Canucks Game Day: Winnipeg Jets overhead

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Winnipeg Jets (40-17-5) vs. Vancouver Canucks (41-17-7)

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When and where: Saturday, 7 p.m., Rogers Arena

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TV: Hockey Night in Canada Radio: Sportsnet 650

The buzz: Is this a Western Conference final preview? The conference-leading Canucks have won three straight, including impressive defensive-driven victories over the Los Angeles Kings and Vegas Golden Knights. The Jets are second in the Central, but have been formidable opponents all season. They’re the best defensive outfit in the NHL; the Canucks are one of the league’s best offences. Will it be three games in a row of playoff-style hockey?

The history: Winnipeg won the first meeting of the season between these two foes last month 4-2. They’ll face each other again to close the regular season on Apr. 18.

The hope: Winnipeg won 3-0 in Seattle last night so they’ll be tired. The Canucks were off Friday after an early-morning return from Las Vegas. Rest is a weapon.

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The fear: The Jets were really tough to break down for the Canucks last month. They’ve got Connor Hellebuyck in goal. The Canucks showed the could break down the tough Kings on Tuesday, but the Jets are better.

The top guns: The Canucks found their offence again this week. Elias Pettersson looks to have a load off after signing his big contract and scored a marvelous goal on Thursday. J.T. Miller saw an eight-game point streak snapped in Vegas, but you know he’ll be back on the score sheet before long. Winnipeg is led, as ever, by Mark Scheifele, who is a point-per-game player again this season. Kyle Connor has 26 goals in 46 games. Might-have-been-a-Canucks Tyler Toffoli didn’t fly from New Jersey to Vancouver yesterday, instead he’s going to meet his new teammates when they return to Winnipeg on Sunday.

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The wounded: Canucks: Dakota Joshua (hand injury, one to two weeks), Tyler Myers (lower-body, week to week). Jets: Gabe Vilardi (upper-body, day-to-day).

The quote: “It’s maybe simple, but it’s just frustrating right now,” Pettersson on his team’s lack of success of late.

The lineup:

Forwards

Mikheyev-Miller-Boeser

Höglander-Pettersson-Suter

Podkolzin-Lindholm-Garland

DiGiuseppe-Blueger-Lafferty

Defence

Hughes-Hronek

Cole-Soucy

Zadorov-Juulsen

Goalie

Thatcher Demko

The prediction: Look for Vancouver to win a tight-checking affair 3-2.

(FAN FORUM: Do you have a specific question for a player? Pass it along to @provincesports and we’ll get it in a future edition.)

[email protected]

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