Canucks & Coyotes Game Day

The Canucks (22-18-5) and Coyotes (21-18-5) prepare to face each other for the 2nd time this season. In their previous meeting, the Canucks posted a 1-0 win at home Nov. 6. That night, Roberto Luongo made 28 saves for the Canucks while Ilya Bryzgalov stopped 31 shots in the loss. Both goalies will start tonight at GM Place.

Luongo makes his return after missing seven weeks with his groin injury. Since he left in the first period of the game against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Nov. 22, the Canucks went 10-12-3 (which includes the win against the Pens).

Kyle Wellwood will be a healthy scratch tonight as Jannik Hansen returns to the line-up after sitting out last Tuesday's 5-3 loss to the New Jersey Devils. Wellwood leads the team in power play goals with 8. Hansen has not seen any power play time this season for the Canucks. Wellwood has 19 points overall while Hansen has 18. Hansen is going to be a part of NHL history tonight as he will go head-to-head against fellow Danish-born forward Mikkel Boedker of Phoenix.

As for the Coyotes, they enter the night two points back of the Canucks. Their current financial situation isn't the only thing that's been struggling this year. They have the 26th best road record in the league (6-12-3) and they're 29th overall the power play (24-for-19=12.6%).

Here are the expected line-ups, with the Canucks lines from yesterday's practice, and the Coyotes line-up from their last game, which was a 6-3 loss to the Minnesota Wild.

Canucks:

D. Sedin - H. Sedin - Pyatt
Hansen - Sundin - Demitra
Burrows - Kesler - Bernier
Hordichuk - Johnson - Raymond

Mitchell - Bieksa
Ohlund - Davison
O'Brien - Edler

Luongo
LaBarbera

Coyotes:

Todd Fedoruk - Olli Jokinen - Enver Lisin
Shane Doan - Steve Reinprecht - Joakim Lindstrom
Peter Mueller - Kyle Turris - Mikkel Boedker
Daniel Carcillo - Martin Hanzal - Daniel Winnik

Ed Jovanovski - Ken Klee
David Hale - Zbynek Michalek
Derek Morris - Keith Yandle

Ilya Bryzgalov
Mikael Tellqvist