Canucks Gameday Preview #20: A Star-Studded Affair At Ball Arena

The Vancouver Canucks (13-5-1) start a three-game road trip tonight as they make their way to Ball Arena to face the Colorado Avalanche (11-6-1) for the first time this season. Vancouver is coming off a 3-1 victory over the San Jose Sharks, while Colorado will be looking to bounce back after a 4-3 loss to the Nashville Predators. Last year, the Canucks took the season series 2-1, with the winner in each game scoring exactly four goals. 

Tonight's game could feature an offensive explosion on both sides, featuring two of the top three highest-scoring teams in the NHL. The Canucks currently sit first with a GF/GP of 4.11, while the Avalanche's 3.76 is not too far behind in third place. While Thatcher Demko has been phenomenal to start the season, Vancouver does need to be careful in their own zone, as Colorado will make them pay for any mistakes. 

At the other end of the ice, the Canucks are expected to see Alexandar Georgiev start for the Avalanche. The NHL's current leader in wins has struggled to beat Vancouver in the past, posting a 1-3 record in four career games played but was able to hold the Canucks to just one goal on 29 shots in their last meeting. With a goals-against average of 3.08 and a save percentage below .900 on the season, Vancouver should have no problem lighting the lamp tonight, especially with how strong their power play has been to start the season. 

Players to Watch:

Quinn Hughes

Quinn Hughes has been unstoppable of late and is achieving feats not seen since Bobby Orr. The Canucks captain is currently on an eight-game point streak and leads all players in the NHL with 30 points on the season. The front runner for not just the Norris but also the Hart Trophy, all eyes will be on number 43 as he looks to become just the sixth defenceman in Canucks history to record a nine-game point streak. 

Cale Makar

Cale Makar is once again doing Cale Makar things. Not only does he sit seventh in the league, scoring with 27 points in 17 games, but he leads Hughes in points per game by .01. With ten points in six career games versus Vancouver, do not be surprised to see his name on the scoresheet multiple times before the night is over. 

Projected Lineup

Mikheyev-Pettersson-Kuzmenko.

Di Giuseppe-Miller-Boeser.

Joshua-Blueger-Garland.

Höglander-Lafferty-Beauvillier.

Hughes-Hronek.

Cole-Juulsen.

Friedman-Myers.

Demko

DeSmith

Game Information

Start Time: 7:00 pm PT

Television: Sportsnet

Radio: Sportsnet 650