Both Alberta teams breezed through town in the past few days. The Oilers, last Saturday, was much more like a hurricane as they trounced the Canucks 7-3. Goaltender Kevin Lankinen definitely was not to fully blame though, the team in front of him looked dismal at best. One of those games where it looked like the Canucks forgot the official start time.
Tuesday night’s game against the Calgary Flames was a much better effort resulting in a 3-1 Canucks win. Elias Pettersson had a goal and an assist, and it looks like he’s finally getting it all together. There was actually a time in this market when fans thought the Sedin twins were a bust. Look how that turned out for the Hall of Famer. Petey will be fine.
Brock Boeser missed both games and remained out with little to no updates from the team. It’s only listed as day-to-day following an illegal check to the head against the LA Kings last week. One can only suspect that he is concussed, but Brock is a resilient guy, and all Canuck fans wish him nothing but the best.
Goaltender, Thatcher Demko, continues to make progress but the team still has no timeline on a return date. He is practicing with the team and does look good in limited action. Time will tell if Demko can return to Vezina form.
Lots of rumblings and rumors floating around that the Canucks are in the market for another defenseman. Could Nils Hoglander be trade bait? It does seem as though he is falling out of favor with head coach, Rick Tocchet, and his reduced ice time. New York Rangers defenceman, K’Andre Miller’s name has come up a few times, but that is all just speculation at this point.
On another note, ex Canuck Ryan Kesler made a surprise appearance at the game Saturday night. After being shown on the jumbotron, loud chants of ‘Ryan Kesler’ rang out through Rogers Arena. He told reporters post-game that he would love to retire a Canuck. Admitting that, he went to Anaheim to chase a Cup, and although he enjoyed his time there, his heart was always in Vancouver. Ryan deserves it; he was a heart and soul player for the Canucks. Let’s hope the team signs him for a one-day contract in the near future.
Dakota Joshua could very well make his return tonight against ex Canuck captain Bo Horvat and the New York Islanders following his scare with testicular cancer. Once he’s back and up to speed, he will make a big difference. With Kiefer Sherwood leading the League in hits, Dakota will give the Canucks another rough-and-tumble guy. And it’s such a great story, Canuck fans have missed him and will likely give him a huge ovation upon returning to action.
Tonight’s game, against the Islanders, is the usual start time of 7 pm Pacific in Vancouver. The Canucks are 8-3-3 on the season.
ITR 39: Conference Finals – Inside The Rink
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