After a quick, three-game homestand, the Vancouver Canucks hit the road and will play three road games through the Central Division, beginning with a Thursday night matchup against the St. Louis Blues.
The next man up mentality is on full display with this team as the Canucks continue to be hit by the injury bug. Through the trials and tribulations, the team is pushing onwards.
“It is the next man up, and there’s nothing you do except keep going, and that’s what we’re going to do,” said Adam Foote following Tuesday’s game.
Former St. Louis Blues player Mackenzie MacEachern has been called up to the Canucks from Abbotsford (AHL) and is an option for the lineup on Thursday. MacEachern played in 123 NHL games with the Blues between 2018 and 2023.
This is the second time the Canucks will face off against the Blues this season. St. Louis picked up a 5-2 win at Rogers Arena on October 13th.
Quick Hits on the Competition
- The Blues come into Thursday’s game with a 3-6-1 record and are hungry for a win on home ice, as they have been winless (0-3-2) at the Enterprise Centre.
- They are coming off a 5-2 loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday night.
- Jordan Kyrou leads the Blues with eight points (4g-4a) in 10 games. Kyrou has been skating on a line with Pius Suter and Dylan Holloway.
- Jake Neighbours had a hot start to the season with six goals in eight games, but he was recently placed on injury reserve, and that brought 2023 10th overall pick, Dalibor Dvorský, up from the AHL.
- St. Louis’ power play ranks 15th in the league and is clicking at 20.7% this season. Pavel Buchnevich leads his team with two power play goals.
- Jimmy Snuggerud and Kyrou are the two primary shooters for the Blues while on the man-advantage. Each of them has nine shot attempts on the power play this season.
- Jordan Binnington has started six of the Blues’ 10 games this season. He has a 2-4-1 record with an .863% save percentage and a 3.27 goals-against average.
The Story: Lukas Reichel’s First Three Games as a Canuck
New Canuck Lukas Reichel has been skating hard and creating chances in his first few games with his new club. The 23-year-old forward is averaging 16:02 of ice time per game since being traded to Vancouver.
Reichel said his new teammates have done a good job helping him feel comfortable with the Canucks, and he is working to build chemistry with his linemates in games.
“On the ice, you find chemistry when you talk a lot on the bench or talk a lot about plays or watch videos, so maybe it takes a little bit of time, but so far, I like it,” Reichel said.
He has 10 scoring chances in his three games, including five on Tuesday night, but wants to focus on bearing down and finding his first goal as a Canuck.
“I got to just put it in the back of the net,” said Reichel. “I got a lot of chances, but my dad always told me, as long as you have chances, you don’t have to be worried. But I mean, it would be nice if I get one and help the team. I think today [Tuesday] was a good opportunity to do that. But I’m going to keep pushing, keep trying, and hopefully it goes in next game.”
Canucks’ Top Performers over the Last Five Games
Elias Pettersson: 2g-3a-5p
Conor Garland: 2g-3a-5p
Brock Boeser: 1g-2a-3p
Filip Hronek: 0g-3a-3p
Kiefer Sherwood: 2g-0a-2p
When and Where to Watch
Thursday’s game is at 5:00 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.
