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Canucks Game Day: Lankinen likely to start, newcomer Douglas could debut against the Jets
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Photo credit: © James Carey Lauder-Imagn Images
Jeff Paterson
Mar 7, 2026, 13:00 ESTUpdated: Mar 7, 2026, 12:15 EST
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The Vancouver Canucks (19-36-7) visit the Winnipeg Jets (53-26-10) at Canada Life Centre. The game starts at 4pm PT and will be broadcast in the early window of Hockey Night In Canada. After a 6-3 win in Chicago last night, the Canucks will be looking for consecutive victories for the first time since Christmas.

What we know

Playing on back-to-back nights, the Canucks did not hold a morning skate in Winnipeg. So it will be closer to game time before their line-up is revealed. After the trade deadline, the Canucks don’t have many spare bodies on the roster, so there won’t be many changes to the group that beat the Blackhawks on Friday.
Kevin Lankinen will likely get the start in goal. And newcomer Curtis Douglas, claimed off waivers from Tampa on Friday, was expected to join the team in Winnipeg. The 6’9” centre, who turned 26 yesterday, has not played an NHL game since February 5th and has played just two NHL games since the start of the new year. He has yet to score an NHL goal, has two assists this season, and has 92 penalty minutes.
Last night, the Canucks scored six goals in a game for just the second time this season and five goals in game for the first time since a 5-4 win in Anaheim on November 26th. Brock Boeser netted a pair, including the game winner on a this period power play, while Drew O’Connor, Jake DeBrusk, Teddy Blueger and Max Sasson had the others. Boeser and O’Connor now share the active team lead with 15 goals apiece – two shy of the 17 Kiefer Sherwood scored prior to being traded.
In all, 12 different skaters found the scoresheet in Chicago and four (Boeser, DeBrusk, Sasson and Marcus Pettersson) each had two point nights. Boeser has scored in back-to-back games while DeBrusk is on a three-game point streak.
Aatu Raty, in his first game since the Olympic break, won 11 of 13 face-offs. Among NHL players who have taken 500 draws this season, Raty (61.3%) is second only to Ottawa’s Claude Giroux (62.8%) in win rate. 

The Opponent

The Jets return to action following a 4-1 win over Tampa Bay on Thursday. Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor, Gustav Nyquist and Morgan Barron scored the Winnipeg goals while Connor Hellebuyck made 26 saves in net. Winnipeg is 3-0-2 in its last five games. The team has been to overtime in five of its last seven outings.
Scheifele leads the Jets with 29 goals and 75 points while Connor is close behind with 28 goals and 70 points. Nyquist’s goal on Thursday was his first of the season in his 40th game.
Ahead of the deadline, they traded veterans Tanner Pearson, Luke Schenn and Dylan Stanley all to Buffalo in two separate deals. In return, they received Isak Rosen, Jacob Bryson, a second, a fourth and a seventh round draft pick.
Canadian Olympian Josh Morrissey is expected to return to the Jets’ defence tonight. He was injured early in the Milano games and has not played since. He needs one point and two games played to set franchise records for both by a Jets defenceman.
Connor Hellebuyck, who was spectacular in the Olympic gold medal game for Team USA, gets the start in goal tonight. He did not play when the Jets beat the Canucks 3-2 in overtime 10 days ago in Vancouver in the first game for both teams after the Olympics. Over his decorated career, Hellebuyck is 17-6 against the Canucks with a 2.01 GAA, .931 save percentage and four shutouts.
Winnipeg is in the midst of an eight-game homestand. Tonight is the third game of the two-week run of games in the Manitoba capital.

News and notes

The Jets are shooting for the season sweep of the Canucks, having won the two previous meetings. Winnipeg has won eight of the last 10 head-to-head contests between the teams. 
The referees for tonight’s game are Cody Beach and Francis Charron.
Don’t forget to join Rink Wide Vancouver for full postgame coverage after this game – and every game. The livestream starts moments after the final buzzer. Rink Wide is the place for full postgame analysis and discussion. Contribute to the live YouTube conversation with your thoughts on the game and support our charity partner – the BC Mental Health Foundation – with a Superchat. 
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