Canucks Gameday Preview #33: Will Vancouver’s Offence Find A Spark Versus The Streaking Sens

The Vancouver Canucks (16-10-6) return from their mini two-game road trip to take on the streaking Ottawa Senators (17-13-2). This will be the second matchup of the season between these two, with Vancouver defeating Ottawa 4-3 back in November. In no way will this be an easy game for the Canucks, as the Senators are one of the hottest teams in the NHL and are currently on a five-game winning streak.

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If Vancouver wants to send their home fans happy, they need to sort out their power play. While the power play did score against the Utah Hockey Club, it has been very inconsistent and has had trouble setting up in the offensive zone. It will also be interesting if Rick Tocchet elects to split up Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller as he has the last three games, and if so, which player plays on which units.

Players To Watch:

Conor Garland:

Conor Garland has arguably been the Canucks most consistent forward this season. He is on pace to set a new career-high and is playing over 20 minutes on a consistent basis. That being said, he has struggled to put up points recently and is currently on a five-game pointless streak. If Garland can get on the scoresheet, it will go a long way in helping Vancouver sweep the season series.

Brady Tkachuk:

Brady Tkachuk had a memorable game the last time these two teams met. He scored a goal, fought Dakota Joshua and was ejected from the game in the third period. The Senators captain is always a pain to play against and will no doubt be a handful on Saturday night.

Top 5 Scoring Leaders (Goals, Assists, Points):

Vancouver Canucks (16-10-6):

Quinn Hughes: 7-30-37
Elias Pettersson: 8-18-26
Conor Garland: 8-17-25
Jake DeBrusk: 14-9-23
Brock Boeser (25 Games): 8-11-19

Ottawa Senators (17-13-2):

Tim Stützle: 11-27-38
Brady Tkachuk: 16-17-33
Drake Batherson: 13-20-33
Josh Norris: 12-8-20
Claude Giroux: 7-13-20

Game Information:

Start Time: 7:00 pm PT
Venue: Rogers Arena
Television: Sportsnet
Radio: Sportsnet 650