Canucks - Hurricanes Preview / O'Brien puckers up / Sundin

The Canes are fighting for their playoff lives and barely hold onto 8th spot. We're fighting for a spot too. There are no more excuses for Vancouver. This team is either going to snap its losing streak and turn it around, or they'll lose again and the barbaric fans and media will continue their verbal crucifixions.
I have a good feeling about tonight's game. I think the team is going to come out playing hard this time. If they don't, they're dead.
We'll see which players are quitting on Vigneault. I don't think there are that many.
Demitra will play with Sundin and Kesler. I like the sound of that line.

4-1 Canucks is my guess.

EAT CROW, SHANE-O

Shane O'Brien has had some time to think about what he ranted about a couple of days ago and today he was the better man for apologizing.

"Mike Gillis never told me I had to fight," O'Brien said after the team's game-day skate at General Motors Place. "He was just talking to me about playing physical. Maybe I took it the wrong way. As a frustrated player, you want to be in the lineup. No one likes losing and it's just a tough situation. I didn't help it by doing what I did and apologize to Mike Gillis and the Vancouver organization and fans. It was just a lot of frustration."

"Mike is a good man, I was never trying to point the finger at him," O'Brien said. "He's got a job to do, AV (coach Alain Vigneault) has a job to do, there are lots of quality, good people in this organization. I am just frustrated at not being in the lineup and my career is not where I want it to be and my team is not where I want it to be. I made it about me and I apologize to my teammates. I was selfish, but like I said, I was frustrated."

Well that's a lot better, Shane. I'm glad he did this. Like I said earlier, a slumping and frustrated team doesn't need players bad-mouthing the GM and coach at times like these, especially when the GM is backing the coach.
His apology hasn't helped his situation though. He is still a healthy scratch for tonight's game. Rob Davison will play again.

SUNDIN NEEDS TO RUSH THE PUCK UP THE ICE

This poster at CDC almost has the right idea. Sundin likes puck possession. I watched him for years in Toronto and one thing he really likes doing is circling around in the defensive zone, gaining speed, and then taking the pass from a D-man and rushing up the ice. With Sundin's size and hands he's awfully hard to contain when he plows into the offensive zone with that much speed.

Canucks-Wild Preview: God help us all

So we know the various things that are wrong with this slumping Canucks team...
-fragile confidence
-lousy power play
-lousy penalty kills
-mental lapses
-turnovers
-panic attacks
-not playing the coach's system
-not playing a full 60 minutes

So there is isn't really much else to say except for what players will be playing and who won't.

Pavol Demitra will not play against his former team.
Mike Brown will play. We could use the grit.
Kyle Wellwood will play on a line with Jannik Hansen and Steve Bernier.
Mats Sundin will play with Kesler and Burrows, which I think is a great idea. Kesler and Burrows are basically line 2 players anyways.
Mason Raymond is expected to sit out with Shane O'Brien. Strange how 2 of the 3 players involved in the scuffle at practice on Thursday sit out.
Rob Davison will play in O'Brien's stead.

The Wild lost a disappointing game to the Oilers tonight. They will be whipped and drilled by coach Jacques Lemaire's to win their game against Vancouver.

It's tough to look at the Western Conference standings right now. The Canucks have 51 points and are 2 points from a playoff spot. A loss against the Wild will once again put heaps of pressure on the team.
I really don't know what to expect from the Canucks at this point. They are trying to say all the right things in their 7 game slump, but it is all just lip service to me. These next 3 games will be crucial. All 3 are at home, where they are atrocious. They could very well lose all 3, as GM Place is not such a friendly place to play in lately. If they lose the next 3, Alain Vigneault could be fired, OR, the team will go on the road and turn it around.
Doesn't that bother you that the team plays with so much fucking anxiety at GM Place? What does that say about the team? What does that say about the fans? Well, I've had a few drinks so I'll say this: Canucks fans can be the worst fans in the League. Pessimistic. Doomsayers. How about the fans get a little more into it more consistently and cheer the team on? The players can use all the help they can get.

