VANCOUVER vs TORONTO
When: 2/6/2021 7:00 PM
Where:

TV: 7:08 PM
LINE: 0
PREDICTION: TORONTO , VANCOUVER

Oddsmakers currently have Toronto listed as 185-moneyline favorites versus Vancouver, while the game’s total is sitting at 6.5.

The visiting Vancouver Canucks, who looked like a tired team playing a rested one on Thursday night in a 7-3 loss at the Toronto Maple Leafs, hope a day off makes a difference Saturday night as the three-game series continues.

The Canucks did not make a lot of mistakes, but they did not have the puck often as Jason Spezza notched his eighth career hat trick and Auston Matthews added two goals for the Maple Leafs.

“It definitely wasn’t our decision making,” Canucks coach Travis Green said. “I thought we looked like a tired team playing against a fast team.”

The Canucks were playing their fourth game in six days and lost for the third straight time. The Maple Leafs were coming off a four-day layoff.

“We were a rested team playing against a very tired team that has had a very tough schedule,” Toronto coach Sheldon Keefe said. “So frankly speaking, I expected us to be really good and make it hard on Vancouver. The challenge, of course here now, is to regroup and do it again.”

The Maple Leafs have defeated every team in the North Division this season and have eight wins.

“We’ve seen everybody, but I think the greatest challenge throughout this whole schedule is to beat the same team back-to-back,” Keefe said. “In this case, we play Vancouver again (Saturday and Monday). We get the edge here, they regroup and we’ll have to get better. This year, the other team won’t feel good about (losing) the first game. So it’s important for us not to take our foot off the gas.”

The Canucks have two games left on a six-game trip that started last Saturday with a win over the Winnipeg Jets and continued with losses to the Montreal Canadiens on Monday and Tuesday.

“I’m not going to sugar-coat it, we weren’t good enough,” said Canucks captain Bo Horvat, who scored a goal on Thursday. “We need to come to play Saturday night. It’s not our goaltender’s fault. We’re giving up too many grade-A opportunities. We’ve got a lot of guys in the room who’ve played a lot of important hockey and know what it takes to win.”

The Canucks will have to contend with Matthews, who has scored in five straight games for a total of six goals, and Mitchell Marner, who has points in six straight games (two goals, eight assists) after getting a goal and two assists on Thursday.

The game on Thursday was the first for the Maple Leafs after taking seven of a possible eight points on an Alberta road trip. Toronto won twice at Calgary, then split a pair of games at Edmonton with an overtime loss.

Keefe promoted Wayne Simmonds to the second line with John Tavares and William Nylander. Tavares scored his 350th NHL goal on Thursday.

Nic Petan played his first game in nearly 11 months Thursday after his promotion from the taxi squad and had an assist.

“There will come a time where we have to settle on the people we think are our absolute best lineup,” Keefe said. “We don’t think we’re quite there yet.”

The Maple Leafs will be without defenseman Travis Dermott, who left the game in the first period Thursday with an injured left leg.

“It looks like it’s pretty minor,” Keefe said. “It’s just a charley horse.”

Mikko Lehtonen will replace Dermott on Saturday.

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VANCOUVER vs MONTREAL
When: 2/1/2021 7:00 PM
Where:

TV: 7:00 PM
LINE: 0
PREDICTION: MONTREAL , VANCOUVER

Oddsmakers currently have the VANCOUVER listed as 140-moneyline favorites versus the MONTREAL, while the game’s total is sitting at 6.

Winners of four straight games, the Vancouver Canucks look to extend their streak against the last team to defeat them when the Canucks visit the Montreal Canadiens on Monday.

This is already the fourth meeting of the year between the two teams, with Montreal posting a 2-0-1 record over the first three games. After the Canucks collected a 6-5 shootout victory on January 20, the Canadiens dominated the next two games, outscoring Vancouver by a 12-5 margin.

