Canucks Game Facts
Tonight: Vancouver Canucks at Calgary Flames
Where: Scotiabank Saddledome
When: 7 pm pacific
TV/Radio: Sportsnet, HNIC / AM-650
Key Factors:
Starting goalkeepers: Thatcher Demko for Vancouver, Jacob Markstrom for Calgary.
Vancouver takes a quick break from a homestand to pop into Calgary for a Pacific Division grudge match on “Hockey Night in Canada”.
There should be plenty of emotion and motivation for both clubs as new Canucks defenceman Nikita Zadorov immediately returns to play against the team that traded him.
It’s the current Canucks goalie versus a former one and the match-up pits a visiting team that started the season hot against a home team that may just be starting to figure things out.
Who’s Hot? And Not …
Canucks centre J.T. Miller continues to roll along, picking up an assist in Thursday’s loss while moving into 2nd place on the NHL scoring chart, four points (36) behind Tampa’s Nikita Kucherov.
Anthony Beauvillier, the last guy we mentioned as “not hot” for a Canucks road game has since been traded. Now it’s time for winger Conor Garland to figure things out. He has just two points over his last nine games. Next guy to move? Vancouver would love to shed his contract.
Expensive, high profile forward Jonathan Huberdeau might finally be getting his game together. He had two points two nights ago against the Stars and has tallied eight points over his last eight games.
High profile would describe Nazem Kadri as well, and he also may be finding his game. After a very slow start he has six points over his last seven games.
Special Teams
The Canucks power play went 0-for-3 on Thursday at home against Vegas and slipped a wee bit to 28.7% on the season.
The Flames are on an 0-for-17 streak on their power play, having last scored a goal on the man advantage on November 20th against the Seattle Kraken. They’re a pathetic 11% on the season.
The Vancouver penalty kill is a sub-standard 77.9% while the Flames are 10th in the league at a solid 83.6%.
Coming In:
Canucks: 15-8-and-1 for 31 points, good for 2nd place in the Pacific Division. Vancouver lost at home to the Vegas Golden Knights 4-1 on Thursday
Flames: 10-10-and-3 for 23 points. Calgary has won two games in a row at home, the last one being Thursday’s 4-3 overtime win against the Dallas Stars.
The Other Trade Story:
— Canucks Gain Gap Room With Anthony Beauvillier Trade
