Vancouver will be looking for the season sweep of Pittsburgh for the first time since the 2017-18 season.
The Vancouver Canucks (38-16-6) continue their three-game home stand Tuesday night with a visit from Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins (26-21-8). Vancouver took the first meeting between these two teams in January when Elias Pettersson scored the overtime winner in a 4-3 victory. With a point, the Canucks would match their point total from the 2022-23 season, while a win would help Rick Tocchet tie Jack Evans for 71st on the all-time coaching wins list with 237.
While the Penguins are 22 points behind Vancouver in the standings, this will not be an easy game for the Canucks. Pittsburgh is fighting for a playoff spot and will come into this game motivated, as they can't afford to drop points if they want to stay in the hunt. Vancouver will need to be ready from the opening puck drop if they want to build off their victory against the Boston Bruins and take home the season series versus the Penguins.
Players to Watch
Nils Höglander
Tuesday's matchup versus Pittsburgh will be a special one for Nils Höglander as he skates in his 200th career NHL game. When he hits the ice, he will become just the seventh player from the 2019 class to achieve the feat, joining players like Jack Hughes and Trevor Zegras in the 200 games club. Projected to play beside Pettersson once again, the Swedish winger will be looking to celebrate his 200th game in style with a big victory over Pittsburgh.
Reilly Smith
Reilly Smith has been a nightmare for the Canucks over his 13-year career. In 25 regular season games, he has 21 points and has scored in four of his last six games versus Vancouver. With only two goals in his previous 19 games, he could be in store for a breakout night in a building he has had plenty of success in.
Projected Lineup
Höglander- Pettersson- Mikheyev
Suter- Miller- Boeser
Bains- Lindholm- Garland
Di Giuseppe- Blueger- Lafferty
Hughes- Hronek
Cole- Myers
Zadorov- Juulsen
Demko
DeSmith
Spread
Canucks: 2.55 (-1.5)
Penguins: 1.53 (+1.5)
Total
Over 6.5: 2.00
Under 6.5: 1.83
Money Line
Canucks: 1.65
Penguins: 2.30
Game Information
Start Time: 7:00 PM PT
Television: Sportsnet
Radio: Sportsnet 650
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.