The Vancouver Canucks (20-15-10) close out a three-game homestand when they play host to the Buffalo Sabres (17-24-5) at Rogers Arena. 
<div class="bam-inline-promotion-block" data-max-length="2" data-placement-id="2111" data-context="web-content-promocard" data-property-id="329"></div>
&nbsp;
The Canucks are looking for consecutive victories for the first time since the start of December and back-to-back wins on home ice for the first time all season.
<h1>What we saw</h1>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
very optional morning skate for <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Canucks?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Canucks</a>. 8 skaters (including suspended Myers) and Demko <a href="https://t.co/qUlgduegRg">pic.twitter.com/qUlgduegRg</a>
&mdash; Jeff Paterson (@patersonjeff) <a href="https://twitter.com/patersonjeff/status/1881773550249685046?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
It was a lightly attended optional skate this morning with JT Miller and Brock Boeser among the headliners. The Canucks will go with the same forward group used in Saturday’s 3-2 win over Edmonton. They will make one change on defence.
Much of the focus will once again be on JT Miller who remains at the centre of swirling trade reports. Miller is expected to play tonight on a line with Pius Suter and Conor Garland. He had a pair of assists and went 18-5 in the face-off circle in Saturday’s 3-2 win over Edmonton.
The Canucks will be without defenceman Tyler Myers who was suspended for three games on Monday as a result of a late-game cross-check on the Oilers Evan Bouchard. Mark Friedman was recalled from AHL Abbotsford and will step into the line-up for the first time since December 14th against Boston. Friedman has appeared in three NHL games this season.
Quinn Hughes scored a pair of power play goals against Edmonton – his first multi-goal game of the season – and now has a dozen goals on the season and four in his last four games. His second of two on Saturday was the game-winner and gave the Canucks captain 50 points in his 41st game of the season.
As a team, the Canucks went two for four with the man advantage. It was the first time the team had scored multiple power play goals in a game since December 1st in Detroit.
Thatcher Demko stopped 13 of 15 shots for his first victory since December 23rd. The San Diego native will start his third straight game in goal.
<h1>The opponent</h1>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
This is a practice, not a morning skate. If you’re not gonna battle in Seattle, you’re going to do it here. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Sabres?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Sabres</a> <a href="https://t.co/uDmgG1YL0O">pic.twitter.com/uDmgG1YL0O</a>
&mdash; Mike Harrington (@ByMHarrington) <a href="https://twitter.com/ByMHarrington/status/1881789657475903951?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The Sabres are here for their second game in as many days after falling 6-4 in an afternoon affair yesterday in Seattle. Tage Thompson, Alex Tuch, Jason Zucker and Jack Quinn had the Buffalo goals, while Devon Levi stopped 28 of the 33 shots he faced. Tuch appeared in his 500th NHL game. It looks like Ukka-Pekka Lukkonen will get the start in goal tonight.
Since losing 13 straight prior to Christmas, the Sabres have stabilized somewhat going 6-5-1 in their past 12 games. However, they’ve dropped their last two games and three of their last four. Buffalo is 1-6 in the back half of back-to-back games so far this season.
Thompson leads the team in both goals (20) and points (38). Zucker has 16 goals on the season, with nine of them coming on the power play. The veteran winger has 11 of his goals on the road this season and is the only Sabre with more than seven road goals
The Sabres sit last in the Eastern Conference and tied for 29th in the overall standings with 39 points. Only two teams – Pittsburgh and San Jose – have allowed goals at a more rapid rate than Buffalo.
With games on consecutive days and with no morning skate, the Sabres line-up for tonight won’t be known until closer to puck drop. 
Buffalo has a number of players with ties to the Vancouver area. Bowen Byram starred with the WHL’s Vancouver Giants, Zach Benson hails from Chilliwack, Beck Malenstyn is a Delta native, and Sam Lafferty spent last season with the Canucks. As well, like Byram, Dylan Cozens and Peyton Krebs were both first round picks in the 2019 Draft held at Rogers Arena.
The Canucks defeated the Sabres 4-3 in overtime on November 29th in Buffalo. Conor Garland had a pair of goals in that game including the OT winner.
Tonight’s referees: Wes McCauley &amp; Tom Chmielewski
Tonight’s broadcasters: John Shorthouse &amp; Dave Tomlinson
<h1>What we heard</h1>
Rick Tocchet on trying to get Thatcher Demko a run of games to find his form: “Yeah, in all fairness to Thatcher, he’s been off so long and then the back spasms. He’s played a game, out, in. He’s one of the best players in the league. He needs to run some games here. I think this is the time to get him going. Right now I think it’s important we get Demmer some games.”
Tocchet on the matching 3-game suspensions to Tyler Myers and Connor McDavid: “I think it’s just unfortunate. And it’s a tough job. It’s tough for the referees and it’s tough for George Parros (Department of Player Safety). I just don’t like the grandstanding. It is what it is. I don’t want Connor McDavid to get suspended. We’re playing him. Honestly. You always want to play the best. He’s terrific for our league. He’s an unbelievable kid from what I’ve been told with the way he works at his game. He’s unreal for the game. It happened. So you deal with it. Same thing with Mysie. It’s a tough position for everybody. It’s really hard for everybody sitting on the couch ripping everybody. I have a tough time with that. A lot of people are grandstanding and ripping the refs. Wes McCauley is one of the best refs in the league, okay. There was a hold, there were a couple of holds there, yeah, that didn’t get called for whatever reason. There was like 10 seconds left. There was a missed high stick. We can go back and forth. It’s a three-game suspension; it is what it is, and we have to move on from this. That’s what I think.&#8221;
Canucks coach on splitting Hughes and Hronek: &#8220;I told Fil the other day, yesterday, that he might have a couple different pairs, situational hockey. So, he&#8217;ll have to be ready to play with Huggy sometimes and sometimes have his own pair. So, he&#8217;s got to be ready for it.&#8221;
Make sure to join the Rink Wide Vancouver postgame live stream immediately following tonight’s game. Rink Wide will provide a full breakdown and comprehensive coverage of the Canucks game. When the final buzzer sounds, be sure to log onto Rink Wide and join the YouTube live chat to discuss the game with other Canucks fans. Subscribe to the Rink Wide YouTube channel and never miss an episode.
<div class="jetpack-video-wrapper"><iframe loading="lazy" title="RINK WIDE POST-GAME: Vancouver Canucks vs Buffalo Sabres | Game 46 - Jan. 21, 2025" width="1333" height="1000" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qADMeio799Y?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
Sponsored by bet365
<div class="bam-inline-promotion" data-property-id="329" data-promotion-id="19111" data-context="web-content-promocard"></div>
&nbsp;

