It's the biggest game of the season since the last biggest game of the season.
With just 14 games remaining and the Vancouver Canucks on the precipice of the playoffs, every game has an increased importance. A point or two squandered earlier in the season can be dismissed easily — the team can just make up for it in one of the dozens of remaining games — but each point squandered now feels like it could make or break the entire season.
Still, Thursday's game against the St. Louis Blues carries a lot more weight than most.
The Blues and Canucks are currently tied with 75 points, with the Canucks only having the edge because the Blues have played one more game. If the Canucks want to fend off the Blues and make the playoffs, it feels like they have to win this game.
The Blues have been storming up the standings of late, going 9-2-1 in their last 12 games. They started that run behind the Anaheim Ducks in the standings.
In other words, the Blues are the hottest team in the league, averaging four goals per game in the last 12 games, with a 32.1% power play in that time. Four different players are a point-per-game or better in the last 12 games, while eight players have double digits in points. They've gone from a pushover to seemingly unstoppable.
The Canucks are going to have to stop them.
They did the last time they faced the Blues, cruising to a 5-2 win in one of their strongest performances of the season. But that was before the Blues seemed to flip a switch and go on their current run. These Blues barely seem like the same team.
But with the way they just manhandled the Winnipeg Jets, maybe these Canucks aren't the same team either.
Elias Pettersson seems to be back, riding a five-game point streak. Quinn Hughes is healthy again and controlling play as well as ever. Nils Höglander is starting to look like a legitimate fit on the top line. Brock Boeser ended his goal drought with a two-goal game against the Jets.
Suddenly, there are a lot of reasons to be optimistic about the Canucks, even as they just barely cling to a playoff spot. That optimism could go flying out the window, of course, depending on how they perform against the Blues, but at least cautious optimism feels better than the feeling of dread that once preceded Canucks games.
Vancouver Canucks projected lines
Conor Garland is back from injury, which means Jonathan Lekkerimäki will be back in the press box. That's a real shame, as Lekkerimäki was a revelation on the power play against the Jets.
At the same time, it's tough to argue too hard against taking him out. Linus Karlsson also had a strong game against the Jets and played better at 5-on-5 than Lekkerimäki. With Filip Chytil still out, Nils Åman is needed to play centre. So, who else were they going to take out of the lineup for Garland?
Here are the Canucks' projected lines:
Elias "Junior" Pettersson will stay in the lineup on his off-side, which says a lot about how much they trust the rookie at this point. He handled playing the right side like a veteran on Tuesday.
The Canucks' starting goaltender is expected to be Kevin Lankinen, who has won all three games he's played against the Blues in his career.
St. Louis Blues projected lines
The Blues' star forwards are leading the way on their current run. Jordan Kyrou and Dylan Holloway both have 14 points in their last 12 games, Jake Neighbours has 13 points, and Robert Thomas has 12 points. Zack Bolduc and Brayden Schenn, with 6 and 5 goals in their last 12 games, are also players to watch.
Here are the Blues' projected lines, courtesy of the NHL's Lou Korac:
Jake Neighbours - Robert Thomas - Pavel Buchnevich
Dylan Holloway - Brayden Schenn - Jordan Kyrou
Mathieu Joseph - Oskar Sundqvist - Zack Bolduc
Alexey Toropchenko - Radek Faksa - Nathan Walker
Cam Fowler - Nick Leddy
Phillip Broberg - Justin Faulk
Ryan Suter - Tyler Tucker
Jordan Binnington
Joel Hofer
The Blues' starting goaltender is expected to be Jordan Binnington, who has an .897 save percentage this season.
