Gameday Preview: Vancouver Canucks vs. Detroit Red Wings (March 17th)

Can the Vancouver Canucks get some Irish luck at Rogers Arena?

After doubling up on the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday night, the team will be continue their homestand against Dylan Larkin and the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday night.

The Canucks have been quite successful over the past few months, sporting an impressive record of 22-9-5 since bringing in head coach Bruce Boudreau in early December. However, despite their big climb in the standings, the Canucks are still on the outside looking in when it comes to a playoff spot.

Entering Thursday’s game, the Canucks sit fifth in the Pacific Division, trailing the likes of Vegas and Edmonton. The team is also just one point out of the second and final wild card spot in the Western Conference, further emphasizing the necessity of securing a victory against Detroit.

The team took to the ice on Wednesday for a morning practice, giving fans and media a glimpse of which players would be suiting up for game five of their current seven game homestand.

To everyone’s disappointment, the Canucks once again practiced without Elias Pettersson, who still appears to be dealing with his upper-body injury. The young centre had been on a roll prior to the injury, notching 12 goals and 13 assists in 22 games dating back to January 22nd, but was unable to play against Tampa Bay and New Jersey earlier in the week.

Vancouver also received some more bad news halfway through the practice, with sophomore Nils Höglander also leaving the ice with an apparent lower-body injury.

Fortunately, it sounds like both Swedes could still return to the line-up on Thursday.

If both Höglander and Pettersson do end up in the press box, expect Nic Petan and Sheldon Rempal to slot in as replacements.

Petan made his Canuck debut on Tuesday night, logging just over eight minutes on a line with Alex Chiasson and Vasily Podkolzin, while Rempal and teammate Noah Juulsen were recalled from the Abbotsford earlier today.

If Pettersson does end up missing his third consecutive game, the team will once again need to rely on J.T. Miller and Bo Horvat to carry the offence up the middle.

Miller has been spectacular since the All-Star Break, registering eight goals and 19 assists during his active 13-game point streak. Horvat hasn’t been as consistent as his teammate, but has definitely come up clutch as of late, recording 11 points in his last six contests, including a three-point performance on Tuesday.

As expected, Thatcher Demko will be between the pipes, looking for his 28th win of the season.

In addition to celebrating St. Patrick’s Day, the team will also be welcoming back blueliner Troy Stecher.

Stecher was originally signed by the Canucks as a college free agent back in 2016. The Richmond native went on to play 286 games with Vancouver between 2016 and 2022, registering 75 points over that span, but was plucked by Detroit during free agency.

Stecher is currently in the last season of his two-year, $3.4 million contract, but could very well be on the move again before Monday’s trade deadline.

Vancouver will be looking to split the season series against Detroit after falling to them by a score of 3-1 back in October.

Puck drop is set for 7:00pm PST from Rogers Arena.

What are your thoughts heading into Thursday night’s match-up against Detroit? Let us know in the comments!