<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The <a href="https://canucksarmy.com/combinations">Vancouver Canucks</a> had a completely new look in goal as the team hit the practice at the University of British Columbia in the noon hour on Saturday.</span></p>
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<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">After Kevin Lankinen made a season-high 37 saves and Arturs Silovs backed up in a 3-1 win over Minnesota on Friday, neither netminder was on the ice with the group on Saturday.</span></p>
<h1><span style="font-weight: 400;">What we know</span></h1>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">the pinstripes are back. Tolopilo on the ice at UBC this morning <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Canucks?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Canucks</a> <a href="https://t.co/ySVm5dyhy7">pic.twitter.com/ySVm5dyhy7</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Jeff Paterson (@patersonjeff) <a href="https://twitter.com/patersonjeff/status/1898460207895966115?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 8, 2025</a></p></blockquote>
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<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">With the heavy workload in his third straight start and with a tough assignment Sunday against Dallas on the horizon, Lankinen was given the day off by the hockey club. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://canucksarmy.com/news/vancouver-canucks-assign-silovs-ahl-abbotsford-recall-tolopilo-emergency-basis">Silovs was assigned to AHL Abbotsford</a>, where he will start on Saturday night against the San Jose Barracuda. The club wanted to get Silovs some game action, considering he hadn’t played since a 5-2 loss in Anaheim on February 27th.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">With Lankinen resting and Silovs down on the farm, Nikita Tolopilo was recalled by the Canucks under emergency conditions Saturday morning. He tended one net at UBC while the Canucks enlisted a practice goaltender to guard the other cage during Saturday’s session.</span></p>
<h1><span style="font-weight: 400;">Other news and notes</span></h1>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Canucks skated in the same line combinations and defensive pairings used to beat the Wild. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://canucksarmy.com/news/scenes-vancouver-canucks-practice-new-injury-quinn-hughes-thatcher-demko-update">Quinn Hughes</a> took a scheduled day off the ice in his recovery from his latest injury, which has kept him out of action for the past two games. Beyond that, the team didn’t have much of an update on the captain, who remains day-to-day with an undisclosed injury. However, without a practice on Saturday, it seems like a longshot to have Hughes back in action against the Stars on Sunday.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Meanwhile, Thatcher Demko skated on his own at UBC prior to the main group. Today marks one month since Demko left a February 8th game against Toronto with a lower-body injury. He has not practiced with the full group and would likely need a couple of practices before he becomes an option to play again. With a compressed schedule, including a pair of back to backs over the next nine days, it’s unlikely the Canucks will have much practice time during this busy stretch.</span></p>
<p>The Canucks host Dallas on Sunday. The Stars stop off for a game in Edmonton tonight. Jake Oettinger is getting the start in goal against the Oilers which means the Canucks will likely see former teammate Casey DeSmith in goal at Rogers Arena. Dallas beat the Canucks 5-3 on January 31st – the day JT Miller was traded and the night Quinn Hughes injured his oblique.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Canucks?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Canucks</a> going back to basics. Deking around a stick on the ice and cutting to middle <a href="https://t.co/9y8lQjXZci">pic.twitter.com/9y8lQjXZci</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Jeff Paterson (@patersonjeff) <a href="https://twitter.com/patersonjeff/status/1898476769973608550?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 8, 2025</a></p></blockquote>
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<h1><span style="font-weight: 400;">What we heard</span></h1>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Rick Tocchet on finding ways to get Lankinen rest between games: “I talked to him after the game. Obviously he was going to go on the ice either today or tomorrow. We felt give him today and he’ll go on the ice in the morning. I like talking to the goalies about it and his preference was to do this and so you give the starter his preference.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Tocchet on employing a practice goalie to face NHL shooters: “They’re here early and stretching (with the guys). It’s not like beer league where they’re showing up as the Zamboni is going on. These guys are into it. They’re in the meals. And we want them to be part of the team. It’s fun for them, but it also kind of loosens the practice up, too.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Tocchet on facing the Stars, who are the best team in the league since Christmas: “The balance they’ve got. Their fourth line can score. Their five-six defencemen can score. Now, you give Rantanen a couple of looks he’s going to put it in. We have to limit their looks and play tight D. But good defence is also having the puck on your stick. We just can’t be happy throwing the puck away or getting the puck out, we want to attack. But we have to be more calculated.”</span></p>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>


