Canucks Game Preview

Game Day Morning Coffee- Oct 13/15

Well, that went better than expected. Pulling a page from last year's script, the Canucks got a goal from the bottom 6, great goaltending and then won it in the shootout against the Ducks.

By Kent Basky Oct 13, 2015, 9:05am PDT

Out of the frying pan and into the meth lab I guess, as the Canucks head from Orange County over to Hollywood to take on the ~~coked up~~ pissed off LA Kings tonight. It was a little surprising to see what the Ducks brought last night, one would have thought this team would have been ready to pound the Canucks into dust after losing their season opener to the Sharks 4-0, but it was a fairly subdued game, save for the rediculame staged fight between Brandon Prust and Anaheim's big game hunter, Clayton "I'm rich so I don't have to follow conservation laws" Stoner.

All in all though, Prust was pretty good last night, looking more like the kind of serviceable 4th liner the Canucks need, and is really starting to show some chemistry with Derek Dorsett and Adam Cracknell. That was a hell of an entertaining OT, and while that hook on Edler was rather deftly embellished by Corey 'Walking Disease Lab' Perry, the Canucks did a fine job of killing it off. Hell, even Luca Sbisa was only mildly bad last night.

Tonight a challenge of a different sort as they head across town to take on the LA Kings. The Kings are looking, well... just like the Kings we saw last season. They're 0-2-0 and have been outscored 9-2 in those two games. So you can imagine the douche factor will be high tonight as they try to impose their will, play some heavy hockey or whatever the media guys call their particular brand of asshattery. Here's some things to watch for tonight in The Checklist:

* Ryan Miller gets the start. Sure, it would be perfectly reasonable to get Richard Bachman in for a game, and if Jacob Markstrom was healthy this would be his start. But Miller's been so darn good, and with the Canucks not playing again til Friday, you can't blame them if they decide to go with Miller.

* #FreeJake. This game has Jake Virtanen written all over it. I know the temptation is not to fix things when they ain't broke, but Virtanen's speed and physicality need to be in the lineup tonight.

* Heads on a swivel. Hollywood Looch has turned out to be every bit the douchebag that Boston Looch was. He's already made an impression after his hissy fit after the hipcheck from Logan Couture in the Kings' first game. He will be auditioning to impress Jim Benning, so here's to him being a non-factor (Say No To Looch).

* Lots of shots. The Kings Jonathan Quick has looked bloody awful so far, so test him every chance you get. Also, never forget...