Canucks Host Sharks for Pacific Division Matchup on Tuesday Night

The Vancouver Canucks continue their eight-game homestand with the San Jose Sharks in town on Tuesday night for the third matchup of the season between the two Pacific Division teams.

Each of the last four games has been tightly contested, all resulting in one-goal games. Head Coach Adam Foote has liked his team’s effort and resilience over the past few games, but still wants to see them cut down on their mistakes.

Another thing the coach wants to see is a better reaction to the mistakes when they do happen.

“We’ve just got to not get frustrated when it’s 0-0, or 1-0 for a long time. [When we] have a mistake, just hang in there and play,” said Foote.

In terms of roster movement, the team announced that Brock Boeser and Zeev Buium have been placed on Injury Reserve retroactive to January 25th and that Victor Mancini and Jonathan Lekkerimäki have been called up from Abbotsford.

Quick Hits on the Competition

• The Sharks are 26-21-3 and are currently holding on to the final Wild Card spot in the Pacific Division.

• Tuesday’s game begins a five-game road trip for the Sharks, who will head to play against the Alberta teams before travelling to Chicago and wrapping up the trip in Colorado before the Olympic break.

• Macklin Celebrini leads the Sharks with 26 goals and 74 points this season. His 74 points rank him fourth in the NHL.

• Celebrini’s most consistent linemate this season has been Will Smith, and that duo has been on the ice for 25 goals for and 13 against in 423:31 of five-on-five ice time.

• The Sharks are one of three teams in the league that allow more than 30 shots per game (30.5).

• Yaroslav Askarov has started 31 of the Sharks’ 50 games this season. He has a 16-13-1 record, 0.889% save percentage, and 3.51 goals-against average.

• San Jose is 6-0 in overtime games on the road this season.

The Story: Teddy’s Return

Teddy Blueger returned to the lineup three games ago and has been strong in his return. He has averaged 16:07 of ice time per game since his return and is on a two-game scoring streak, including a shorthanded goal on Friday night.

Blueger spoke about how he was able to jump right back into the lineup without much rust following missing 43 games.

“Working with Jason Krog a lot, and the coaches. I have been fortunate to be able to get a lot of ice even when we were on the road. So just go through repetitions, puck touches, all those things, and then just being able to refocus,” said Blueger.

“I just try to bring energy and just work, and when I’m out there, stick to the basics, try to execute the basics well. I feel like I was a little rusty, but honestly, compared to what I expected, I feel like I’ve been feeling pretty good with being able to keep up with the pace of my reads, positioning, and all that.”

Canucks’ Top Performers over the Last Five Games

Brock Boeser: 2g-1a-3p
Evander Kane: 2g-1a-3p
Drew O’Connor: 2g-1a-3p
Linus Karlsson: 1g-2a-3p
Jake DeBrusk: 1g-2a-3p
Filip Hronek: 1g-2a-3p

When and Where to Watch

Tuesday’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.