Sports
Canucks vs Bruins Game Day Preview – TSN
VANCOUVER – The Vancouver Canucks (32-22-6) wrap up their longest homestand of the season when they host the league-leading Boston Bruins (39-11-12) tonight at Rogers Arena. The Canucks start the night third in the Pacific Division just two points back of Vegas and one behind Edmonton, but also just a single point ahead of Winnipeg and two up on Calgary – the two teams currently holding down the Wild Card spots in the Western Conference.
The Canucks have dropped back to back games to Anaheim and Minnesota and are 2-4-2 in their last eight contests. In their last outing on Wednesday night, the team fell 4-3 to the Wild in a five round shootout. JT Miller scored twice and Jay Beagle had his first goal of the season on home ice while Jacob Markstrom stopped 25 of the 28 shots he faced. Markstrom gets the start again tonight while Oscar Fantenberg replaces Jordie Benn on defense. Fantenberg has missed the past five games with a concussion.
Miller is holding the hot hand offensively for the Canucks these days with eight goals in his last 12 games. Tyler Toffoli collected an assist, registered four shots on goal and logged 18:52 in his Canucks debut after being acquired from Los Angeles on Monday night.
Quinn Hughes had a pair of helpers on Wednesday giving him 3+10=13 in 11 games since the All Star break. With that total, the 20-year-old rookie leads all NHL defensemen in scoring since January 18th.
Secondary scoring has become an issue for the Canucks of late. Captain Bo Horvat has just one goal in his past 10 games, has 1+1=2 in his last nine and has not scored at 5-on-5 since a game in Minnesota on January 12th. Horvat has a pair of power play goals and an empty netter in his last 14 outings. Tanner Pearson has 2+0=2 in his past nine games while Jake Virtanen has 1+0=1 in his last nine and Loui Eriksson has gone nine straight without a point.
The Bruins roll into Vancouver as the top team in the NHL with 90 points. They have a five point cushion on Tampa Bay and are 10 points in front of the next closest teams in the standings. Boston has won five straight and 11 of its last 12 after a 4-3 victory in Calgary last night.
Patrice Bergeron scored twice while Brad Marchand and Charlie Coyle had the others as the Bruins trailed 2-0 just 2:34 into the game and 3-1 at the 3:23 mark in a wild start at the Saddledome. Jaroslav Halak made 18 saves as Boston outshot Calgary 23-21.
David Pastrnak did not find the back of the net, but picked up a pair of assists last night. So Pastrnak starts the day tied with Auston Matthews for the league-lead with 43 goals and leads the league with 18 power play markers. The 23-year-old Czech winger sits second in overall league scoring with 43+43=86. Brad Marchand is second in team scoring with 24+53=77 while Patrice Bergeron is third with 29+24=53. Bergeron has six goals on a five-game goal scoring streak and 7+3=10 on a seven-game point streak.
No matter how you cut it, the Bruins are among the league leaders in a number of statistical categories. They are the best defensive team in the NHL allowing 143 goals on the season or an average of 2.31 per game. The team is sixth in goals scored (205), second on the power play (25.0%), third on the penalty kill (84.3%) and seventh in face-offs (51.1%).
The Canucks will face Tuukka Rask in goal tonight. He sports a 23-5-6 record and among NHL netminders who have appeared in 10 games this season, Rask leads the league in both goals against average (2.04) and save percentage (93.2%).
During their run of 11 wins in 12 games, the Bruins have outscored opponents 39-17. Oddly, their lone loss during that stretch was to the last place Detroit Red Wings. As part of this run, the Bruins beat the Canucks 4-0 on February 4th in Boston.
The Bruins are 9-1-1 against Pacific Division opponents so far this season.
POSSIBLE CANUCKS LINE-UP
Miller-Pettersson-Toffoli
Pearson-Horvat-Eriksson
Roussel-Gaudette-Virtanen
Motte-Beagle-Sutter
Hughes-Tanev
Edler-Stecher
Fantenberg-Myers
Markstrom
POSSIBLE BRUINS LINE-UP
Marchand-Bergeron-Pastrnak
Debrusk-Krejci-Heinen
Bjork-Coyle-Kuhlman
Nordstrom-Kuraly-Wagner
Chara-McAvoy
Krug-Carlo
Grzelcyk-Lauzon
Rask
Sports
Winnipeg Jets Trade Rutger McGroarty to Pittsburgh Penguins in Exchange for Brayden Yager
Sports
Penguins Acquire Rutger McGroarty from Jets in Exchange for Brayden Yager
![](https://canadanewsmedia.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ksddocfsfaz0m7ervjaq.jpg)
In a significant NHL trade, the Pittsburgh Penguins acquired promising forward Rutger McGroarty from the Winnipeg Jets in exchange for Brayden Yager on Thursday. The deal involves two highly regarded young talents, each selected in the first round of recent NHL Drafts, and marks a key move for both franchises as they look to shape their futures.
McGroarty, a 20-year-old forward, was a standout at the University of Michigan, where he was ninth among NCAA players with 52 points (16 goals, 36 assists) during his sophomore season. His impressive performance extended beyond college hockey as he captained Team USA to a gold medal at the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship, contributing nine points (five goals, four assists) in the tournament.
