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Canucks Army GDT #57: Canucks @ Rangers
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Rhys Jessop
Feb 19, 2015, 16:06 ESTUpdated:
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After picking up a gutsy win over the Minnesota Wild on Monday night, the Vancouver Canucks embark on a five-game Eastern road swing, beginning tonight in Madison Square Garden as they take on the New York Rangers and former bench boss Alain Vigneault. With the Kings and Wild winning last night and the Flames picking up a point as well, the Western Conference playoff race is only getting tighter, so the Canucks are in need of a big two points.
Read past the jump for a preview of tonight’s game.

Broadcast Info

Puck Drop: 4:00 PM PST
TV: Sportsnet Pacific
Radio: TSN 1040

Lineups

Zack Kassian will be a healthy scratch once again, as Brandon McMillan will make his Canucks debut. Ryan Miller will get the start in net.
Cam Talbot will start in goal, as Henrik Lundqvist continues to recover from a neck injury.

Head to Head

Storylines

  • Decimated D – For the second game in a row, the Vancouver Canucks will be without three of their top four defensemen, which includes their entire top pairing. Given the relative state of decimation on their blueline, the Canucks managed to weather the storm quite well last game in a 3-2 win over the Minnesota Wild. They will be in tough again tonight against a strong New York Rangers team who possess the NHL’s most dangerous even strength goal scorer this season in Rick Nash.
  • McMillan’s Debut – Brandon McMillan will make his Vancouver Canucks debut today, as Zack Kassian sits once again. We’ve covered the Kassian saga at length here, and are just about out of angles to approach it from. It’s the same old stuff: he’s being benched for things that are less important than what he positively contributes, he’s one of the younger players in the lineup so play him and develop him, his style of play isn’t suited to exactly what the Canucks want from a guy who’s 6’3, etc, etc. It’s the same old song and dance. It opens the door for Brandon McMillan to suit up for his childhood team though, which is a nice story in itself.
  • Catching Up With Old Friends – Derek Dorsett will face his former team for the first time since being dealt to the Canucks over the summer. Dorsett was a very effective 4th liner under former Canucks bench boss Alain Vigneault, starting in a defensive specialist role with Brian Boyle, and coming out close to even. Dorsett, while still bringing energetic and combative play, has not been nearly as effective a 5-on-5 player for Willie Desjardins, sitting dead last on Vancouver with a 43.5% Corsi. His replacement on the 4th line, Ronalds Kenins, has been much more impactful, hitting everything with a pulse and helping Bo Horvat to a nearly 54% Corsi when paired together in a limited sample size.

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