Welcome to the Most Important Game Of The Year, part 67. The Canucks have lost 4 straight, and another loss could potentially kill their hopes of making the post-season. Ok, let's cut to the chase here. This team has been absolutely baffling since the trade deadline. Maybe it's a letdown because GM Dave Nonis wasn't able to land that Top 6 forward. Maybe it's because Coach Alain Vigneault separated Markus Naslund and the Sedins. Either way, the Canucks need to go at least 10-6 the rest of the way in order to get enough points to make the playoffs. It's not easy, especially with the majority of those games against teams with a plus .500 record, and a good chunk against teams from their own division. As if that weren't enough, Mattias Ohlund has bone chips in his knee that will see him out the rest of the week for sure, and possibly the rest of the regular season. Once again, Luc Bourdon has been called up from Manitoba to fill in, and you can expect Byron Ritchie and Mason Raymond back in the lineup against Nashville. The Preds have won 2 straight, but the 2 previous games before that saw them get blown out 8-4 and 6-3 by Buffalo and Dallas. Their most recent win was a 5-1 romp over Edmonton, so expect a rested and confident Nashville team tonight at GM Place. They are now 2 points up on the Canucks and sitting above us in 8th, so do you really have to be told how important this game is?
I expect the Preds to start Dan Ellis tonight, who has won back to back starts and has played well against the Canucks this season, while Chris Mason is winless in 3 career starts against the Canucks. Roberto Luongo will be looking for a strong defensive effort tonight and a little puck luck, as he and the Canucks have been getting killed by bad bounce goals all season long. Shutting down Jason Arnott will be key for the Canucks, Arnott has 5 points against Vancouver this season and 9 points in his last 6 games. J.P. Dumont has also been hot lately, with 4 and 4 in his last six contests.
Primary scoring will be front and center as the Canucks need Markus, Henrik and Daniel to play like the stars they are. Ryan Shannon has been hot lately, and hopefully we will see more impressive play from the youngster. And yet in all this doom and gloom, some bright spots (yeah, you knew it was coming). Here's one for all your Canuck bashing friends: Ask them to name the only team in the NHL this season who haven't lost 3 straight in regulation? Yup.
I may do more live-blogging tonight, if I feel up to it. Been struggling with the ol' asthma lately (which is why there is no podcast today).
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