Previewing Saturday’s contest in Edmonton, the place the Canucks might be hosted by the revenge-seeking Oilers.
Vancouver Canucks at Edmonton Oilers
Vancouver Canucks at Edmonton Oilers
When/The place: Saturday, 7 p.m., Rogers Place
TV: Sportsnet, CBC. Radio: Sportsnet 650
The excitement: The Oilers are internet hosting the Canucks within the season-opener return sport in Edmonton, off the again of the Canucks crushing the Oilers 8-1 in Vancouver. The Oilers have been livid for a lot of causes: they misplaced badly, they usually didn’t just like the Canucks twisting the knife as they did within the third interval.
The historical past: The Canucks went 1-2-0 in opposition to the Oilers final season, together with constructing a 3-0 lead and dropping the season opener 5-3 in Edmonton. They have been outscored 11-10 within the season sequence and allowed 4 power-play targets on eight possibilities. They scored simply two power-play targets on a dozen alternatives.
Wednesday, clearly, was a unique story, because the Canucks out-hustled, out-worked and out-finished a squad that’s thought of a Stanley Cup contender however who was additionally lacking their No. 1 defenceman.
The hope: The Canucks defended effectively on Wednesday, utilizing their sticks very successfully in breaking apart Oiler move makes an attempt. In addition they broke the puck out effectively and thus have been not often caught up in a hearth drill in their very own finish.
The worry: Connor McDavid wasn’t glad on Wednesday. The world’s finest participant doesn’t like being embarrassed — you’ve obtained to consider he’ll be channelling that anger on Saturday. Be careful!
The highest weapons: Brock Boeser led the best way with 4 targets on Wednesday. Can he hit 5 on Saturday night time? Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller each had 4 factors as effectively. Leon Draisaitl obtained Edmonton’s lone aim on Wednesday, wiring an influence play one-timer over Thatcher Demko’s shoulder from an not possible angle.
The wounded: Canucks: Thatcher Demko (flu), Carson Soucy (knee), Ilya Mikheyev (knee), Teddy Blueger (knee), Guilliaume Brisebois (upper-body). Oilers: Ryan McLeod (undisclosed), Mattias Ekholm (hip), Sam Gagner (hip), Ryan Fanti (hip).
The quote: “What sort of crew are we? Are we moving into there fats and glad or are we going to be uncomfortable?” — Rick Tocchet on the problem his crew faces coming in off an 8-1 win, going through an Oilers crew he is aware of might be indignant. “I performed of hockey video games. I used to chortle, ‘Oh my god, the opposite crew’s gonna come out flying!’ Effectively why can’t we come out flying, you realize? Yeah, after all they’re gonna come out flying. So what does that imply? Can we again up? No, we obtained to return out flying too.”
The lineup: Jack Studnicka has been known as up after the Canucks performed a person brief on Wednesday as a consequence of wage cap restrictions. He’ll slot in on a speedy fourth line with Nils Höglander and Sam Lafferty.
Ahead traces: Kuzmenko-Pettersson-Garland/Di Giuseppe-Miller-Boeser/Joshua-Suter-Beauvillier/Höglander-Lafferty-Studnicka
Defence pairings: Hughes-Hronek/Cole-Myers/Hirose-Juulsen.
The prediction: The Canucks confirmed very effectively within the opener, controlling a lot of the sport. However with final change on Saturday, look ahead to the Oilers to search out methods to take advantage of the gaps within the Canucks’ lineup and precise their revenge for Wednesday. Oilers will win this one 4-2.
(FAN FORUM: Do you have got a particular query for a participant? Go it alongside to @provincesports and we’ll get it in a future version).
