It’s the final Saturday of the Vancouver Canucks’ 2024-25 season.
Get the latest from Patrick Johnston straight to your inbox
Vancouver Canucks’ Filip Hronek stops Minnesota Wild’s Yakov Trenin as Vancouver’s goaltender Kevin Lankinen watches during NHL hockey game in Vancouver March 7, 2025. Photo by ETHAN CAIRNS /THE CANADIAN PRESS
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY
Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.
- Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events.
- Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account.
- The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.
- Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword.
- Support local journalism.
SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES
Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.
- Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events.
- Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account.
- The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.
- Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword.
- Support local journalism.
REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES
Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.
- Access articles from across Canada with one account.
- Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.
- Enjoy additional articles per month.
- Get email updates from your favourite authors.
THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK.
Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.
- Access articles from across Canada with one account
- Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments
- Enjoy additional articles per month
- Get email updates from your favourite authors
When/where: Saturday, 7 p.m., Rogers Arena
TV: Hockey Night in Canada Radio: Sportsnet 650
The buzz: It’s the final Saturday of the Vancouver Canucks’ 2024-25 season. What a sad thing to write. This season, we all know, should have been so much more fun.
But it turned into a mess and the Canucks never found their way out of it. A couple weeks ago, there was a half-notion that maybe this game against the Wild would mean something: the Wild are in a battle to secure the first wild-card spot.
And now the Wild are playing for their playoff lives after a brutal 4-2 loss on Friday night to the Calgary Flames.
With how the standings looked before Friday’s game, a Wild of any kind would have given them enough separation on the Flames to clinch a playoff spot. Now they’re in a scramble. They can still clinch a spot on Saturday in Vancouver, but only if the out-of-town scoreboard swings for them: the Blues would also have to lose to the Kraken in regulation in Seattle.
Essential reading for hockey fans who eat, sleep, Canucks, repeat.
By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.
We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
Coming into Saturday’s game, the Wild have 93 points with two games left. If they win Saturday’s game and their season finale, they can get to 97 points.
The Flames have just 90 points, but three games left so they can still get to 96 points.
• Marc Andre Fleury was scheduled to start Saturday versus the Canucks for his final NHL appearance, but that’s not happening now. He’s struggled in recent starts and Filip Gustavsson has been pretty good. Gustavsson started Friday in Calgary but was pulled in the third period.
Post-game, Wild head coach John Hynes confirmed that Gustavsson would again start in Vancouver. It’s reportedly unlikely that Fleury will start Tuesday’s season finale at home versus the Ducks.
• With Max Sasson the latest to suffer the elusive “banged-up” injury designation from head coach Rick Tocchet, the Canucks have called up 2023 fourth-round draft pick Ty Mueller.
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
He’s going to skate between Brock Boeser and Jake DeBrusk on Saturday night, an exciting spot for the former University of Nebraska-Omaha centre. The Edmonton native has 38 points in 62 games for Abbotsford this season. It’s his first professional season after three years in the NCAA.
Tocchet said he was intrigued by Mueller’s potential: he stood out to the coach in training camp and reports as the season progressed from Abbotsford GM Ryan Johnson were positive.
“He can skate, he can move the puck. And I think Jake and Boes can protect him, talk to him on the bench and encourage him to make a play,” Tocchet said.
The history: The Canucks beat the Wild a month ago at Rogers Arena, hours after the trade deadline passed. At that point, the Canucks and Wild held the wild card spots. Vancouver had two games in hand on the St. Louis Blues. The Canucks couldn’t sustain anything and the Blues went on their wild winning streak.
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
The Wild won a December game 3-2 in St. Paul, Minn.
The hope: The Canucks have a remarkable post-elimination record going back to 2018: 16-9-5. That’s a 101-point pace. With no pressure, they play great.
The fear: They’ve been awful at home: 16-15-7. That’s brutal and another reason why they missed the playoffs this year.
The top guns: Five points in five games for Conor Garland. Aatu Räty has four points in three games. For Minnesota, going into Friday’s game Matt Boldy had nine points in five games and of course Joel Eriksson-Ek had four goals on Wednesday night. And Kirill Kaprizov is back from injury too.
The wounded: Canucks: Elias Pettersson (arm, indefinite), Filip Chytil (concussion, indefinite), Nils Aman (shoulder, day to day), Tyler Myers (undisclosed, day to day). Wild: Jacob Middleton (upper body, day to day).
The quote: “They’re gonna be an angry team.” — Rick Tocchet on what he expects from the under-pressure Wild.
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
The latest: Thatcher Demko is sick, Tocchet said, so Kevin Lankinen will start. Nikita Tolopilo will back up.
The projected lineup:
Höglander-Suter-Garland
DeBrusk-Sasson-Boeser
Joshua-Räty-Sherwood
O’Connor-Blueger-Karlsson
Hughes-Mancini
M. Pettersson-Hronek
Forbort-E. Pettersson
Lankinen
The prediction: The Wild are a bit tired. The Canucks are playing well. Even with Minnesota fighting for their playoff lives, call it a 4-2 win for Vancouver.
Recommended from Editorial
