The Vancouver Canucks look to get again within the profitable column Saturday towards the stumbling Seattle Kraken. Andrei Kuzmenko is anticipated to return.
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Seattle Kraken (6-8-4) vs. Vancouver Canucks (12-4-1)
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When/the place: Saturday, 7 p.m., Rogers Area
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TV: Hockey Evening In Canada. Radio: Sportsnet 650
The thrill: Is that this the 12 months that the Salish Collection lastly kicks off? The Kraken had been final 12 months’s shock playoff performers. However they’ve struggled to defend in addition to they did final 12 months and are off to a stumbling begin. The Canucks, after all, are one of many tales of the season thus far. There’s a lot on the road by way of the Canucks additional securing their playoff place — or giving life to the Kraken’s pursuit of such a spot.
The historical past: The Canucks helped open Local weather Pledge Area for the Kraken’s inaugural home-opener in 2021. In all, these two groups have confronted one another eight instances over the previous two seasons: the Canucks have gained six instances.
Canucks Report
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The hope: Andrei Kuzmenko is about to return Saturday after lacking Thursday’s recreation due to a puck he took to the chin on Wednesday. The Canucks would like to see him return and burst out of the gates; he solely has three objectives this season and hasn’t scored since Nov. 2 in San Jose. You’d suppose he’s due.
The concern: The Canucks are struggling to attain five-on-five; if their particular groups begin to run dry, it will likely be troublesome to win even with the stellar efforts of goalie Thatcher Demko.
The highest weapons: As of Friday, J.T. Miller, Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes had been nonetheless in a three-way tie for first in NHL scoring. Jaden Schwartz is off to a advantageous begin for Seattle, with eight objectives and 7 assists via 18 video games. Vince Dunn is off to a exceptional begin with 16 factors from the blue-line.
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The wounded: Canucks: Andrei Kuzmenko (face, day-to-day), Pius Suter (undisclosed, day-to-day), Carson Soucy (leg, week-to-week) and Guillaume Brisebois (concussion, LTIR). Kraken: Andre Burakovsky (higher physique, IR).
The quote: “They don’t get scored on as a result of they’re by no means of their finish.” — Sportsnet commentator Ray Ferraro on why the Quinn Hughes-Filip Hronek defence pairing has confirmed so dominant.
The lineup:
Forwards
Mikheyev-Pettersson-Kuzmenko
Di Giuseppe-Miller-Boeser
Joshua-Blueger-Garland
Beauvillier-Lafferty-Höglander
Defence
Hughes-Juulsen
Cole-Hronek
Friedman-Myers
The prediction: The Canucks have performed plenty of hockey recently — and so have the Kraken, who shall be taking part in their fourth recreation in six nights on Saturday. When two drained groups meet, it’s sensible to choose the house squad. Wager on the Canucks profitable 4-2.
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