Those losses now look like an early turning point for the Canucks, who are a perfect 4-0-0 since last facing the Canadiens. Vancouver reeled off three straight wins over the Ottawa Senators and then recorded a 4-1 win over the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday.

Canucks coach Travis Green felt the victory over Winnipeg was his team’s best overall effort of the season, a “200-foot game” that saw Vancouver excel in all facets.

“I thought we were on top of our game, the type of game we want to play,” Green said. “It takes a lot of work, a lot of effort from our players to play the way we need to, to have success. It looked more like our team from last year.”

Vancouver has allowed only one goal in every game of the four-game win streak, outscoring opponents 20-4.

Montreal is looking to rebound from its first regulation loss of the season, a 2-0 shutout to the Calgary Flames on Saturday. The Canadiens outshot Calgary by a 37-33 margin but were thwarted by goalie Jacob Markstrom (37 saves) and 22 blocked shots from the Flames.

“We just weren’t able to put the puck in,” forward Brendan Gallagher said. “It comes down to outworking the goaltender. We all put those expectations on ourselves to put the puck in, and we just didn’t do it.”

The Habs were 0-for-5 on the power play against Calgary. It was just the second time in eight games this season that Montreal didn’t score at least one power-play goal.

Canadiens forward Josh Anderson is questionable for Monday after leaving Saturday’s game due to flu-like symptoms. Coach Claude Julien said Anderson tested negative for COVID-19 and will be tested again prior to Monday.

Jesperi Kotkaniemi also briefly left Saturday’s game after a hit from Calgary’s Dillon Dube, but Kotkaniemi returned to play in the third period. Kotkaniemi passed concussion protocols but could potentially be a question mark for Monday’s lineup.

The Canadiens and Canucks also play on Tuesday, leaving both teams likely to use both goalies during the back-to-back series.

Carey Price is Montreal’s probable starter in net for Monday. Backup Jake Allen got the start on Saturday and played well in the loss, stopping 31 of 32 shots.

Thatcher Demko will likely start for the Canucks on Monday, with Braden Holtby tentatively scheduled for Tuesday. The red-hot Demko is 3-0-0 with a .971 save percentage over his last three starts.

Vancouver has three players with 11 points in 11 games played this season — Brock Boeser (eight goals, three assists), Bo Horvat (five goals, six assists) and Quinn Hughes (one goal, 10 assists).

The Canadiens are 17-1-4 over their last 22 games against Vancouver dating to the 2009-10 season. The Canucks haven’t recorded a regulation victory in Montreal since Jan. 16, 2007.

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VANCOUVER vs WINNIPEG
When: 1/30/2021 10:00 PM
Where:

TV: 10:00 PM
LINE: 0
PREDICTION: WINNIPEG , VANCOUVER

Oddsmakers currently have the VANCOUVER listed as 115-moneyline favorites versus the WINNIPEG, while the game’s total is sitting at 6.5.

Since Andrew Copp joined the Winnipeg Jets’ second line with Paul Statsny and Nikolaj Ehlers, it has soared.

The trio has combined for 20 points over the past three games, including 10 in a 6-4 victory against the visiting Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday.

The Jets will continue their seven-game homestand Saturday against the Vancouver Canucks.

“I’m in no hurry to break that up because of the way Stastny’s line has played,” Jets coach Paul Maurice said. “The flip to put Andrew Copp on that (Stastny) line was to add some defensive stability to it and then it took off.”

Copp had a four-point game with two goals and two assists and has a five-game point streak, both career highs.

“I feel like I’ve expanded my game,” Copp said. “I haven’t tried to change it too much but I’ve tried to increase my offensive output, make a few more plays, be a little more crisp, and execute. It came to fruition (Tuesday).”

Ehlers also had a four-point night.

“Playing with Stas and Copper right now, they’re amazing players. They’re making it so much easier for me to use my speed,” said Ehlers, whose 11 points this season are among the league leaders.

