Gameday preview: Canucks vs Stars (November 7th)

The Vancouver Canucks are looking to get back into the win column as the Dallas Stars visit Rogers Arena on Sunday evening.

The Canucks are coming off a 3-2 home loss to the Nashville Predators. It was a game where special teams really hurt them.

The Stars last played on November 4 in Calgary. The beat the Flames 4-3 in overtime as Jamie Benn scored the winner. That snapped a four-game losing streak for the Stars. They head into Vancouver with a 4-4-2 record and are fifth in the Central Division. The Stars are the only team in the NHL without a regulation win this season.

The Canucks are tied with the Seattle Kraken for last in the Pacific Division with nine points. They have a 4-6-1 record and only have two regulation wins in 11 games.

The Canucks held practice on Sunday morning and here is how head coach Travis Green had them lined up.

Luke Schenn wasn’t at the morning skate and it looks like he is dealing with a knee issue per Rick Dhaliwal of Donnie and Dhali-The Team

After going zero for five on the power play against the Predators, Green once again switched up the power play units.  Quinn Hughes and Bo Horvat are back on the first unit. Conor Garland and Oliver Ekman-Larsson are back on the second unit.

Alex Chiasson has been taken off the power play (and is an extra as seen above. It looks like he could be a healthy scratch.) and more notably, rookie Vasily Podkolzin is on the second unit in the bumper spot.

It also looks like Thatcher Demko will once again start in goal.

“It’s no secret our special teams have been struggling and that’s been the difference in basically this entire home stand,” said Horvat after the morning skate.

“It’s pressing times, but we’re not pressing,” said J.T. Miller per Thomas Drance of The Athletic.

Jason Dickinson will face his former team for the first time since being traded to Vancouver in the offseason.  Braden Holtby will also be making his return to Vancouver after being bought out in the offseason.

However, it looks like Anton Khudobin will get the start.

It is also Hockey Fights Cancer night for the Canucks in support of the Terry Fox Foundation.

Players to watch

Stars-Miro Heiskanen: The 22-year-old defencemen leads Dallas in scoring with two goals and eight assists in ten games.

Canucks- Thatcher Demko: Demko has brought his “A” game every game and has bailed out the Canucks with big saves. He is fifth in the NHL with 266 saves this season.

Puck drop is at 7:00 PM. You can watch the game on Sportsnet Pacific or listen to it on Sportsnet 650.