<span style="font-weight: 400;">The <a href="https://canucksarmy.com/combinations">Vancouver Canucks</a> had a completely new look in goal as the team hit the practice at the University of British Columbia in the noon hour on Saturday.</span>
<div class="bam-inline-promotion-block" data-max-length="2" data-placement-id="2111" data-context="web-content-promocard" data-property-id="329"></div>
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<span style="font-weight: 400;">After Kevin Lankinen made a season-high 37 saves and Arturs Silovs backed up in a 3-1 win over Minnesota on Friday, neither netminder was on the ice with the group on Saturday.</span>
<h1><span style="font-weight: 400;">What we know</span></h1>
https://twitter.com/patersonjeff/status/1898460207895966115

<span style="font-weight: 400;">With the heavy workload in his third straight start and with a tough assignment Sunday against Dallas on the horizon, Lankinen was given the day off by the hockey club. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://canucksarmy.com/news/vancouver-canucks-assign-silovs-ahl-abbotsford-recall-tolopilo-emergency-basis">Silovs was assigned to AHL Abbotsford</a>, where he will start on Saturday night against the San Jose Barracuda. The club wanted to get Silovs some game action, considering he hadn’t played since a 5-2 loss in Anaheim on February 27th.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">With Lankinen resting and Silovs down on the farm, Nikita Tolopilo was recalled by the Canucks under emergency conditions Saturday morning. He tended one net at UBC while the Canucks enlisted a practice goaltender to guard the other cage during Saturday’s session.</span>
<h1><span style="font-weight: 400;">Other news and notes</span></h1>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">The Canucks skated in the same line combinations and defensive pairings used to beat the Wild. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://canucksarmy.com/news/scenes-vancouver-canucks-practice-new-injury-quinn-hughes-thatcher-demko-update">Quinn Hughes</a> took a scheduled day off the ice in his recovery from his latest injury, which has kept him out of action for the past two games. Beyond that, the team didn’t have much of an update on the captain, who remains day-to-day with an undisclosed injury. However, without a practice on Saturday, it seems like a longshot to have Hughes back in action against the Stars on Sunday.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Meanwhile, Thatcher Demko skated on his own at UBC prior to the main group. Today marks one month since Demko left a February 8th game against Toronto with a lower-body injury. He has not practiced with the full group and would likely need a couple of practices before he becomes an option to play again. With a compressed schedule, including a pair of back to backs over the next nine days, it’s unlikely the Canucks will have much practice time during this busy stretch.</span>

The Canucks host Dallas on Sunday. The Stars stop off for a game in Edmonton tonight. Jake Oettinger is getting the start in goal against the Oilers which means the Canucks will likely see former teammate Casey DeSmith in goal at Rogers Arena. Dallas beat the Canucks 5-3 on January 31st – the day JT Miller was traded and the night Quinn Hughes injured his oblique.

https://twitter.com/patersonjeff/status/1898476769973608550
<h1><span style="font-weight: 400;">What we heard</span></h1>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">Rick Tocchet on finding ways to get Lankinen rest between games: “I talked to him after the game. Obviously he was going to go on the ice either today or tomorrow. We felt give him today and he’ll go on the ice in the morning. I like talking to the goalies about it and his preference was to do this and so you give the starter his preference.”</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Tocchet on employing a practice goalie to face NHL shooters: “They’re here early and stretching (with the guys). It’s not like beer league where they’re showing up as the Zamboni is going on. These guys are into it. They’re in the meals. And we want them to be part of the team. It’s fun for them, but it also kind of loosens the practice up, too.”</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Tocchet on facing the Stars, who are the best team in the league since Christmas: “The balance they’ve got. Their fourth line can score. Their five-six defencemen can score. Now, you give Rantanen a couple of looks he’s going to put it in. We have to limit their looks and play tight D. But good defence is also having the puck on your stick. We just can’t be happy throwing the puck away or getting the puck out, we want to attack. But we have to be more calculated.”</span>

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Scenes from Canucks practice: Load management for Lankinen; another day off for Hughes

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