“They’re in the right places all the time. They’re two fantastic players and we’re able to use our strengths as much as possible in helping each other out. We want to try and continue doing that, of course, and get better.”

The trio combined for three of Winnipeg’s four third-period goals Tuesday as the Jets rallied from a 3-2 deficit entering the final stanza.

“Stas is so consistent, he’s so smart, and he goes to the right areas all the time. Nik is doing that and using his speed and being dynamic too,” Copp said. “When we’ve got into the areas, we’ve gone to the net hard, we’ve put the puck in the net on our opportunities. We’ve been able to change some games for us.

“It builds confidence. Having some of the success we’ve had as a line, and I’ve had individually, it builds confidence. It reinforces that I’m doing the right things. It’s an ongoing process in an ongoing game. But it definitely builds confidence that I’m doing the right things to get better for game time.”

The Canucks are coming off a three-game sweep of Ottawa in which they outscored the visiting Senators 16-3.

Brock Boeser had two goals and an assist, Elias Pettersson added a goal and an assist and Quinn Hughes had two helpers for the Canucks in a 4-1 victory Thursday. Braden Holtby made 36 saves and also set up a goal.

The Canucks had lost five of their previous six games entering the series.

“The three games here were really big just to get things back on track before things really slide,” Hughes said. “I think our team has a high standard and everyone wants to win, so we can get down on each other fast, but we pick each other up and to win this series is a good step in the right direction.”

Added Boeser: “It was a three-game set that we needed to reset.”

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VANCOUVER CANUCKS vs COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS
When: 7:00 PM  ET, Tuesday, December 11, 2018
Where: Nationwide Arena, Columbus, Ohio

TV: 7:00 PM
LINE: 0
PREDICTION: COLUMBUS , VANCOUVER

Oddsmakers currently have the VANCOUVER listed as 180-moneyline favorites versus the COLUMBUS, while the game’s total is sitting at 6.

Elias Pettersson provided another highlight in his amazing rookie season last time out and the 20-year-old center looks to continue his latest scoring surge when the Vancouver Canucks visit the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday night. Pettersson became the sixth rookie in NHL history to record two five-point games in a season as he scored once and set up four others in Vancouver’s 6-1 victory at St. Louis on Sunday.

“I don’t really know what to answer,” Pettersson told reporters when asked about posting 30 points in his first 26 NHL games – eight in the past three. “I’m just trying to create chances and points will come when you play good. That’s all I’m thinking of.” Pettersson’s performance, which earned him NHL First Star of the Week on Monday, and Brock Boeser’s hat trick Sunday gave the Canucks two straight wins after a 1-10-2 stretch and they will test themselves against the Blue Jackets, who sit second in the Metropolitan despite losing three of their last four contests. Columbus lost 9-6 last Tuesday against Calgary before falling 4-0 to Washington on Saturday in its last two home games, and plays the next five at Nationwide Arena. “I don’t see us doing the things necessary to win hockey games at crucial times. …,” Blue Jackets captain Nick Foligno told reporters after Saturday’s setback. “. … We were flat in the first (period) and kind of got caught watching, and that’s unacceptable.”

TV: 7 p.m. ET, Sportsnet Pacific (Vancouver), FS Ohio (Columbus)

ABOUT THE CANUCKS (13-16-3): Boeser owns seven goals in his last seven games, sandwiched around a stint on injured reserve, and owns nine on the season to tie for third on the team. “It was nice,” Boeser told reporters after his second career hat trick Sunday. “Obviously, I’ve been battling through some injuries. I feel like I’ve been getting chances lately and our line has been playing solid hockey. It’s nice to get a few lucky bounces.” Boeser has been playing with Pettersson and newly-acquired Josh Leivo of late while Bo Horvat (28 points) centers another top line and boasts six points in his last five games.