I know the Devils have been rolling lately, so their fans are optimistic. But when they were down with under a minute to go against the Penguins tonight you could hear the fans screaming "Let's go Devils" as the clock winded down. The Devils never quit, tied the game, won in OT, and sent Crosby home crying.
Now THERE is a team that has their shit together. Confidence is everything. Jamie Langenbrunner is everything. Jesus, what a captain he is.
To me, the Devils are the model team. They play Brent Sutter's system so well. Sure they got outshot by (I believe a 43-16 margin) yet they still win. They lose Brodeur long term and still win. When they had chances they made it count. Plus they got breaks. That's what happens to a team that is rolling and has confidence.
Can someone please tell me how Sundin can start off so sluggish after a long layoff yet Brendan Shanahan can return after more time off than Mats, play 5 games, and have 3 goals and 1 assist? Shanahan turned 40 on January 23. He's so clutch. He also is playing with better talent and has a better shot.
Anyways, I'm just ranting. I'm not losing faith in this Canucks team. Why? Because I believe that once they win a game they will turn it around. If they don't win any games, very soon Mike Gillis will do SOMETHING to change it up. All hope is not lost.

T Tags: Canucks+Wild+game+preview slump Devils Shanahan Sundin answersLabels: Canucks, Devils, Game Preview, Mats Sundin, Wild

Canucks-Predators Preview: Updated all day

I think Elliot Papp from the Vancouver Sun summed up all of our thoughts on the potential post-All Star Break Canucks squad storyline:

Mats Sundin is here. The all-star break is over. Roberto Luongo is back. The schedule isn't bad. The Canucks are almost completely healthy. I don't know about you but I can't find one itty-bitty excuse for this team if it continues its follies of the previous three weeks. The Canucks found every conceivable way in which to lose a game in the last six -- fall behind, catch up and then lose; fall behind and never catch up; take the lead and blow it; lose in regular time; lose in overtime; lose in a shootout. They lost to lousy road teams, lousy power-play teams, teams without their No. 1 goalie, teams with a rookie goalie and teams who pulled their goalie in the last minute. Hands up anyone out there who thought the Canucks would hang on and beat the Sharks last Tuesday. Maybe you hoped but did you really believe??

Let me answer the last 2 questions: I DID think the Canucks would hang on and beat the Sharks 1-0 in regulation and YES I really believed that. It was a game that saw an improved team effort. I've seen them play that kind of 'shutdown' hockey before and I was getting deja-vu.

UPDATE 1
So nearly the worst case scenario happened last night. The Blue Jackets, Wild, Ducks and even the Stars all won their games. That drops the Canucks down to 10th spot in the West I believe. My initial reaction is that this is almost like seeing Cameron Diaz with and then without makeup. But then I settled down and realized that the gap between the Canucks and 5th spot is not as big as Diaz's mouth.
The Canucks will need to start winning right away. This is going to be a battle, and the team seems ready for it.
I was reading somewhere that (the writer feels) that Alain Vigneault may bring back the trap, which is a method that has worked in the past. You saw it against the Sharks and it almost worked. I hope AV does do just that. The players can learn to play defence again and then open up. This team was drawing too many comparisons to the Leafs before the game against San Jose. That isn't a good thing.

UPDATE 2
The Canucks have beat the Predators 3 out of 3 games this season, outscoring them 9-2 in the process.

-The Preds have lost 4 of their last 5 games and only scored 8 goals in the process. They are in the NHL basement in goals for per game.

UPDATE 3: Sundin making strides
From the Vancouver Sun:

At Tuesday’s practice, Mats Sundin didn’t tag along behind Daniel and Henrik Sedin on the first power play, but confidently ran a second unit. The day before, Sundin not only survived the practice-ending conditioning skate, but led it. He had terrific scoring chances the last two games and finished one of them.

It's almost time for Sundin to contribute offensively at a more consistent rate. His time is near.

UPDATE 4: Watch out for Steve Sullivan
From Canucks.com:

Prior to suiting up for his first game of the season on January 10th against the Blackhawks, the 34-year old had not played a game since February 22, 2007 against the Montreal Canadiens when he suffered a back injury that kept him out for 687 days until his recent triumphant return to the lineup. He became only the third player in the post-World War II NHL history to miss over 600 days and then return to action – Jim Peplinski of the Calgary Flames and Mario Lemieux of the Pittsburgh Penguins being the others. Sharks forward Claude Lemieux has since become the fourth player to join that list.

