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At the Rink blog

Canucks get Richardson back but lose Tanev

Wednesday, 03.19.2014 / 4:12 PM

By Kevin Woodley - NHL.com Correspondent / 2013-2014 At the Rink Blog

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2013-2014 At the Rink Blog
Canucks get Richardson back but lose Tanev

VANCOUVER -- Vancouver Canucks defenseman Christopher Tanev could miss the rest of the season with a broken finger from blocking a Steven Stamkos shot against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday.

"Probably 3-4 weeks,” coach John Tortorella said of the timeline for Tanev to return.

Vancouver has three-and-a-half weeks left in the regular season and heads into its game Wednesday against the Nashville Predators trailing the Phoenix Coyotes by five points for the second Western Conference wild-card spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The Canucks may need to win 10 of their final 11 games to have a chance at the playoffs but have four wins in their past 18 games.

"We certainly need to get a streak going or we're done," Tortorella said. "But let's just worry about starting one against Nashville."

It will be harder without Tanev, who is averaging 20:44 in ice time, including three minutes on the top penalty-killing unit, and leads the Canucks with 136 blocked shots in 64 games. He missed seven games through late February with a thumb injury sustained while blocking a shot.

Vancouver will get back center Brad Richardson after he missed seven games with an upper-body injury. Richardson is a welcome addition for a team that lost center Ryan Kesler to a knee injury in the first game of a four-game road trip that ended with a 4-3 loss to the Lightning on Monday.

"It's been tough for a long time," Richardson said. "Guys are working their [tails] off, so hopefully we can get a win and keep moving."

Nashville is four points behind Vancouver and nine behind Phoenix for the final wild-card position, after a 5-1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday. The Predators did not skate in Vancouver on Wednesday morning, but goalie Pekka Rinne is expected to start again after he was pulled midway through the third period against the Oilers after giving up five goals on 26 shots.

Rinne has started seven of eight games since returning from a hip infection that kept him out of the lineup more than four months.

Rookie goaltender Eddie Lack will start his 12th straight game for Vancouver, his ninth straight since becoming No. 1 when Roberto Luongo was traded to the Florida Panthers on March 4.

Here are the projected lineups:

PREDATORS

Matt Cullen - Mike Fisher - Nick Spaling

Eric Nystrom - Colin Wilson - Craig Smith

Rich Clune - Paul Gaustad - Viktor Stalberg

Patric Hornqvist - Colton Sissons - Gabriel Bourque

Roman Josi - Shea Weber

Michael Del Zotto - Ryan Ellis

Mattias Ekholm - Seth Jones

Pekka Rinne

Carter Hutton

Scratched: Patrick Eaves, Victor Bartley

CANUCKS

Alexandre BurrowsHenrik SedinNicklas Jensen

Chris HigginsShawn MatthiasJannik Hansen

David BoothBrad RichardsonZack Kassian

Tom SestitoJordan SchroederZac Dalpe

Alexander EdlerKevin Bieksa

Dan HamhuisJason Garrison

Ryan StantonYannick Weber

Eddie Lack

Jacob Markstrom

Scratched: Darren Archibald, Michael Zalewski

Injured: Christopher Tanev (broken finger), Ryan Kesler (knee), Daniel Sedin (lower body), Mike Santorelli (shoulder surgery), Andrew Alberts (concussion)

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