ABOUT THE BLUE JACKETS (16-11-2): Right wing Cam Atkinson saw his 12-game point streak come to an end Saturday after scoring 13 times and setting up seven others during the run. Atkinson shares the team lead at 31 points with left wing Artemi Panarin, who recorded four of his team-best 24 assists in the past three contests, while center Pierre-Luc Dubois (25 points) has been kept off the scoresheet in three straight games. Defenseman Seth Jones is rounding into form after an early-season knee injury, registering seven points in his last six games to pull within two of 200 in his career.

OVERTIME

1. Columbus G Sergei Bobrovsky allowed 17 goals in his last four games and is 3-5-2 all-time against Vancouver.

2. Leivo has a goal, a plus-5 rating and eight shots on net in his first three games since coming over in a trade from Toronto.

3. The Canucks have earned at least a point in six straight meetings with the Blue Jackets (4-0-2).

PREDICTION: Blue Jackets 4, Canucks 3

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VANCOUVER CANUCKS vs MINNESOTA WILD
When: 8:00 PM  ET, Thursday, November 15, 2018
Where: Xcel Energy Center, Saint Paul, Minnesota

TV: 8:05 PM
LINE: 0
PREDICTION: MINNESOTA , VANCOUVER

Oddsmakers currently have the VANCOUVER listed as 230-moneyline favorites versus the MINNESOTA, while the game’s total is sitting at 5.5.

The Minnesota Wild try returning to the form that saw them go 10-2-0 after a 1-2-2 start when they host the road-weary Vancouver Canucks on Thursday. Minnesota suffered its eighth straight loss to Washington, 5-2 on Tuesday in the opener of a three-game homestand, with Wild coach Bruce Boudreau telling reporters: “(We) weren’t as good as (we) were for the last 12 games. … We just weren’t sharp. … Some guys were not as good as I expected them to be.”

Minnesota (5-1-2 at Xcel Energy Center), which was the last team to lose in regulation at home, welcomes a Vancouver club that has struggled through the Eastern Conference portion of its second six-game road trip of 2018-19. The Canucks are coming off a 5-2 loss against the New York Islanders on Tuesday, falling to 1-2-2 on the trek with their third straight setback. “It’s been a grind a little bit, but it’s not an excuse,” Vancouver coach Travis Green told reporters. “In the NHL nowadays, you’ve got to be able to win on the road. We get home in a few days. We’ve got one more game and we’re going to finish this trip off with a win.” The Canucks have won four of the last five meetings with the Wild, including a 5-2 victory Oct. 29 in Vancouver with rookie sensation Elias Pettersson scoring a pair of goals and Jacob Markstrom stopping 37 shots.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, Sportsnet Pacific (Vancouver), FS North (Minnesota)

ABOUT THE CANUCKS (10-8-2): Pettersson (club-most 10 goals), who is tied for the team lead in points (17) with Bo Horvat (nine goals), has been kept off the scoresheet for the last three games. Loui Eriksson has scored all four of his goals this season in November and also owns four of his eight assists in those six games. Markstrom (7-5-2, 3.28 goals-against average, .896 save percentage) is in line to make his 10th straight start although backup Richard Bachman might make his first appearance this season with Markstrom playing back-to-back nights Monday and Tuesday.

ABOUT THE WILD (11-5-2): Mikael Granlund (team highs of 10 goals, 18 points) had his three-game goal streak snapped Tuesday. Zach Parise (seven goals, 16 points) scored his 340th career goal Sunday against St. Louis to tie Dave Christian for the most in NHL history among Minnesota-born players. Devan Dubnyk (8-4-2, 2.34, .927) allowed more than three goals Tuesday for only the fourth time this season.

OVERTIME

1. The Wild boasts the No. 4 penalty-killing unit in the NHL at 85.7 percent after going 8-for-9 in the last five games.

2. Vancouver RW Brock Boeser (four goals, 11 points in 13 games), the 2018 Calder Trophy runner-up, has missed the last five games as he continues to recover from a groin injury.

