Canucks Gameday Preview #44: Tocchet Hits 600 As Vancouver Takes On The Kings

The Vancouver Canucks (19-14-10) return home from their five-game road trip to take on the L.A. Kings (24-12-15) on Thursday night. This will be the second of three meetings between these two teams this season, with Vancouver taking the first matchup 4-2 back in November. Thursday's game will also be a special one for Rick Tocchet as he hits the 600-game mark as a head coach in the NHL.

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One of the biggest heading into this game is will the Canucks seek retribution on Tanner Jeannot? When these two teams met in November, Jeannot delivered a headshot to Brock Boeser, which resulted in a suspension for Jeannot and a concussion for Boeser. While fans at Rogers Arena would love to see someone go after Jeannot, the Canucks need to ensure that doesn't result in the team being shorthanded or losing a player to a game misconduct.

Players to Watch:

Elias Pettersson:

If the Canucks are going to pick up a win, they need a big game from Elias Pettersson. While he has played well defensively as of late, Pettersson only has two goals in his last ten games, with both coming in the same game against the San Jose Sharks. If Pettersson can be an offensive factor, especially on the power play, it will have a massive impact on the game's final result.

Phillip Danault:

Phillip Danault remains one of the league's most underrated centers. Not only can he shut down the opposition's top players, but he is over a half point per game, with 21 through his first 40 games. While he may not be one of the first players people discuss when talking about the Kings, he plays a crucial role on a nightly basis.

Top 5 Scoring Leaders (Goals, Assists, Points):

Vancouver Canucks (19-14-10):

Quinn Hughes: 9-38-47
Conor Garland: 11-19-30
Jake DeBrusk: 17-12-29
Elias Pettersson: 10-19-29
J.T. Miller: 8-21-29

L.A. Kings (24-12-5):

Anže Kopitar: 12-28-40
Adrian Kempe: 20-19-39
Alex Laferriere: 13-13-26
Warren Foegele: 11-12-23
Kevin Fiala: 14-8-22

Game Information:

Start Time: 7:00 pm PT
Venue: Rogers Arena
Television: Sportsnet
Radio: Sportsnet 650

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