maybe keep the canucks together
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CANUCKSARMY GDT 75 – CANUCKS @ BLUES
Photo credit: Bob Frid - USA TODAY Sports
By Always90four
Mar 23, 2018, 15:00 EDTUpdated: Mar 23, 2018, 02:10 EDT
The Canucks and Blues all of a sudden have a lot in common. Both teams have young up and coming stars; both teams are happy Barrett Jackman isn’t on their team today; both teams are on incredibly hot winning streaks. St. Louis has won three straight and the Canucks haven’t lost since Tuesday. This matchup has so many layers but we’ll get to peel them back one period at a time.
Oh, and Henrik Sedin scored last night so let’s still be happy about that.
Let’s Do This!™
WATCH / LISTEN / FACE-OFF
TV: SNET-P
RADIO: SN650
PUCK DROP: 5:00 PM
LINE COMBINATIONS
I can’t imagine Reid Boucher is scratched for tonight’s game. Tyler Motte is all kinds of “not a Canuck” so unless Brendan Leipsic sustained more than just a bump yesterday, that should be the only change. The lines worked so keep them going.
Anders Nilsson should start because Travis Green isn’t a tyrant.
Vancouver Canucks lines courtesy of Dailyfaceoff.com:
| LW | C | RW |
|---|---|---|
 BRENDAN LEIPSIC Rating: 71.4#82 LW |  BO HORVAT Rating: 74.2#68 C |  NIKOLAY GOLDOBIN Rating: 68.5#109 RW |
 DANIEL SEDIN Rating: 72.9#58 LW |  HENRIK SEDIN Rating: 70.4#165 C |  JAKE VIRTANEN Rating: 70.2#84 RW |
 DARREN ARCHIBALD Rating: 70.6#98 LW |  BRANDON SUTTER Rating: 70.7#156 C |  SAM GAGNER Rating: 71.9#124 RW |
 TYLER MOTTE Rating: 67.7#220 LW |  NIC DOWD Rating: 70.0#179 C |  JUSSI JOKINEN Rating: 71.7#75 RW |
| DEFENSIVE PAIRINGS | |
|---|---|
 ALEXANDER EDLER Rating: 73.2#83 LD |  CHRIS TANEV Rating: 72.0#139 RD |
 MICHAEL DEL ZOTTO Rating: 71.7#157 LD |  TROY STECHER Rating: 70.8#192 RD |
 DERRICK POULIOT Rating: 70.4#214 LD |  ALEX BIEGA Rating: 68.9#245 RD |
What you see below will very likely be the combinations the Canucks will see this evening. The Blues are fighting for a playoff spot and they’ll run with what’s worked. Oh, and apparently Vladimir Tarasenko has a good shot at playing tonight. Stay tuned.
Carter Hutton has the stats but Jake Allen has the wins. It’s anyone’s guess right now.
St. Louis Blues lines courtesy of Dailyfaceoff.com:
| LW | C | RW |
|---|---|---|
 JADEN SCHWARTZ Rating: 78.5#13 LW |  BRAYDEN SCHENN Rating: 76.9#39 C |  ALEX STEEN Rating: 74.0#40 RW |
 PATRIK BERGLUND Rating: 73.2#89 LW |  KYLE BRODZIAK Rating: 71.0#149 C |  VLADIMIR SOBOTKA Rating: 71.7#128 RW |
 DMITRIJ JASKIN Rating: 70.8#77 LW |  IVAN BARBASHEV Rating: 73.0#57 C |  TAGE THOMPSON Rating: 70.9#153 RW |
 NIKITA SOSHNIKOV Rating: 70.4#81 LW |  OSKAR SUNDQVIST Rating: 67.2#223 C |  CHRIS THORBURN Rating: 68.5#111 RW |
| DEFENSIVE PAIRINGS | |
|---|---|
 CARL GUNNARSSON Rating: 70.7#198 LD |  ALEX PIETRANGELO Rating: 81.6#6 RD |
 VINCE DUNN Rating: 74.9#56 LD |  COLTON PARAYKO Rating: 77.4#31 RD |
 JOEL EDMUNDSON Rating: 73.5#74 LD |  ROBERT BORTUZZO Rating: 72.0#134 RD |
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
- Bo Horvat equaled his career high of 20 goals from a season ago and now he’ll push to better himself every game. Tonight, Bo will take steps to become the next leader of the Canucks and he has some moves that can wow us.
- Don’t look now but Alex Edler has goals in two of his last three games and four points in his last five games. Will Edler waive was the question for so long and there’s a group of people now that probably are asking “Will Edler take less to stay here for life?” There are people like that. Non-rebuild people, but they’re out there.
- Derrick Pouliot and Alex Biega have the same CF% (50.67) and are right behind the Sedins for tops on the Canucks. Strange. Pouliot also fights apparently? What is happening with all the grit now? Why are the Canucks suddenly living up to their billing as a team that is eventually scary to play against? Too many questions and way to much time to think of interesting answers.
- Vancouver hasn’t beaten St. Louis since the beginning of last season. The Blues are all-powerful to the Canucks so once again, it’s time to break a streak.
- Alex Biega is going to score tonight. Yes, it was stated last Saturday but tonight is the night. The bulldog, as he’s known to some, will get on the scoreboard. This game will have everything.
THE TWITTER TAKE
Botch might be right on this.
MY 94 CENTS
Now what? They won and I don’t think we know how to respond to that right now. The losing has been ok, we’ve accepted it. So now there’s a win and it’s weird. The Blues could give the Canucks fits so it would make sense this turns into another loss but what if Bo scores again or Jake gets a hat trick or there’s a shutout? I just don’t know.
Things have been so bad that a convincing win has ruined it all. Please give us Dahlin.
OVER / UNDER
Bo Horvat Goals (+/- 0.5) He scores again and things are ok again. You know what, let’s parlay that with another Nikolay Goldobin assist like that beauty yesterday. Take the over, people.
Alex Edler Assists (+/- 1.5) There is something intriguing about Edler. He just keeps us guessing. Just when the heat starts creeping up on him, he puts points on the board and he barely cares. That is what I like about him. Take the over, things are going well.
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