|
Canucks' roster decisions loom after final preseason game vs. Coyotes Thurs |
|
|
|
Super busy day for me today, so I'll cut straight to the chase.
The Vancouver Canucks' bubble players will get one final chance to impress Travis Green and Jim Benning when the team hosts the Arizona Coyotes on Thursday night at Rogers Arena.
Here's the lineup for both teams:
Up front, Jake Virtanen, Nikolay Goldobin, Tim Schaller and Tyler Graovac are among the players who will be going back-to-back after skating in the Canucks' 6-2 loss to the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday night.
Having Brady Tkachuk back in the their lineup made a world of difference for the Sens compared to the group they iced in Abbotsford on Monday. He finished with two goals, two assists and was named the game's first star.
On the Canucks' side, Adam Gaudette continued to fuel the discussion of whether or not he deserves a place in the opening-night lineup. Gaudette scored Vancouver's first goal and set up the other. Sven Baertschi looked good with him on both scoring plays and also continues to make sure he's not forgotten when the wing spots are pinned down this weekend. Both players will suit up again on Thursday against Arizona.
The Canucks did outshoot Ottawa 46-29 in the game, so Craig Anderson had a strong outing. At the other end, Thatcher Demko was not at his sharpest, and was hard on himself in front of the media after the game.
Demko also didn't get much help from Guillaume Brisebois and Jalen Chatfield on two of the Sens' goals. That pair — almost certainly bound for Utica — will also get another look on Thursday while Jordie Benn and Troy Stecher get the night off.
On the blue line, Alex Edler and Tyler Myers return after skipping Wednesday's game, while Micheal Ferland gets back into action after recovering from a week-long illness. Elias Pettersson, Josh Leivo and Tyler Motte will also draw back into the lineup.
I'll leave it there for now. After Thursday's game, we'll have five full days to talk roster and other important issues before the puck drops for opening night and the games start counting for real.
Enjoy the game!