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Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Vancouver Canucks

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When: Saturday, 7 p.m., Rogers Arena

TV: SN Pacific. Radio: Sportsnet 650

The buzz: The Canucks have won three games in a row. They played well. They scored 12 goals in these three victories. Goaltender Kevin Lankinen is playing very well, as well as the team could have hoped. The power play looked great in Chicago. The team spirit is optimistic. We could go on and on.

The story: Pittsburgh plays Friday night in Edmonton, so they will be tired to face Vancouver. The two teams split the season series last year, with the road team winning each game 4-3, both times in overtime.

Hope: The Canucks would like to confirm that they are red hot. A victory would do that. They’re playing a good two-way game right now and they have great goaltending. This should not stop.

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Fear: They come out flat. The power play stops working. The Penguins are full of energy, for some reason, after their game Friday in Edmonton and are ahead of the Canucks.

The best guns: Without a goal Elias Pettersson created opportunities when he was on the ice. Will he finally break through on Saturday? JT Miller, Brock Boeser And Conor Garland all have six points in six games.

The injured: Canucks: Thatcher Demko (knee, IR), Dakota Joshua (testicular cancer, IR), Derek Forbort (staff). Penguins: Vasily Ponomarev (upper body, IR), Blake Lizotte (concussion, IR)

The quote: "I think it’s just Gar," JT Miller joked, with a big smile, about what caused all the chatter and loud energy during Canucks practice.

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The programming:

DeBrusk-Miller-Boeser

Hoglander-Pettersson-Garlande

Heinen-Blueger-Sherwood

Suter-Aman-Bains

Hughes-Hronek

Soucy Myers

Brannstrom-Desharnais

Lankinen

The prediction: The Penguins still have talented stars at the top, but they’re no longer the cup-contending team they once were. The Canucks are (for the most part) firing on all cylinders. Leave with a 4-2 victory for Vancouver.

The last one: Dakota Joshua skated with his friends again on Friday. “It’s really up to him to decide now.” Rick Tocchet said how close the bruised winger is.

(FAN FORUM: Do you have a specific question for a player? Pass it on to @provincesports and we will get it in a future edition.)

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