So, the Canucks are back?

The Canucks hit the ice again after being off for what feels like an eternity. Will they actually play, though? Adam Gaudette tested positive for the Coronavirus, and realistically this game will be in jeopardy because he was pulled from practice yesterday. The game will largely hinge on the result of Gaudette’s latest test. If it comes back negative, that would suggest his original test could be a false positive, and the game will likely proceed with Gaudette remaining out of the lineup (he’ll need to test negative three times in a row to be eligible to return).
Calgary has lost five of their last six games so is this a trap game? Maybe it’s a double-trap game because the Canucks are without a handful of starters. This is the storyline no one is talking about, but at CanucksArmy, it’s THE story you’ll be following all day. OK, maybe the COVID story, but still.
Two points are on the line tonight and one of these teams will be a win behind the Canadiens who have five games in hand. Perfect!
Let’s Do This!™

The Lines They Are A-Changing

No Elias Pettersson is probably a good thing for the Canucks right now. Why bother to expose him to this freefall when the brass ring is out of reach at this point? Whatever ailment he has, it’s a lot more serious than first thought and that has to be concerning for everyone involved. Don’t expect this to derail contract talks, he’s good for it.
Adam Gaudette is now in the protocol system and is out indefinitely. What does this mean for the rest of the team, though?
When are we going to see Olli Juolevi again? Is it simply just a cap issue?

Doggy Dates, Injuries: The Musical, Demko Deal, and Maybe They Play

  • It has been reported that Adam Gaudette and Brock Boeser had a doggy date, was it on the clock app or IG, I’m not sure. Anyway, everyone is talking about close contact with Brock but if Gaudette was pulled from practice the entire team would be a close contact considering they all get ready in the dressing room, or is that still not happening? The Canucks have avoided COVID for this entire run and however it made its way in, they’ve been hit. Hopefully, Adam is OK.
  • I (Ryan) love a good word replacement in a song when a topical issue arises and thought, wouldn’t it be funny to have a song called Injuries to the tune of Glycerine by the early Bush X? Nods to J. Bowman and Daniel Wagner, we might be on to something:
Please continue to follow this if PITB, in fact, re-creates this. Maybe someone can do that face swap and put FA’s face on Gavin’s in the music video… OH MY GOODNESS I NEED THIS SO MUCH!
  • According to Rick Dhaliwal, the Canucks have reached out to Thatcher Demko’s camp regarding a new contract. They have done the same for Tanner Pearson. It is possible they were just checking if the numbers were still the same. A Demko deal feels like it will get done but is re-signing Tanner Pearson a good idea? Should he not be a top trade chip?
  • Based on previous incidents, it just doesn’t feel like the Canucks and Flames are playing a game this evening. The NHL at the very least should be postponing the game to possibly Thursday to allow for a full review. Both teams have the Oilers next which would mean the Flames would be in a back-to-back whereas the Canucks would get a day’s break between games. Who knew solving this would be so easy?
  • Alex Edler still hasn’t scored a goal.

PowerGlove™ Player of the Game

  • Thatcher Demko stands on his head tonight and is my pick for Glove Guy. He is the only thing that consistently decides if the Canucks are a playoff* team. He has let in five goals in a game and still been a rightful recipient of player of the game. Unreal.

Things I’m Looking Forward To

  • This game being played in its entirety
  • The new watermelon Nude flavour in my fridge. It tempts me.
  • Brock Boeser scoring at least a goal on Jacob Markstrom, crushing his spirit to the point that he regrets ever signing in Calgary and begs to have his contract terminated.
  • An Alex Edler goal.