Canucks Game Day: Predatory punishment on Gray Cup Sunday?

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Nashville Predators vs. Vancouver Canucks

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When: Sunday, 7 p.m., Rogers Arena

TV: SN Pacific. Radio: Sportsnet 650

The buzz: So the Canucks got back in the win column against a mediocre Blackhawks squad on Saturday. Almost as mediocre, the Nashville Predators come to town on Sunday, riding a three-game losing streak. This is another must-win for Vancouver. They will get there, said Rick Tocchet after Saturday’s 4-1 win, but he knows there is still a lot of growth ahead. His team needs to play more direct, play harder. Last spring’s playoff series against the Predators was especially so; Tocchet and assistant Adam Foote can point directly to that series to show what their team needs to move forward, both on Sunday and in general.

The history: The Canucks, of course, won their first-round series against Nashville in six games last April, beating Andrew Brunette’s side just enough to earn a solid series victory. It is the first meeting of the season between the two.

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The hope: The Canucks have faced weak opposition this season. Nashville should be better on paper, but instead is somehow even worse than the Blackhawks, who sit at the bottom of the Central Division. The Canucks want to be a hard-working team. On Saturday they turned the switch in the second period. “We came out with an attacking mentality,” veteran Tyler Myers said of his team’s final 40 minutes that night. They want more of that Sunday.

The fear: The Canucks’ struggles on Thursday were for a variety of reasons, but most notable was the way they struggled when entering the zone. If they don’t attack quickly, they won’t be anywhere and even weak teams can counter-blast.

The top guns: He’s been up and down, but JT Miller has six points in five games. Elias Pettersson seems to have taken a leap of faith and scores three goals in five games.

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The injured: Canucks: Thatcher Demko (knee, week-to-week), Derek Forbort (leg, week-to-week), Brock Boeser (concussion, undetermined). Predators: Austin Roest (undisclosed, week-to-week), Tomas Novak (upper body, day-to-day), Spencer Stastney (personal, undetermined)

The quote: “It will be fun to show what they missed.” – Former Predator Kiefer Sherwood on facing his old team on Sunday.

The setup:

Suter-Miller-Lekkerimaki

DeBrusk-Pettersson-Sherwood

Joshua-Blueger-Garland

Heinen-Raty-Hoglander

Hughes-Hronek

Soucy Myers

Brannström-Juulsen

Lankinen

The prediction: The Canucks don’t blow anyone out of the water, but once they get going, and that has been the case more often than not, they have been tough to beat defensively. There’s no reason to think they can’t accomplish more of the same. This will be an exciting battle: watch the Canucks win 3-2.

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The latest: Watch Kevin Lankinen score the goal on Sunday after Arturs Silovs was solid against Chicago.

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