Vancouver Canucks Week #16 Outlook, Predictions: Bo vs. East

@ New York Islanders (24-15-5) Sunday, January 17th

Leading scorer: Kyle Okposo (11 goals, 33 points)

Keys to the game

1. Ride Horvat to a W
2. Start hot and physical
3. Thin out the defence

The New York Islanders are going to be a formidable foe, sitting ninth in the league standings.

But we have Bo. Horvat’s performance last game against the Carolina Hurricanes showed that he is playing with confidence and his scoring instincts are kicking in. His goals weren’t much from his chemistry with Sven Baertschi, but individual efforts that were superb.

But even Horvat will find the Islanders tough at home. The Islanders boast a home record of 15-7-2, good for fifth in the league. And that is why the Canucks will need to start the game at their best. Take the home team out of the game early, and Vancouver stands a good chance. With Luca Sbisa set to return, you can be that the Canucks will follow Sbisa’s spirited physical game against the Islanders.

They will need to stay physical. The Islanders lead the league in hits and hits per game, at 31.9 hits per game. That is two hits more per game than the second team on the list, the Philadelphia Flyers.

But with that in mind, also notice that top defencemen Travis Hamonic and Johnny Boychuk are out with injuries. You play with fire, you die by fire. If the Islanders play with hits, the Canucks are going to have to play with hits. Make them pay and wear down their defencemen.

Our Predictions

David Joun:

I will take the Canucks in a see-saw match. I also think that the score could be a lot worse if Vancouver’s netminder does not play a stellar game. It’s an early one, folks!

Sarah Laug:

Our new writer makes her first appearance on The Canuck Way with predictions for the upcoming week. Let’s hope she’s got this one right!

Janik Beichler:

Next: at New York Rangers