Markstrom starts as Canucks face the Kings in LA
Posted October 22, 2016 11:53 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
LOS ANGELES (NEWS 1130) – It’s a tale of two teams going in two different directions to begin the regular season as the Vancouver Canucks take an unbeaten record into the Staples Center where they will take on the LA Kings. (7pm, CBC)
LA has struggled to begin the year, starting just 1-3-0 out of the gate. A big part of that has been the injury to goaltending mainstay Jonathan Quick. It’s quickly turning into a revolving door situation in the crease for Los Angeles – Jeff Zatkoff was injured on Saturday morning at the team’s skate. Veteran Peter Budaj and last minute call up Jack Campbell from the AHL are the Kings’ options.
Goaltending is not a problem in Vancouver at the moment. The Canucks have allowed a league low six goals in the first four games, and after Ryan Miller tightened up earlier in the week, Jacob Markstrom has taken the starter’s role and ran with it, going 3-0 with a 1.65 GAA and a .932 save percentage. He will get the call in goal for Vancouver, with Miller starting on Sunday evening in Anaheim against the Ducks.
Willie Dejardins was also juggling the forward lines at the morning skate. According to Sportsnet’s Dan Murphy, Sven Baertschi was skating on a line with the Sedin twins. That bumps Loui Eriksson down to a grouping with Bo Horvat, and Jake Virtanen.
Virtanen draws back in after missing the last two games. The Canucks should be able to use his size on the forecheck against the notoriously physical Kings.
The second line of Brandon Sutter, Markus Granlund, and Jannik Hansen will stay together, and just may be the team’s best through the first four games.
Vancouver blueliner Chris Tanev is playing in his 300th NHL game.
