The Vancouver Canucks (10–12–2) are making their second stop in a four-game road trip with a match against the San Jose Sharks (11–10–3) this afternoon. This marks the Canucks’ second game in California this week, as they most recently took down the Anaheim Ducks in a 5–4 win. San Jose is coming off a colossal 6–0 loss to the Colorado Avalanche — a team Vancouver will face once they’ve played all three California teams during this road trip.
Vancouver’s win on Wednesday came about in somewhat of a surprising manner. The team mimicked Anaheim’s high-flying, low-defence style of hockey and generated 37 total scoring chances-for throughout all 60 minutes of play — something that hasn’t happened often this season. Since October 9, they’ve only hit above 40 scoring chances-for three times; against the Avalanche (40), Dallas Stars (41), and Chicago Blackhawks (44). While they shouldn’t completely abandon the defensive aspect of the game, Vancouver will want to repeat the success they had in generating chances when playing the Sharks.
One thing to take note of when it comes to San Jose’s brand of play is that they’re currently tied for last in the NHL in shots per game with 24.3. In terms of shots and scoring chances, they have only eclipsed 40 once — during their 4–3 loss to the Los Angeles Kings on October 28. If the Sharks have a hard time producing chances and generating shots, the Canucks could use that to their advantage by putting up more of their own.
Both the Canucks and the Sharks will play games the day after this matchup, with Vancouver facing the Kings at 7:00 pm PT on Saturday and San Jose taking on the Vegas Golden Knights in Nevada at the same time. Each team will want to be strategic with who they start in net, especially Vancouver considering the fact that their goaltending situation is currently up in the air.
Players To Watch:
Arshdeep Bains
While he didn’t end up on the scoresheet in the Canucks’ Wednesday night game against the Ducks, Bains played a big role in helping his line generate offence. Wednesday was his first time slotting back into the lineup after being held out for five games and he ultimately made a difference, providing great forecheck during the opening goal. While the team’s skate on Thursday indicated that Bains may not be playing alongside Abbotsford teammate Max Sasson, the forward could be skating with Lukas Reichel, who will provide Bains and Karlsson with a similar level of speed.
Macklin Celebrini
Many Canucks fans have paid close attention to Celebrini’s talents knowing he is from North Vancouver and currently has a brother in the Canucks organization. Vancouver connection aside, however, Celebrini has surpassed all expectations so far this season and leads his team in scoring with 14 goals and 20 assists in 24 games played. He is currently tied for second in the NHL in overall points, matching Connor McDavid’s total in one less game played.
Vancouver Canucks (10–12–2):
Points:
Quinn Hughes: 2–20–22
Elias Pettersson: 7–14–21
Kiefer Sherwood: 12–4–16
Brock Boeser: 8–7–15
Filip Hronek: 2–13–15
Goaltenders:
Kevin Lankinen: 4–7–2
Thatcher Demko: 5–4–0
Nikita Tolopilo: 1–0–0
Jiří Patera: 0–1–0
San Jose Sharks (11–10–3):
Points:
Macklin Celebrini: 14–20–34
Will Smith: 7–14–21
William Eklund: 5–9–14
Dmitry Orlov: 0–13–13
Philipp Kurashev: 6–6–12
Goaltenders:
Yaroslav Askarov: 8–6–1
Alex Nedeljkovic: 3–4–2
Game Information:
Start time: 1:00 pm PT
Venue: SAP Center
Television: Sportsnet
Radio: Sportsnet 650
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
Latest From THN’s Vancouver Canucks Site:
“I’d Rather Have Petey”: Vancouver Superstar Michael Bublé Speaks On Love For The Canucks
Quinn Hughes Achieves Yet Another Historical Feat
Elias Pettersson Surpasses J.T. Miller For 10th Place In All-Time Assists By A Member Of The Canucks
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
