Canucks Game Facts
Tonight: Nashville Predators at Vancouver Canucks
Where: Rogers Arena
When: 7 pm pacific
TV/Radio: Sportsnet / AM-650
Key Factors:
Starting goalkeepers: Thatcher Demko for Vancouver, Expect Kevin Lankinen for Nashville.
Yes, they hosted a back-to-back set on Friday and Saturday, but the Canucks have only played three games over the last nine days, a bit unusual in the NHL. Part of that has to do with them coming off a long eastern road trip.
They’ll get back at it Tuesday night at Rogers Arena against a team they beat on the road exactly one week ago, the Nashville Predators.
It was a game that saw Vancouver hang on to a 3-2 lead for the final 30 minutes of action. The team defence was sterling.
The visitors will be seeking revenge and the hosts will try to avoid coming out flat.
It’s the first game for the Predators on their annual five-game trip to western Canada, which of course now includes a dip south of the border to Seattle.
Who’s Hot? And Not …
Righty D-man Filip Hronek, partner of Quinn Hughes, has three assists over the last two games. They’re looking like a dandy pairing, not unexpected given their skill sets.
J.T. Miller tallied a goal and two assists against the St. Louis Blues four nights ago and added a goal the next night against the Rangers, one of his former clubs.
Swiss forward Pius Suter is pointless in eight games with Vancouver while Anthony Beauvillier is goalless with one assist. A 200-foot game is most important for the bottom-six forwards, but obviously players like to put up a few numbers and contribute offensively.
The Predators have actually seen similar gaps in their schedule, with just the loss to Vancouver and a 3-2 overtime win against Toronto laying out over the last nine days.
The Cats’ top producers were shut down by the Canucks a week ago, but they answered against the Maple Leafs. Ryan O’Rielly had two goals, D-man and captain Roman Josi a goal and an assist, while Filip Forsberg and 21-year-old Luke Evangelista each had two assists. Forsberg is the club’s leading scorer with seven points in eight games.
Special Teams
Overall the Canucks have a very solid rate on the power play through the first eight games at 25.9%. That’s 7-for-27. However, they cooled off with a costly 1-for-6 against the New York Rangers on Saturday.
Nashville’s PP is not far behind at 23.5%, that includes a 2-for-5 night against the Leafs.
Conversely, both teams suffer from subpar penalty kills. The Canucks are 25th in the NHL, the Predators 29th. That’s 74.2% and 69.2% respectively.
The Canucks killed off all three Predators power plays last Tuesday while going 0-for-1 with the man advantage.
Coming In:
Predators: 4-and-4, coming off a 3-2 overtime victory in Toronto.
Canucks: 5-2-and-1 for 11 points and second place in the Pacific Division. In their last game, they lost to the New York Rangers in overtime 4-3 at Rogers Arena.
The two teams wrap up their three-game season set on December 19th at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.
The Canucks last played on Halloween in 2018 and beat the Chicago Blackhawks 4-2 at Rogers Arena.
The last spooky night affair for the Pred’s happened at home in 2019 and they lost 6-5 in OT to the Calgary Flames.
ICYMI:
— Simmer’s Sunday 9: Hot Canucks, Cold Kraken, A Man Stamped
