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Sports

Miller set to return as Canucks host Oilers

By Sports Network
Published | Updated

(SportsNetwork.com) - Ryan Miller is expected to make his first start in over a month on Saturday night when the Vancouver Canucks play host to the Edmonton Oilers.

Miller has not played since Feb. 22, when he suffered a sprained knee that halted his solid season for the Canucks. In his first campaign with Vancouver, Miller is 28-15-1 with a 2.47 goals against average, .913 save percentage and six shutouts in 44 starts.

The 34-year-old did dress as the backup on Thursday night, when Eddie Lack made 28 saves in a 5-0 win over the Arizona Coyotes.

"You have to have two goalies going into the playoffs," Canucks head coach Willie Desjardins told NHL.com after the game. "It would be tough on Ryan if he ended up playing in the playoffs without having played in so long."

Miller has never lost to the Oilers, going 11-0-0 with a 1.99 GAA and .930 save percentage in 11 meetings.

Lack posted his second shutout of the season and sixth of his career. He was supported by two goals from Yannick Weber, while Daniel Sedin added a goal and an assist. Dan Hamhuis and Ronalds Kenins also scored.

"The team played unbelievable in front of me tonight," said Lack. "I felt like I was growing into the game because I had to battle in the first, but I was able to read things a little better in the third."

Vancouver won its second straight and is two points ahead of the third-place Calgary Flames, its first-round opponent for the playoffs. Home ice for that series is still up for grabs as the Flames visit the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday.

The Oilers have lost four of their past five games and were topped 3-1 by the San Jose Sharks on Thursday. Nail Yakupov had a goal and Laurent Brossoit stopped 49-of-51 shots faced in an impressive NHL debut.

"I wanted to show well and show what I could do, and I think I did that at least," said Brossoit.

Still, Brossoit was sent back to the minors on Friday when netminder Viktor Fasth was activated off of injured reserve.

The Canucks have won four in a row and seven of their past nine versus the Oilers, taking 12 of the last 15 encounters at home.