^{Utah hopes to bring some big tusk energy following a 7-0 beatdown in Anaheim}

Winning cures all ills, which is great to know because the team basically needed an ICU visit in November. However, two games into the month, they’ve already gotten one regulation win, so that’s good news.

After a drubbing of the Pacific division leading Anaheim Ducks, Utah gets the division’s polar opposite. The Vancouver Canucks currently sit at the bottom of the Pacific – being overtaken by the struggling Calgary Flames (who we play tomorrow) after they beat Minnesota yesterday. Vancouver not only occupies the last spot in the division, but the last spot in the league. With the fewest points and second lowest points percentage (lowest is Calgary, who has played 2 more games), Vancouver has struggled significantly. What does that mean for Team Tusk?

A win tonight gives Utah strong momentum and allows them to distance themselves from the travesty in November. It also would provide them some additional points – ground they need to make up in an extremely tight division. With several important line-up changes on Wednesday, Utah’s hoping that continues their momentum moving forward.

Currently, by points, Utah occupies the 2nd wildcard slot – however just 2 points separates Utah from being 4 spots outside of the dance. With other teams having games in hand, Utah’s position is a little precarious, so win streaks are critical right now.

Key points to secure a victory today:
Closing the Door.
Vancouver’s faced a bit of the injury bug this year, hitting them particularly hard at center. With Teddy Blueger and Filip Chytil sidlined, their middle 6 lineups are a bit weird and lack chemistry. Their top line’s still in-tact, but advantages show up past that line.

The Canucks as a result have had some difficulty scoring, as their last 3 games saw a total of 4 goals come against the Sharks, Kings, and Avalanche. While they won 5-2 against Anaheim before Thanksgiving, their previous 2 games saw just 2 goals. In total, Vancouver has scored just 8 goals in 5 games, excluding the Anaheim win.

When they do score, however, Vancouver crashes the net. Hard. Their offense comes (almost exclusively) from their left wingers, as Kiefer Sherwood, Jake DeBrusk, and Drew O’Connor are 3 of the top 5 goal scorers on the team. Closing the door on the left side of their lineup should vastly impair their offense, especially with a faltering center depth situation.

Canadian Hospitality.
The Canucks don’t have the worst goal differential in the league, but they’re close. In addition to not scoring, they’re also not defending. This is a boon for a struggling offense that just recently found its touch. While a 7-0 win isn’t realistic, getting 4+ goals will go a long way towards continuing to build confidence and further the win streak.

The Canucks have given up more goals against per game than any other team. Allowing 98 goals (4th worst in the league), and with the 4th worst in penalty kill in the league, at just 72%, they’re just inviting Utah in for a cup of tea and a goal scoring bonanza on both special teams and 5 on 5 play.

Let them cook
The new, revamped lines will need to continue to gel in order to get better. Daniil But remains on the Cooley-Guenther line, a line that be together and producing for years. A line blender won’t help But, as he’d be the one most likely to be moved. If Cooley and Guenther unlock the potential of the three of them together?

Additionally, having Peterka and Keller run the same line can produce amazing results. Peterka’s one of the best 5v5 players in the league right now, and while no offense is meant to Crouse, Carcone, and McBain, having a linemate of Keller’s caliber is something that can only benefit the youngster.

Additionally, Maveric Lamoureux and Ian Cole look really good together. Having a seasoned vet teach MavLam the game, while being defensively sound, will go a long way to ensuring the blue line will be in good hands for years to come.

Projected Lineups:
2nd verse, same as the first:

TUSKS UP!