Canucks Game Day Preview | Vancouver Canucks at Minnesota Wild – 12.03.24

By Andrew Phillip Chernoff |CanucksBanter

December 03, 2024

The Vancouver Canucks faceoff against the Minnesota Wild tonight at Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota.

The match is the final game of the Canucks 6-game road trip, which stands at 4-1-0 entering this evening’s contest.

Last Games

• Vancouver
  • The Canucks are coming off a thrilling 5-4 overtime victory against the Detroit Red Wings on December 1st. Jake DeBrusk was the hero, scoring a hat trick, including the game-winner in overtime.
  • The Canucks showed resilience, battling back from a 4-3 deficit to tie the game on a Erik Brannstrom goal to bring on overtime and a chance to secure the win.
  • Canucks starter Kevin Lankinen set NHL record for consecutive road wins from start of a season at 10, with Quinn Hughes becoming Canucks all-time assists leader for a defenseman on a goal by Jake DeBrusk.
• Minnesota
  • The Wild last played on November 30th, defeating the Nashville Predators at home 3-2. It was a strong defensive performance by the Wild, limiting the Coyotes to just two goals. Spurgeon had a standout game, including scoring the OT winner.

Game Notes:

• Minnesota
  • They have a strong home record (6-3-1) and overall record (16-4-4). They are particularly difficult when scoring at least 2-goals (15-1-2).
• Vancouver
  • They have been excellent on the road (10-2-0) and have a solid overall record (13-7-3). Their power play has been effective, with a 7-3-0 record when scoring with the man advantage.

Key Players:

• Vancouver
  • Conor Garland (8 goals, 13 assists) and Jake DeBrusk (10 goals, 9 assists), Quinn Hughes (5 goals, 23 assists) are key contributors.
  • Others of note: Kiefer Sherwood with 6 goals and 12 points and 144 hits; Pius Suter, 9 goals, and 14 points; Elias Pettersson with 7 goals and 14 points. Dakota Joshua with 38 hits in 9 games since his return from medical leave.
• Minnesota
  • Marco Rossi (7 goals, 12 assists) and Kirill Kaprizov (6 goals, 5 assists in the last 10 games) are players to watch.

Team Stats

Prediction

This game on paper promises to be a matchup between two teams with strong records.

The Wild’s offense, goaltending, and strong home record give them a slight edge. However, the Canucks’ penalty kill, power play and road performance work in their favor.

GAME ON!