Canucks Power Up: Miller & Pettersson Back on First Power Play

The Vancouver Canucks have reunited their top power-play duo, J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson, after a failed experiment that saw the pair separated for the past two games.

The Canucks’ power play sputtered without the pairing, going 1-for-7, contributing to their losses. Vancouver’s head coach, Rick Tocchet, and star defenseman Quinn Hughes both acknowledge a few things:

Downplaying the Rift

“Not to beat around the bush: everyone knows what the reports are out there. Everyone expects a lot from each other,” admitted Quinn Hughes. “There’s times I get upset with Millsy, there’s times I get upset with Petey, there’s times I get upset with Hronek — that doesn’t mean that I don’t love those guys and vice versa.”

Tocchet emphasized that team squabbles are normal. “As long as I coach, it’s all about the crest. It’s not about the name on the back,” he said. “You’re going to have arguments; you’re going to have fights. I’ve been fortunate to win a Stanley Cup three times — two as a coach, one as a player — and there’s always been something that has galvanized the team or something like that.”

Looking Forward

Hughes expressed optimism about both players turning their seasons around. “I think both of them have been going through their own struggles this year,” he said. “I believe in both of them. I think they’re great players, great people. There’s times where we all get into it but it is a family in here. We’ve just got to continue to push forward and play the way we want to play”

Lineup Changes

The Canucks aren’t making many other lineup changes.

Vancouver Canucks Projected Lines

Conor Garland will skate alongside Pettersson and Jake DeBrusk, sending Linus Karlsson down to the third line. Erik Brännström, recently traded to Vancouver, is expected to be a healthy scratch despite playing well in the last game against his previous team.

Ottawa Senators Projected Lines:

The Ottawa Senators are riding high on a five-game winning streak,
posting impressive performances in the process. Their powerhouse offense
features five players in double digits in points: Brady Tkachuk, Adam Gaudette,
Drake Batherson, Josh Norris, and Tim Stützle (team leader with 38 points).

Here’s a look at their projected lines:

Brady Tkachuk – Tim Stützle – Claude Giroux

Ridly Greig – Josh Norris – Drake Batherson

Nick Cousins – Shane Pinto – Michael Amadio

Noah Gregor – Zack Ostapchuk – Adam Gaudette

Jake Sanderson – Travis Hamonic

Thomas Chabot – Nick Jensen

Tyler Kleven – Jacob Bernard-Docker

Leevi Merilainen

Linus Ullmark

Leevi Merilainen is expected to get the start in net for Ottawa, a potentially favorable situation for Vancouver.