04/11/2024

Canucks’ Game Day: Will Blue Jackets have less zip going back-to-back?

Viernes 12 de Enero del 2018

Canucks’ Game Day: Will Blue Jackets have less zip going back-to-back?

The Vancouver Canucks may have received a break from the NHL schedule-makers for this one. The Blue Jackets were in Buffalo Thursday night to face the sluggish Sabres, meaning the Canucks were the only ones resting their heels in Ohio! Tonight’s game at Nationwide Arena starts at 4 p.m.

The Vancouver Canucks may have received a break from the NHL schedule-makers for this one. The Blue Jackets were in Buffalo Thursday night to face the sluggish Sabres, meaning the Canucks were the only ones resting their heels in Ohio! Tonight’s game at Nationwide Arena starts at 4 p.m.

The Vancouver Canucks may have received a break from the NHL schedule-makers for this one. The Blue Jackets were in Buffalo Thursday night to face the sluggish Sabres, meaning the Canucks were the only ones resting their heels in Ohio! Tonight’s game at Nationwide Arena starts at 4 p.m. (SNETP, SNET 650 AM):

THE BIG MATCHUP

Travis Green vs. John Tortorella

It was easy to mock Torts during his year in Vancouver. He came off as someone barely interested in the team. And when he was interested, he was trying to fight coaches and ripping his own players. It’s been a different Tortorella in Columbus. He’s pushed a lot of the right buttons. Now, Green has to push some buttons for the Canucks to get his team out of a 2-11-1 rut.

FIVE KEYS TO THE GAME

1. Chris Tanev’s return

He lost six teeth when a puck smashed into his face in Toronto Saturday. Other teeth that remained in his mouth ended up embedded in his tongue. He still needs gum surgery to fix the mess. Tanev said he’s probably going to play anyway with a full cage.

“It sucked at the time,” Tanev said. “And I still have a lot of shrapnel and nerves which aren’t supposed to be where they are. They have to remove all of that.”

Canucks defenceman Chris Tanev lies on the ice after being hit by a puck against the Leafs on Saturday. Despite his mouth still being a mess, he expects to play in Columbus Friday night. Christopher Katsarov / THE CANADIAN PRESS

2. Brock Boeser’s offence

It’s entirely unfair to expect a rookie to carry the Canucks. But if Boeser isn’t producing offensively, the Canucks aren’t producing offensively. That’s been the story for the past month, a stretch in which Boeser has had a hand in nearly 40 per cent of the Canucks’ goals.

Boeser has one goal in five games. That’s fine. He’s not going to score seven out of every 10. But right now the Canucks really need him.

3. Loui Eriksson’s heartbeat

Is anyone in there? Eriksson’s goals-for percentage, which is the ratio of even-strength goals scored when he’s on the ice, is 17.65 per cent since Bo Horvat was hurt. It means opponents have been getting 81.35 per cent of the goals when Eriksson’s playing at evens. This is not good. Eriksson has now gone 17 games without a goal. That’s alarming.

4. Alexander Wennberg returning

Sure, the Canucks are getting healthier even if Brandon Sutter won’t play in this one, and he won’t. The Jackets’ Alexander Wennberg was activated this week and could return against the Canucks. Wennberg is one of Columbus’s better playmakers and was just getting going before he hurt his back Dec. 21. Leading up to his injury he was on a five points in five games run.

5. The Sam Gagner return

If Gagner gets to 40 points this season, it’s about what you would have expected. He has 19 points in 43 games, so he could still, and will if he can continue to stay hot in the second half. Gagner was terrific in a three-point game against Chicago on Dec. 28. He now has eight points in 11 games and it’s hoped he’ll have extra motivation playing the team he was on last season.

CANUCKS’ GAME-DAY LINES

Thomas Vanek, Sam Gagner, Brock Boeser

Daniel Sedin, Henrik Sedin, Markus Granlund

Sven Baertschi, Brendan Gaunce, Nikolay Goldobin

Loui Eriksson, Nic Dowd, Jake Virtanen

Defence pairings

Ben Hutton, Chris Tanev

Alex Edler, Troy Stecher

Erik Gudbranson, Michael Del Zotto

Starting goalie: Anders Nilsson

BLUE JACKETS’ GAME-DAY LINES

Artemi Panarin, Pierre Luc-Dubois/Alex Wennberg, Josh Anderson

Jordan Schroeder, Boone Jenner, Nick Foligno

Matt Calvert, Lukas Sedlak, Oliver Bjorkstrand

Tyler Motte, Zac Dalpe/Markus Hannikainen, Andrew Shaw

Defence pairings

Zach Werenski, Seth Jones

Markus Nutivaara, David Savard

Scott Harrington, Jack Johnson

Starting goalie: Joonas Korpisalo

POWER PLAY

Canucks: 20.7% (12th)
Jackets: 12.3% (31st)

PENALTY KILL

Canucks: 78% (27th)
Jackets: 79.7% (21st)

SICK BAY

Canucks: D Brandon Sutter (upper body) day-to-day; C Bo Horvat (foot) week-to-week.

Jackets: D Ryan Murray (upper body) week-to-week; C Brandon Dubinsky (orbital bone) week-to-week; RW Cam Atkinson (foot) week-to-week.


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