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Tonight’s game just got a whole lot more interesting.
One of the Vancouver Canucks’ most promising young prospects will make his NHL debut against the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Arena. Jack Rathbone, an offensive-minded 21-year-old defenceman, will be in the lineup according to Travis Green.
“It’s an exciting night for Jack and I’m excited for him,” Green told reporters this afternoon. “He’s an offensive defenceman, he’s a strong skater, he’s got good puck skills, he’s got a good release on his shot. He’s got the look of a young offensive d-man.”
“The kid’s a gamer. You can just tell that he loves coming to the rink, he loves being around the team. He wants to learn fast. This is one of those times where you get excited for a kid because he’s getting to realize his dream.”
Matthews, who might have been chasing 50 goals in the abbreviated season had he not played a bunch of games with a wrist injury – and missed four games entirely – snatched two goals in the Toronto Maple Leafs’ 5-1 win on Saturday.
“I thought we played a very strong two periods and a game-breaker gets two goals, and you miss that,” Green told reporters when asked for a Matthews-Pettersson comparison. “It’s not an excuse but I’m not going to sit here and say we don’t miss that in our lineup. They’re difference-makers, they create chances, they alleviate pressure easily, not just in the offensive zone but in your own zone. But we can’t dwell on that and we haven’t been.”
Lind scores twice for Rebels; Coward earns second WHL win
May 3, 2021
An eventful week for Shaunavon’s Lind family came to a memorable conclusion when Kalan Lind posted his first two-goal and three-point outing in the Western Hockey League on Sunday.
Only three days after older brother Kole Lind made his National Hockey League debut with the Vancouver Canucks, Kalan registered three points during the Red Deer Rebels 5-4 overtime win over the host Calgary Hitmen.
Kalan Lind, the sixth overall pick in the 2020 WHL Bantam Draft, now has four goals and two assists in 14 games as an underage skater.
Bob Frid-USA TODAY Sports
Playing 19 games in 32 nights following a COVID outbreak is proving to be as difficult as advertised for the Vancouver Canucks.
They’ve played eight games since their unscheduled break, and that included four games against the Ottawa Senators and just one back-to-back situation. It’s about to get a whole lot more difficult with 11 games in 17 nights upcoming.
The Canucks begin a four-game series against the Edmonton Oilers tonight, including back-to-back games tonight and tomorrow at Rogers Arena. The team hasn’t had much opportunity to practice and was kept off the ice yesterday following a cross-country return flight from Toronto.