Canucks Live: Cup champs up next after big Vancouver win

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Welcome to Canucks Live. Here we’ll highlight some of the news that drops daily about the Canucks. Come back throughout the day as we update with all the news you need to know. If you haven’t done so already, sign up for our Canucks Report to get our stories delivered to your inbox every day.

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It’s Monday. It’s mid-November. The forecast has nothing but rain all day and for most of the week. But if you’re a Canucks fan, you should have a bit more jump today. Coming off probably their best game of the season, scoring six unanswered on Tampa after going into a 2-0 hole, and you get to look forward to a late-afternoon clash with the Cup champion Florida Panthers today.

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Yes, there are worse rainy Mondays to endure.

Getting a point against the Avalanche, one against the Hurricanes and beating the Lightning have this tough stretch of games already more fruitful than most predicted.

While the Panthers have been yawning through the season so far, and are 5-4-1 in their last 10, they’re still the Stanley Cup Champions. And it’s a back-to-back. The Canucks come home and finally get a break in the schedule, though it is Dallas coming to town on Thursday, their only game the rest of the week.

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The intrigue tonight was whether Kevin Lankinen returns to the net for back-to-back starts, or gives way to back-up Jiri Patera, who has played just eight NHL games. Centre David Kampf could make his Canucks debut and Conor Garland’s injury status after not returning for the third  period Sunday — he sufffered a “tweak” in a first-period scrap — was determined by head coach Adam Foote in his pre-game availability.

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Ben Kuzma looked at their schedule here.

However, money, trades, free agency, indifference, inconsistency and injuries have brought the NHL club to this very uneasy place.

The Canucks are still last in penalty kill percentage despite a perfect night Sunday in Tampa Bay where they rallied from a 2-0 deficit for an impressive 6-2 victory. However, they are giving up the fifth-most goals per game, are 29th in faceoff percentage, 20th in even-strength goals, 19th in offence and 12th on the power play.

Ben was a little more optimistic in his report card on the Tampa game.

Quinn Hughes (A)

Four assists on return. Makes huge difference in O-zone. Four shots, seven attempts.

Filip Hronek (B)

Knowing your place means everything with Hughes. Five shot attempts, four hits. Solid.

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Looking further ahead than this week, the Canucks still seem to be stuck in the NHL’s middle, not really capable of a deep playoff run and not picking at the top of the market. Sportsnet, on the heels of President Jim Rutherford saying they aren’t considering a full rebuild, pondered the Canucks future and makes an argument that’s exactly what they should do.

A rebuild would likely bring at least a few years of pain, though the reward could be worthwhile. There are examples left and right this season of how good things can be when you come out on the other side — Macklin Celebrini, Connor Bedard and Leo Carlsson look like future faces of the league and their respective teams are turning things around rapidly. Those three should be enough evidence for any team who’s not a lock for the playoffs to seriously consider selling.
Then there’s the matter of Quinn Hughes. Vancouver’s best player by a mile will be a free agent after next season and without a contract extension this summer, the Canucks will face a difficult choice. Rutherford also noted there’s no plans for a rebuild even if Hughes leaves, yet there may be no better way to kickstart one. If the Canucks trade Hughes because he won’t commit, they could get a haul in return that would no doubt include a handful of prized picks and prospects.

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There’s still time for Vancouver to turn its season around, but you have to ask some hard questions. Even in a best-case scenario, what is the Canucks’ ceiling this season? It feels like the answer is just squeaking into the playoffs and a long shot to do any kind of damage while there. Sounds like a situation where a rebuild makes a lot of sense.

The Canucks added a freebie last week with the addition of David Kampf who had his contract terminated by the Leafs. Kampf expressed his thoughts on the move on his social media channels on Sunday.

“It’s been a pleasure Toronto. A great chapter of my life but the time has come to move on. I gave everything I had to this organization and city and I’ll always be thankful for the opportunity I got here,” Kampf wrote.

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“Thank you to all my teammates I got to spend those years with I wish you guys all the best. Also, special thank you to each and every one of the Leafs staff for taking care of me and my family through the years. Toronto will always have a special place in our hearts. Excited for the future with Canucks!”

You can check back here later today or updates from Florida as we’ll update news and lineups from pre-game access. Here’s the capsule look at the game.

Vancouver Canucks (9-9-2, in the Pacific Division) vs. Florida Panthers (9-8-1, in the Atlantic Division)
Sunrise, Florida; Monday, 4 p.m. TV: Sportsnet Pacific, Radio: Sportsnet 650
BOTTOM LINE: The Florida Panthers face the Vancouver Canucks in a non-conference matchup.
Florida has a 6-2-1 record in home games and a 9-8-1 record overall. The Panthers have gone 4-1 in games decided by a goal.
Vancouver has a 6-4-1 record in road games and a 9-9-2 record overall. The Canucks have allowed 69 goals while scoring 60 for a -9 scoring differential.
The matchup Monday is the first meeting this season between the two teams.
TOP PERFORMERS: Sam Reinhart, from West Vancouver, has 10 goals and three assists for the Panthers. Canucks archnemesis Brad Marchand has nine goals and four assists over the past 10 games.
Kiefer Sherwood has 12 goals and one assist for the Canucks. Drew O’Connor has scored five goals with three assists over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Panthers: 5-4-1, averaging three goals, 5.5 assists, 4.3 penalties and 9.7 penalty minutes while giving up 2.8 goals per game.
Canucks: 4-4-2, averaging 3.2 goals, 5.2 assists, 3.9 penalties and 10.8 penalty minutes while giving up 3.4 goals per game.

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MATCH-UP INFO: Tonight marks the first of two meetings between the Canucks and Panthers this season: Nov. 17 (road) and Mar. 17 (home).
Vancouver is 22-13-6-4 all-time against Florida, including a 10-9-1-2 record on the road.
The Canucks are 5-4-1 in their last 10 games against the Panthers (4-1-0 in their last five).
Evander Kane leads all active Canucks skaters in scoring against Florida with 22 points (13-9-22) in 36 career games.
In 36 career games against the Panthers, Tyler Myers has 18 points (3-15-18).
Jake DeBrusk has 15 points (8-7-15) in 20 career games against Florida.
In 11 career games against the Panthers, Elias Pettersson has 10 points (2-8-10).
Kevin Lankinen is 7-3-2 with a 2.49 goals-against average, a .926 save percentage, and three shutouts in 12 career games against Florida.
Jiri Patera has appeared in one career game against the Panthers, holding a record of 0-1-0 with a 4.23 goals-against average and a .905 save percentage.
QUICK NUMBERS: Brock Boeser has 11 points (5-6-11) in his last 11 games.
Quinn Hughes has 10 points (0-10-10) in his last six games.
Elias Pettersson has six points (1-5-6) in his last three games.

After all three Blues shooters failed to score in the shootout on Oct. 30/25 at STL, Kevin Lankinen passed Marc Denis for the highest save percentage in shootouts (.864) in NHL history (minimum 40 attempts).
Thatcher Demko currently ranks second amongst active goaltenders in shootout save percentage in NHL history (.811).

Check back for more Canucks news throughout the day …

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