The Vancouver Canucks (20-15-10) close out a three-game homestand when they play host to the Buffalo Sabres (17-24-5) at Rogers Arena. 
<div class="bam-inline-promotion-block" data-max-length="2" data-placement-id="2111" data-context="web-content-promocard" data-property-id="329"></div>
&nbsp;

The Canucks are looking for consecutive victories for the first time since the start of December and back-to-back wins on home ice for the first time all season.
<h1>What we saw</h1>
https://twitter.com/patersonjeff/status/1881773550249685046

It was a lightly attended optional skate this morning with JT Miller and Brock Boeser among the headliners. The Canucks will go with the same forward group used in Saturday’s 3-2 win over Edmonton. They will make one change on defence.

Much of the focus will once again be on JT Miller who remains at the centre of swirling trade reports. Miller is expected to play tonight on a line with Pius Suter and Conor Garland. He had a pair of assists and went 18-5 in the face-off circle in Saturday’s 3-2 win over Edmonton.

The Canucks will be without defenceman Tyler Myers who was suspended for three games on Monday as a result of a late-game cross-check on the Oilers Evan Bouchard. Mark Friedman was recalled from AHL Abbotsford and will step into the line-up for the first time since December 14th against Boston. Friedman has appeared in three NHL games this season.

Quinn Hughes scored a pair of power play goals against Edmonton – his first multi-goal game of the season – and now has a dozen goals on the season and four in his last four games. His second of two on Saturday was the game-winner and gave the Canucks captain 50 points in his 41st game of the season.

As a team, the Canucks went two for four with the man advantage. It was the first time the team had scored multiple power play goals in a game since December 1st in Detroit.

