|
Canucks Looking to Bounce Back vs Ducks |
|
|
|
|
|
The Vancouver Canucks got shut out by the Los Angeles Kings on Monday (April 10), losing by a 3-0 final score. Overall, it was not the strongest of showings from the Canucks, but they now will have the opportunity to potentially bounce back against a far weaker Anaheim Ducks club tonight (April 11).
This is a very winnable game for the Canucks. The Ducks have lost 11 games in a row and have a disastrous 23-45-12 record. Their 23 wins on the season is the least in the NHL this season, but due to their several overtime losses, the Chicago Blackhawks and Columbus Blue Jackets still have fewer points (56) than them.
As a result, this a game that the Canucks should have the expectation of winning. The Ducks are real players in the Connor Bedard sweepstakes, and Vancouver is simply the better team this year.
Canucks Projected Lines
Forwards:
Line 1: Phil Di Giuseppe, J.T. Miller, Brock Boeser
Line 2: Andrei Kuzmenko, Elias Pettersson, Vitali Kravstov
Line 3: Anthony Beauvillier, Sheldon Dries, Conor Garland
Line 4: Dakota Joshua, Nils Aman, Jack Studnicka
Defensemen:
First Pairing: Quinn Hughes & Kyle Burroughs
Second Pairing: Akito Hirose & Tyler Myers
Third Pairing: Ethan Bear & Cole McWard
Goalie: Thatcher Demko
Players to Watch:
Elias Pettersson: Pettersson is currently sitting at 99 points this season, so fans will naturally be keeping a very close eye on him as he aims to hit the 100-point milestone for the first time in his career. He is also two goals away from his first 40-goal season.
Quinn Hughes: Quinn Hughes has cooled off as of late, as he has not recorded a point in five games straight. As a result, look for the star defenseman to break the ice tonight against the Ducks. He also has 66 assists on the year, so he will need to heat up immediately if he wants to have any chance of hitting the 70-assist mark this season.
Akito Hirose: After posting a two-assist night against the Blackhawks on April 6, recent acquisition Akito Hirose has not gotten on the scoresheet since. We will need to see if the 24-year-old can change that against the Ducks.
Phil Di Giuseppe: Phil Di Giuseppe is expected to receive plenty of chances tonight, and it will be intriguing to see if he takes advantage of it. The longtime depth forward has been a pleasant surprise for the Canucks this season, as he has six goals and 10 points in 28 games. That's not bad at all from a player who hadn't played in an NHL regular-season game since the 2020-21 season before this campaign.
Do you think that the Canucks will hand the Ducks their 12th loss in a row? Predict the score in the comments.
- MDR
Vancouver Canucks Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»