Stevie is not to be underestimated. He is going to light it up at any moment. I hope it's not against the Canucks...

UPDATE 5: Play that funky music
I'm going to try something new for this site. Earlier in the season, I'd have the old Canucks intro tune (U2's Where the Streets Have No Name) playing pre game in the background on this site. From this point forward, if the Canucks win a game I'll post a song right after my post game post gets posted (you dig what I'm sayin'?)
I won't say what tune it is, but it is synonymous with the Canucks. The tune will be turned off sometime around lunch the following day so you don't get too damned annoyed.

UPDATE 6: Flame-out
The Canucks' journey to a playoff spot in the final 34 games in 2-fold. Yes, they have to stay ahead of the clusterf**k in the middle of the West. But they also need to keep pace with the Flames. Yeah, they are 9 points ahead of Vancouver right now but that gap can be closed very quickly if the Flames lose a few and we win a few. In my opinion, I don't see the Flames continuing on at their current torrid pace long term.
It's funny how all the media caught on today to Vancouver dropping to 10th spot last night. Kinda late on that one, boys and girls. Tonight's game is not a must win in general, but it is in the fact that the media is going to hop all over them for losing now that they are in 10th. The team doesn't necessarily need that kind of pressure put on them. Sometimes I wish they were even further down in the standings so that the media would leave them alone or write them off. That would take away some of the spotlight and pressure.
At the same time, these guys are paid to deal with pressure.

GAME TIME: 7:30 PST
TV: TSN

Tech Tags: Canucks+Predators+preview January+28+2009 positivity fear Demitra+injured+ribs

Canucks-Sharks Preview: The Glass is Half Full

Too much gore for the post image? Oh well.
The Canucks finally get away from home to play the Sharks at the tank tomorrow/today. Before this big homestand they just failed at miserably, we were saying how much they needed to get off the road and away from the insane schedule. Now it's the other way around. I'm sure it's too tense for a team struggling with having a fragile confidence level to be playing that many games at home.
Unfortunately they play the best team in the West on the road before the All Star break hits.
Last time these 2 teams played wasn't all that long ago, and the Sharks had their way with us. I'm thinking the teams' effort may be better this time around, even if the end result is possibly the same.
There was some fight in the Canucks' game against the Blue Jackets. After the 4 goals against brain fart the Canucks showed resiliency to tie it up at 5. They showed that they aren't quitting. That's a good thing. That is one reason why I think the glass is half full with this team and not half empty.
Another reason? Sundin is looking better. Luongo and Sundin are going to need more time to play at the level that we expect of them. Sundin is progressing. Luongo has only had 2 games under his belt since his return and looks like he needs a lot of work. But he'll get there. Luongo called himself a "work in progress" after the loss to Columbus and that he is.
The defence, with Bieksa being center stage for his follies will improve. There just isn't a lot of confidence there right now and the D is not making smart decisions getting the puck out of their zone. But they were being smart earlier in the season. They'll get back to that smart play.

Demitra's groin injury shouldn't spell demise. When he hurt his ribs in late October, the Canucks went 6-2-1 in his absence. The were 3-4-0 before that injury and had lost the previous 3 straight games. Demitra is not the cog that holds this machine together. He's only an inconsistent drifting part of it.

Sami Salo is ready to play against the Sharks. Speaking of not getting the puck out of their zone...Salo can help with that, and he can also play a tonne of minutes. Oh and his shot on the power play is missed. But remember, Salo is not going to save the day. The team as a whole needs to build on the positives of the game against Columbus.

More updates pre game as they happen.

T Tags: Canucks+Sharks+game+preview January+20+2009 Salo+returns Demitra+injured slump improving+team positivity

Canucks-Blue Jackets preview: Vigneault finds the cure

-Word on the street is that Kyle Wellwood will draw back in and Mason Raymond will sit out. No confirmation of that yet.
**UPDATE**
This was quoted from somewhere at the CDC Forum:

Mason Raymond will be the odd-man out tonight as Wellwood returns to the lineup in a role on the fourth line. Raymond has scored nine goals in an inconsistent season. He definitely needs some work on his game but won't be getting that in the AHL.
Raymond has played 95 NHL games. After 80 he lost his waiver wire exemption.
"Without a doubt he couldn't clear waivers" Vigneault said. "He needs waivers to go down an that's just not an option anymore"

