Right wing Nikolay Goldobin won't play because of the flu, leaving the Vancouver Canucks with 11 healthy forwards against the Islanders. Vancouver will dress seven defensemen, with Alex Biega expected to play forward on the fourth line. Defenseman Nikita Tryamkin also is expected to return after missing six games with the mumps. Vancouver is seven points behind St. Louis for the second wild card into the playoffs from the Western Conference. The Canucks are 2-0-1 in their past three games after losing the previous four but couldn't get an extra point in a 2-1 overtime loss against the Montreal Canadiens to start a five-game homestand on Tuesday. "We know we need points to even have a slight chance of making it," captain Henrik Sedin said. Vancouver traded veteran forwards Jannik Hansen and Alexandre Burrows before the March 1 NHL Trade Deadline for a prospect, a draft pick and Goldobin, who scored in his Canucks debut on Saturday. "It would be easy for them to get deflated and they've never done that," coach Willie Desjardins said. "The positive is our attitude. The room still competes hard, they come out and believe they can find a way to win, even when they are down they think they can come back."
