The Vancouver Canucks continue their long homestand with the Nashville Predators coming to town on Thursday for the third and final meeting between the two teams this season.
Each of the previous two games between these teams has been a one-goal game, with each team picking up a victory this season. The Preds won 2-1 on October 23rd, and the Canucks won 5-4 in overtime on November 3rd.
Elias Pettersson has 22 points (11g-11a) in 19 career games against the Predators. Brock Boeser has eight goals in 20 games.
Quick Hits on the Competition
- The Preds hit the halfway mark of their five-game road trip with Thursday’s stop in Vancouver. They have picked up a 4-2 win over the Seattle Kraken and fell 3-2 to the Buffalo Sabres.
- It’s a tight race for the final wild card spot in the Western Conference, and the Predators are one point out of the final playoff spot with their 29-27-8 record.
- Nashville has struggled in first periods on the road this season. They have been outscored 40-22 in the opening frame on the road, while outscoring their opponents 64-63 in the final 40 minutes.
- The Preds are in the top half of the league on both special teams units. Their penalty kill sits 11th in the league and is killing off 80.6% of their penalties. On the power play, they rank 10th with a 22.9% conversion rate.
- Ryan O’Reilly leads his club with 61 points (22g-39a) in 63 games. He is currently skating on a line with Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault.
- Stamkos has 31 goals this season, which gives him his 10th NHL season with 30 or more goals.
- Roman Josi continues to be a top defenceman in the NHL, even at the age of 35. He is averaging 24:34 of ice time per game. Josi has 11 goals and 32 assists for 43 points this season.
The Story: Jake’s Take
Jake DeBrusk spoke to the media on Wednesday morning after the team’s practice. He began by discussing positive takeaways from their last two games and a couple of days of practice.
“We had a good practice today, there was some video that we watched, all these things that we can improve,” said DeBrusk. “It’s just about putting it to work, and I think we had a good practice today.”
DeBrusk skated on a line with Aatu Räty and Curtis Douglas on Wednesday. He spoke about having the new, 6’9” forward, Douglas, as a linemate.
“He’s great. He’s a funny guy, and it’s nice to have another Canadian on the roster,” said DeBrusk with a smile. “He seems really excited to be here for a chance, and I’m actually playing with him, so hopefully we can find some chemistry.”
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
Thursday’s game is at 7:00 p.m. PT, and you can watch the game on Sportsnet or listen to Brendan Batchelor’s radio call on Sportsnet 650 and the Sportsnet Radio Network.
