Containing McDavid will be a daunting task
Vancouver Canucks vs. Edmonton Oilers Round 2, Game 1, When: Tonight, 7 p.m. Where: Rogers Arena TV: SN Pacific
Radio: Sportsnet 650
The buzz: The odds are stacked higher than shot glasses at last call in a sports bar.
The Canucks have no chance of upsetting the high-octane Oilers in their second-round NHL playoff series. Check a poll, betting odds or pundits.
The overwhelming consensus is the Connor McDavid train will roll into Rogers Arena and roll right over the Pacific Division champions.
However, the Canucks can do more than just slow down McDavid, but it won't be easy. The superstar centre had 132 points including 100 assists in the regular season. He added 12 points (1-11) in a five-game, first-round series domination of the Los Angeles Kings and is catalyst for a power play that's nine for 20.
The Canucks can counter with matchup strength, better team defence and an improved penalty kill. They sent a message in a 3-1 win at Edmonton on April 13. With the Oilers in contention for the division title, Casey DeSmith made 32 saves, but McDavid didn't play. The Oilers could also be without injured winger Adam Henrique tonight.
Regardless, the Canucks can't turn pucks over or parade to the penalty box.
“They're incredible on the power play and feed off turnovers,” said Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet, whose club was held to 13 goals and two power-play goals in six firstround games.
“I want us to be aggressive and we have to be disciplined, but we don't have to back off. We're going to have to find another level.”
FIVE KEY SERIES MATCHUPS:
1. Centres of attention: J.T. Miller and Elias Lindholm doubling up on McDavid in the circle is crucial to forcing the Oilers' captain to play in his own zone. Miller is fifth in post-season faceoffs at 58.5 per cent and second in even-strength draws. Lindholm is 48.7 per cent and effective short-handed.
“They have a lot of threats, but we can play against anyone,” said Lindholm. “We have a lot of responsible players on our lines who know how to play both ways and it will be a good matchup. We've been playing pretty good defensively.” 2. Silovs versus Skinner: Silovs has shown an uncanny likeness to legendary rookie goaltender Ken Dryden by stepping in because of injuries and stepping up in three playoff games — including a series-clinching shutout in Game 6 at Nashville. DeSmith is an option for Game 1, but how do you not ride Silovs?
Skinner proved in the first round that he could overcome weird goals and stopped 82 of 86 shots in the final three games. He worked with a sports psychologist in the summer to put bad goals and games aside. He's less vulnerable on rush goals. 3. Hughes versus Bouchard: They went seventh and 10th overall respectively in the 2018 draft. And had Hughes gone off the board early, Bouchard might be a Canuck. They have grown their games with greater confidence and an accent on offence.
Hughes led all blueliners with 92 points (17-75), while Bouchard was fourth with 82 points (18-64). Both will draw added attention. Whomever can trigger the transition will play a major factor in the series outcome. Bouchard has nine points (1-8) in five post-season games and Hughes has five assists in six.
4. Wild card Pettersson: Elias Pettersson had nine points (5-4) in four games with the Lotto Line in January and was player of the week. He has one goal in his last 19 games and had no goals and just eight shots in the first playoff round. He missed practice Tuesday with an illness.
“Obviously it's a mindset and there's a lot of physical stuff,” said Tocchet. “You have to know before what you want to do. If you don't move your feet and throw blind passes, you're dead against Edmonton. If you do, it opens up options.”
5. Finding comfort zone: The Canucks have 10 playoff newbies and some looked nervous against the Predators in Round 1. It comes with the territory of added hype and pressure, but they're better off for the experience.
“Some guys were really tight the first couple of games. It's another level, but it's knowing what to expect,” said Tocchet.
The wounded: Canucks: Thatcher Demko (knee, week to week), Elias Pettersson (illness). Oilers: Adam Henrique (ankle, day to day).
The quote: “Knowing his tendencies helps, but we can't change our whole defensive system.” — Tocchet on McDavid.
THE LINEUP:
■ Suter-Miller-Boeser
■ Hoglander-Pettersson-Mikheyev
■ Joshua-Lindholm- Garland
■ Di Giuseppe-Blueger-Lafferty
■ Hughes-Hronek
■ Soucy-Myers
■ Zadorov-Cole
The prediction: The Canucks benefit from rest and practice and stay out of the box. They squeak out a 3-2 win.
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