GAME DAY PREVIEW: Game Twenty Five- Canucks @ Winnipeg

VANCOUVER CANUCKS (8-14-2) vs WINNIPEG JETS (13-6-1)

MTS CENTER- WINNIPEG, MB

5:00PM PST

TV: SPORTSNET PACIFIC, TSN3. RADIO: SPORTSNET 650

OPPOSING BLOG: ARCTIC ICE HOCKEY

With four games in hand, and a 9 point cushion, the Jets are probably not concerned about being overtaken by the Canucks, but I am sure that they’re still bothered by that one blemish on the season series thus far. Well, two of them if you count them coughing up the lead in the last minute of their game last week which sent it to overtime. Sure, the Jets scored on that power play and all was right in their world, but the Canucks have gone back to being one of those teams that you don’t want to lose to, because it feels like you’re throwing away points.

The Canucks are trapped in a pretty vicious cycle right now. They’re playing better, arguably, but have nothing to show for it. They’re trying to make trades, and finding no takers for what they’re offering. They’re trying to convince the faithful that this is a salvageable season, and they’re on pace to finish exactly where they are in the standings right now. They’ve got the Leafs and Canadiens at home after this, so if they did actually want to make a go of this, getting back to back wins for the first time since late January when they won 4 in a row, would be a good start.

LINEUPS

Courtesy of nhl.com, this is what we’re expecting to see lineup wise tonight:

Canucks projected lineup

J.T. Miller — Elias Pettersson — Brock Boeser

Tanner Pearson — Bo Horvat — Jake Virtanen

Nils Hoglander — Brandon Sutter — Adam Gaudette

Antoine Roussel — Jay Beagle — Jayce Hawryluk

Alexander Edler — Nate Schmidt

Quinn Hughes — Travis Hamonic

Jordie Benn — Tyler Myers

Thatcher Demko

Braden Holtby

Scratched: Jalen Chatfield, Zack MacEwen, Olli Juolevi

Injured: Justin Bailey (upper body), Tyler Motte (undisclosed), Micheal Ferland (head)

Jets projected lineup

Pierre-Luc Dubois — Mark Scheifele — Blake Wheeler

Kyle Connor — Paul Stastny — Nikolaj Ehlers

Andrew Copp — Adam Lowry — Mason Appleton

Mathieu Perreault — Nate Thompson — Trevor Lewis

Nathan Beaulieu — Josh Morrissey

Derek Forbort — Neal Pionk

Sami Niku — Dylan DeMelo

Connor Hellebuyck

Laurent Brossoit

Scratched: Anton Forsberg, Jansen Harkins

Injured: Tucker Poolman (upper-body)

It’ll be Thatcher Demko vs Connor Hellebuyck tonight, meaning we should see Braden Holtby and Laurent Brossoit tomorrow night in the rematch. No other changes for the Canucks barring something last minute.

GAME DAY CHATTER

GAME DAY BATTLE HYMN

Arizona thrashers FLOTSAM AND JETSAM are up today with a track off their 3rd album ‘When The Storm Comes Down’. Here’s the video for ‘Suffer The Masses’. Enjoy the game, and Go Canucks Go.