Thursday December 22 - Winnipeg Jets at Vancouver Canucks - 7 p.m. - Sportsnet Vancouver
Vancouver Canucks: 33 GP, 14-16-3, 31 pts, sixth in Pacific Division Winnipeg Jets: 35 GP, 15-17-3, 33 pts, sixth in Central Division
The Vancouver Canucks have a chance to pull level with the Winnipeg Jets in the Western Conference standings if they can pull out a second straight win over Winnipeg tonight at Rogers Arena.
After a slow start in the first game on Tuesday, the Canucks rode the spark provided by two goals from Jannik Hansen to a 4-1 win.
"This is like a college schedule right now. We'd always talk about getting a sweep then, so that's what we want tonight." - @troystecher
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) December 22, 2016
Sounds like the only change will be in net.
#Canucks Desjardins confirms Miller starts. Repeats he has confidence in both goalies, but reiterates Miller #1 and was able to get him rest
— Jon Abbott (@HockeyAbbs) December 22, 2016
I find this a bit of a curious move. Jacob Markstrom played very well in Tuesday's win, especially in the third period. After facing the Jets tonight, the Canucks will finish off their pre-Christmas schedule in Calgary on Friday, so each goalie was going to get a start anyway.
I presume this means that we will see Markstrom on Friday at the Saddledome.
A couple of other notes on injured players.
First—sounds like Alex Edler is getting closer to a return. He was injured on November 26 in Colorado.
#Canucks Edler on ice early again (has been routine) but looking much improved in stick handling/passing and able to shoot short wristers
— Jon Abbott (@HockeyAbbs) December 22, 2016
And second, Derek Dorsett met with the media for the first time since his neck surgery.
.@Twigy15 gives a detailed summary of his injury, his current status and provides an update on recovery and timeline to return. pic.twitter.com/OoFlN7dbLW
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) December 22, 2016
Dorsett's goal is to be back, fully healthy, by the beginning of next season.
As for the Jets, it's not surprising to see that they're making some changes to their lineup after Tuesday's loss.
Armia and Matthias are in, Tanev and Copp out for #NhLJeta tonight. Hutchinson in goal
— Ted Wyman (@Ted_Wyman) December 22, 2016
No more Tanev-bowl tonight. Apparently Brandon is "nicked up." He played 13:12 on Tuesday, with one shot, three hits and a block, and was busy on the penalty kill. Andrew Copp is a healthy scratch.
Joel Armia is returning to action for the first time since early November, when he suffered a lower-body injury. The 23-year-old former first-round pick of the Buffalo Sabres was acquired by the Jets as part of the return for Evander Kane, and was 1-3-4 in 10 games this season before he was injured.
Shawn Matthias, we know a bit better. Like Armia, the ex-Canuck has played just 10 games this season, his first with the Jets. He's 2-1-3 and has also been on the shelf since early November with a lower-body injury.
The Jets are also without big defenseman Tyler Myers, who suffered an upper-body injury in mid-November. And after the Jets persuaded former eighth-overall pick Alexander Burmistrov to return to the team in 2015-16 after he spent two years in the KHL, that relationship has soured once again.
Alexander Burmistrov is one frustrated healthy scratch https://t.co/Emr8ZWV5rQ
— NBC ProHockeyTalk (@ProHockeyTalk) December 20, 2016
Burmistrov has been scratched in 10 of Winnipeg's last 13 games. The 25-year-old is 0-2-2 in 23 games this season.
Though the Jets finally cut ties with Ondrej Pavelec this season, sending him to the minors, their goaltending situation hasn't really improved. Twenty-three-year-old Connor Hellebuyck, who took the loss on Tuesday, has been the nominal number one. He's 12-11-1 with a .910 save percentage, 2.68 goals-against average and two shutouts.
Michael Hutchinson, 26, who starts tonight, is 3-6-2 in 13 games, with an .896 save percentage, a 3.14 goals-against average and one shutout.
Even with Ryan Miller still tagged as the Canucks' No. 1, his various health issues this season have led to goaltending duties in Vancouver being quite equally divided heading into the Christmas break. Here's how the Canucks' goalie numbers break down:
Jacob Markstrom: 18 GP, 15 games started, 7-7-2, .908 save percentage, 2.63 GAA Ryan Miller: 18 GP, 18 games started, 7-9-1, .907 save percentage, 2.90 GAA
Because he has made more starts, Miller has played more total minutes: 1,055, compared to 936 for Markstrom. Neither goalie has recorded a shutout this year, though you might remember that Miller got gypped out of one on the opening game of the season against Calgary, when Loui Eriksson scored into the Canucks' net while Miller was on the bench during a delayed-penalty call.
Miller has recorded 36 shutouts in his career, including seven with the Canucks. Markstrom is still looking for his first—and that's becoming a bit of a thing!
#Canucks Jacob Markstrom is now 2nd all-time in career games played without a shutout. Closing in on 100. Only Pokey Reddick is left to pass pic.twitter.com/mY9clF3UqA
— Gregory Balloch (@GregBalloch) December 11, 2016
Finally, Henrik Sedin hits a big milestone tonight.
#Canucks Henrik plays 1200th #NHL game tonight. My story on how seldom that's happened all with same team https://t.co/o7TtqvvYAk
— Jeff Paterson (@patersonjeff) December 22, 2016
Paterson reports that Henrik is just the ninth player to reach 1,200 games with one franchise, and only the third in Canada, after Henri Richard in Montreal and Jarome Iginla in Calgary.
Henrik's also inching ever-closer to that magical 1,000-point plateau. His two assists on Tuesday against the Jets give him 22 points in 33 games this season and 992 in total. The countdown will be starting in earnest very soon!