Vancouver Canucks at Los Angeles Kings: Preview, Lineups, Insights
The Vancouver Canucks are hoping to go 5-0-0 with a win against the Los Angeles Kings to set a new franchise record.
Tonight in Los Angeles, the Vancouver Canucks are looking to improve their record to 5-0-0, which would be a new franchise record. The last time the club started 4-0-0 was in the 1992-93 season, when the Canucks lineup starred legends like Kirk McLean, Pavel Bure, Cliff Ronning, Trevor Linden, Petr Nedved, Dave Babych and Gino Odjik.
This time, it is a similar mix of veterans and youngsters, with the Sedin twins leading a group that features young stars like Bo Horvat and Ben Hutton. Can they start better than the 1992-93 squad?
Los Angeles Kings
OVERVIEW:
2016-17 Record: 4-1-1
Home Record: 2-0-1
2015-16 Record vs. Canucks: 3-2-0
Goals For: 10
Goals Against: 15
Power Play: 14.3% (20th)
Penalty Kill: 76.9% (20th)
WHO’S ON OFFENCE:
Tanner Pearson: Pearson was suspended for the first two games of the season but returned in dominant fashion. After two multi-point nights, the 24-year-old winger sits at three goals and one assist for four points.
Anze Kopitar: Kopitar, the 2016 Lady Byng and Selke Trophy winner, is one of the league’s best centres, both offensively and defensively. So far, he has put up a goal and three assists in four games, and he’ll be looking to get back on the score sheet after a pointless night in Dallas.
WHO’S ON DEFENCE:
Drew Doughty: The 2016 Norris Trophy winner, Doughty is one of the best defencemen in the game. Getting scoring chances against him is an extremely tough task, and he is also dangerous offensively, having recorded 14 goals and 51 points in 2015-16.
WHO’S IN NET:
Jeff Zatkoff: With a 4.38 goals-against average and a .839 save percentage through three games, Zatkoff cannot be called a consistent NHL starter. However, he is currently the No. 1 on the depth chart. Peter Budaj is the alternative — he got the win in Dallas, but surrendered three goals on 20 shots in the process.
PROJECTED LINEUP:
Dwight King — Anze Kopitar — Tyler Toffoli
Tanner Pearson — Jeff Carter — Devin Setoguchi
Dustin Brown — Nic Dowd — Andy Andreoff
Kyle Clifford — Nick Shore — Trevor Lewis
Brayden McNabb — Drew Doughty
Jake Muzzin — Alec Martinez
Derek Forbort — Tom Gilbert
Jeff Zatkoff
Peter Budaj
Vancouver Canucks
OVERVIEW:
2016-17 Record: 4-0-0
Away Record: 0-0-0
2015-16 Record vs. Kings: 2-2-1
Goals For: 10
Goals Against: 6
Power Play: 6.7% (29th)
Penalty Kill: 91.7% (9th)
WHO’S ON OFFENCE:
Brandon Sutter: Sutter missed all but 20 games of the 2015-16 season and returned to the lineup with a splash. He scored in the shootout and in overtime, respectively, to win the first two games of the season. After four games, he totals four points.
Jake Virtanen: There was a big summer debate over whether Virtanen should start the year in the NHL or AHL. The Canucks opted to keep him in Vancouver, but benched him after two games. If he doesn’t establish himself in the lineup soon, he might find himself in the AHL as soon as Rodin returns.
WHO’S ON DEFENCE:
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Alex Edler: Edler leads the team in shifts per game (30) and time on ice (24:54). His D-partner Chris Tanev ranks second in both categories, but records more than four fewer minutes of ice time per game. Still, there are fans who say Edler was the team’s weakest blue-liner so far.
Philip Larsen: Larsen was brought in to quarterback the power play and create scoring chances from the blue line. So far, the Canucks rank 29th in power-play percentage and things aren’t quite working out the way they were supposed to. This is an area for improvement.
WHO’S IN NET:
Ryan Miller: After feeling tightness in his groin, Miller sat out for one game but returned to the bench for the match-up against the Buffalo Sabres. He is expected to start either tonight or on Sunday. If he isn’t ready yet, Jacob Markstrom will be happy to get another start early in the season.
Next: Jacob Markstrom Has Turned His Career Around
PROJECTED LINEUP:
Daniel Sedin — Henrik Sedin — Sven Baertschi
Markus Granlund — Brandon Sutter — Jannik Hansen
Loui Eriksson — Bo Horvat — Jake Virtanen
Alex Burrows — Brendan Gaunce — Derek Dorsett
Alex Edler — Chris Tanev
Ben Hutton — Erik Gudbranson
Luca Sbisa — Philip Larsen
Ryan Miller
Jacob Markstrom