CanucksArmy THE PLAYOFF GAMEDAY: Canucks Vs. Golden Knights G2
By Always90four
3 years agoTHE INTRO
Is it possible to already hate how good the Vegas Golden Knights are? They have everything, even a goalie controversy! Their speed and skill seem like there is no match coming from the Canucks but OH RIGHT, they play seven games. Did you give up after the Canucks lost games 3/4 against the Blues? OK, some did.
Did you give up when it was 3-1 in Game 5, OK, OK, some did there as well.
But now the Canucks face a new test, no not another COVID one, but a test against a team that will truly challenge them. What’s to say that the Canucks don’t turn this series sideways and shock the world?
Ryan Reaves got the best of the Canucks in Game 1 and the narrative has been vomited all over the map. The Canucks will answer the bell in Game 2 and they’ll do it TONIGHT at Madison Square Garden the Edmonton Rogers Building.
Let’s Do This!™
TV / RADIO / PUCK DROP
SN / SN 650 / 6:45 PM
WHAT ARE THE ODDS?
The odds for tonight’s game are: VAN +180/ VGK -220 courtesy of OddsShark.com
LINEUPS
Travis Green will have some decisions to make but don’t expect drastic changes for Game 2. Tyler Toffoli and Tyler Myers are both out but don’t be surprised if one of them is healthy for puck drop. It is The Bubble™ after all.
Jacob Markstrom will shake off the outing he had (which wasn’t his fault) and rise up this evening.
CANUCKS lines courtesy of Dailyfaceoff.com:
| LW | C | RW | Forwards |
|---|---|---|---|
 J.T. MILLER Rating: 78.5#7 LW |  ELIAS PETTERSSON Rating: 77.7#14 C |  BROCK BOESER Rating: 74.1#41 RW | FL1 Rating Rating: 76.78#10 FL1 |
 TANNER PEARSON Rating: 73.7#38 LW |  BO HORVAT Rating: 74.8#34 C |  LOUI ERIKSSON Rating: 69.7#123 RW | FL2 Rating Rating: 72.73#24 FL2 |
 ANTOINE ROUSSEL Rating: 71.0#97 LW |  ADAM GAUDETTE Rating: 70.2#130 C |  BRANDON SUTTER Rating: 70.1#131 RW | FL3 Rating Rating: 70.44#26 FL3 |
 TYLER MOTTE Rating: 68.8#144 LW |  JAY BEAGLE Rating: 68.4#163 C |  JAKE VIRTANEN Rating: 72.0#78 RW | FL4 Rating Rating: 69.73#22 FL4 |
| DEFENSIVE PAIRINGS | Defense | |
|---|---|---|
 ALEXANDER EDLER Rating: 74.3#26 LD |  TROY STECHER Rating: 71.9#63 RD | DL1 Rating Rating: 73.11#23 DL1 |
 QUINN HUGHES Rating: 75.2#15 LD |  CHRIS TANEV Rating: 71.0#90 RD | DL2 Rating Rating: 73.12#16 DL2 |
 OSCAR FANTENBERG Rating: 70.9#100 LD |  JORDIE BENN Rating: 70.9#101 RD | DL3 Rating Rating: 70.90#26 DL3 |
Pete DeBoer doesn’t need to adjust his roster at all. They played perfectly against the Canucks and will need to bring the same type of game if they’re going to repeat their result.
Robin Lehner wasn’t tested much in Game 1 so he should start again. Marc-Andre Fleury is day-to-day (sword) so he’ll back up Lehner.
GOLDEN KNIGHTS lines courtesy of Dailyfaceoff.com:
| LW | C | RW | Forwards |
|---|---|---|---|
 MAX PACIORETTY Rating: 81.1#2 LW |  WILLIAM KARLSSON Rating: 76.6#23 C |  MARK STONE Rating: 79.8#5 RW | FL1 Rating Rating: 79.18#4 FL1 |
 JONATHAN MARCHESSAULT Rating: 75.5#22 LW |  PAUL STASTNY Rating: 74.8#36 C |  REILLY SMITH Rating: 76.8#17 RW | FL2 Rating Rating: 75.71#3 FL2 |
 NICK COUSINS Rating: 71.9#91 LW |  NICOLAS ROY Rating: 72.9#59 C |  ALEX TUCH Rating: 73.4#49 RW | FL3 Rating Rating: 72.71#5 FL3 |
 WILL CARRIER Rating: 70.3#116 LW |  CHANDLER STEPHENSON Rating: 71.5#101 C |  RYAN REAVES Rating: 70.5#106 RW | FL4 Rating Rating: 70.75#11 FL4 |
| DEFENSIVE PAIRINGS | Defense | |
|---|---|---|
 BRAYDEN MCNABB Rating: 73.1#55 LD |  NATE SCHMIDT Rating: 75.5#18 RD | DL1 Rating Rating: 74.31#17 DL1 |
 ALEC MARTINEZ Rating: 73.3#50 LD |  SHEA THEODORE Rating: 78.2#5 RD | DL2 Rating Rating: 75.73#2 DL2 |
 NICK HOLDEN Rating: 74.4#24 LD |  ZACH WHITECLOUD Rating: 73.5#35 RD | DL3 Rating Rating: 73.95#3 DL3 |
GAME NOTES, STATS, AND HOW TO WIN GAME 2
- Call me crazy but maybe the Canucks should focus on the Golden Knights top six instead of their checking line? Ryan Reaves received way too much attention to start the series and it showed. Vancouver was distracted when there was already a distraction on their own bench. Leave the games to someone else and show why 34 goals in the playoffs deserve to be back in the series.
- Quinn Hughes looked normal last game and that was cause for concern. Thankfully, Hughes doesn’t dwell on the past and he’ll find a way to adjust his game to benefit the Canucks tonight. He currently is tied with Miro Heiskanen with 9 takeaways for defensemen and once he figures out how he fits into the series, he’ll be back to his Hughes on-ice tantrums. (See what I did there?)
- Vegas didn’t allow a lot of shots on the inside and kept the Canucks to the perimeter at best last game. The rest of the time the Golden Knights forced the Canucks into flipping the puck into the neutral zone which amounted to… nothing mostly. Check out the heat map, it doesn’t lie:
- The Canucks can’t get caught in a battle of toughness this evening. They won’t win. If they can let skill flourish, they have a chance. Elias Pettersson and Brock Boeser need to have an impact and don’t forget J.T. Miller. Vegas isn’t invincible but they won’t just allow the Canucks to earn their spot in this. The Cup should be decided by skill and not the thugs that should only see 5-10 minutes per game.
- Jake Virtanen could thrive in this series alongside Elias Pettersson or super-powered Bo Horvat/Brock Boeser combo. Every series has an X-factor and Jake could be that guy.
THE TWITTER TAKE
Your teammates throw your sweatsuit in the shower but you know they’re just messing with you. What do you do?
A) Come out swinging
B) Get your threads, LV tracksuits are hella expensive yo!
C) Pout. Why do my teammates hate me?
D) Apologize for whatever you did and promise you’ll be a better teammate.
MY 94 CENTS
Well, that first one sucked, hey?
I can’t imagine Travis Green goes “physical” for Game 2 but he’ll need to adjust his game plan and his plan needs speed. The Canucks looked pedestrian in every sense of the word and they’ll need to answer the Golden Knights offence in every aspect of the game. They’ll also need a plan to get a power play going.
Vegas played great but the Canucks have a chance to respond.
I can’t wait to see this one go down.
AND ANOTHER THING…
The Canucks need to leave their flip cup skills back at the hotel because it wasn’t a good gameplan on the ice.
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