FIVE KEYS TO THE GAME
1 Keep it tight
The Canucks need to be far better than they were last week in the Sunshine State. The Panthers dominated the shot count on the Canucks and got better quality shots too.
2 Leaky Panthers
The Panthers are giving up a shot attempt per minute. That’s actually only one attempt worse than the Canucks, but it suggests that this game could be much more of a barn-burner than last week’s snoozer.
3 Back to Goldy?
Nikolay Goldobin, the Russian with silky hands, is back up after the Canucks ran into their latest injury crisis. (That’s a topic for another day.) But will he play? Reid Boucher found the net twice on Sunday. 4 Markstrom moments Jacob Markstrom picked up his second shutout Sunday in Big D. The truth is, Markstrom has played pretty well in 2018. His even-strength save percentage is a solid 91.7. That’s just a hair behind Andrei Vasilevskiy’s 92.1. Yes, Tampa Bay’s Vasilevskiy. Markstrom is doing what he can to give his team a chance.
5 Looking for Lu
Roberto Luongo, the guy the Canucks traded for Markstrom, has been out for almost two months. He participated in a full Panthers practice on the weekend, but didn’t dress Monday in Florida’s 7-5 win over the Edmonton Oilers. It sure would be something if he returned to action in his old barn.