Canucks return to Rogers Arena for first home preseason game

The Canucks quest for a perfect preseason ended tragically on Tuesday night after a late San Jose game-tying goal followed by an OT winner. Noted Canuck killer, Kevin Labanc, supplied the overtime heroics for San Jose.

The Canucks look for their first preseason win tonight against the Edmonton Oilers.

Venue & Time: Rogers Arena, 7 pm

TV: Sportsnet One

Radio: TSN 1040

Lineup

#Canucks send Carter Bancks, Wacey Hamilton, Jordan Subban (!), and Ashton Sautner to Utica Comets

— Rob Williams (@RobTheHockeyGuy) September 28, 2016

The Canucks will ice a lineup a little more NHL-like than last night’s roster against the San Jose Sharks. We should also see Thatcher Demko at Rogers Arena at some point for the first time.

Here are the expected line combinations for tonight:

Skille	Zalewski		Rodin
Etem	Granlund		Dorsett
LaBate	Sutter		D’Aoust
Carcone	Megna		Burrows
Edler		Stetcher
Hutton		Gudbranson
Juolevi		Biega
Miller/Demko

Lumme Tell You Something

The preseason is a chance for those on the fringe to land an open roster spot and for NHL locks to ease into the regular season with some confidence. The Canucks received goals from Bo Horvat and Sven Baertschi, but the good news stopped there. Jake Virtanen injured his shoulder, the same one he had surgery on before he was drafted. For now, the extent of the injury is unknown.

Injuries. Poor Corsi. A blown lead late. A bad line change. An overtime loss to a Pacific Division rival. #Canucks hockey is truly back.

— Harrison Mooney (@HarrisonMooney) September 28, 2016

Canucks fans will get their first look at this year’s 1st round draft pick, Olli Juolevi. The London Knights pivot is smooth as silk and, honestly, is reason enough to make the trek to Rogers Arena to catch the game live. Juolevi is assumed to be heading back to junior, but could make the Canucks decision very difficult.

The Oilers had an interesting off season. The trade of Taylor Hall for defenceman Adam Larsson shocked many, including Hall himself! Hall has publicly admitted that he took the trade personally and that he holds bitterness towards the only NHL team he has played for. Add to that the recent comments by Ralph Krueger, current coach of Team Europe and ex-Oilers bench boss, regarding how the Oilers fired him and it becomes clear that the Oilers may not have won a lot of games over that last decade, but they are experts at pissing off their own. Despite the Oilers head scratching behaviour, they also have to be the luckiest franchise in NHL history. Landing a player like Connor McDavid can right a lot of past wrongs.

A firing by Skype reference from Ralph Krueger. Still can't believe that's how it went down. Especially for a guy this classy.

— Craig Custance (@CraigCustance) September 25, 2016

Prediction

The Canucks will ice a better lineup tonight than the one we heard about (no TV) in San Jose, but the Oilers are icing a legitimate lineup as well.

Four centres in Vanc: McDavid, Caggiula, Khaira, Sallinen. Maroon, Lucic, Eberle, Pouliot, Versteeg, Pitlick on wing. Reinhart on D

— Jim Matheson (@NHLbyMatty) September 28, 2016

Edmonton just has too much talent for tonight’s Canuck lineup to handle. The Oilers take this one 4-2.