W-GDT: Nucks @ isles mar26/25 4:30 pst SN

[rats19]

Must win

4-3 nucks

[Cornuck]

Ratpower arrives just in time for our last, desperate shot.

[donlever]

As it is the Isles and all....

....two years ago had someone suggested the Canucks would be playing a key, late season game with none of Miller, EP or Horvat in their lineup....

....how many would have believed it.

[Megaterio Llamas]

It sounds like Demko will be back on the net tonight.

https://x.com/FarhanLaljiTSN/status/1904957458088673771

[5thhorseman]

Makes sense. He looked good last game apart from the first goal.

[JelloPuddingPop]

Hughes had a comment last game about how the team plays much more structured/focused in front of Demko too (In a Captain, "everyone is great on this team" type of way).

Can't seem to find the exact quote - but telling for sure.

Hopefully he brings out the best again. This is going to be a low-scoring, check em into the dirt type of game.

-1 Van, -4 NYI

Van wins on aggregate.

[Meds]

Isles are gonna be coming out pissed off at the way they lost their last game on a badly blown call by officials and Toronto. Roy's response in the post-game: If Toronto is afraid to overturn calls made by officials on the ice while monitoring games, then we don't need Toronto.

The boys will be in tough methinks.

11 games left, 5 points behind STL for the last WC spot but holding 2 games in hand. 1 point behind Calgary who are playing well and have a game in hand on the Canucks.

I think they have to nail down a 8-3 record from here out to get in. That would give them 94 points, pretty slim margin of error. With 4 games against the likes of Dallas, Winnipeg, and Vegas (x2) in the remaining stretch, I don't see them winning more than 7 games. Likely they will surprise us in one of those outings but they will certainly shit the bed at least once against Utah, San Jose, Anaheim, and Seattle.

[JelloPuddingPop]

Isles are gonna be coming out pissed off at the way they lost their last game on a badly blown call by officials and Toronto. Roy's response in the post-game: If Toronto is afraid to overturn calls made by officials on the ice while monitoring games, then we don't need Toronto.

The boys will be in tough methinks.

11 games left, 5 points behind STL for the last WC spot but holding 2 games in hand. 1 point behind Calgary who are playing well and have a game in hand on the Canucks.

I think they have to nail down a 8-3 record from here out to get in. That would give them 94 points, pretty slim margin of error. With 4 games against the likes of Dallas, Winnipeg, and Vegas (x2) in the remaining stretch, I don't see them winning more than 7 games. Likely they will surprise us in one of those outings but they will certainly shit the bed at least once against Utah, San Jose, Anaheim, and Seattle.

That's a very fair assessment - but one could also look at it with some rose colored glasses:

Think STL takes the 1st WC slot, VAN, MIN & CAL all battle for the 2nd WC spot.

Combined, those teams are 15-11-4. Not world-beating, CAL is certainly playing well - and own 6 of those 15 wins but all three could limp along and lower that bar to 93/92 Pts? A 7-4 (7-3-1) record might be doable. Losses to Dallas(OT), Winnipeg, and Vegas (x2) - win out the rest?

You're telling me there's a chance!

[donlever]

Why so eager (for my interests sake)?

To watch 4 or 5 more games on a general enjoyment basis?

To assess how players react to a more intense environment?

Or because we think once in there's a chance?

[rats19]

For me whilst all the above is in there…. It’s because I’m a fan… good or bad..

[Chef Boi RD]

That was a good trade Lou pulled off getting centre prospect Callum Ritchie for old man Brock Nelson. Also managed to squeeze out a conditional 1st in 2026 and a conditional 3rd in 2028. Ritchie was ranked 19th on Button's Top 50 NHL-affiliated prospects list back in November.

[JelloPuddingPop]

For me whilst all the above is in there…. It’s because I’m a fan… good or bad..

Perfect answer.

[Megaterio Llamas]

There's no media coverage of the team on the road anymore.

45 minutes until puck drop and no one has a lineup anywhere on twitter.

[5thhorseman]

The Cinderella story begins now!

[Cornuck]

Canucks projected lineup

Jake DeBrusk -- Pius Suter -- Brock Boeser
Jonathan Lekkerimaki -- Teddy Bleuger -- Conor Garland
Drew O'Connor -- Nils Aman -- Kiefer Sherwood
Dakota Joshua -- Aatu Raty -- Linus Karlsson

Quinn Hughes -- Tyler Myers
Marcus Pettersson -- Filip Hronek
Derek Forbort -- Elias Pettersson

Thatcher Demko
Kevin Lankinen

Scratched: Victor Mancini, Arturs Silovs
Injured: Filip Chytil (concussion), Noah Juulsen (lower body), Elias Pettersson (undisclosed), Nils Hoglander (undisclosed)