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Canucks Army GDT #47 – Canucks vs. Sabres
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Rhys Jessop
Jan 30, 2015, 15:18 ESTUpdated:
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There are no two ways about this, so let’s just get this right out of the way: the Buffalo Sabres are the worst team to be assembled in the past decade and are tanking for Connor McDavid so brazenly that they’re literally already having McDavid play home games in Buffalo’s rink. They played and lost to the Edmonton Oilers last night, and the Canucks have been resting since Tuesday’s 4-0 loss to the Anaheim Ducks. This is as close as guaranteed win night as there is in the NHL (except if you’re the San Jose Sharks that is), and the Canucks should be plenty motivated to win one for Ryan Miller anyways.
For a closer look at tonight’s matchup, read past the jump.

Broadcast Info

Puck Drop: 7:00 PM PST
TV: Sportsnet Pacific
Radio: TSN 1040

Lineups

Defensive Pairings
 
Alexander Edler
 
Luca Sbisa
 
Dan Hamhuis
 
Frank Corrado
 
Chris Tanev
 
Yannick Weber
Brad Richardson is doubtful with a foot injury. Newly acquired Adam Clendening could play tonight if he arrives in Vancouver on time. Ronalds Kenins may make his Canucks debut in place of Derek Dorsett on line 4. The Edler-Tanev pairing has been split up in practice, meaning Luca Sbisa could play the right side with Edler tonight and no oh god please no. Ryan Miller will get the start against his longtime team.
Defensive Pairings
 
Josh Gorges
 
Tyler Myers
 
Mike Weber
 
Tyson Strachan
 
Andrej Meszaros
 
Rasmus Ristolainen
Nikita Zadorov is eligible to play after serving his team-imposed suspension. Marcus Foligno is out with a hand injury. Tyler Myers is questionable with an ankle injury. Jhonas Enroth will start in goal.

Head to Head

Storylines

  • Catching Up with Old Friends – Ryan Miller will face the team he played the majority of his career with for the first time tonight. In his career with Buffalo, Miller had 284 wins, and made 4 playoff appearances, including two extended runs in 05-06 and 06-07. He holds the Sabres career records for games played and wins, and sits second behind Dominik Hasek in career save percentage and shutouts. Miller turned in a strong performance against another former team, the St. Louis Blues, earlier this season, and will look to do the same tonight.
  • New Faces – If all goes according to plan, two players could make their Vancouver Canucks debut tonight: Ronalds Kenins and Adam Clendening. Kenins, 23, is a Latvian international that’s been plying his trade in a bottom-6 role for the Utica Comets this year, and is described as playing an energetic and grinding-type game. Clendening, 22, was acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks last night and is an elite AHL puck-mover that needs to work on rounding out his defensive game. It’s fairly certain that Kenins will make his NHL debut with Derek Dorsett out, but whether Clendening plays will be dependent on his arrival from Rockford.
  • Buffalol – The Sabres are bad. Very bad. They are so far and away the worst puck possession group we have on record that it’s insane. They can’t score goals (last in the NHL with 92) and they can’t prevent goals (last in the NHL with 174 against). Their penalty kill sucks and their powerplay is somehow worse. Cody Hodgson, who was expected to develop into a top-6 forward, is a possible buyout candidate. They have lost a staggering 13 games in a row, all in regulation, and haven’t won a hockey game in over a month. There are literally zero redeeming qualities about the team other than the fact that they are frontrunners for Connor McDavid. This Travis Yost chart was two weeks ago, and the Sabres have since broken the minus-1000 Corsi mark, becoming the fastest team to ever do so. They should catch the 2014 Leafs at minus-1092 within the next week or two:

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