Coyotes at Canucks
After clinching a postseason berth while not on the ice, the Vancouver Canucks look to put their stamp on second place in the Pacific when they host the division doormat Arizona Coyotes on Thursday. Vancouver skated to a 2-1 shootout victory over Los Angeles on Monday and punched its ticket to the playoffs for the sixth time in seven seasons the following night, when the the Kings dropped a 4-2 decision to Edmonton.
"There weren't balloons today, no celebration," defenseman Kevin Bieksa said of the atmosphere surrounding Wednesday's practice. "We're in the playoffs, but that's just one of our goals this season." The Canucks can claim home-ice advantage in the first round with a victory over Arizona and a loss of any kind by Calgary in its tilt versus Los Angeles. Vancouver also can accomplish the same goal should it secure a point and the Flames fall in regulation. Despite being separated by 41 points in the standings, the Canucks and Coyotes have recorded two wins apiece against each other.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, Fox Sports Arizona, RSN Pacific (Vancouver)
ABOUT THE COYOTES (24-48-8): Oliver Ekman-Larsson was held off the scoresheet in Arizona's 3-2 setback to Calgary on Tuesday, but his next goal - his 24th - will snap a tie with Phil Housley for the franchise record among defensemen. "Don't expect me to score 23 goals every year," Ekman-Larsson told the Arizona Republic with a smile. The 23-year-old Swede has scored two goals and set up another versus Vancouver.
ABOUT THE CANUCKS (46-29-5): Vancouver sure was busy on Wednesday as it gave rugged right wing Derek Dorsett a four-year contract worth $2.65 million annually and defenseman Luca Sbisa a three-year pact for an average of $3.6 million per season. The 28-year-old Dorsett has recorded career highs in assists (18) and points (25) while leading the team in both hits (163) and penalty minutes (169). Sbisa, 25, resides second on the team in both hits (149) and blocked shots (127) while scoring three goals and setting up eight others.
OVERTIME
1. Vancouver LW Daniel Sedin and RW Radim Vrbata each have scored a goal and set up three others during the season series with Arizona.
2. With Coyotes captain Shane Doan day-to-day with a lower-body injury, the team recalled C Henrik Samuelsson from Portland of the American Hockey League on an emergency basis.
3. Canucks G Eddie Lack owns an 0-2-1 record versus Arizona despite stopping 86-of-90 shots.