Nils Höglander, Max Sasson, and Erik Brännström will be healthy scratches when the Vancouver Canucks take on the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday night. Linus Karlsson, Phil Di Giuseppe, and Derek Forbort will slot into the lineup in their place, according to head coach Rick Tocchet.
“Come out and play the way we want to play…We got to make sure our first period is nice and clean.”
🗣 Hear from Head Coach Rick Tocchet ahead of playing the Vegas Golden Knights.#Canucks | @theprovince pic.twitter.com/KLDdeHETk6
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) December 20, 2024
Tocchet also confirmed Kevin Lankinen as the team’s starter in goal after Thatcher Demko started three straight games while Lankinen recovered from the flu. The Canucks called up Di Giuseppe and Karlsson from Abbotsford ahead of this current two-game road trip. The Canucks dropped game one of the trip last night when they fell to the Utah Hockey Club in overtime.
It’s been a real struggle for Nils Höglander this season after signing a three-year extension with the Canucks following his 24 goal season in 2023-24. Through 31 games this season, Höglander has managed to put up just two goals and three assists. This is the first time he’s been healthy scratched this season, but his ice time has been cut down and remained low for most of the season.
Brännström will join him in the press box, as the 25-year-old defenceman has had some defensive issues as of late. The Canucks will give him a reset and hope for some steadier defending against a strong team like Vegas.
On the matchup against the Golden Knights, Tocchet said:
“We’re trying to find consistency in our game. In the first period, you want to get to your game. Sometimes we’re kind of waiting to see what the other team is going to do before we react, and I think should be the opposite. So I’d like to see us come out and play the way we want to play. Obviously, it’s a really good hockey club that doesn’t make a lot of mistakes. So we got to make sure our first period is nice and clean…They they don’t panic, they don’t run around. So when you have pucks, hold on to it. If there’s some turnovers, make sure we’re reloading. They’re a good rush team.”
After tonight’s game, be sure to check back to CanucksArmy for Instant Reaction, and tune into Rink Wide Vancouver over on YouTube! You can find the live stream of tonight’s show below:
Sponsored by bet365
