Get out of our way!
The Canucks are back in town, which means the traditional first game home trap is in play tonight. Unfortunately, the Canucks have lost the luxury of not picking up points in this homestand. Instead, this stretch of four games in six nights needs to be harnessed for the Canucks to make some separation on the Northwest Division and the rest of the conference.
In their way tonight is the Nashville Predators, sitting ninth in the conference but only two points behind Vancouver.
This is the parity year.
Matchup: Vancouver Canucks (12 – 7– 6) v Nashville Predators (11– 9–6)
Venue: Rogers Arena
Time: 7:00 pm PT
TV/Radio: TSN, Team 1040
Game Notes
The Nashville Predators come into the game as the league’s lowest scoring team. Combined with the Canucks struggles to find the net, you should probably take the under on the game. Pekka Rinne and the boys shutout Dallas Tuesday to snap a six game road losing streak where they scored more than one goal just once.
Especially given recent contests, it seems Nashville is fast on the way to becoming the biggest guarantee for a boring game.
What to watch: Nashville
Thankfully for Nashville, Shea Weber is back on track as one of the league’s top defencemen. The rugged blueliner has 14 points on the year now and sits second in team scoring. He’s perhaps the most important player to a team since Chris Pronger in Edmonton.
Paul Gaustad left Tuesday’s game with an upper body injury and the Predators have called up Chris Mueller to replace him.
If this game comes to a shootout, considering these two teams have gone to shootouts the most out of any team, rest assured that Rinne is just two for seven in the skills comp this year.
Hey Mike I have questions. Where did the centre depth go? What’s up with Alex Edler? Is this team good enough?
Line-up
- Sergei Kostitsyn-Mike Fisher-Martin Erat
- Nick Spaling-Craig Smith-Matt Halischuk
- Gabriel Bourque-David Legwand-Bobby Butler
- Richard Clune-Paul Gaustad-Brandon Yip
- Roman Josi-Shea Weber
- Victor Bartley-Kevin Klein
- Scott Hannan-Ryan Ellis
- Pekka Rinne
What to watch: Vancouver
So here we are.
Halfway through the year, the Canucks have raised a lot of questions that need an answer.
- Where did the centre depth go?
- What’s up with Alex Edler?
- Is this team good enough?
As we approach the trade deadline, it seems clear that if the Canucks aren’t fully healthy by the playoffs they probably won’t go far.
In the meantime, parity means that a spot in the final eight is far from a guarantee at this point.
Thankfully, Kevin Bieksa will be back tonight. Remember that the Canucks one good game in this stretch was that Saturday night against the Kings where Bieksa played.
Meanwhile, Steve Pinizzotto has been recalled from Chicago and may finally make his Canuck debut.
Line-up
- Daniel Sedin-Henrik Sedin-Alex Burrows
- Andrew Ebbett-Mason Raymond-Jannik Hansen
- David Booth-Chris Higgins-Zack Kassian
- Tom Sestito-Maxim Lapierre-Dale Weise
- Alex Edler-Chris Tanev
- Dan Hamhuis-Jason Garrison
- Cam Barker-Kevin Bieksa
- Roberto Luongo
Injuries
The Preds will miss Paul Gaustad, Colin Wilson and Patric Hornqvist while the Canucks are essentially healthy with Kevin Bieksa if you try not to think about Ryan Kesler.
Prediction
It’ll be a sludgefest, but the Bieksa bump should be enough to put the Canucks over the Predators.
Gameday Tweets
New Post Up! Canucks Gameday: What the Canucks need to do to beat the Predators – #Vancouver #Canucks #Predators nwsportsbeat.com/canucks/vancou…
— Northwest SportsBeat (@NWSportsBeat) March 14, 2013
Luongo starts tonight and Bieksa is likely to make his return to the #Canucks blue line.
— Sportsnet Pacific (@SNETPacific) March 14, 2013
@passittobulis I can’t see them going through all of this for Pinizzotto and then not inserting him into the line-up. #canucks
— Dan Murphy (@sportsnetmurph) March 14, 2013
AV says Barker will come out for Bieksa and if Pinizzotto plays, Sestito will come out. #thelineup #canucks #ballardsitsagain
— Elliott Pap (@ElliottPap) March 14, 2013
#Canucks are back in @rogersarena. It’s game day. Ready? v.canucks.com/10SIOj1
— Vancouver Canucks (@VanCanucks) March 14, 2013
Just waiting for @benhankinson to tweet #freeKeithBallard #Canucks
— Brad Ziemer (@BradZiemer) March 13, 2013
Canucks: Raymond puts his own spin on much-needed win theprovince.com/sports/hockey/…
— Jason Botchford (@botchford) March 13, 2013
Official. @nhl realignment approved. v.canucks.com/10SHXi1
— Vancouver Canucks (@VanCanucks) March 14, 2013
#Canucks recall Steven Pinizzotto – canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?…
— Vancouver Canucks (@VanCanucks) March 14, 2013
ICYMI For The Gamblers! #Nashville #Predators vs. #Vancouver #Canucks odds and handicapping preview nwsportsbeat.com/canucks/nashvi… via @nwsbdaveb
— Q Smith (@NWSBQ) March 14, 2013
Weiss out for the season, Versteeg out for season – it’s like the hockey gods are trying to make sure there’s no Canucks-Panthers Lu trade.
— Steve May (@Steve_May) March 14, 2013
That’s Garrison’s fourth goal of the season. A 13-goal pace for an 82-game schedule. He has none on the power play. Wonder why?
— Jason Botchford (@botchford) March 13, 2013
Mason Raymond talks ‘The Goal’. v.canucks.com/WHKiuQ #Canucks #BlueJackets
— Vancouver Canucks (@VanCanucks) March 14, 2013
CLICK HERE CHECK OUT THE VANCOUVER CANUCKS CLUBHOUSE TODAY ON NWSB!
About Richard Hodges
