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.
#Canucks lineup as shown in initial drills at morning skate Sunday:
— Thomas Drance (@ThomasDrance) November 7, 2021
Pearson-Horvat-Höglander
Lotto
Garland-Dickinson-Podkolzin
Bailey-Lammikko-Dowling
Extra: Petan, Chiasson
OEL-Myers
Hughes-Poolman
Hunt-Hamonic/Burroughs pic.twitter.com/Wjh5hCanT9
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
Hearing knee issue for Schenn.
— Rick Dhaliwal (@DhaliwalSports) November 7, 2021
Could be possibly couple of weeks.
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.
#Canucks have switched up their PP units again after the Nashville debacle.
— Thomas Drance (@ThomasDrance) November 7, 2021
PP1:
🥅
Boeser
Miller-Horvat-Pettersson
Hughes
PP2:
🥅
Pearson
Garland-Podkolzin-Höglander
OEL
It also looks like Thatcher Demko will once again start in goal.
#Canucks have switched up their PP units again after the Nashville debacle.
— Thomas Drance (@ThomasDrance) November 7, 2021
PP1:
🥅
Boeser
Miller-Horvat-Pettersson
Hughes
PP2:
🥅
Pearson
Garland-Podkolzin-Höglander
OEL
“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.
Looks like Anton Khudobin gets consecutive starts for first time this season, so no matchup between Braden Holtby and Thatcher Demko, who credits his Canucks crease partner last season for being a huge help off ice and between the ears
— Kevin Woodley (@KevinisInGoal) November 7, 2021
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.