Canucks Gameday: Home is where the heart is, and so is winning.

Article content

Detroit Red Wings (27 wins, 19 losses, 6 draws) vs. Vancouver Canucks (36 wins, 12 losses, 6 draws)

Article content

when and where: Thursday, 7 p.m., Rogers Arena.

Article content

tv set: SN Pacific. wireless: sports net 650

Buzz: It was supposed to be a goal, goal, goal. Now it’s like, “Oh, no, no, no.”

When Dakota Joshua didn’t participate in a full fight day skate on Thursday morning, you hoped for the best but feared the worst. The big winger made the first 3-pointer of his NHL career Tuesday in Chicago, then put up a good fight to answer for a hard end-board hit on his linemate Connor Garland.

Joshua scored a hat trick for Gordie Howe in a 4-2 victory, a memorable performance that ended the five-game trip with a 3-1-1 record. Joshua already has career highs in goals (13) and points (26) and is on track for 20 goals. Everything in his contract year seemed like a perfect progression. Now, this setback.

Article content

Head coach Rick Tocchet gave a disappointed nod when asked about a possible hand injury to Joshua.

“I think so,” he said. “He’s being evaluated right now. We won’t have him tonight. It’s going to be hard to replace him. He checks a lot of boxes for us and has connections with Garland as well. Yes. (Ilya) Mikheyev has a chance to play with two good players (Teddy Blueger, Garland) and that will probably motivate him.”

Garland knows the extent of Joshua’s injury.

“It’s obviously a huge loss for our line,” Garland said. “He’s a huge presence. He holds the puck and that’s all he does for us. Whoever is with us tonight just has to make plays. We have simple lines so it should be easy to blend in.

The bravado part will be difficult to recreate. At 16:08 of the third period, when Mackenzie Entwistle delivered a blow to Garland, Joshua didn’t hesitate to drop his gloves.

Article content

Article content

“For me, as an undersized player, to have players like that, and I’ve played with them throughout my career, ‘grateful’ is the best word. I don’t think so. But to have a player that good and willing to (fight) for you says a lot about him and it was fun playing with him this year. .

“Our team likes to hang out outside the rink and we don’t even talk about hockey. You get along really well and Duck has definitely gotten a lot louder this year and is more comfortable with our group. I feel confident.”

Not only do the Canucks have 10 players who hit in double digits, but they also have the type of players who provide even-strength depth. It bodes well for the stretch drive and beyond.

That could lead to a significant impact in the postseason. In the postseason, big names often go silent from scrutiny, and someone suddenly ends up playing as the Canucks’ playoff hero. The NHL’s top team has scored 199 goals, one goal behind the leading Colorado Avalanche, and is the most at even strength with 134, eight goals ahead of the Dallas Stars.

Article content

The Canucks rank sixth overall with 94 home goals, hold the best home record at 18-4-2, and are the only team without a three-game losing streak this season.

With players willing to take advantage of opportunities, Tocchet has plenty of roster options.

And what about the early lines about playoff heroes? What if Nils Hoglander and Joshua don’t have long-term injuries?

Hoglander was lined up with Swedish compatriots Elias Pettersson and Elias Lindholm on Tuesday. He responded to promotion by scoring for the third game in a row with a cheeky game-winning shot from low to restore a two-goal lead. He finished with five shots and eight attempts.

Hoglander, 23, has a career-high 17 goals and is on pace for 26 goals. The tough lessons he learned last season in Abbotsford are paying off in order to become a more complete and reliable player.

Article content

The 27-year-old Joshua always had the potential to move beyond the fourth row of players, but he had to be pushed. His fitness needed to improve, along with his foot speed and ability to read the game. The result is a ferocious forecheck, a strong hitting power with 197 hits that ranks second overall, a presence on the penalty kill, and power play time for the second unit.

Now we are waiting to see how long he will be out.

history: Second meeting of the season. The Canucks overcame an unsettling 4-3 overtime decision Saturday in Detroit after blowing a 3-1 lead in the third period. In overtime, Quinn Hughes was called in the minors for trying to cancel out Jake Wallman. break away. He was given a penalty shot and converted it in overtime for the franchise’s first goal scored that way.

Article content

Filip Hronek and Pettersson each had one goal and two assists. JT Miller had eight shots and 11 attempts.

Hope: home cooking. Winger Brock Boeser has a career-high 30 goals, and although he hasn’t scored in the last five games, he leads the club with 17 goals at Rogers Arena. His last big performance on home ice was a hat trick in a 5-4 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on January 27th.

Fear: Power outage again. He had 6 hits in 10 at bats in his previous three games, but has been 0 for 13 in his last four games. Needs better net-front presence for screens, chips, and rebounds. Even ugly goals are good goals.

top gun: Pettersson (28-41) and Miller (23-46) are tied for fifth on the NHL scoring list with 69 points. Hughes is tied for ninth with 66 points (12-54), and Boeser is 22nd with 54 points (30-24). He tied for third with 12 power play goals.

Article content

Injured person: Canucks: Carson Soucy (hand, IR), Guillaume Brisebois (concussion, LTIR). Red Wings: Ville Husso (lower body, everyday), Matt Ruff (upper body, IR).

Quote: “I thought it was a business-like game. Garland Line was very good.” — Tocchet won Tuesday in Chicago.

lineup:

Hoglander Pettersson Lindholm

souter miller boser

Mikheyev-Bruger-Garland

Di Giuseppe Amann Rafferty

Hughes Hronek

kohl myers

Zadorov-Julsen

prediction: The Canucks pick up the pace and get to the net to earn a penalty. They scored two goals on the power play and won 4-2.

(Fan forum: Do you have any specific questions for players?Please give it to @provincesports It will be available in a future version. )

bkuzma@postmedia.com

Article content

Please support our journalism by bookmarking our website: Don’t miss the news you need to know — Add VancouverSun.comand TheProvince.com Add to bookmarks or Sign up for our newsletter here.

You can also support our journalism by becoming a digital subscriber. Get unlimited ad-free access to the Vancouver Sun, Province, National Post and 13 other Canadian news sites for just $14 a month. Please support us by subscribing now: vancouver sun | prefecture.

Article content