Who: Vancouver Canucks (4-2-0, 8 points, 3rd place Pacific Division) @ Pittsburgh Penguins (4-2-0, 8 points, 3rd place Metropolitan Division)
When: 7:00 p.m. ET
How to Watch: Locally broadcast on SN-PIT
and SNP, streaming on ESPN+
Pens’ Path Ahead: The Penguins are back on the road later this week for a Thursday matchup with the defending champion Florida Panthers (minus a few key injured players including Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk) in Sunrise. The team comes back home this weekend for a Saturday night game against the Columbus Blue Jackets followed by a Monday night matchup with the St. Louis Blues.
Opponent Track: The Canucks are four games into a road trip in which they are so far undefeated. Vancouver began the road trip with a 5-3 win over the Dallas Stars, followed by a 3-2 shootout victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. Most recently the Canucks staved off a late comeback push by the Washington Capitals to claim a 4-3 win (thanks to a game-winner from former Penguin Teddy Blueger) during a Sunday night matchup in D.C.
Season Series: These two teams will meet again in November on Jan. 25. Last season the Pens and Canucks split the season series with one win for each home team.
Hidden Stat: Quinn Hughes has recorded the hardest shot of any Canucks player this season by clocking in at more than 95 miles per hour, per NHL Edge. (Parker Wotherspoon meanwhile leads the Pens’ hardest shot race after hitting 90.12 miles per hour on an attempt).
Getting to know the Canucks
Projected lines (prediction from The Hockey News’ Adam Kierszenblat)
FORWARDS
Jake DeBrusk – Elias Pettersson – Conor Garland
Evander Kane – Max Sasson – Brock Boeser
Drew O’Connor – Aatu Raty – Kiefer Sherwood
Arshdeep Bains – Nils Aman – Linus Karlsson
DEFENSEMEN
Quinn Hughes – Filip Hronek
Marcus Pettersson – Tyler Myers
Pierre-Olivier Joseph – Elias Nils Pettersson
Goalies: Thatcher Demko, Kevin Lankinen
Potential scratches: Teddy Blueger
Injured reserve: Derek Forbort, Guillaume Brisebois, Filip Chytil, Jonathan Lekkerimaki
LTIR: Nils Hollander
- The Canucks took a major hit to their top-six forward depth Monday when second-line center Filip Chytil and linemate Jonathan Lekkerimaki were both placed on injured reserve. (Chytil, who has a history of concussions, suffered his injury on an open-ice hit from longtime Penguins foe Tom Wilson during Monday’s win over the Caps. Lekkerimaki was injured during a separate collision with Capitals defenseman Matt Roy).
- Vancouver will also take a hit to the blue line after moving Victor Mancini back to the AHL. The 23-year-old blueliner had recently been getting a look at skating on the Canucks’ top pairing alongside Quinn Hughes, and he dropped the gloves Sunday night against Caps winger Brandon Duhaime. (His trip to the minors is a salary cap move, per Kierszenblat).
- Brock Boeser was a late scratch against the Washington Capitals due to what the team described as personal reasons. He could return to the lineup Tuesday, general manager Patrick Allvin told reporters Monday (h/t Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre).
- Former Penguin Teddy Blueger is meanwhile “doubtful” to play tonight in his usual role centering the third line alongside former Penguin Drew O’Connor, according to Allvin.
- This leaves the Canucks with a few major question marks heading into a matchup that could test the team’s depth. In corresponding moves on Monday, Vancouver called up a few AHLers in forwards Joseph LaBate and Nils Aman and defenseman Tom Willander.
- In other injury news, the Canucks placed forward Nils Hoglander on LTIR Monday (retroactive to Oct. 7). Hoglander has skated 12 minutes per night for Vancouver for of the last two seasons, but he’s been sidelined since undergoing lower-body surgery in September.
- Speaking of checking in on former Penguins, Kierszenblat predicts P.O. Joseph will draw into the lineup to make his season debut tonight for the Canucks. Joseph started the season on injured reserve but was activated late last week. Marcus Pettersson has meanwhile averaged almost 20 minutes per game as a second-pairing option so far this season.
And now for the Pens
Projected lines (from Monday’s practice)
FORWARDS
Rickard Rakell – Sidney Crosby – Bryan Rust
Anthony Mantha – Evgeni Malkin – Justin Brazeau
Tommy Novak – Ben Kindel – Filip Hallander
Connor Dewar – Blake Lizotte – Noel Acciari / Philip Tomasino
DEFENSEMEN
Parker Wotherspoon / Erik Karlsson
Ryan Shea / Kris Letang
Caleb Jones / Harrison Brunicke
Goalies: Arturs Silovs, Tristan Jarry
Potential Scratches: Philip Tomasino, Connor Clifton, Mathew Dumba
IR: Kevin Hayes (upper body), Jack St. Ivany (lower body), Rutger McGroarty (upper body), Joel Blomqvist (lower body)
- Rutger McGroarty was spotted working out on the ice ahead of Monday’s practice before watching practice out of uniform (h/t Shelly Anderson and Seth Rorabaugh). Head coach Dan Muse said Monday that the Pens’ injured players remain “status quo.”
- Arturs Silovs could face his former team for the first time since he was traded to Pittsburgh if he gets the nod tonight. Silovs made 18 appearances (19 starts) over three seasons with the Canucks before he was moved in July.