Thatcher Demko stopped 13 of 15 shots for his first victory since December 23rd. The San Diego native will start his third straight game in goal.
<h1>The opponent</h1>
https://twitter.com/ByMHarrington/status/1881789657475903951

The Sabres are here for their second game in as many days after falling 6-4 in an afternoon affair yesterday in Seattle. Tage Thompson, Alex Tuch, Jason Zucker and Jack Quinn had the Buffalo goals, while Devon Levi stopped 28 of the 33 shots he faced. Tuch appeared in his 500th NHL game. It looks like Ukka-Pekka Lukkonen will get the start in goal tonight.

Since losing 13 straight prior to Christmas, the Sabres have stabilized somewhat going 6-5-1 in their past 12 games. However, they’ve dropped their last two games and three of their last four. Buffalo is 1-6 in the back half of back-to-back games so far this season.

Thompson leads the team in both goals (20) and points (38). Zucker has 16 goals on the season, with nine of them coming on the power play. The veteran winger has 11 of his goals on the road this season and is the only Sabre with more than seven road goals

The Sabres sit last in the Eastern Conference and tied for 29th in the overall standings with 39 points. Only two teams – Pittsburgh and San Jose – have allowed goals at a more rapid rate than Buffalo.

With games on consecutive days and with no morning skate, the Sabres line-up for tonight won’t be known until closer to puck drop. 

Buffalo has a number of players with ties to the Vancouver area. Bowen Byram starred with the WHL’s Vancouver Giants, Zach Benson hails from Chilliwack, Beck Malenstyn is a Delta native, and Sam Lafferty spent last season with the Canucks. As well, like Byram, Dylan Cozens and Peyton Krebs were both first round picks in the 2019 Draft held at Rogers Arena.

The Canucks defeated the Sabres 4-3 in overtime on November 29th in Buffalo. Conor Garland had a pair of goals in that game including the OT winner.

Tonight’s referees: Wes McCauley &amp; Tom Chmielewski

Tonight’s broadcasters: John Shorthouse &amp; Dave Tomlinson
<h1>What we heard</h1>
Rick Tocchet on trying to get Thatcher Demko a run of games to find his form: “Yeah, in all fairness to Thatcher, he’s been off so long and then the back spasms. He’s played a game, out, in. He’s one of the best players in the league. He needs to run some games here. I think this is the time to get him going. Right now I think it’s important we get Demmer some games.”

Tocchet on the matching 3-game suspensions to Tyler Myers and Connor McDavid: “I think it’s just unfortunate. And it’s a tough job. It’s tough for the referees and it’s tough for George Parros (Department of Player Safety). I just don’t like the grandstanding. It is what it is. I don’t want Connor McDavid to get suspended. We’re playing him. Honestly. You always want to play the best. He’s terrific for our league. He’s an unbelievable kid from what I’ve been told with the way he works at his game. He’s unreal for the game. It happened. So you deal with it. Same thing with Mysie. It’s a tough position for everybody. It’s really hard for everybody sitting on the couch ripping everybody. I have a tough time with that. A lot of people are grandstanding and ripping the refs. Wes McCauley is one of the best refs in the league, okay. There was a hold, there were a couple of holds there, yeah, that didn’t get called for whatever reason. There was like 10 seconds left. There was a missed high stick. We can go back and forth. It’s a three-game suspension; it is what it is, and we have to move on from this. That’s what I think."

Canucks coach on splitting Hughes and Hronek: "I told Fil the other day, yesterday, that he might have a couple different pairs, situational hockey. So, he'll have to be ready to play with Huggy sometimes and sometimes have his own pair. So, he's got to be ready for it."

Make sure to join the Rink Wide Vancouver postgame live stream immediately following tonight’s game. Rink Wide will provide a full breakdown and comprehensive coverage of the Canucks game. When the final buzzer sounds, be sure to log onto Rink Wide and join the YouTube live chat to discuss the game with other Canucks fans. Subscribe to the Rink Wide YouTube channel and never miss an episode.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qADMeio799Y

Sponsored by bet365
<div class="bam-inline-promotion" data-property-id="329" data-promotion-id="19111" data-context="web-content-promocard"></div>
&nbsp;

Scenes from morning skate: Demko makes third straight start, Hughes-Hronek split for Canucks vs. Sabres

Recent articles from Jeff Paterson

Breaking News