Photo Credit: Sergei Belski/USA TODAY Sports

After a one game absence Vancouver Canucks forward Brad Richardson is expected to play in Tuesday’s night’s crucial elimination tilt against the Calgary Flames.

The depth centreman, a crucial part of Vancouver’s penalty kill, has been in and out of the lineup over the past month with an ankle injury that everyone in the organization has reportedly found “frustrating” (Richardson included).

Richardson took the warmup skate and took part in line rushes on a line with Derek Dorsett and Shawn Matthias on Tuesday night. With Sven Baertschi drawing into the lineup to play with a Vancouver second line that has been worse than a non-factor – try “liability” – that leaves Chris Higgins to accompany Ronalds Kenins and Bo Horvat on the Canucks’ ostensible fourth forward line. 

Calgary’s power play has lit up the Canucks in this series, particularly in Game 4 when Richardson was watching from the press box. If nothing else, he should help the Canucks enormously at 4-on-5.