The Vancouver Canucks (5-6) are set to embark on a three-game Central Division road trip, kicking off their journey with a matchup against the St. Louis Blues (3-6-1) at the Enterprise Center. The game is scheduled for a 5 p.m. PT puck drop and marks the second encounter between the two teams this season, following the Blues’ 5-2 victory in Vancouver on October 13.
Both teams will be dealing with significant roster challenges due to early-season injuries. The Canucks will miss two of their top three scorers, as Conor Garland joins captain Quinn Hughes on the injured list. Garland suffered an injury during the second period of Tuesday’s 2-0 defeat to the New York Rangers, which marked the first time the Canucks have been shut out this season. Interestingly, four of the last five times the Canucks have failed to score were at home.
In a move to bolster their roster, the Canucks recalled winger Mackenzie MacEachern from Abbotsford. The 31-year-old has netted two goals in seven AHL games this season and has previous NHL experience, having played 123 regular-season games with St. Louis and making eight playoff appearances with Carolina last year.
With Garland (11 points) and Hughes (7 points) unavailable, Elias Pettersson stands as the only Canucks player boasting more than six points. He currently has 3 goals and 5 assists through 11 games. Injuries have sidelined nine of the team’s 28 goals scored this season, and seven of the 12 forwards taking the ice tonight have yet to find the back of the net.
Amid these challenges, Kiefer Sherwood, who scored both of Vancouver’s goals during their previous match against the Blues, will step into a top-six role, joining Lukas Reichel and Evander Kane. The Canucks are also tweaking their defensive pairings, with Pettersson expected to play alongside Filip Hronek, while rookies Tom Willander and P-O Joseph will partner with Marcus Pettersson and Tyler Myers, respectively. Kevin Lankinen is set to start in goal, as announced by Sportsnet’s Dan Murphy.
On the opposing side, the Blues are currently struggling, having lost five consecutive games and six of their last seven. They have allowed a staggering 24 goals in their last four outings and a total of 35 goals over the past seven games. Their recent form included a 5-2 loss at home against Detroit. Key players Jake Neighbours, who had a strong start with six goals in eight games, and Robert Thomas will be unavailable tonight due to injuries, putting additional pressure on the team’s offensive efforts. Jordan Kyrou is the standout among the healthy players, sitting at four goals and four assists, maintaining an eight-game point streak.
In their recent history, the Blues have dominated the matchup against the Canucks, holding a 10-2-1 record in the last 13 meetings. Remarkably, three of the last five games have been decided in overtime victories for St. Louis, highlighting the competitive nature of these encounters.
As both teams prepare for what promises to be an intense game, fans can look forward to full postgame coverage from Rink Wide Vancouver, ensuring that all the implications of this match are thoroughly analyzed and discussed.