GAME DAY PREVIEW & GAME THREAD- Game 36: Canucks vs Vegas

VANCOUVER CANUCKS vs VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS

7:00PM PST ROGERS ARENA, VANCOUVER, BC

TV: SPORTSNET PACIFIC. RADIO: SN650.

OPPOSITION BLOG: KNIGHTS ON ICE

After another one where you find yourself wondering if defence is just theory and not actually something real for this team, they find themselves up against a team that exposed them pretty badly a few nights ago, the Vegas Golden Knights. As much as I hate to think it, you have to believe that the microscope is on Travis Green right now, for his inability to turn chicken shit into chicken salad. Yes, there needs to be responsibility for what’s going on, but my feeling is that he should be given the season to try and make this work, especially with what he has to work with. I also find myself yet again wondering why Jim Benning, the architect of this fiery garbage pile, was rewarded with a contract extension.

LINEUPS:

Golden Knights projected lineup

Jonathan Marchessault -- William Karlsson -- Reilly Smith

Max Pacioretty -- Chandler Stephenson -- Mark Stone

Valentin Zykov -- Paul Stastny -- Alex Tuch

William Carrier -- Tomas Nosek -- Ryan Reaves

Brayden McNabb -- Nate Schmidt

Jon Merrill -- Shea Theodore

Deryk Engelland -- Nick Holden

Marc-Andre Fleury

Malcolm Subban

Scratched: None

Injured: Cody Glass (upper body), Cody Eakin (upper body), Nicolas Hague (illness)

Canucks projected lineup

J.T. Miller -- Elias Pettersson -- Brock Boeser

Tanner Pearson -- Bo Horvat -- Josh Leivo

Antoine Roussel -- Adam Gaudette -- Jake Virtanen

Tyler Motte -- Jay Beagle -- Tim Schaller

Jordie Benn -- Christopher Tanev

Quinn Hughes -- Tyler Myers

Oscar Fantenberg -- Troy Stecher

Jacob Markstrom

Michael Dipietro

Scratched: Loui Eriksson, Jalen Chatfield

Injured: Brandon Sutter (undisclosed), Thatcher Demko (concussion), Micheal Ferland (upper body), Alexander Edler (upper body), Tyler Graovac (lower body)

Yes, that’s Brandon Sutter out again. No, it’s not related to his previous injury issue. So Tim Schaller gets a chance to prove himself tonight, and should the Canucks keep struggling, it’s guys like Schaller who should be concerned about their spots. Alexander Edler and Micheal Ferland were on the ice today, and while Edler skated with the group he’s not ready to return yet.

GAME DAY CHATTER:

GAME DAY BATTLE HYMN:

I honestly don’t know if I like metal christmas carols. I mean, it can be fun songs like King Diamond’s No Presents For Christmas are classics. So have a listen to this one, it’s the Metal God himself, Rob Halford from his new Christmas album ‘Celestial’.