3. Minnesota is 5-2-1 versus the Pacific Division this season while the Canucks are 3-1-0 against the Central.

PREDICTION: Wild 3, Canucks 2

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VANCOUVER CANUCKS vs NY RANGERS
When: 7:00 PM  ET, Monday, November 12, 2018
Where: Madison Square Garden, New York, New York

TV: 7:05 PM
LINE: 0
PREDICTION: NY RANGERS , VANCOUVER

Oddsmakers currently have the VANCOUVER listed as 110-moneyline favorites versus the NY RANGERS, while the game’s total is sitting at 6.

The New York Rangers and Vancouver Canucks ventured into shootouts in their last outing to push their respective point streaks to six games heading into Monday’s matchup at Madison Square Garden. The Rangers improved to 5-0-1 on their run with a 5-4 victory at Columbus on Saturday while the visiting Canucks are 4-0-2 after seeing a late two-goal lead in the third period go by the boards in a 4-3 setback at Buffalo.

New York’s Jimmy Vesey, who had two goals in two games versus Vancouver last season, posted his second multi-point performance in four outings after registering an assist before scoring the game-tying goal against the Blue Jackets. The 25-year-old Vesey, who also netted the winner in the fifth round of the shootout, has six points (three goals, three assists) in his last five games. While the Rangers improved to 4-0 in shootouts, the Canucks enter Monday’s tilt with their tail between their legs after allowing a pair of goals 40 seconds apart late in the third period. “That’s not good when you’re up 3-1 with under five to go, you need to close it out. It’s as simple as that,” said Vancouver defenseman Erik Gudbranson, who scored early in the third period to push his career-high point streak to five games (two goals, four assists).

TV: 7 p.m. ET, Sportsnet Pacific (Vancouver), MSG (New York)

ABOUT THE CANUCKS (10-6-2): Loui Eriksson is riding a four-game point streak after scoring and setting up a goal against the Sabres while flashy rookie Elias Pettersson has seven points (three goals, four assists) in his last four. Jake Virtanen also scored a goal for the second straight contest for the Canucks, who will need to rid the sour taste in their mouths before squaring up with the Rangers. “A lot of the guys are playing well. We’re playing some good hockey,” fellow forward Bo Horvat told reporters. “It’s unfortunate to give up that point. I thought we had a pretty solid game for 55 minutes; it’s just a matter of closing it out.”

ABOUT THE RANGERS (8-7-2): Mika Zibanejad scored against Columbus to extend his point streak to four games (two goals, three assists) and give him 14 of his team-leading 15 points in the last 13 contests. Fellow forward Pavel Buchnevich collected a goal and an assist versus the Blue Jackets to push his point streak to three games, during which he has two of each. Chris Kreider netted his club-best eighth goal Saturday and Kevin Hayes set up a pair of tallies to push his assist streak to a career high-tying three games.

OVERTIME

1. Vancouver G Jacob Markstrom owns a 3-1-1 career mark in six encounters versus New York despite sporting a 3.59 goals-against average and .881 save percentage.

2. Rangers G Henrik Lundqvist’s 436 wins are one shy of tying Hall of Famer Jacques Plante for seventh place on the NHL’s all-time wins list.

3. New York owns a 9-2-1 mark in its last 12 contests versus Vancouver.

PREDICTION: Rangers 3, Canucks 2

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VANCOUVER CANUCKS vs BOSTON BRUINS
When: 7:00 PM  ET, Thursday, November 8, 2018
Where: TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts

TV: 7:05 PM
LINE: 0
PREDICTION: BOSTON , VANCOUVER

Oddsmakers currently have the VANCOUVER listed as 205-moneyline favorites versus the BOSTON, while the game’s total is sitting at 5.5.