-Rick Nash, who has missed the last 4 games with a lower body injury is expected to play. Damn. C Jiri Novotny (upper body), C Derick Brassard (right shoulder surgery), LW Jason Chimera (groin), D Rostislav Klesla (bruised foot), and G Pascal Leclaire (ankle) are all on the injury reserve for Columbus. The Canucks will probably still be without Sami Salo. Salo tore a butt muscle when he sat down on the toilet to poop.
**UPDATE**
From the Province:

He should finally make his return tonight against Columbus.
"He's done everything in practice and it looks like he's pain free," head coach Alain Vigneault said.
Salo was coy Saturday and said his status hasn't changed.
"The bone has to be fully healed," Salo said. "You don't want to go out there if you can't do everything on the ice."

-No Pascal Leclaire. No problem. The Jackets have a potential rookie of the year in goal named Steve Mason.
-Columbus has won both games against Vancouver this year: 3-2 on December 1st and 4-2 on October 21st. Rick Nash had 2 goals and 2 assists in those games. Kyle Wellwood had 2 goals and 1 assist.
-The Canucks will play more physically, according to Ryan Kesler.

"We are going to take hard-working penalties, It’s the hooking and holding that we’re not going to take. If we play physical and take roughing or whatever, a punch in the head, we’ll kill those off."

Great plan. That part has been lacking in their game. Something needs to spark this club.
-Scoring the first goal wouldn't be a bad idea either. In their last 3 losses, the Canucks gave up the first 4 consecutive goals to Phoenix, 3 goals to New Jersey and 1 to San Jose. They obviously have not held a lead in any of those games.
-Columbus is 7-3-0 in their last 10 games. They are surging. They trail Vancouver by 3 points and can gain a playoff spot with a win tonight. Oh, and they have 2 games in hand.
-Let's see if the bleeding stops tonight. C'mon guys, it's like Yoda, I mean AV said: don't think....do!

The Canucks looked confident today according to the Province. Luongo said:

“You can’t take things for granted. Just because we’re good on paper doesn’t mean it’s going to happen on the ice. Look at Pittsburgh, they have the league’s two leading scorers and they’re not even in a playoff spot. We have to work hard, we have to play hard and we have to play smart. All those things translate into success. We can have the best team on paper, but if we don’t put it together on the ice, it’s not going to happen. “

We are going to turn things around, and when we do, there is going to be a lot of excitement in this city.”

GAME TIME: 5:00 PST
TV: Sportsnet

Canucks.com Fan Zone Live Blog can be found here. Several fans have been granted media passes for this as well as Canucks practices. This is a great thing for the organization to do and so far it is going very well, increasing the trust and relationship between the organization and bloggers.

Just saw this image at CDC under the name ramirez inc:

Beauty! ABC! Easy as 1-2-3! The big difference here is that I don't see one of the Swedes turning black or opening up a kid park.










T Tags: Canucks+Blue+Jackets+game+preview January+18+2008 Nash+returns Canucks+slumping

The return of Luongod: Canucks-Coyotes preview / updated all day

I'll take the cautious approach. Roberto Luongo is either going to return and
a) save the skins of a mediocre team through insane saves
b) inspire the team to play better for a whole 60 minutes
c) look rusty in his return and the team continues to suck

I'll have any Canuck updates prior to the game against the Coyotes, like the possibility of Wellwood sitting out this one for example. Until then, I put together a few Photoshop images that I think capture the day and the moment. Enjoy.

UPDATE 1

Sami "Glass" Salo will not return to the lineup just yet. He practiced with the team and could make his return this weekend against Columbus.

UPDATE 2

It appears Wellwood may sit this one out, as the struggling center has cooled off considerably in recent weeks. (Yes, I am dealing with the fact that he isn't Superman after all, even though he could be).

UPDATE 3

Luongo said all the things a true team captain would say after practice today:

“We win as a team and I am not going to come in here and win a game by myself,” Luongo said. “We need 20 guys to play as a team and play well. That is the way we always won here and that’s the way it is going to be from here on out.”

