Vancouver Canucks Outlook Predictions Week #27: Complete

vs. Los Angeles Kings (46-27-5) Monday, April 4th

Leading scorer: Anze Kopitar (25 goals, 70 points)

Keys to the game:

1. Take away the points
2. Physical all the way
3. Rolling three lines

Looking to win three in a row for the first time this season, the Canucks are faced with a Los Angeles Kings team that is looking to catch the Anaheim Ducks for the division title. Here is the projected lineup.

To win this game, the Canucks are going to have to take away the points. Not just blocking shots but not allowing space to shoot and get pucks into the danger zone in the first place. These Kings are so strong on the boards and when they get rebounds, they just feed it back to the boards, then to the points, over and over again.

Disrupt the points and you might get a few breaks going your way. Secondly, the Canucks have got to be physical. The Kings are simply a big team. Funny how we all forgot about Milan Lucic wanting to sign in Vancouver (like five months ago). He is a King and he will bring some unwanted presence to Vancouver’s back line.

Read: Prospects Playoffs Watch #4

Look, you have Nikita Tryamkin. You have Andrey Pedan. You get Derek Dorsett on the second line and Virtanen is back from the suspension. Etem will look to continue his ways after the goal in Anaheim. You have the ingredients for a physical matchup, then do it.

Lastly, can we just roll three lines, please? The team played great in Anaheim doing that. Do you really want Dorsett and Etem playing with Bo Horvat? REALLY?

Predictions

Janik

Jeff

Sarah

Me

Next: AWAY @ Calgary