The Boston Bruins remain, for the most part, a one-line team and that’s something that coach Bruce Cassidy expects to change when his club continues a four-game homestand against the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday night. Boston ended a two-game slide with a 2-1 overtime win over Dallas on Monday night but has produced only five goals in the past four games.

David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand each scored on the power play Monday, giving Boston’s No. 1 unit 22 of the team’s 37 goals, but Cassidy saw signs of offense coming from other lines. “Three posts, a goal we scored that … got waved off,” noted Cassidy. “It’s coming. That’s the way I look at it and usually it takes a game or two before the floodgates open.” The Canucks opened their six-game road trip with a 3-2 shootout loss at Detroit after squandering a two-goal lead but they extended their point streak to four games (3-0-1). Vancouver edged the visiting Bruins 2-1 in overtime on Oct. 20 despite the absence of rookie sensation Elias Pettersson, who has made history in his first season.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, Sportsnet Pacific (Vancouver), NESN (Boston)

ABOUT THE CANUCKS (9-6-1): Pettersson sat out the first matchup due to a concussion that sidelined him for six contests, but he scored against Detroit to become the fifth player in league history to notch 10 goals in his first 10 career games. The 2017 No. 5 overall pick had a five-point game in Friday’s 7-6 win over Colorado to give him 16 points — most among league rookies. “There’s some guys that you can tell are wired for success, and I feel like he is,” Canucks coach Travis Green said. “He talks like he is, and he’s been very humble still and not getting too far ahead of himself.”

ABOUT THE BRUINS (8-4-2): Tuukka Rask allowed four goals in his last three starts after a rocky beginning to the season, but he understands why Cassidy is giving the nod to backup netminder Jaroslav Halak against Vancouver. Halak has earned the confidence of the team by posting league-leading marks in goals-against average (1.45) and save percentage (.952). “The schedule hasn’t been crazy and Jaro has played unbelievable, that’s how it goes,” Rask said. “If you’re a hot goalie like that then you’ve got to let him play, I totally get it, it hasn’t affected me mentally really that much.”

OVERTIME

1. Pastrnak had an NHL-best 12 goals in 14 games through Tuesday’s action.

2. Canucks F Brock Boeser missed Tuesday’s game due to a groin injury and is day-to-day.

3. Boston ranks fifth in the league on the power play, converting 13 of 44 chances (29.5 percent).

PREDICTION: Bruins 4, Canucks 2

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VANCOUVER CANUCKS vs DETROIT RED WINGS
When: 7:30 PM  ET, Tuesday, November 6, 2018
Where: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, Michigan

TV: 7:35 PM
LINE: 0
PREDICTION: DETROIT , VANCOUVER

Oddsmakers currently have the VANCOUVER listed as -115-moneyline favorites versus the DETROIT, while the game’s total is sitting at 6.

The Sedin twins were the face of the Canucks franchise for 18 seasons before retiring but starstruck Vancouver fans aren’t seeing double anymore thanks to 19-year-old rookie Elias Pettersson. The fifth overall pick in the 2017 draft hopes to continue his fast start – nine goals in nine games – when the Canucks kick off their second six-game road trip of the season Tuesday against the Detroit Red Wings.

Pettersson, who like Henrik and Daniel Sedin hails from Sweden, became the youngest Vancouver player to record five points in a game when he had two goals and three assists in Friday’s 7-6 overtime victory over Colorado. “We knew he was supposed to be a pretty good player. And he’s been all of that,” Canucks coach Travis Green told reporters about the 6-2, 165-pound Pettersson, who was named the NHL’s Second Star of the Week on Monday and has 15 points despite missing six games with a concussion. Pettersson needed only 23 shots to become the 16th player in NHL history with at least nine goals in his first nine games and only the sixth after the league’s inaugural season. Detroit is coming off a 4-3 loss to Edmonton on Saturday that snapped a three-game winning streak after a 1-7-2 start.

