The Vancouver Canucks (8-12-2) will open a two game set against the Edmonton Oilers (12-8-0) on Tuesday night at Rogers Arena. Join Joey Kenward and Corey Hirsch for the play-by-play at 7:00pm, preceded by the Land Rover Pre-Game Show with Satiar Shah, Andrew Walker and yours truly at 5:00pm on Sportsnet 650 and the Sportsnet Radio Network. I’ll also be with Andrew Walker at the intermissions, and Sat and I will break down the game on 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
Tuesday’s game will be the third of 10 meetings between the two teams this season. Vancouver is 1-1-0 against Edmonton this year, but the Oilers have outscored Vancouver 8-7. Leon Draisaitl is the highest scorer in the season series with five points (all assists) in the two games.
Stat Pack
The Canucks have earned points in four of their last five games but have won just two of their last 11 contests. Vancouver is racking up more penalty minutes per game (11:27) than any other team in the league. However, the Canucks’ penalty kill unit has surrendered just two goals in the last seven games on 19 outnumbered opportunities for its opposition (89.5%). Elias Pettersson registered his first multi-goal game of the season in Sunday’s overtime loss to Winnipeg. Pettersson, who averaged 0.35 power play points per game last season, has seen that number drop to 0.22 this season.
The Oilers have won three games in a row and nine of their last 11 contests. Edmonton is coming off its biggest win of the season, a 7-1 drubbing of the Calgary Flames on Saturday evening. The Oilers have also won four consecutive road games and can win a fifth on Tuesday for just the seventh time in team history. Edmonton leads the NHL in goals by defenseman with 13 while Darnell Nurse is tied with Aaron Ekblad and Jeff Petry for the league lead in goal scoring by a blue liner with six. The Oilers’ power play is 6-for-18 (33.3%) in the last five games.
Who’s Hot
Brock Boeser has six points (two goals, four assists) in the last four games for Vancouver and is tied for second in the NHL in goal scoring with 12. Edmonton’s Connor McDavid has 10 points (three goals, seven assists) in the last five games, including a five point outing against Calgary on Saturday, and leads the league in points with 37.
Who’s Cold
Both Canucks winger Tanner Pearson and Oilers forward Kailer Yamamoto have one point in their last eight games.
Key Quotes
– Canucks forward Brandon Sutter“We know we’ve been playing better hockey in the last two weeks here. We’ve been talking about it, but at some point, these moral victories, they don’t really count. That sucks.”
– Oilers coach Dave Tippett“You’re striving for consistency in what you’re doing. Ultimately, to get that consistency, you’ve got to have a lot of players playing well throughout your lineup, and we’ve had that the last little while here…For us to become the team that we want to be and become a playoff team, we have to be a good defending team.”
Canucks Sunday Lines vs. Winnipeg
Miller-Pettersson-Boeser
Pearson-Horvat-Hoglander
Roussel-Sutter-Gaudette
MacEwen-Beagle-Virtanen
Edler-Schmidt
Hughes-Benn
Juolevi-Myers
Holtby
Demko
Oilers Saturday Lines vs. Calgary
Nugent Hopkins-McDavid-Puljujarvi
Ennis-Draisaitl-Yamamoto
Kahun-Khaira-Archibald
Neal-Haas-Chiasson
Nurse-Barrie
Russell-Larsson
Koekkoek-Bouchard
Smith
Koskinen