NEXT GAME VS. TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS

Today: 4 p.m. | TV: CBC, Sportsnet Pacific | Radio: Sportsnet 650 AM

HEADING INTO TONIGHT’S GAME

Hot Canucks host Leafs with no fan limit

The Vancouver Canucks are on a roll under new coach Bruce Boudreau and they will be striving for their seventh successive victory today when they face the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs.

The game is slated for a full-capacity Rogers Arena before a 50-percent limit imposed by the provincial government takes effect Monday. The Canucks also have a home game Sunday night against the Arizona Coyotes.

The Canucks have not lost since Boudreau replaced Travis Green as coach on Dec. 5. They defeated the host San Jose Sharks 5-2 Thursday night to extend their winning streak to six.

The Maple Leafs have won two in a row, including a 5-1 victory over the host Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday. Toronto’s game Thursday was postponed because the host Calgary Flames are dealing with COVID-19 issues.

Brock Boeser scored twice for the Canucks on Thursday and has scored five goals during the winning streak to give him nine for the season.

“Feeling really confident, feel like I’m getting a lot of shots,” Boeser said. “We’re playing smart hockey and that’s a key to our success.

“Whenever you’re playing really good hockey with your linemates, it feeds into everything — your skating, how you’re moving around the ice. When you have that confidence, you feel good about getting those chances, getting that puck on your stick.”

Goaltender Thatcher Demko, who has played well all season, made 34 saves against the Sharks.

The Maple Leafs cancelled their practice on yesterday after two players tested positive for COVID-19 — captain John Tavares and Alex Kerfoot.

Injuries and COVID-19 protocols left the Canucks with four defensemen who started the season in the regular rotation on Thursday: Tyler Myers, Quinn Hughes, Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Kyle Burroughs. They added Noah Juulsen and Guillaume Brisebois to the defence for the game in San Jose.

– Field Level Media 

TALKING POINTS

• Can they make it a lucky seven? The Canucks have gotten strong goaltending and have been scoring goals at crucial times over this six-game win streak 

• The Leafs have been driven so far by Auston Matthews, who is having an incredible season with 20 goals in 27 games. Other than Conor McDavid — the league's leading point-scorer along with its most dangerous forward — and Leon Draisaitl, he's the most dominant forward the Canucks have faced so far this season. 
• The Canucks' early-season woes still have them as the league's worst penalty kill, but they did come up with a smart solution to their penalty killing worries on Thursday: they only took one penalty. That would be a smart thing to repeat today.

THE VIRUS

Canucks add players to COVID-19 list ahead of Leafs showdown.

The Vancouver Canucks will be looking for their seventh straight victory under new coach Bruce Boudreau today when they face the Toronto Maple Leafs at Rogers Arena, but they’ll be doing it without Tyler Motte.  

The forward has tested positive for COVID-19, joining players Luke Schenn, Juho Lammikko, Brad Hunt and Tucker Poolman, plus assistant coach Jason King on the sidelines.

READ MORE OF PATRICK JOHNSTON'S STORY  

Go deeper: 
• COVID catches up with Leafs as Spezza, Simmonds, join Tavares, Kerfoot on sidelines 
• Capacity at Rogers Arena restricted to 50 per cent