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, Sportsnet Pacific (Vancouver), FS Detroit

ABOUT THE CANUCKS (9-6-0): Brock Boeser, a Calder Trophy finalist after scoring 29 goals in 62 games last season, had two goals and two assists Friday and owns four goals along with 11 points in 2018-19 while skating on a line with Pettersson. Defenseman Christopher Tanev (minus-4, 21:27 ice time per game) has missed the last five contests with a hip bone bruise but made the trip and could play Tuesday. Jacob Markstrom (6-3-0, 3.27 goals-against average, .899 save percentage) has allowed five or more goals in four games this season, winning for the first time in such contests Friday, and a total of nine in the other five contests.

ABOUT THE RED WINGS (4-8-2): Dylan Larkin leads the team with six goals and 15 points after scoring twice and recording six assists during a four-game point streak. The Red Wings are thin up front as Frans Nielsen and Andreas Athanasiou missed their third straight games Saturday with undisclosed injuries while Thomas Vanek (lower body) has been out for two contests. Tyler Bertuzzi (five goals) has scored in three of his last four games while 11 of Gustav Nyquist’s 12 points are assists.

OVERTIME

1. Pettersson set a Vancouver record for points in a regular-season game by a rookie Saturday and eclipsed the previous mark for youngest to score five points in franchise history set by 20-year-old Trevor Linden in the 1990-91 season.

2. Detroit D Jonathan Ericsson, who missed the first seven games of the season with an upper-body injury, did not play Saturday (undisclosed).

3. The Red Wings have won three of the last four meetings with the road team winning the past three encounters.

PREDICTION: Canucks 3, Red Wings 2

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COLORADO AVALANCHE vs VANCOUVER CANUCKS
When: 10:00 PM  ET, Friday, November 2, 2018
Where: Rogers Arena, Vancouver, British Columbia

TV: 10:05 PM
LINE: 0
PREDICTION: VANCOUVER , COLORADO

Oddsmakers currently have the COLORADO listed as -120-moneyline favorites versus the VANCOUVER, while the game’s total is sitting at 6.

The Vancouver Canucks hope to conclude their four-game homestand with a third straight victory when they host the Colorado Avalanche on Friday. Vancouver, which will embark on a six-game road trip following the contest, were blanked by Pittsburgh in the opener of its string at Rogers Arena before defeating Minnesota and Chicago.

Jake Virtanen is heating up for the Canucks as he has scored three goals in his last two games, including two Wednesday for his first career multi-tally performance in the 4-2 victory over the Blackhawks. The 22-year-old right wing is halfway toward matching his career high in goals as he has recorded five in 14 games after registering 10 in 75 contests last season. Colorado looks to salvage the finale of its three-game road trip after self-destructing in Thursday’s 6-5 loss at Calgary. The Avalanche, who began the trek Saturday with a one-goal setback in Minnesota, carried a 4-1 lead into the third period but surrendered five consecutive tallies en route to the defeat.

TV: 10 p.m. ET, NHL Network; Altitude (Colorado), Sportsnet Pacific (Vancouver)

ABOUT THE AVALANCHE (7-4-2): Colorado was staked to a 2-0 lead Thursday by a pair of youngsters as Vladislav Kamenev and Sheldon Dries each scored his first career goal. The 22-year-old Kamenev set up a tally versus the Wild for his first point in 12 NHL contests while the 24-year-old Dries, who also notched an assist against the Flames, made his league debut in the season opener and appeared in three additional games without recording a point before being sent to the American Hockey League’s Colorado Eagles. Colin Wilson joined Dries on Thursday with a goal and an assist after being kept off the scoresheet in eight consecutive contests.

ABOUT THE CANUCKS (8-6-0): Brendan Gaunce made an impact in his season debut Wednesday, scoring what proved to be the game-winning goal while also notching an assist. The 24-year-old center, who was the 26th overall pick in the 2012 draft, registered five tallies and seven assists in his first 114 NHL contests. Elias Pettersson, a 19-year-old Swedish center who was drafted fifth overall in 2017, was named the NHL’s Rookie of the Month for October after collecting seven goals and three assists in eight games.

