Photo credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
Aatu Raty gets his milestone night under Adam Foote as the Canucks keep him in the lineup for what’s projected to be game 100.
This isn’t just a feel-good note on the pregame sheet. Vancouver is coming off a strong win over Florida, and Raty stays in the mix instead of getting bumped aside.
That matters because Raty enters with 99 career NHL games and has dressed in 51 this season, which tells you this has been more than a cameo year for him.
He also gave the Canucks a little juice on Tuesday. His goal against the Panthers was his first since December 6 against the Minnesota Wild.
Foote’s projected look puts Raty between Evander Kane and Nils Hoglander, and that says plenty about what this staff wants from the fourth line. They need pace, straight-line pressure, and shifts that don’t get pinned in their own end.
The other call is in net. Kevin Lankinen is set to go again after snapping a long dry spell against Florida, and he comes in with an 8-21-5 record and a 3.60 GAA.
Foote is chasing more than a nice story
That crease decision matters because Tampa Bay can still make a goalie’s night miserable in a hurry. The Lightning bring a 22.1% power play, while Vancouver sits at 71.4 on the penalty kill.
There’s also a bigger forward wrinkle here than Raty’s milestone. Marco Rossi is projected to center Brock Boeser and Liam Ohgren, which looks like a real swing from a staff still searching for workable combinations.
That leaves Elias Pettersson with Jake DeBrusk and Drew O’Connor on the top line, a group that should see the tougher matchups once the puck drops. Foote isn’t hiding from the matchup game.
The Canucks did handle Tampa Bay 6-2 in the earlier meeting. Still, this club comes into Thursday at 21-38-8, so nobody inside that room is mistaking one good night for a turnaround.
Tampa Bay’s side of the board is a lot heavier. The Lightning are 41-21-4, and Nikita Kucherov rolls in with 11 points over his last 5 games.
On the blue line, Vancouver keeps Filip Hronek with Elias Pettersson, while Marcus Pettersson is projected with Tom Willander. That tells you Foote wants his pairs moving pucks fast and surviving Tampa’s push through the neutral zone.
So yes, Raty’s milestone is the headline. But the bigger story is that Foote is still testing what this lineup can give him, and Thursday night gives that experiment another hard measuring stick.
Previously on Vancouver Hockey Daily
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Adam Foote keeps Aatu Raty in Canucks lineup for 100th NHL game
Should Adam Foote keep Aatu Raty in the lineup after his 100th NHL game ?