7 p.m. , TV: Sportsnet Pacific. Radio: Sportsnet 650
FIVE KEYS TO THE GAME
1 Future captain must keep focus
Bo Horvat ended a six-game goal drought Saturday by going hard to the net on the power play after drawing a penalty. He had four shots and nearly sent the game into overtime with a re-direct off the post. He was also a monster in the face-off circle by winning 58 per cent of his draws. It was a far cry from Wednesday in Anaheim. He shot the puck in frustration off the sideboards after a questionable late penalty call on Alex Edler. “Calls like that, everything is boiling and you get frustrated,” he said. “But you have to think of the collective and think positively and move on to next game.” He did.
2 Can Goldobin build on Saturday?
Nikolay Goldobin should play the Sharks every game. The Russian winger, who was dealt to the Canucks in the Jannik Hansen swap a year ago, had his mojo going Saturday. He not only ended the Canucks’ scoring drought streak of 222:57 with a first-period powerplay goal, he danced around Brent Burns on a foray to he net and had his chance to send the game into extra time go off the post. “I see him trying to be a little harder in his own way,” said Canucks coach Travis Green. “It will be right from here to the end of the year that will be big for him and what he does over the summer just as big.”
3 Can Virtanen repeat shot show?
In that loss at Vegas, Jake Virtanen had 10 shot attempts on a line with Sven Baertschi and Sam Gagner. After being called out by Green, the coach said: “Jake might have had one of his better games — if not his best.” The winger whiffed on two early cross-ice feeds in the slot, but kept driving. He had a left-side dash and wrap-around scoring chance and flick of a backhand that forced Marc-Andre Fleury to make a tough save.
4 Gagner finds power-play groove
Sam Gagner is not Brock Boeser. He’s not going to unload a power-play cannon, but he was better Saturday. He was moving, he was finding open players and set up two goals and finished with six shots. For a guy stuck at seven goals after 18 with Columbus last season — including eight on the power play — it’s something.
5 Expect Markstrom to start
Jacob Markstrom didn’t track pucks well Saturday and Anders Nilsson didn’t play well in Vegas. He was yanked after allowing five goals on 25 shots over two periods. Four of the five screamed of a lack of concentration and positioning. At best, Green labelled the effort “average.” That was kind.