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Vancouver Canucks @ Dallas Stars
American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX
When: 4:00 PM PST
Where to watch: SNP, FS-SW
Where to listen: Sportsnet650
Opposition Blog: Defending Big D
TANKWATCH 2018:
Race for Rasmus, games ending Mar 24
— NHL Strength of Schedule (@NHLSoS) March 25, 2018
3/25 games:#Canucks @ #GoStars⬅️ VAN facing a team that basically cannot lose again if they want to make the playoffs.#LetsGoDucks @ #LetsGoOilers ⬅️ EDM have won 3 straight. Their new singular mission: get McDavid the Art Ross. pic.twitter.com/jl4PQi0KVO
There it is in black and white. And there’s not really any easy games left on the schedule like the one they just had in Chicago. Apart from Edmonton, the rest are all against playoff teams and Arizona. Buffalo, Ottawa and Arizona all play tomorrow night, so not gaining a point tonight would be extremely beneficial to the Canucks’ lottery chances.
There’s a bit of a buzz right now as we await word on whether or not the Canucks can come to a deal with Adam Gaudette that would see him join the team for the rest of the season in the same manner that Brock Boeser did last season. Gaudette’s Northeastern University was eliminated from the NCAA playoffs, so the two sides have been talking. Expect to hear something within the next 48 hours.
The Canucks are taking on a desperate Dallas Stars squad that cannot afford to lose anymore if they want to make it to the post-season. The Stars have some fairly significant injuries right now, with Martin Hanzal being shut down for the season, and Jason Spezza and Ben Bishop out for at least another week. Kari Lehtonen will get the start today for the Stars, while the Canucks go back to Jacob Markstrom after Anders Nilsson took the 4-1 loss in St Louis.
Here’s the probable lineups via theprovince.com
Canucks’ expected game day lines
Nikolay Goldobin, Bo Horvat, Jake Virtanen
Daniel Sedin, Henrik Sedin, Sam Gagner
Darren Archibald, Brandon Sutter, Tyler Motte
Reid Boucher, Nic Dowd, Jussi Jokinen
Defensive pairings
Alex Edler, Chris Tanev
Michael Del Zotto, Troy Stecher
Alex Biega, Derrik Pouliot
Starting goalie: Jacob Markstrom
Stars’ expected game day lines
Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin, Brett Ritchie
Mattias Janmark, Radek Faksa, Alexander Radulov
Antoine Roussel, Devin Shore, Tyler Pitlick
Remi Elie, Jason Dickinson, Curtis McKenzie
Defensive pairings
Esa Lindell, John Klingberg
Dan Hamhuis, Greg Pateryn
Marc Methot, Stephen Johns
Starting goalie: Kari Lehtonen
GAME DAY BATTLE HYMN
The pride of Texas for ya today, from their album 4 Of A Kind, it’s D.R.I. and ‘Think For Yourself’ and as a bonus, their entire ‘Violent Pacification’ EP (all 5:44 of it)