The Vancouver Canucks (0-1-2) continue their four-game road trip with a visit to Sunrise to take on the reigning Stanley Cup Champions, the Florida Panthers (3-2-0). Last season, Vancouver swept the season series, which included a 5-3 win in Florida last October. The Amerant Bank Arena has been a tough place for the Canucks in the past, as they have only walked away with a victory twice since the 2015-16 season.
One of the biggest storylines for this game is that the Panthers will be missing both Matthew Tkachuk and Aleksander Barkov. As a team that is struggling to score, this is a massive break for Vancouver and one they need to take advantage of if they want to get their first win of the season. While it is early in the season, this can be viewed as a must-win game for the Canucks, as they can’t afford to drop four straight to start the year.
Players To Watch:
Elias Pettersson
Elias Pettersson needs to find a way to get going against Florida. He has become the most talked-about player in the marketplace after starting the season with just one secondary assist and is struggling to create any form of offence at even strength. With ten points in nine games against the Panthers in his career, this game presents a massive opportunity for Pettersson to bump the slump and round into form.
Sam Reinhart
Few players have had a better start to the season than Same Reinhart. The West Vancouver-born center already has eight points, which includes two shorthanded goals. A player who loves to play his hometown team with 16 points in 16 games, it is going to be a challenge to keep Reinhart off the board Thursday night.
Vancouver Canucks Projected Lineup:
Heinen-Miller-Boeser
DeBrusk-Pettersson-Sprong
Höglander-Suter-Garland
Bains-Blueger-Sherwood
Hughes-Hronek
Soucy-Myers
Forbort-Juulsen
Lankinen
Šilovs
Top 5 Scoring Leaders (Goals, Assists, Points):
Vancouver Canucks (0-1-2):
Brock Boeser: 2-1-3
Conor Garland: 2-1-2
J.T. Miller: 1-1-2
Nils Höglander: 1-1-2
Quinn Hughes: 0-2-0
Florida Panthers (3-2-0)
Sam Reinhart: 4-4-8
Sam Bennett: 3-2-5
Anton Lundell: 3-2-5
Evan Rodrigues: 1-2-3
Nate Schmidt: 1-1-2
Game Information:
Start Time: 4:00 PM PT
Venue: Amerant Bank Arena
Television: Sportsnet
Radio: Sportsnet 650