The Vancouver Canucks (8-13-2) will look to avoid a fourth straight loss when they host the Edmonton Oilers (13-8-0) at Rogers Arena on Thursday night. Join me and Corey Hirsch for the play-by-play at 7:00pm on Sportsnet 650 and the Sportsnet Radio Network. Satiar Shah and Andrew Walker will present the Land Rover Pre-Game Show starting at 5:00pm. Andrew will be live at the intermissions with Bik Nizzar for instant analysis, and Sat and Bik will be with you after the game for the Kintec Footwear and Orthotics Canucks Central Post-Game Show.
Listen to game day coverage on Sportsnet 650 AM or 96.9 HD channel 3. You can also listen online on Sportsnet.ca/650, through the Sportsnet app or stream the game on your smart speaker. Just say, “play Sportsnet 650.”
Head-to-Head
Thursday’s game will be the fourth of 10 meetings between the teams in the season series. Vancouver is 1-2-0 against Edmonton this season, and the Oilers have outscored the Canucks 12-10. Leon Draisaitl has eight points (all assists) in the three games against Vancouver, leading all players on both teams.
Stat Pack
Tuesday’s defeat was Vancouver’s first regulation loss of the season when leading after two periods. The Canucks are now 6-1-1 when carrying a lead into the third period. Vancouver’s power play has gone quiet of late, scoring once on its last nine opportunities (11.1%) over the last four games. Quinn Hughes still leads all NHL defensemen with 21 points this season, but Hughes also has the fourth worst plus-minus rating (-13) in the league. Vancouver is in danger of losing five straight games on home ice for the first time this season.
The Oilers extended their win streak to four games by coming from behind to edge the Canucks on Tuesday. Edmonton is now 1-7-0 when trailing after 40 minutes this season. The Oilers are also 10-2-0 since January 30th — the best record in the NHL in that span. Edmonton forward Dominik Kahun had his third career multi-goal game on Tuesday. Connor McDavid, who leads the NHL in points with 38, has a point in six consecutive away games against the Canucks (three goals, four assists).
Who’s Hot
Canucks centre Elias Pettersson has four points (three goals, one assist) in the last two games. For the Oilers, Leon Draisaitl has seven points (two goals, five assists) in his last four games.
Who’s Cold
Vancouver winger Tanner Pearson has one point in his last nine games. Edmonton defenseman Adam Larsson has one point in his last eight contests.
Key Quotes
– Canucks coach Travis Green“We had a good meeting with our team (on Wednesday). I try to be honest with our group all the time. I thought we played seven pretty good games in a row. I didn’t want them to be disillusioned that we played an eighth good game in a row. I didn’t think we did…part of (Wednesday) was owning what we did (on Tuesday) as a group…and improving on our game so we can be better (on Thursday).”
– Oilers coach Dave Tippett“You continue to learn about your team, and they learn about themselves. I think a game like (Tuesday) will help us as we go on in the year. We might find ourselves in a situation like this, and when you’ve been through getting behind and recognize the situation and you’ve come back from it, we might get another game like this, and they know that there’s a belief there that you can do it again.”
Canucks Wednesday Practice Lines
Hoglander-Pettersson-Boeser
Pearson-Horvat-Virtanen
Miller-Sutter-Gaudette
Roussel/Hawryluk-Beagle-MacEwen
Edler-Schmidt
Hughes-Hamonic
Benn-Myers
Demko
Holtby
Oilers Tuesday Lines
Nugent Hopkins-McDavid-Puljujarvi
Kahun-Draisaitl-Yamamoto
Ennis-Khaira-Archibald
Russell-Haas-Chiasson
Nurse-Barrie
Russell-Larsson
Jones-Bouchard
Smith
Koskinen