The Vancouver Canucks (31-40-11) host the Calgary Flames (37-35-10) to open the 2018-19 National Hockey League season tonight at Rogers Arena.
This marks the beginning of the post Henrik and Daniel Sedin era. Elias Pettersson will make his NHL debut while last year’s leading scorer Brock Boeser will play in his first season-opener after sitting out the first two games last season as a healthy scratch. Pettersson said this morning that his parents arrived from Sweden last night to see his first NHL game. He also revealed they will follow the Canucks on their six-game road trip that starts Saturday in Calgary.
After a 29th place finish in the standings, the Canucks are looking to shore up a number of areas. Their play on home ice certainly leaves room for improvement after going 16-18-7 in front of the home fans last season.
There will be six changes among the team’s forwards from last year’s opener. The Sedins and Thomas Vanek skated on the top line that night while Sam Gagner, Derek Dorsett and Alex Burmistrov were also in uniform. They will be replaced by Boeser, Pettersson, Nikolay Goldobin, Brendan Leipsic, Tyler Motte, and Jay Beagle.
Free agent signing Tim Schaller will be a healthy scratch up front while Ben Hutton and Alex Biega look to be the odd men out on defense tonight. With Schaller, Hutton and the recently-demoted Sam Gagner not in the line-up tonight, the Canucks have $7.85 US million in the press box or in the minors.
Jake Virtanen returned to the ice for the morning skate after leaving practice yesterday with back spasms. Virtanen says he received treatment and expects to play tonight.
The team went 1-6 in the preseason scoring just 10 goals while surrendering 30. They scored five power play goals and gave up 5 while short-handed. Pettersson led the team in exhibition scoring with 1+5=6 followed by Bo Horvat with 2+3=5.
As a franchise, the Canucks are 25-17-5 all time on opening night and 25-16-6 in their home openers. Tonight marks the 11th time the Canucks have opened a schedule against Calgary (6-2-2). Last season, the Canucks beat Edmonton 3-2 on opening night.
The Flames begin a season of change after missing the playoffs last spring. Bill Peters replaces Glen Gulutzan behind the bench while the team has added James Neal and Derek Ryan as free agents, traded for Elias Linholm and Noah Hanafin and injected rookies Dillon Dube and Juuso Valimaki into the line-up.
This team, however, is still led by Sean Monahan (31 goals last season) and Johnny Gaudreau (60 assists and 84 points) while Matthew Tkachuk was third on the team in scoring posting 24+25=49 as a 20-year-old.
In goal, 36-year-old Mike Smith gets the start tonight for the Flames. He was 25-22-6 in 55 appearances last season with a 2.65 GAA and 91.6 save percentage.
The teams will meet again Saturday in the Flames home opener. In total, they will face off five times this season. These clubs finished their four game season series before Christmas last year and haven’t met since December 17th. Calgary won three of the four meetings last season including both games in Vancouver.
Canucks probable lines:
Baertschi-Horvat-Boeser
Goldobin-Pettersson-Eriksson
Motte-Sutter-Virtanen
Leipsic-Beagle-Granlund
Edler-Tanev
MDZ-Stecher
Pouliot-Gudbranson
Markstrom
