GAME DAY PREVIEW- Game 55: Canucks @ Minnesota

VANCOUVER CANUCKS vs MINNESOTA WILD

5:00PM PST XCEL ENERGY CENTER, ST PAUL, MN

TV: SPORTSNET PACIFIC. RADIO: SN650.

OPPOSITION BLOG: HOCKEY WILDERNESS

While that game Tuesday night may have been triggering for some Canucks fans, given the opponent, the final score and the way it played out, for myself I just found it more of an example of why it’s hard to go all in on the Canucks right now. This was a game where they played right into their opponents hands, and didn’t put up much of a fight. They’ve been able to power their way through tight-checking opponents all season long, and that game should have been no different. These things will need to stop happening, or the playoffs, if they get there, will be short.

The good thing is that when the Canucks lay an egg like they did the last game, they have been able to bounce back often with a better effort, and with the Canucks playing in Brock Boeser’s home state, with his family in attendance again, this seems very much like a game we’re going to see the Canucks come out firing on all cylinders.

The Canucks were in Minnesota a month ago and skated out of the Xcel Energy Center with a 4-1 victory, led by Bo Horvat, who scored twice, and a 23 save performance from Jacob Markstrom. It’s pretty likely we see Markstrom in goal again tonight, as he will be looking to get back in the win column after a frustrating night in Boston.

That smells like maaaaybe we see Jordie Benn back in tonight for Oscar Fantenberg, as well as maybe a change on the 4th line, though after a particularly rough outing maybe someone on the third line whose name rhymes with Rake sits to send a message to allow either Zack MacEwan or Justin Bailey a shot in the lineup tonight?

The Canucks will also be scoreboard watching, as the Vegas Golden Knights are in Sunrise to take on the Florida Panthers. They’ll also keep an eye on Colorado visiting Ottawa, Winnipeg in St Louis, Nashville in Calgary to take on the Flames, Arizona hosting Carolina and the Oilers and Sharks doing battle.

LINEUPS:

This is courtesy of nhl.com, but as mentioned in the tweet above, likely subject to change:

Canucks projected lineup

Tanner Pearson — Bo Horvat — Loui Eriksson

J.T. Miller — Elias Pettersson — Brock Boeser

Antoine Roussel — Adam Gaudette — Jake Virtanen

Tim Schaller — Jay Beagle — Brandon Sutter

Alexander Edler — Troy Stecher

Quinn Hughes — Christopher Tanev

Oscar Fantenberg — Tyler Myers

Jacob Markstrom

Thatcher Demko

Scratched: Zack MacEwen, Justin Bailey, Jordie Benn

Injured: Tyler Motte (upper body), Micheal Ferland (upper body), Josh Leivo (fractured kneecap), Tyler Graovac (lower body)

Wild projected lineup

Zach Parise — Eric Staal — Mats Zuccarello

Jason Zucker — Luke Kunin — Kevin Fiala

Marcus Foligno — Joel Eriksson Ek — Jordan Greenway

Ryan Donato — Mikko Koivu — Ryan Hartman

Ryan Suter — Jared Spurgeon

Jonas Brodin — Matt Dumba

Brad Hunt — Greg Pateryn

Alex Stalock

Devan Dubnyk

Scratched: Victor Rask

Injured: Carson Soucy (illness)

GAME DAY CHATTER:

GAME DAY BATTLE HYMN:

Absolutely suffocating heaviness. A band that left the scene far too early, and never given the love they deserve.