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Vancouver Canucks to name captain — Horvat? — at home opener vs. Kings

October 9, 2019, 1:57 PM ET [305 Comments]
Carol Schram
Vancouver Canucks Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
Wednesday October 9 - Vancouver Canucks vs. Los Angeles Kings - 7 p.m. - Sportsnet Pacific, Sportsnet 650

Vancouver Canucks: 2 GP, 0-2-0, 0 pts, seventh in Pacific Division
Los Angeles Kings: 2 GP, 1-1-0, 2 pts, fifth in Pacific Division

The day we've been talking about for such a long time is finally here. The Vancouver Canucks will play their first home game of their 50th anniversary season on Wednesday night, on the same day and against the same opponent as the franchise's first-ever game.

On October 9, 1970, the Canucks lost 3-1 to the Los Angeles Kings in front of a sellout crowd of 15,062 at the Pacific Coliseum, on a night full of pomp and circumstance.

The full game recap is a fun read — check it out here. The Kings' website ran it ahead of the 40th anniversary home opener in 2010 — the night that Henrik Sedin was awarded the captaincy. The Kings were the opponent that night as well, meeting again after an intense first-round playoff series the previous spring.

Though the Canucks would go on to win the Presidents' Trophy and reach Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final in 2010-11, they lost 2-1 in a shootout on that opening night. Both game-action goals were scored on the power play — by Christian Ehrhoff for the Canucks and by Justin Williams for the Kings. The shootout only went two rounds, with goals from Anze Kopitar and Jack Johnson on the Kings' side while Mason Raymond and Ryan Kesler were unsuccessful for Vancouver.

Tonight, of course, we're expecting to see Henrik Sedin hand over the "C" to Bo Horvat. If you're going to the game, make sure you arrive early and are in your seat by 6:40 for the beginning of the game ceremonies.



Thanks to Elias Pettersson, the Calder Trophy will be in the building and available for fan photos. Player introductions are scheduled for 6:55, before the TV broadcast begins. After Sportsnet joins at the top of the hour, the captaincy ceremony is scheduled to take place at 7:05. It should be quite brief. The anthem is scheduled for 7:09, with puck drop at a very reasonable 7:13.

This year, one big difference from Canucks-vs-Kings in 1970 and Canucks-vs-Kings in 2010 is that the matchup is the third game of the year for both teams.

After taking steps to kick the team up to playoff calibre as part of the 50th-anniversary season, the Canucks are already under pressure after logging two losses and scoring only two goals during their season-opening road trip through Alberta.

The "C" should be a new addition for Bo Horvat on Wednesday, but his revolving cast of wingers should seem familiar. In an attempt to boost output from his top line, Travis Green has already juggled his top six — moving J.T. Miller up with Elias Pettersson and Brock Boeser. At first, that dropped Micheal Ferland to Horvat's line but by practice on Tuesday, Ferland was down to line 3 with Adam Gaudette and Brandon Sutter, with Josh Leivo moving up to play with Horvat and Tanner Pearson.

The Canucks are taking an optional skate ahead of Wednesday's game. Here's how Travis Green deployed his lines at practice on Tuesday.



Green also tweaked the power play on Tuesday after an 0-for-10 start. He didn't put Quinn Hughes on PP1, as the fans have been requesting, but he did move Horvat onto the top unit.



Horvat's faceoff prowess should give the top unit more opportunity to start with possession and set up in their preferred formation. Green has talked about wanting two units that push each other — and that first group has been drawing some penalties, so it's not like PP2 hasn't been getting some chances to go to work.

Here's more on Edler-vs-Hughes, from Sunday's practice.



If there's one silver lining to Elias Pettersson's quiet start to the season, it's the fact that he hasn't done anything to shift the spotlight away from Horvat's presumed coronation on Wednesday night. At this point, it seems like all parties are aligned that Bo's the right man for the job.

One other potential positive for the Canucks on Wednesday: their opponents are rolling into Vancouver on the second half of a back-to-back after Todd McLellan picked up his first win as coach of the Kings on Tuesday night in Calgary. With the war of words between Matthew Tkachuk and Drew Doughty picking up where it left off last season, Tkachuk had two goals on Tuesday night for the Flames, including the game-tying marker that earned his team a point and forced overtime with 1:04 left to play in the third period. But a fired-up Doughty got the last laugh when he scored the winner on the power play, less than a minute into the extra frame.



Can the Kings can build off that win after opening their season with a wild 6-5 home loss to Edmonton? Or will they come out flat?

Jack Campbell got the win on Tuesday, so I'll expect to see Jonathan Quick in net against the Canucks. I don't expect they'll have a full skate this morning; here's how they looked at Tuesday's skate before facing the Flames.



Looking at that defense, I suppose it's no wonder that the Kings have given up nine goals in their first two games. We know Ben Hutton, of course, who landed in L.A. on a one-year, $1.5 million contract after not receiving a qualifying offer from the Canucks. Doughty's new partner, Tobias Bjornfot, is an 18-year-old who was chosen 19th at the draft in Vancouver last June — and who was praised effusively by Doughty during preseason. I'm looking forward to seeing him play!

That sets the scene for a big night coming up at Rogers Arena.

Enjoy the game!
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