Originally selected by the Jets with the 14th overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, McGroarty was considered one of Winnipeg’s top forward prospects. His combination of skill, leadership, and competitiveness made him a coveted asset, which ultimately led to the Penguins’ decision to pursue the trade.
“We had a difficult decision to make with this trade because we hold Brayden Yager in such high regard as a person and prospect,” Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas said. “After much consideration, we decided that the opportunity to add Rutger McGroarty was ultimately in the best interest of the Penguins. He possesses the combination of ability, leadership, and competitiveness that the Penguins need to achieve our goals in the short and long run. We look forward to welcoming Rutger and his family to the city of Pittsburgh and the Penguins.”
The Jets, in turn, receive Brayden Yager, a 19-year-old forward who was picked by the Penguins at No. 14 in the 2023 NHL Draft. Yager had an outstanding season with Moose Jaw in the Western Hockey League, tallying 95 points (35 goals, 60 assists) in 57 games. He also represented Canada at the 2024 World Junior Championship, where he recorded five points (two goals, three assists) in five games.
Yager had recently signed a three-year, entry-level contract with Pittsburgh on July 24 and was expected to compete for a spot on the NHL roster this season. Penguins assistant general manager Jason Spezza had praised Yager’s growth and potential prior to the trade, noting, “I would never want to limit a young player’s ability to make the team. So he controls that in terms of how he shows up and how he plays. But we saw great growth as far as his ability to play tough matchups.”
For both McGroarty and Yager, the trade represents a fresh start and a new opportunity to make an impact at the NHL level. As the Penguins and Jets continue to build their rosters, these young talents will be key pieces in their respective teams’ strategies for success.
Sports
Patrik Laine Trade: A Risky Bet That Could Pay Off Big for the Canadiens
![Sports News in Canada](https://canadanewsmedia.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/jets-patrik-laine-shoots-during-practice.jpg)
In 2016, debates raged over whether Auston Matthews or Patrik Laine should be selected first overall in that year’s NHL draft. Matthews was the presumed favorite, but Laine made a late push with standout performances in international tournaments and Finland’s top league. Despite the fierce debates, Matthews was eventually drafted first overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs, while Laine went second to the Winnipeg Jets.
Fast forward to today, and there’s no longer any debate between the two: Matthews is a three-time Rocket Richard Trophy winner, NHL MVP, and captain of the Leafs, while Laine is on his third team after a recent trade to the Montreal Canadiens. Injuries, including a broken clavicle and shoulder surgery, and time spent in the NHL’s Player Assistance Program have hampered Laine’s career in recent years. He scored just six goals in 18 games during the 2023-24 season, raising questions about his ability to remain an elite goal scorer.
However, when healthy, Laine remains a dangerous sniper. From the 2021-22 season through 2022-23, he managed 48 goals in 111 games with the Columbus Blue Jackets, and his 1.37 goals per 60 minutes of ice time were comparable to players like Kyle Connor, Elias Pettersson, and Aleksander Barkov. Over his three seasons in Columbus, Laine scored at a 0.38 goals per game pace, ranking 43rd in the league.
Given his elite goal-scoring potential, the Canadiens are banking on Laine rediscovering his form. Laine expressed excitement about the move to Montreal, stating that he’s mentally and physically in a better place after addressing his mental health and rehabbing his shoulder.
At 26 years old, Laine is still relatively young, and the Canadiens are taking a calculated gamble by acquiring him. Montreal’s front office had the cap space to absorb his $8.7 million annual average salary, and they received a second-round pick from Columbus in the deal. For Montreal, adding a player of Laine’s offensive caliber is a clear bet on a potential payoff.
If Laine can stay healthy and motivated, he could provide a significant boost to a Montreal offense that ranked 26th in goals per game last season. His presence could take some of the scoring pressure off Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, and Juraj Slafkovsky, adding depth and versatility to the Canadiens’ attack, both at even strength and on the power play.
To land Laine, the Canadiens had to part with young defenseman Jordan Harris, a player with solid two-way capabilities. Harris, who averaged 17:28 minutes of ice time in 56 games last season, now joins a Blue Jackets team looking to solidify their defense. Montreal’s decision to move Harris reflects the team’s depth at the blue line, with a crop of young defenders such as Kaiden Guhle, Arber Xhekaj, and David Reinbacher showing promise.
For Montreal, Laine’s offensive upside makes this trade an exciting possibility. While there are concerns about his inconsistency and defensive effort, his ability to score goals is undeniable. Laine has shown he can be a game-changer, and if he can regain his form, the Canadiens could have a major asset on their hands.
From Columbus’s perspective, the addition of Harris strengthens their defense and clears cap space to continue rebuilding. The Blue Jackets will also benefit from the second-round pick Montreal sent as part of the deal, adding another asset to their draft arsenal.
The Patrik Laine trade is a bold move that comes with risks for both teams. However, if Laine can get back to being the elite scorer he was early in his career, Montreal could look back on this deal as a defining moment in their rebuild. For Columbus, the opportunity to move on from Laine and gain future assets presents a new direction. Time will tell if this gamble pays off for the Canadiens, but one thing is certain: Laine’s next chapter in Montreal will be closely watched.
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