Vancouver Canucks vs Toronto Maple Leafs: Preview, Lineups

After a miserable effort against the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday Night, the Vancouver Canucks will look to get back on track when they host the surging Toronto Maple Leafs

Well, that two-game winning streak was fun for the Vancouver Canucks. Reality hit them hard on Thursday with a 3-1 loss to the Anaheim Ducks. The sad thing? The score suggests the game was a lot closer than it actually was.

Once again, the Canucks are struggling to find any consistency in their game. Ryan Miller and Jacob Markstrom can’t seem to string consecutive solid outings, the defence isn’t doing enough and the offence only scores when it feels like it. That seems to be every third game.

Now, they’ll finish the season series against the Toronto Maple Leafs – a team who has taken five out of the last six meetings against the Canucks. Need we remind you what happened last time they faced off?

Toronto Maple Leafs

OVERVIEW:

2016-17 Record: 10-9-4

Away Record: 2-6-2

2015-16 Record vs. Canucks: 2-0-0

Goals For: 70

Goals Against: 74

Power Play: 19.1% (12th)

Penalty Kill: 84.9% (8th)

Leading Scorers: James van Riemsdyk ( 23 GP -–10 G – 9– A – 19– PTS), Mitch Marner ( 23 GP -7– G -12– A -19– PTS), Auston Matthews (23 GP -10– G -8– A 18– PTS).

Injuries: Joffrey Lupul (abdomen, indefinitely,) Josh Leivo (lower body, day-to-day,) Stephane Robidas (knee, day-to-day.)

WHO’’S ON OFFENCE:

Auston Matthews: What else is there to say about the first-overall pick? Matthews is a flashy goal-scorer and has kept the Leafs in the playoff picture.

James van Riemsdyk: The veteran leads this young team in scoring. JVR is a huge reason the Leafs aren’t in the basement of the East that many of us expected them to be.

WHO’’S ON DEFENCE:

Morgan Rielly: The B.C. boy continues to mature more in every game. Side note: I met him before and he’s a really cool guy.

WHO’’S IN NET:

Frederik Andersen: If he had more consistent defence in front of him, Andersen would be in the running for the Vezina. No joke.

PROJECTED LINEUP:

James van Riemsdyk — Tyler Bozak — Mitch Marner
Zach Hyman — Auston Matthews — Connor Brown
Leo Komarov — Nazem Kadri — Nikita Soshnikov
Matt Martin — William Nylander — Ben Smith

Morgan Rielly –— Nikita Zaitsev
Jake Gardiner –— Connor Carrick
Matt Hunwick –Roman Polak

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

Frederik Andersen
Jhonas Enroth

Vancouver Canucks

OVERVIEW:

2016-17 Record: 10-12-2

Home Record: 7-5-1

2015-16 Record vs. Maple Leafs: 0-2-0

Goals For: 55

Goals Against: 73

Power Play: 14.3% 24th)

Penalty Kill: 85.95 (4th)

Leading Scorers: Bo Horvat (24 GP – 8– G – 8– A – 16– PTS), Henrik Sedin ( 24 GP – 6 – G  – 9– A – 15– PTS), Daniel Sedin (24 GP – 6 G – 8 A – 14 PTS)

Injuries: Alexander Edler (broken finger, four-to-six weeks), Derek Dorsett (shoulder, day to day), Chris Tanev (foot, indefinitely), Jannik Hansen (fractured rib, four-to-six weeks).

WHO’’S ON OFFENCE:

Bo Horvat: Though he was held off the scoresheet on Thursday, he was far-and-away the team’s best forward. Horvat’s emerging as the team’s top forward.

Brandon Sutter: He’s the Canucks best player at both ends of the ice. He’s just two points behind Henrik for second in scoring.

WHO’’S ON DEFENCE:

Ben Hutton: This guy continues to defy expectations. With Alex Edler and Chris Tanev out, he’s enjoyed every bit of being a top-pairing d-man.

WHO’’S IN NET:

Jacob Markstom: Can this guy please just be the full-time starter now?

Next: Canucks Are Better Than We Thought

PROJECTED LINEUP:

Daniel Sedin — Henrik Sedin — Brandon Sutter
Markus Granlund — Michael Chaput — Loui Eriksson
Alexandre Burrows — Bo Horvat— — Jayson Megna
Jack Skille — Brendan Gaunce — Joseph LaBate

Luca Sbisa — Troy Stecher
Ben Hutton — Erik Gudbranson
Nikita Tryamkin — Philip Larsen

Ryan Miller
Jacob Markstrom