Canucks embarking on uncharted territory

Tonight, the Canucks play their first game of the Eastern road trip against the Senators. They’ll do so with a similar lineup from Saturday’s game unless Kole Lind is activated (seems like a great idea, I dunno). They still somehow have a shot at the playoffs, a really slim one, but a shot nonetheless.
Players are starting to look more like themselves and we can start criticizing them for their shortcomings on the ice (just kidding, I’m happy they’re playing). But seriously, the power play isn’t that great and a 5 on 3 isn’t something to just “see what happens”. Travis Green talks about how they’re still in the hunt but their execution on the man-advantage has not changed.
The Senators are getting pretty banged up and it’s possible they go back to Marcus Hogberg if the cupboards are bare. Vancouver needs to strike early and take the crowd out of it. This is a game the Canucks can win, but will they?
Let’s Do This!™

Utica gets its hero and Tanner Pearson rocks!

After what has to be the longest practice ever, Mikey DiPietro is being sent down to Utica for the remainder of the season so he can finally get playing time. Rick Dhaliwal first reported on this yesterday and Canucks Nation can finally exhale on this saga. DiPietro had to have gained some valuable experience from Ian Clark but being in a game is just so much more important.
We’ll see immediate dividends from this.
Tanner Pearson’s deal was not looked at favourably, to begin with, but if he’s healthy and can start playing the way he did in his first season in Vancouver, there’s a solid signing there. It’s one less roster spot to worry about and with the additions of Vasili Podkolzin and hopefully Kole Lind next season, the Canucks will need to save all the cap space they can.

Some ugly stats, the Oscars, Kole Lind reminder, and your playoff update

  • Let’s start with the good stuff, the funny stuff, and yet the reality of life: the Canucks currently have a 7.4% of making the postseason according to the MoneyPuck.com website on the Internet. That isn’t a great number but because the Canucks have games-in-hand still, this is far from over.
  • Over at the Draft Lottery Simulator on tankathon.com, the Canucks will pick 12th and select Aatu Raty, a centre out of Finland. First of all, is there a divide between which simulator is the true simulator? There used to be two but now this one seems to be the one that survived.
  • Is Kole Lind playing yet? Please Travis Green, give this boy a chance. Matthew Highmore can afford to sit for a game and if it’s just a cap thing, we get it, but Dillon Dube was given a shot and he’s doing ok. Yes, the comparison was made by opportunity only.
  • Last night, the Oscars took place and for the first time in probably forever, they announced the “Best Picture” before the final two awards. Who does that? Do you think they’d award the Hart trophy and then finish it all up with the Lady Byng and the Norris? Um, yeah no. Soul won, so that was good.
  • Does anyone remember the last time Alex Edler wasn’t either the league leader in blocked shots or at the very least, in the top three? He’s currently 24th with 84 blocked shots and a solid 60 back of Alec Martinez for first.
  • Loui Eriksson has zero giveaways this season. Not sure how this fits in here but now you know.
  • Over at MoneyPuck, the Canucks have the lowest expected goal% EV in the league at 44.37. They also have the second-worst team shooting percentage with a 7.56% clip, yikes! Finally, the Canucks have a 43.86% share of PP time as well. Not very flattering but with three wins in their last four games since returning, it’ll be the final result that matters the most.

PowerGlove™ Player of the Game

  • J.T. Miller finished last game with an empty-netter and I believe he’ll carry that over this game with a strong two-goal performance and a memorable swear word. That guy is just so interesting.

Things I’m looking forward to

  • Normalizing laceless shoes
  • Setting an everyday joe record for running the 40-yard dash next weekend
  • Sneaking in a blizzard or frappuccino at work when I should be working
  • Multiple Quinn Hughes points this evening
  • Bo Horvat throwing his stick over the glass after a win to a lucky fan that does not exist