The Vancouver Canucks are set to take on the Edmonton Oilers in a winner-take-all Game 7 on May 20, but they’ll have to do it without their leading goalscorer in the lineup.
Vancouver-based hockey journalist Irfaan Gaffar was the first to report that 27-year-old winger Brock Boeser would be unavailable for the Canucks in Game 7, adding that his status moving forward remained unclear. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman later confirmed that Boeser is expected to miss the series-deciding contest with a blood clotting issue.
Brock Boeser is expected to miss Game 7 against Edmonton due to a blood clotting issue.
“The exact timeline for his return is unknown, but several sources stressed this, thankfully, is not considered a life-threatening situation,” Friedman said.
Boeser was absent from Vancouver’s team practice on Sunday, along with center J.T. Miller and defenseman Tyler Myers. Head coach Rick Tocchet indicated after practice that the players’ absence was “maintenance” related, but the news of Boeser’s health issue broke hours later.
Losing Boeser a Crushing Blow for Canucks
Boeser recorded career highs in goals (40) and points (73) during the regular-season campaign, and his 40 goals were the most on the Canucks’ roster. He is also leading the team with seven goals in 12 playoff games, and he is tied with Miller for the team lead in points this postseason with 12.
The Canucks are coming off their worst loss of the series to the Oilers, dropping a 5-1 decision in Edmonton on May 18. Boeser, who has been playing on Vancouver’s top forward line with Miller and Pius Suter, was held scoreless for the second straight contest and logged 18:40 of ice time in the loss, his lowest of the series.
The best-of-seven series is currently tied at 3-3, and the winner of Game 7 will face the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference Final, which is set to begin May 23 in Texas. Though his condition is fortunately not life-threatening, Boeser’s uncertain status moving forward would be a major factor for the Canucks if they were to advance beyond the second round of the playoffs.
Boeser Marks Second Significant Injury for Vancouver in Playoffs
After a regular-season campaign that saw Vancouver’s core players remain in relatively good health, the postseason has now brought a pair of devastating injuries to the roster. Starting goaltender Thatcher Demko, a finalist for the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s best netminder, has not played since Game 1 of Vancouver’s first-round series against the Nashville Predators due to an injury he suffered during the game. Demko was replaced by backup goaltender Casey DeSmith in Game 2 against the Predators, but a subsequent injury to DeSmith thrust third-string goalie Arturs Silovs into action.
Silovs started the remaining three games in the first-round series against the Predators and all six games in the second round against the Oilers, posting a 5-4 record with one shutout, a 2.89 goals against average and an .898 save percentage. DeSmith has since become available to play but has been serving as Silovs’ backup, and Tocchet confirmed that Demko would again be unavailable for Game 7 against the Oilers.
Per Daily Faceoff’s projected line combinations, which were updated the evening of May 19 following the news of Boeser’s absence, forward Sam Lafferty is expected to draw back into Vancouver’s lineup for Game 7 against Edmonton. Lafferty will likely slot in on the Canucks’ third line, while Conor Garland is expected to shift up to take Boeser’s spot on the top line.
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Canucks Lose Leading Scorer Ahead of Crucial Game 7 vs. Oilers