GAME DAY PREVIEW/THREAD: Canucks vs Seattle- Oct 5, 2021

VANCOUVER CANUCKS (2-2-0) vs SEATTLE KRAKEN (3-2-0)

ROGERS ARENA, VANCOUVER, BC

7:00PM PST

TV: SPORTSNET ONE, ROOT NW, NHL NETWORK (US Only). RADIO: SPORTSNET 650

OPPOSING BLOG:

Once more in rehearsal mode before the real thing on October 23rd, as the Canucks look to extract a measure of revenge in tonight’s preseason tilt against the Kraken at Rogers Arena in Vancouver.

And while we’re going to see a much better version of the Canucks tonight, it’s still going to have them without three of their best players, as Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes will not be in the lineup tonight, and Brock Boeser is out for the remainder of the preseason with an injury.

While it’s never an actual indication of how good or bad a team is, the Kraken have to be happy with how things are going thus far in the preseason. They rattled off a 3-2 OT victory over the Edmonton Oilers Friday night, followed by a 4-1 loss to the Calgary Flames on Saturday.

LINEUPS

The second line of Podkolzin, Dowling and Highmore should be interesting to see. if Travis Green keeps these intact it’s going to mean a decent amount of minutes for three guys eager to make the squad. Phillip Di Guiseppe and Zack MacEwan getting to roll with Jason Dickinson should help them as well. Di Guiseppe was solid, especially on the penalty kill in Sunday’s win over the Jets.

Olli Juolevi is getting another shot tonight, and if we don’t see something from him soon, you have to think his days as a Vancouver Canuck are numbered. Oliver Ekman-Larsson paired with Tyler Myers haven’t been terrible, and with the right usage they could help the Canucks hold the fort until Travis Hamonic is ready to return.

Will Lockwood’s had a real solid camp, and if he doesn’t start the year in Vancouver it’s just a matter of time before he gets in the lineup. He brings a ton of energy in that fourth line role, and has probably been Vancouver’s most physical player this preseason.

And while we mentioned there will be no Pettersson or Hughes tonight, there was one other player joining them for the morning skate.

And while it’s still a feeling out process for the Kraken in terms of who’ll be on their opening night roster, one of the big pieces they’re counting on for success in their inaugural season is getting closer to being healthy.

It’s Phillip Grubauer going up against Thatcher Demko tonight, so while it may not feature each team’s best players, this one will have two of the Pacific Division’s best goaltenders going head to head.

GAME DAY CHATTER

GAME DAY BATTLE HYMN

One of Canada’s greatest metal bands covering one of Canada’s greatest bands period? Oh hell, yes! I think we might have featured the other side of this 7” single they put out with PROPAGHANDI doing up CORROSION OF CONFORMITY’s ‘Technocracy’ a while back, so get stoked for tonight and crank up SACRIFICE covering ‘Anthem’ by RUSH, you hosers!

Enjoy the game, Go Canucks Go!