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Alex Edler returns; Canucks look to go into holiday break on a winning note |
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Monday December 23 - Vancouver Canucks vs. Edmonton Oilers - 7 p.m. - Sportsnet Pacific, Sportsnet West, Sportsnet 650
Vancouver Canucks: 37 GP, 18-15-4, 40 pts, fifth in Pacific Division
Edmonton Oilers: 39 GP, 20-15-4, 44 pts, third in Pacific Division
After he was injured during the first game of the Vancouver Canucks' back-to-back games against Edmonton at the end of last month, Alex Edler will return to the lineup as the Canucks look to head into the Christmas break on a three-game winning streak with a victory over those same Oilers.
The Canucks went 5-5-0 while Edler was out of the lineup, a record that has been boosted dramatically by the team's recent wins over Vegas and Pittsburgh. They haven't won three-straight games since that early-season four-game winning streak that kicked off with the home-opener against L.A. and ran from October 9-17.
With the strong play of Oscar Fantenberg during Edler's absence, I'm not surprised to hear that Jordie Benn will get the scratch.
Fantenberg picked up his first power-play point in a Vancouver uniform on Saturday, when he fired the point shot that J.T. Miller tipped for what turned out to be the first-period game-winning goal.
I wrote the game story for the Canadian Press again on Saturday. If you missed it, here's that recap:
Though the Canucks got shelled by Pittsburgh in the second period on Saturday — outshot 20-6 — the outcome never seemed like it was in jeopardy. As J.T. Miller said, you can't play a first period much better than not allowing a single shot on goal, and Jacob Markstrom stood tall once he was called upon in the final 40 minutes. When Pittsburgh did get on the board late in the second, Elias Pettersson responded almost immediately with a gritty goal, then he and Brock Boeser combined for the insurance marker in the third that sealed the victory.
Remember how high the pressure was around the team just a week ago, after those road losses in San Jose and Vegas? Everybody was smiling and breathing so much easier after Saturday's game.
Last season, the Canucks went into the Christmas break one game below .500 at 17-18-4, following a 1-0 loss to Winnipeg. No matter what happens tonight, they'll be in a better spot — but every point remains crucial. Despite their wins, they remain stuck in 10th place in the Western Conference, three points behind Calgary in the second wild-card. The Flames wrap up their pre-Christmas schedule with an afternoon road game on Monday against the Wild — who sit just one point behind Vancouver with 39 points.
Jacob Markstrom will make his eighth straight start for the Canucks. Thatcher Demko practiced again on Monday and might return to the bench as backup.
As for the Oilers, they're coming off a 4-3 win over Montreal on Saturday but are just 2-5-1 over their last eight games and haven't strung together back-to-back wins in a month, since Nov. 23 and 24. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl continue to lead the NHL points race with 61 and 60 points, respectively and have opened up a bit of a lead over third-place Nathan MacKinnon (53 points), but they continue to do almost all the heavy lifting, offensively. They've scored 43 of Edmonton's 113 goals this season, 38 percent — although McDavid snapped a four-game goalless drought with his 21st of the year against Montreal on Saturday and Draisaitl's 22nd of the year was his first in three games.
The Oilers are going with the same lineup that got them the win against the Habs on Saturday — where their bottom six played a significant role.
Mikko Koskinen will get his fifth start in Edmonton's last six games. He has gradually taken over the Oilers' net, and is now 13-6-2 for the season with a .918 save percentage and 2.64 goals-against average. He made his first appearance of the year against Vancouver in Edmonton's 3-2 win at Rogers Arena on December 1.
Monday's game will be the fourth and final meeting of the year between the Canucks and Oilers. Edmonton leads the season series 2-1.
And if you're looking for some pre-game reading, I'd love it if you checked out my new Forbes story, which went up this morning. Last week, I had the privilege of visiting the home of Cammi Granato and her husband Ray Ferraro and getting an inside look into Cammi's life as the NHL's first-ever female pro scout.
If you're in the Vancouver area, enjoy the December sunshine. And enjoy the game!
Vancouver Canucks Blogger • 
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