It’s going to be a busy month at Rogers Arena, as the Vancouver Canucks begin an eight-game homestand on Monday when the Ottawa Senators come to town.
Note the earlier-than-normal 6:00 p.m. PT start time. You should also note that the game is being broadcast on Prime Video.
The Canucks wrapped up a two-game road trip on Saturday in an overtime loss to the Winnipeg Jets on the second night of a back-to-back.
Max Sasson, Linus Karlsson, and Teddy Blueger had a goal and two assists apiece in the back-to-back. Sasson led the team with five shots on net through the pair of games over the weekend.
Aatu Räty got back into the lineup for the two games over the weekend, and he led the team with six hits. He also led in faceoff wins, picking up 18 wins and nine losses for a 66.6% win-rate in the dot.
Quick Hits on the Competition
- The Sens sit four points out of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. They are 31-22-9 this season and have a 5-2-3 record over their last 10 outings.
- They hold a 17-12-4 record on the road this season.
- Tim Stützle scored his team-leading 30th of the season on Saturday night in a 7-4 victory over the Seattle Kraken. Stützle also leads the Sens with 67 points.
- Stützle plays on a top line that sees Drake Batherson and Claude Giroux join in to complete the trio.
- Jake Sanderson is the team’s horse on the backend. He is averaging 24:49 of ice time per game and has 11 goals and 37 assists for 48 points this season. He ranks 10th in defenceman scoring across the league.
- Scoring first on the road seems to be the Sens’ recipe for success this year. They are 11-2-3 when scoring the first goal of the game away from home and 6-10-1 when the opposition scored first.
- Their strongest period on the road this season has been the first; they are outscoring their opponents 39-31 in the opening frame of road games.
- Linus Ullmark has started all five games that the Sens have played since the Olympic break. He has a 19-8-7 record this season with an .884% save percentage, 2.84 goals-against average, and has one shutout.
The Story: Drew O’Connor Trending Up
Sitting on 15 goals for the season, Canucks forward Drew O’Connor has been firing since coming back from the Olympic break. He may only have one goal in the five games since the break, but he has been all around the net and is getting good looks.
Since the break, O’Connor leads the team in shots on net (11), shot attempts (21), individual scoring chances (15), and high-danger chances (7).
Another storyline to note is newcomer Curtis Douglas. The Canucks picked up the 6’9” forward on waivers this past Friday, and he joined the team in Winnipeg but did not get into the lineup.
General Manager Patrik Allvin said that Douglas is a player who can make the young players feel safe with his physical presence. He said that his scouts have watched Douglas come through the AHL and play with the Tampa Bay Lightning this season.
Canucks’ Top Performers over the Last Five Games
Jake DeBrusk: 1g-3a-4p
Linus Karlsson 1g-3a-4p
Filip Hronek: 1g-3a-4p
Brock Boeser: 3g-0a-3p
Max Sasson: 1g-2a-3p
Marco Rossi: 1g-2a-3p
Teddy Blueger: 1g-2a-3p
When and Where to Watch
Monday’s game is at 6:00 p.m. PT, and you can watch the game on Prime Video or listen to Brendan Batchelor’s radio call on Sportsnet 650 and the Sportsnet Radio Network.
