It hasn’t been smooth sailing for the Canucks in the last few days, mainly because of a player that shall not be named. Tonight, the confused Canucks take on the Toronto Maple Leafs: Canada’s team.

The Canucks haven’t won in Toronto since 2014 but they’ll get three opportunities this week to try and break the streak. They’ll have to figure out Auston Matthews and the 7-2-1 Leafs but hey, why not have ANOTHER challenge to deal with? Aside from the teams in Alberta and Quebec, the Canucks have done well against the North division. Looking for positives is where this journey begins.

Let’s Do This!™

WHERE CAN I FIND THIS GAME?

TV: SNP / RADIO: SN 650 / PUCK DROP: 4:00 PM

LINEUPS

Is Jake Virtanen in the lineup? How about Adam Gaudette? Any chance we see Loui Eriksson? The back end hasn’t been thrilling and that includes newbie Nate Schmidt.

The lineup is a mystery right now so hopefully Travis Green has a solution for this problem.

Thatcher Demko had himself a decent outing last game and it would say a lot if he started today.

CANUCKS LINES COURTESY OF DAILYFACEOFF.COM:

LW	C	RW	Forwards
J.T. MILLER Rating: 78.5#7 LW	BO HORVAT Rating: 74.8#34 C	BROCK BOESER Rating: 74.1#41 RW	FL1 Rating Rating: 75.80#11 FL1
TANNER PEARSON Rating: 73.7#38 LW	ELIAS PETTERSSON Rating: 77.7#14 C	NILS HOGLANDER	FL2 Rating Rating: 75.71#5 FL2
ANTOINE ROUSSEL Rating: 71.0#97 LW	BRANDON SUTTER Rating: 70.1#131 C	ADAM GAUDETTE Rating: 70.2#130 RW	FL3 Rating Rating: 70.44#25 FL3
TYLER MOTTE Rating: 68.8#144 LW	JAY BEAGLE Rating: 68.4#163 C	ZACK MACEWEN	FL4 Rating Rating: 68.57#29 FL4

DEFENSIVE PAIRINGS	Defense
QUINN HUGHES Rating: 75.2#15 LD	JORDIE BENN Rating: 70.9#101 RD	DL1 Rating Rating: 73.04#28 DL1
NATE SCHMIDT Rating: 75.5#18 LD	TYLER MYERS Rating: 72.6#50 RD	DL2 Rating Rating: 74.02#7 DL2
ALEXANDER EDLER Rating: 74.3#26 LD	JALEN CHATFIELD	DL3 Rating Rating: 74.31#3 DL3

The Leafs were off for four days and they’ll be ready to go. There will be no Joe Thornton but it’s ok, there are no fans to see the game live. Toronto brought out a sweet flat-screen during practice yesterday and they looked over game film from the Canucks/Senators series, AKA, Vancouver’s best self. Tough to beat that team, that’s for sure.

Frederik Andersen will likely start tonight.

LEAFS LINES COURTESY OF DAILYFACEOFF.COM:

LW	C	RW	Forwards
ZACH HYMAN Rating: 74.6#33 LW	AUSTON MATTHEWS Rating: 82.3#6 C	MITCH MARNER Rating: 76.6#18 RW	FL1 Rating Rating: 77.83#4 FL1
WILLIAM NYLANDER Rating: 76.1#23 LW	JOHN TAVARES Rating: 77.6#15 C	WAYNE SIMMONDS Rating: 70.2#112 RW	FL2 Rating Rating: 74.64#13 FL2
JIMMY VESEY Rating: 70.6#107 LW	ALEXANDER KERFOOT Rating: 70.8#113 C	ILYA MIKHEYEV Rating: 74.0#42 RW	FL3 Rating Rating: 71.83#16 FL3
PIERRE ENGVALL Rating: 71.0#98 LW	TRAVIS BOYD Rating: 70.4#124 C	JASON SPEZZA Rating: 69.4#126 RW	FL4 Rating Rating: 70.27#22 FL4

DEFENSIVE PAIRINGS	Defense
MORGAN RIELLY Rating: 75.3#14 LD	T.J. BRODIE Rating: 74.2#27 RD	DL1 Rating Rating: 74.76#16 DL1
JAKE MUZZIN Rating: 75.1#17 LD	JUSTIN HOLL Rating: 72.0#61 RD	DL2 Rating Rating: 73.56#13 DL2
TRAVIS DERMOTT Rating: 71.7#83 LD	ZACH BOGOSIAN Rating: 71.4#76 RD	DL3 Rating Rating: 71.56#23 DL3

GAME NOTES, INTERESTING STATS, AND MATS SUNDIN

Not only is Quinn Hughes the best defenceman in Canada, he’s the best d-man in the league. His 14 points also beat out Cale Makar and the Leafs’ highest-scoring defender Morgan Rielly at seven points. All hail Quinn Hughes.
Despite this being a must-see game between the Leafs and Canucks, the lower bowl in Toronto will look identical to start the game as no fans show up until the first TV timeout. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Mats Sundin absolutely tore it up as a Canuck. He had 28 points in 41 games in the regular season and exploded for 14 points on the PP. His shootout goal is the stuff of legends and even though he had a stint with the Leafs, he’ll always be remembered as a Canuck.
The Leafs are re-inventing the power play. They currently have a 43.3% success rate on the man-advantage and that should scare anyone that utters the phrase “power play”. Vancouver’s PK sits at 80.4%, not great. Everything points to the Leafs pumping the Canucks for a barrel-full of goals but maybe things look so bad that it goes the other way?
Would you believe J.T. Miller has points in four of his last five games? He has six points in that span which would suggest he actually has been playing well. Stats don’t lie. First rule of hockey club.

TWITTER TOLD YOU

Too much time on your hands?

Malcolm

@malcolmert

·Follow

New game. Which 5 of these would you select to help fix the team the most #CanucksChallenge

krufrank (Cutting Edge Comics)

@krufrank

According to Canuck Twitter the team needs to: 1) Fire the GM 2) Fire the coach 3) Trade JT Miller 4) Get rid of Holtby 5) Trade Jake Virtanen 6) Trade Adam Gaudette 7) Trade Myers 8) Trade Sutter 9) Trade Beagle 10) Start a rebuild 11) Get a new owner 🤦‍♂️

6:34 PM · Feb 3, 2021

Read 12 replies

MY 94 CENTS

I always firmly believe the Canucks will beat the Maple Leafs because Toronto should never have a good team and good always defeats evil. Since the Canucks lost Mats Sundin to retirement they haven’t been the same and I don’t blame them. Tough to lose a legend like that. I firmly believe something amazing will happen tonight and I think J.T. Miller bumps the slump and terrorizes the Leafs for at least a pair of goals.

This is the way.

THE FINAL WORD

Canada will unite in dislike for one another when East battles West. A tale of two towns, deserving of a hero, deserving of a champion. There will be a victor and regardless of the result, TSN/Rogers/CBC/Muchmusic will all have the highlights immediately after the game. So there’s that.