Friday December 15 - Vancouver Canucks vs. San Jose Sharks - 7 p.m. - Sportsnet Pacific, Sportsnet 650
Vancouver Canucks: 32 GP, 14-14-4, 32 pts, sixth in Pacific Division San Jose Sharks: 30 GP, 17-10-3, 37 pts, third in Pacific Division
The Vancouver Canucks are mired in a season-high four-game losing streak and coming off their most lopsided loss of the year against Nashville on Wednesday. And they haven't beaten the San Jose Sharks at Rogers Arena in more than five years.
#Canucks are winless in their last 11 home games vs @SanJoseSharks. @Canucks last victory at @RogersArena vs Sharks came Jan.21/12.
— Joey Kenward (@kenwardskorner) December 15, 2017
But—I have a personal stat to counter this grim outlook. The Canucks have been excellent in the home games I haven't attended this season—3-0-0 in statement wins over against Edmonton, Washington and Toronto. I have another obligation tonight, so I won't be there. Will that trigger a victory?
The Sharks are coming into tonight's game on a back-to-back, after a 3-2 win in Calgary on Thursday. Aaron Dell got the win and has been terrific this season—6-3-1 with two shutouts including one against the Canucks in that weird 5-0 loss at the Shark Tank on November 11. He's currently the NHL's save percentage leader among goalies who have played enough minutes to qualify, at .939.
So, North Vancouver's Martin Jones will get the start tonight. After missing a couple of games in late November, Jones has given up at least four goals in each of his last four starts and is 1-2-1 in that span. Maybe he's not 100 percent?
After a day off on Thursday, the Canucks are mixing up their usual routine with a fully-attended game-day skate. Erik Gudbranson is on the ice, as is Thursday's call-up Ashton Sautner. Brandon Sutter and Chris Tanev are not.
Morning line rushes and D pairs for #Canucks skate:
— Sportsnet 650 (@Sportsnet650) December 15, 2017
Sedin-Sedin-Vanek
Eriksson-Gagner-Boeser
Goldobin-Burmistrov-Virtanen
Gaunce-Dowd/Chaput-Granlund
Edler-Pouliot
Hutton-Stecher
Del Zotto-Biega
Gudbranson-Sautner
No Tanev on the ice.
Since the Canucks have scored all of five goals in their last four games, it's no surprise that the lines have been put in a blender. Thomas Vanek takes a turn with the Sedins—something we haven't seen since...the China trip? And Jake Virtanen gets moved out of purgatory, onto a third line with Goldy and Burmy.
Not surprisingly, it looks like Alex Biega will draw back in on the blue line in Tanev's absence.
Here's a look at the play that likely triggered Tanev's injury on Wednesday:
First clip - play where Tanev was likely injured
— Ryan Biech (@ryanbiech) December 14, 2017
Second clip - on his next shift, Tanev rushes the puck up ice and then peels off in obvious discomfort#Canucks pic.twitter.com/7wQjKIHqzT
Apparently the TV cameras cut away after Tanev was ridden into the boards by Austin Watson. I was watching that sequence at the arena—can't remember the exact sequence or the perpetrator(s) but Tanev got pasted again by the side of the net a few seconds later, so I'm not surprised that he's out.
Here's the latest update on Vancouver's walking wounded. This Sutter prognosis has been downgraded since last week...
Tanev is out 2-to-3 weeks with a groin strain.
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) December 15, 2017
Sutter is 7-10 days away.
Gudbranson is "the closest to coming back."
After Anders Nilsson's rough night on Wednesday, Jacob Markstrom is expected to draw back in against the Sharks.
After a slow start to the season, San Jose has been rolling nicely in recent weeks. The Sharks are 6-2-2 in their last 10 games, back in the playoff picture in the Pacific, and reasonably healthy. Winger Barclay Goodrow has dealt with a string of injuries and is back on the shelf right now, and winger Mikkel Boedker has also missed the last six games with an undisclosed issue.
Ex-Canuck Jannik Hansen went through a long stretch as a healthy scratch for the Sharks earlier this season, but he has been back in the lineup for the last 10 games. Playing mostly on the fourth line, Hansen has just two points this season—both assists—and is a minus-three. That's still better than the Sharks' two highest-paid players. Brent Burns has finally started scoring after a long early-season drought but is a minus-10, while Joe Thornton is second in team scoring with 22 points, but is a minus-six.
Meanwhile, over at World Juniors. The list of Canucks prospects was cut by one after Team Canada's 4-3 loss to the USports All-Stars on Thursday in St. Catharines.
After skating on the fourth line on Thursday, Kole Lind was one of six players cut from the Team Canada roster.
Kole Lind: "It's something that's out of my control. I did what I could & played pretty well. There's some things I can take away from this both good & bad. This is a learning experience for me." https://t.co/xTDeeE0bHW
— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) December 15, 2017
I imagine Lind's recent bout with mono put him behind the eight-ball a little bit. It's too bad—he turned 19 in October so this was his only chance at a World Juniors experience.
Jonah Gadjovich is scratched from Canada's final tune-up game today, which should be an indication that the management group has seen enough from him to know that they want to keep him around.
#Canucks prospect Jonah Gadjovich on being scratch today: "I think it's a good sign ... I have to wait for tonight to see what they say. I've shown Team Canada that I'm willing to play the role that they need & I think I'm someone they could use on the roster."
— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) December 15, 2017
Goaltender Michael DiPietro is, somewhat unexpectedly, in a tougher spot. He's sharing the net today with Colton Point of Colgate University, who he's battling for the backup position behind returning Carter Hart.
CAN can take 3 goalies to WJC but only if the third G is Point, a college player who misses no Colgate games while WJC is on. If DiPietro is designated No. 3, he must be returned to WDR of OHL to play games there. Could be recalled if services required.
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) December 15, 2017
After selection camp wraps up today, Canada will move on to play pre-tournament games next Wednesday against the Czechs and Friday against the Swiss before the tournament itself kicks off in Buffalo on Boxing Day.