The high-scoring Canucks need to get back to their defensive staples, starting Thursday against Minnesota.
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Minnesota Wild (9-10-4) vs. Vancouver Canucks (16-9-1)
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When and where: Thursday, 7 p.m., Rogers Arena
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TV: Sportsnet. Radio: Sportsnet 650
The buzz: The Canucks went 9-6 over their gruelling November schedule. December is just as gruelling, with 11 games before Christmas. The Canucks got another day off Wednesday to recuperate, perhaps a little surprising after how they lost 6-5 to the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday. They fought back hard, but blown coverage in their own end led to three goals. It’s one thing to lose because you’re tired, it’s another to lose because of unforced errors. The Canucks were playing disciplined hockey in their own end to start the season, but that’s been slipping lately.
• The other question is can Rick Tocchet uncork Andrei Kuzmenko. The crafty Russian is in a slump. He has just four goals. And his coach says he’s not working hard enough.
Canucks Report
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But the odds seem against coach giving up on player.
“You’re not going to lose a guy who wants to get better,” he told Postmedia’s Ben Kuzma earlier this week.
Kuzmenko skated on the fourth line in Thursday’s morning skate, a grab-bag trio of Kuzmenko, Phil Di Giuseppe and Nils Åman.
“Work, work, work,” was the message he’d heard about how he can get his game back on track and back in his coach’s good graces.
He didn’t say he’s lacking in confidence, either.
“It doesn’t matter who plays with me. I have to stay positive. Just keep going.”
• Rick Tocchet pointed to Kuzmenko’s energy on the forecheck.
“If he’s F1, he’s gotta be F1,” he said.
Too often, the coach said, Kuzmenko has been first into the zone but last to the puck.
“It makes the other guys on your line play slower,” he explained.
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• Casey DeSmith has never lost to the Wild. He’s starting tonight.
The history: This is the first meeting of the season for the two teams. Minnesota, under old coach Dean Evason, beat the Canucks in all three meetings last year, though only the last game, a 2-1 win for the Wild at Rogers Arena on March 2, had Rick Tocchet behind the Canucks’ bench.
The hope: The Wild have won four straight games under new coach John Hynes. The coach’s bounce is going to wear off at some point. Maybe this is the night? The Canucks’ offence remains red-hot and Minnesota gives up a lot of goals.
The fear: The Canucks’ recent defensive struggles don’t prove to be temporary, rather, they become a permanent issue.
The top guns: Brock Boeser is on a five-game point streak; he has five goals over that stretch and is the NHL’s leading goal-scorer. His centre, J.T. Miller, has 39 points and is second in the NHL in scoring. Andrei Kuzmenko was benched, again, by Tocchet last game. Mats Zuccarello leads the way for the Wild with 27 points in 23 games; Joel Eriksson has 12 goals.
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The wounded: Canucks: Pius Suter (lower body, IR day-to-day), Carson Soucy (leg, LTIR) and Guillaume Brisebois (concussion, LTIR). Wild: Zach Bogosian (upper body, day-to-day).
The quote: “I’m tired of answering questions about him … Kuzy’s got to, he’s got to forecheck. Let’s start with that.” — Tocchet on a certain Russian winger.
The lineup:
Forwards
Mikheyev-Pettersson-Lafferty
Höglander-Miller-Boeser
Joshua-Blueger-Garland
Kuzmenko-Åman-Di Giuseppe
Defence
Hughes-Hronek
Cole-Juulsen
Zadorov-Myers
Goalie
Casey DeSmith
The prediction: The Canucks are still scoring. Their defence isn’t that hard to fix. Minnesota still isn’t perfect. Look for a 4-3 Canucks’ win.
(FAN FORUM: Do you have a specific question for a player? Pass it along to @provincesports and we’ll get it in a future edition.)
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2023-12-07 19:52:30Z
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