|
Vancouver Canucks Game Day: April 4 at Winnipeg Jets, It's Baertschi Time |
|
|
|
|
|
Saturday April 4 - Vancouver Canucks at Winnipeg Jets - 12:00 noon - Sportsnet Pacific, TSN1040
Vancouver Canucks: 45-28-5, 95 points, second in Pacific Division
Winnipeg Jets: 39-26-12, 90 points, fifth in Central Division
It's complicated, but the Vancouver Canucks have the opportunity to clinch their playoff spot today if the cards fall just right. Here's the situation:
Even if the Canucks get the win, we'll have to wait till the end of the day to find out if they're in for sure. Calgary visits Edmonton tonight, while the Kings host Colorado. Both games start at 7:00 and are televised nationally.
Vancouver is 2-0 against Winnipeg so far this season, but the Jets are now a desperate team. Dustin Byfuglien is on the sidelines starting his four-game suspension and Winnipeg's riding a two-game losing streak after losses to Chicago and the New York Rangers earlier in the week.
Jay Harrison will draw in on the Winnipeg blue line in place of Big Buff. Expect to see Ondrej Pavelec get the nod in goal.
For the first time this season against Vancouver, the Jets will be a rested team. Both games in Vancouver came on the tail end of back-to-backs but this week, Winnipeg hasn't played since the night of the Byfuglien incident, on Tuesday. But while they've been idle, the Los Angeles Kings have stolen their playoff spot. Both teams have 90 points but L.A. wins the tiebreaker at the moment thanks to an edge in regulation/overtime wins: 36 to 32.
A loss for the Canucks today would help the Jets, and a three-point game would be ideal, but I'd like to see Vancouver take care of business so we can all start making our playoff plans.
It'll be Eddie Lack between the pipes for Vancouver once again today—his seventh straight start. If you think that's a big number, consider that Devan Dubnyk has started something like 36 straight games for the Minnesota Wild, dating all the way back to the All-Star break.
We heard from Ryan Miller for the first time on Friday when he rejoined the team at practice after suffering a sprained knee just under six weeks ago.
Miller feared the worst when he first was injured:
Of greater interest today, the question is whether left wing Sven Baertschi will slot into the lineup and if so, where. Baertschi was called up on Friday from the Utica Comets and practiced in Ronalds Kenins' spot on the Bo Horvat line—which I don't really like calling the fourth line anymore.
Though the energetic group has been a big asset for the Canucks down the stretch, they've struggled a bit in recent weeks. Horvat, who turns 20 tomorrow, is pointless in his last seven games, a minus-six, and won only 30.77 percent of his face offs against Chicago on Thursday night. Jannik Hansen has one goal in his last 10 games and is a minus-four over that stretch, and Ronalds Kenins hasn't has a point in his last nine games. He's only minus-two, because he tends to be replaced by Derek Dorsett for better defensive coverage in tight late-game situations, but his early offensive prowess has disappeared. Kenins hasn't scored since Feb. 14 and hasn't had a shot on goal in four of Vancouver's last nine games.
I like Kenins' play as much as anybody, and his banging style is well-suited against the "heavy" Jets, but I'm also keen to see what Baertschi the sniper will bring to the table.
There's no definite word yet about how Baertschi will be deployed, but he sounds pretty pumped for his fresh start in the NHL.
Imagine this guy's personal motivation if the Canucks do get to play Calgary in the first round??
We'll find out soon enough how Willie plans to use him and whether he can provide a late-season spark to what I believe is now the NHL's "Most Swiss" team. It's not all about Sweden anymore.
Enjoy the game!
Vancouver Canucks Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»