GAME DAY PREVIEW- GAME NINETEEN: Canucks vs Chicago- Nov 21, 2021

VANCOUVER CANUCKS (6-10-2) vs CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS (5-10-2)

ROGERS ARENA, VANCOUVER, BC

5:00PM PST

TV: SPORTSNET PACIFIC. RADIO: SPORTSNET 650

OPPOSING BLOG: SECOND CITY HOCKEY

I guess it makes sense that after Jim Benning was unable to answer whether he had overestimated his team’s performance in the 2020 playoffs, that they would snap that nasty 5 game losing streak with a Bubble Demko classic. And despite getting outplayed by a much better Winnipeg Jets squad, a couple power play goals and not giving up any on the penalty kill were the difference on Friday night.

And now they find themselves in a perfect situation as they prepare for a 5 game Eastern road swing: One last game at home against a tired opponent, and not a good one at that as the Chicago Blackhawks, fresh off a loss to the Edmonton Oilers last night, visit Rogers Arena this evening.

Normally, we would try and offer up some kind of flattering info on the opponent that the Canucks are set to face, but I just cannot bring myself to say anything nice about this abomination of a franchise. My feelings on Jim Benning have not changed. I still think he needs to go for the good of this team, but dear gawd, I want the Canucks to stomp an absolute mudhole in these guys tonight.

While Friday’s game wasn’t the greatest performance out of the team this season, getting Demko back in the groove, a strong game from Elias Pettersson, the power play looking halfway decent all are positives to take forward as they head into the next two weeks which are literally going to make or break this team’s season. If they continue the pace they’ve been on, we can just stop imagining that there’s hope for the playoffs and prepare for firings and trades to fill in the space where this team has ripped our hearts out. If they can get on a roll? Well, it’s likely just delaying the inevitable, but maybe it’s less painful?

A neat little history note today:

LINEUPS

Courtesy of nhl.com this is what to expect on the ice tonight:

Blackhawks projected lineup

Alex DeBrincat — Kirby Dach — Patrick Kane

Brandon Hagel — Jonathan Toews — Dominik Kubalik

Henrik Borgstrom — Dylan Strome — Philipp Kurashev

Ryan Carpenter — Jujhar Khaira — Mike Hardman

Caleb Jones — Seth Jones

Jake McCabe — Connor Murphy

Riley Stillman — Erik Gustafsson

Marc-Andre Fleury

Kevin Lankinen

Scratched: Adam Gaudette, Reese Johnson

Injured: Tyler Johnson (neck), Calvin de Haan (wrist)

Canucks projected lineup

J.T. Miller — Elias Pettersson — Brock Boeser

Tanner Pearson — Bo Horvat — Nils Hoglander

Conor Garland — Jason Dickinson — Vasily Podkolzin

Tyler Motte — Juho Lammikko — Alex Chiasson

Oliver Ekman-Larsson — Tyler Myers

Quinn Hughes — Travis Hamonic

Kyle Burroughs — Tucker Poolman

Thatcher Demko

Jaroslav Halak

Scratched: Brad Hunt, Justin Dowling

Injured: Luke Schenn (lower body), Matthew Highmore (upper body), Brandon Sutter (illness), Brady Keeper(leg)

Pretty much the same lineup as Friday, though watch for Justin Dowling to possibly get in to replace Alex Chiasson, who was absent from practice yesterday. And also note that Adam Gaudette still can’t crack this lineup. Huh.

GAME DAY CHATTER

GAME DAY BATTLE HYMN

On a NAPALM DEATH kick today, so here’s an absolute beast from ‘Enemy Of The Music Business’. Enjoy the game, Go Canucks Go! Oh, and Fire Benning!