<p>The <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/vancouver-canucks/line-combinations" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Vancouver Canucks</a> will be a bit <a href="https://canucksarmy.com/news/scenes-vancouver-canucks-morning-skate-demko-starts-brannstrom-back-bruins">shorthanded on Saturday night</a>.</p>
<p>The Canucks have recalled goaltender Arturs Silovs as goalie Kevin Lankinen and defenseman Derek Forbort are out of the lineup for Saturday&#8217;s game against the <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/boston-bruins/line-combinations" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Boston Bruins</a> due to an illness.</p>
<div class="bam-inline-promotion-block" data-max-length="2" data-placement-id="2111" data-context="web-content-promocard" data-property-id="329"></div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">flu bug making the rounds. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/canucks?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#canucks</a> told Lankinen and Forbort to stay away from rink this morning. Neither will play tonight</p>
<p>&mdash; Jeff Paterson (@patersonjeff) <a href="https://twitter.com/patersonjeff/status/1868014425334223061?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 14, 2024</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Rick Tocchet shared after morning skate today that a flu bug has been going around the Canucks&#8217; dressing room, with Lankinen and Forbort currently dealing with the illness. The two players have been asked to stay away from the rink, and neither player will play tonight.</p>
<p>The Canucks called up Silovs from their AHL affiliate, the Abbotsford Canucks, as a response to Lankinen&#8217;s flu bug to back up Thatcher Demko, so he will only need to play when called upon. Silovs has a 1-4-1 record, an .847 save percentage, and a -7.73 goals saved above expected in 7 games with Vancouver, as well as a 2-0-0 record and a .929 save percentage in 2 games with Abbotsford.</p>
<p>The fact that Demko is back and healthy will be a relief to Canucks fans, as being without Lankinen would have hurt a bit more if both goalies were out. Lankinen had filled in for Demko quite adequately as the Canucks&#8217; starter, as he has a 14-4-3 record, a .912% save%, three shutouts and 4.62 goals saved above expected in 21 games this season.</p>
<p>Erik Brannstrom is expected to draw into the lineup as well in place of Forbort, also taking Forbort&#8217;s place on the third pairing alongside Mark Friedman. The two defensemen have yet to play together this season.</p>
<p>Forbort has struggled to stay in the lineup, only getting into 5 games this year with 1 assist in that time.</p>
<p>The Canucks will look to build off of Thursday&#8217;s 4-0 win over the <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/florida-panthers/line-combinations" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Florida Panthers</a> when they host the Bruins on Saturday at 7 p.m. PST. Vancouver is currently fourth in the Pacific Division with a 15-8-5 record, good enough for the first wild card spot in the Western Conference.</p>
<p><strong>Sponsored by bet365</strong></p>
<div class="bam-inline-promotion" data-property-id="329" data-promotion-id="19111" data-context="web-content-promocard"></div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>


Vancouver Canucks goalie Kevin Lankinen (32) and defenseman Derek Forbort (27) celebrate the victory against the Florida Panthers at Rogers Arena.

The <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/vancouver-canucks/line-combinations" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Vancouver Canucks</a> will be a bit <a href="https://canucksarmy.com/news/scenes-vancouver-canucks-morning-skate-demko-starts-brannstrom-back-bruins">shorthanded on Saturday night</a>.

The Canucks have recalled goaltender Arturs Silovs as goalie Kevin Lankinen and defenseman Derek Forbort are out of the lineup for Saturday's game against the <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/boston-bruins/line-combinations" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Boston Bruins</a> due to an illness.
<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;

https://twitter.com/patersonjeff/status/1868014425334223061

Rick Tocchet shared after morning skate today that a flu bug has been going around the Canucks' dressing room, with Lankinen and Forbort currently dealing with the illness. The two players have been asked to stay away from the rink, and neither player will play tonight.

The Canucks called up Silovs from their AHL affiliate, the Abbotsford Canucks, as a response to Lankinen's flu bug to back up Thatcher Demko, so he will only need to play when called upon. Silovs has a 1-4-1 record, an .847 save percentage, and a -7.73 goals saved above expected in 7 games with Vancouver, as well as a 2-0-0 record and a .929 save percentage in 2 games with Abbotsford.

The fact that Demko is back and healthy will be a relief to Canucks fans, as being without Lankinen would have hurt a bit more if both goalies were out. Lankinen had filled in for Demko quite adequately as the Canucks' starter, as he has a 14-4-3 record, a .912% save%, three shutouts and 4.62 goals saved above expected in 21 games this season.

Erik Brannstrom is expected to draw into the lineup as well in place of Forbort, also taking Forbort's place on the third pairing alongside Mark Friedman. The two defensemen have yet to play together this season.

Forbort has struggled to stay in the lineup, only getting into 5 games this year with 1 assist in that time.

The Canucks will look to build off of Thursday's 4-0 win over the <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/florida-panthers/line-combinations" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Florida Panthers</a> when they host the Bruins on Saturday at 7 p.m. PST. Vancouver is currently fourth in the Pacific Division with a 15-8-5 record, good enough for the first wild card spot in the Western Conference.

<strong>Sponsored by bet365</strong>
<div class="bam-inline-promotion" data-property-id="329" data-promotion-id="19111" data-context="web-content-promocard"></div>
&nbsp;

Canucks recall Silovs as Lankinen, Forbort out with illness

Max Sasson skates at the 2024 Vancouver Canucks' Young Stars Classic

Recent articles from Scott Maxwell

Breaking News