Vancouver Canucks at Colorado Avalanche: TV, Radio, News, Predictions

The Vancouver Canucks are right back in action Saturday after dropping a 2-1 decision against the Dallas Stars on Friday night.

For the sixth time this season, the Vancouver Canucks will play on consecutive nights.

So far, this Canucks season has gone through three phases. First, we started with an unexpected four-game winning streak.

Second, we entered a nine-game losing streak, during which the team plummeted to the bottom in most team statistics.

Since that streak ended, the team has alternated wins and losses like clockwork. They are 4-3-1 since losing their ninth straight on Nov. 7.

A team that wins 50% of their games is at least palatable to watch. But going .500 for the rest of the year puts them on pace for 79 points. Which means they are stuck in no-man’s-land: not close to the playoffs, but not close to a draft lottery win either.

If the record doesn’t change, we can only assume the personnel will.

Here are your last-minute need-to-knows:

Vancouver Canucks at Colorado Avalanche – 7 PM PST

Pepsi Center — Denver, Colorado
TV: CBC, SN, ALT
Radio: TSN1040
Online Streaming: Rogers GameCentre LIVE, NHL.TV (Free Game!)

Canucks Record: 8-11-2 (6th in Pacific Division, 28th in NHL)
Avalanche Record:  9-10-0 (7th in Central Division, 27th in NHL)

Gameday Notes:

Lineup News:

More from The Canuck Way

• Which team won the Bo Horvat trade?
• What to expect from newcomers Anthony Beauvillier, Aatu Räty
• Back to the future: How the skate uniforms became a regular Canucks’ feature night
• Canucks kick off 2023 with disappointing 6-2 loss to Islanders
• 2nd period penalty trouble sinks Canucks in 4-2 loss against Winnipeg

The Canucks have kept Alex Biega with the NHL club since the start of the year, for two reasons.

First, he requires waivers to be assigned to the AHL. And second, they might have needed to play him in order to meet games-played threshold for a expansion-draft defenseman.

For now, they’ve found ways around both. Waivers aren’t required for a conditioning assignment, and Luca Sbisa is fast approaching the minimum number of games played. AFter tonight, Sbisa only needs seven more games to reach 70 games played in the last two seasons.

It’s unclear what Vancouver will do with Biega the rest of the year. With Chris Tanev returning soon and Troy Stecher and Nikita Tryamkin playing well, there are too many defensemen and too few roster spots. Something has to give.

No surprise here. Jacob Markstrom has looked iffy in his last two starts. With Ryan Miller playing well since returning from the flu, Marky will try to keep pace with a win tonight.

Related Story: Canucks at Avalanche: Preview, Lineups

Alexandre Grenier has joined the team after being recalled yesterday. It seems like half of the Utica Comets roster is currently skating with the Canucks, doesn’t it?

Sven Baertschi was close to playing last night, but was rested because of a sore foot after blocking a shot against Arizona. Whether he can play tonight is still an open question.

Predictions

Jeff Godley:

Gerald Morton: 

Alex Hoegler: 

Next: Stecher Making a Significant Impact

Janik Beichler: