Canucks Game Day – Hughes Game Time Decision, More NHL Covid

Panicking yet Vancouver Canucks fans? Don’t. The club is four games into the season with a record of 1-2-1. Tonight (Thursday) is a biggee in Chicago to get the team feeling good about itself again. It won’t be easy, the Blackhawks are off to an even worse start at 0-3-1 and will be playing with pride and desperation.

The Canucks then wrap up the season opening six-game roadie in Seattle Saturday night. That will be the Kraken’s franchise opener and VHN will be there to bring you all of the festivities. Or maybe participate in them.

Thursday morning Vancouver Canucks Head Coach Travis Green said Thatcher Demko will get the start in net while defenceman Quinn Hughes will be a game-time decision with his lower body injury. Hughes skated this morning. Wait, so if he skated, then why shouldn’t we …

Let’s Skate! …

— I love this quote from Winnipeg Jets Head Coach Paul Maurice in the NHL.com article about Mark Scheifele testing postive for Covid.

“We have game time decisions all the time,” Maurice said. “The difference is if a guy has a pulled groin, you don’t have to worry about it spreading to the guy he sits beside on the plane. We’re going to wait for a test, we’ve done that in the past, and we’ve got two line-ups, two plans, and two power-play groups.”

After his positive test, Sheifele has since tested negative and can play tonight if he has one more negative result this morning. His teammate Blake Wheeler must miss three more games because of positive-test protocol.

Pittsburgh Penguins Jeff Carter and Tristan Jarry were also placed in COVID-19 protocol.

— The Florida Panthers, Buffalo Sabres, Carolina Hurricanes, New Jersey Devils, Minnesota Wild, St. Louis Blues, Edmonton Oilers and San Jose Sharks remain undefeated to start the NHL season. You can toss in the the Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals, Philadelphia Flyers and Detroit Red Wings if you want to include teams that are undefeated in regulation.

—  Speaking of those Red Wings, our pal Bob Duff, a.k.a. “Duffer”, has a cool story at Detroit Hockey Now on German defenceman Moritz Seider, who leads NHL rookies in ice time. See who else is on that list and discover why the Winged Wheelers are excited about this big fella on the blueline.

Talk to you later today. Enjoy the Hockey Action!!