OVERTIME

1. Canucks RW Brock Boeser is off to a slow start with two goals after netting 29 last season, but both have been game-winners.

2. Colorado RW Mikko Rantanen, who leads the league with 21 points, was named the NHL’s First Star of the Month for October after notching five goals and 16 assists in 12 contests.

3. Vancouver recalled Jalen Chatfield from Utica of the AHL and assigned fellow D Guillaume Brisebois to the Comets.

PREDICTION: Canucks 3, Avalanche 2

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PITTSBURGH PINGUINS vs VANCOUVER CANUCKS
When: 10:00 PM  ET, Wednesday, October 31, 2018
Where: Rogers Arena, Vancouver, British Columbia

TV: 10:05 PM
LINE:
PREDICTION: VANCOUVER , PITTSBURGH

Oddsmakers currently have the VANCOUVER listed as -247 moneyline favorites versus thePITTSBURGH, while the game’s total is sitting at 5.5.

Elias Pettersson has established himself as an extremely early favorite for the Calder Trophy with the season’s first month coming to a close, and for good reason. With an NHL rookie-best total in goals (seven) and points (10) despite missing six games due to a concussion, Pettersson aims to continue his torrid streak on Wednesday as the Vancouver Canucks host the Chicago Blackhawks.

Pettersson, who is the 21st player in NHL history to score at least seven goals in his first seven contests, tallied in both the second and third period of Monday’s 5-2 win over Minnesota. “He’s got a really good mind for the game, his details are sharp,” Canucks coach Travis Green told reporters of the 19-year-old Swede, who was the fifth overall pick of the 2017 NHL Draft. While Vancouver snapped a two-game skid to improve to 1-1-0 on its four-game homestand, Chicago has dropped a pair of contests heading into the opener of a three-game trek through the Pacific Northwest. Patrick Kane extended his point streak to six games for the Blackhawks with an assist on defenseman Brent Seabrook’s 5-on-3 goal in the first period of Sunday’s 2-1 overtime loss against Edmonton.

TV: 10 p.m. ET, NHL Network, WGN (Chicago), Sportsnet, Sportsnet One, Sportsnet360 (Vancouver)

ABOUT THE BLACKHAWKS (6-3-3): Corey Crawford allowed one goal in three successive starts before getting gashed for six on Saturday in a 7-3 setback at St. Louis. The two-time Stanley Cup winner missed all three contests versus Vancouver last season due to a concussion which had effects that lingered for nearly 10 months, and he is not interested in talking about that anymore. “Is there a point?” Crawford asked Tuesday, via the Chicago Sun-Times. “It’s done. It’s over. It’s almost a year ago. It’s way, way past now, and I don’t really care, to be honest.”

ABOUT THE CANUCKS (7-6-0): Forward Brandon Sutter is expected to miss four-to-six weeks with a separated shoulder sustained during the second period of Monday’s game versus the Wild. While Green elected against getting into specifics and said that Sutter’s recovery time would not be days but “more like weeks,” Vancouver recalled forwards Darren Archibald and Brendan Gaunce from Utica of the American Hockey League. Archibald scored a goal in Thursday’s tilt versus Arizona in his lone Canucks appearance this season and is expected to contribute on the penalty kill.

OVERTIME

1. Chicago C Marcus Kruger (team-leading 14 penalty minutes) did not skate with any of the four lines during Tuesday’s practice and is likely to be a scratch versus Vancouver.

2. The Canucks outscored the Blackhawks 14-6 en route to winning all three games last season.

3. Kane, who has collected six goals and four assists during his point streak, has failed to dent the scoresheet on just one occasion in 12 games this season.

PREDICTION: Canucks 4, Blackhawks 2

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