettersson has to go off for at least one mesmerizing goal.

THE FINAL WORD

Goals could be aplenty this evening. Vancouver is starting to put together periods where they look dangerous. They also need to curb those shifts where everything looks like it could implode. With a few extra practices in tow, this team needs to put up or shut up and the Jets are a great start.

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