The Canucks hit Toronto on Saturday but will manage to avoid much of the big-city media glare because it’s the second of back-to-back games.
Vancouver Canucks vs. Toronto Maple Leafs
When: Saturday, 4 p.m., Scotiabank Arena
TV: Hockey Night in Canada. Radio: Sportsnet 650
The buzz: The Canucks competed hard Wednesday in Washington. They faced the Hurricanes on Saturday in Raleigh. They’re going to be tired hitting Toronto, but at least this time around they avoid the parade of national media they usually face when they play the Leafs. Good thing, since it’s national insiders who have mostly been driving the big-divide bus. On the ice, of course, the Canucks’ really haven’t been hunky-dory. They were winless in three games before Friday. They still hold a playoff spot, but it’s tenuous. They need to get back in the winning column.
The history: These two teams haven’t met this season, but the Canucks won at home in Vancouver last January, 6-4. Toronto had won five straight before losing Thursday to the Hurricanes.
The hope: Playing the second night of back to backs as the Canucks are is always hard, especially when there’s a late-night, two-hour flight in between. But so often it looks like teams get jazzed by challenges like this.
The fear: Well, the opposite. The Canucks are going to be tired. The Leafs have an elite top end. That could be a deadly combination.
The lineup:
Boeser-Miller-Lekkerimäki
DeBrusk-Pettersson-Garland
Heinen-Suter-Sherwood
Höglander-Blueger-DiGiuseppe
Hughes-Myers
Soucy-Juulsen
Forbort-Desharnais
Demko
The prediction: The tired Canucks will skate hard against the Leafs. Call it a 3-2 OT win for Vancouver as their best players outskate Toronto’s despite the fatigue.