Canucks Game Day: Wheeling into Detroit

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Can the short-manned Canucks keep the good vibes rolling in the Motor City?

Published Nov 30, 2024  •  Last updated 8 hours ago  •  2 minute read

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Vancouver Canucks vs. Detroit Red Wings

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When: Sunday, 9:30 a.m. PT, Little Caesars Arena

TV: Sportsnet. Radio: Sportsnet 650

The buzz: The road-warrior Canucks continue to thrive, despite missing their No. 1 goalie, their No. 2 centre and their No. 2 defenceman. Friday’s overtime win in Buffalo was exactly the sort of win the Canucks are going to have to find for the next while: a hard-skating, tight-checking grind-it-out style win. In the big picture, that’s the kind of team head coach Rick Tocchet wants his team to be anyway. On the other side, the Red Wings are stumbling along. They don’t score enough. Their defending has been average at best.

The history: The two teams split their meetings last season: the Canucks blew a 3-1 second period lead in Detroit in February — a game that was also a matinee — but Vancouver overwhelmed the Red Wings at Rogers Arena five days after.

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The hope: The Canucks will want to basically replicate Friday’s effort. The only reason it went to overtime was a fluke goal that bounced up and over Kevin Lankinen. Lankinen was stellar otherwise, including a game-saving stop in overtime on Tage Thompson. The Canucks got strong work from their power play and penalty kill and want to repeat all of this Sunday.

The fear: Without Filip Hronek, the Canucks’ PK is under pressure. He’s been their best penalty killer this season and a lapse on the PK is difficult for any team to overcome.

The top guns: Quinn Hughes picked up a pair of assists on Friday, putting him into a tie for most assists by a defenceman in Canucks history with Alex Edler. He now has five goals and 20 assists on the season. Elias Pettersson went pointless on Friday, but otherwise he’s been on a tear, scoring five goals and eight assists in the nine games before Friday. Conor Garland is on a seven-game point streak: he has four goals and six assists over that streak.

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The wounded: Canucks: Thatcher Demko (knee, week to week), Derek Forbort (leg, week to week), J.T. Miller (personal leave), Filip Hronek (shoulder, indefinite). Red Wings: Alex Lyon (lower body, week to week), Patrick Kane (upper body, day to day).

The quote: “I played with Tommer at the world championships … so I know how hard he hits it.” — Conor Garland on the fearlessness it takes to block shots after he blocked a Tage Thompson shot on Friday, which led to a fortunate bounce that sent Pius Suter away on a breakaway. Suter scored.

The lineup: 

DeBrusk-Pettersson-Boeser

Joshua-Suter-Garland

Höglander-Räty-Sherwood.

Heinen-Blueger-Sasson

Hughes-Myers

Soucy-Juulsen

Brännström-Desharnais

Lankinen

The latest: Following Friday’s win, the Canucks are now 9-2 on the road this season. They’ve also given up the game’s first goal 13 times this season, a trend that head coach Rick Tocchet is desperate for his team to turn around.

pjohnston@postmedia.com

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