Ryan Kesler, who looked visibly pissed off after the loss to the Devils echoed Luongo's sentiments:

“I don’t care who we have in the net,” said centre Ryan Kesler. “We could have had a brick wall in there lately and we still would have lost. We have to be better defensively and with Louie coming back, obviously it’s going to help. But we still have to be better defensively in front of him.”

You tell 'em Kesler. If this team doesn't respond now...

UPDATE 4

- Curtis Sanford not-so surprisingly cleared waivers and has been assigned to Manitoba.

UPDATE 5
It sounds more and more like this team is raring to go tonight. Demitra talked about his demotion and promotion to Sundin's line today:

"Obviously, I wasn't happy about it," said Demitra. "But you have to get focus, get mad and be ready to play. Mats was the reason I came here, because of the rumours during the summer that he was going to be here. All my life, I was playing with one guy all year, and Mats is going to make hockey so easy.

"He has shown for many years that he's a top player in the league because he's got that big body and he's tough to get a puck from. He has great vision and can find you -- so it's going to be nice to play with a guy like that. And you just need to get chemistry going."

More on that here. OK, so does what Demitra said make him look like a tit or what? Fine, Gillis dangled Sundin in front of him to get Demo here, but that isn't the point. What's this garbage about him "playing with 1 guy all year?" How about you just do your damned job and you'll EARN a scoring role!? Demitra has done nothing to deserve any "royal" treatment from a coach. Lose the fucking superstar attitude, man. You are not a superstar!
Is he going to sulk if he fails on Lines 1 or 2 in the future and gets put on a different line? I just detect a lousy attitude from him and it re-enforces my point that the guy is a gutless puke. Go out there and earn your damned paycheck! Jesus. We don't need this kind of shit right now, putting it bluntly.

Line combos for tonight:

Daniel Sedin-Henrik Sedin-Taylor Pyatt

Pavol Demitra-Mats Sundin-Jannik Hansen

Alex Burrows-Ryan Kesler-Steve Bernier

Darcy Hordichuk-Ryan Johnson-Mason Raymond


STATS TO PONDER

From CDC:

The Canucks will want a strong start against the Coyotes. Vancouver is 14-0-2 when leading after 2 periods and 17-6-4 when they score first.

Well there you can see the problems of late. They have not been leading after the second period all that often and are not scoring first enough.

The Canucks will now try to avoid losing six in a row at home for the first time since Nov. 3-18, 1978.

UPDATE 6

Remember the last time the Coyotes came to town? Yeah, we won 1-0, but local boy Kyle Turris was benched by Gretzky, causing a bit of controversy. Tonight, Turris will play in front of his friends and family.






































































T Tags: Luongo+returns Canucks Coyotes game+preview photoshop Luongod Mighty+mouse Batman

Johnny Canuck vs Lords of the Underworld

Two years ago the Canucks were labelled the Devils of the West because they trapped so well and defended leads better than most Western Conference teams. I don't think the same can be said about this year's version of the Canucks. Not yet anyway. But both teams still have something major in common: they have been playing without their star goaltenders since November. The Devils have been without Martin Brodeur since November 1st, and Brodeur was expected to miss 4 months with torn bicep tendons. The Canucks lost Luongo on November 22nd.
Yet the Devils have done something that the Canucks have not been able to do: WIN CONSISTENTLY WITHOUT THEIR #1 GOALIE. New Jersey did struggle as soon as Brodeur went out however. They would lose 5 of their next 6 games. But then they would win 9 of their next 10 after the skid. The Devils are 18-13-1 without Marty. They have lost 3 of their last 4 games, but still, they have performed rather admirably without Brodeur.
The Canucks are barely keeping their heads above water without the god known as Luongo. They have a 10-11-3 record in his absence. They have not won back to back games since December 14 and 17.
Luongo could potentially play against New Jersey tonight, but it is speculated he'll wait until Thursday against the Coyotes to make his long-anticipated return. What a difference he'll make to this insecure squad.

Look at Scott Clemmenson's stats compared to Brodeur's. Pretty close.
Look at Jason Labarbera's stats compared to Luongo's. Not so close. But in the games Labarbera has played for Vancouver he has good numbers. In 5 games he has a .917 save percentage and a 2.80 GAA. The save percentage is close to Luongo but the GAA is not.

The Devils sit 6th in the tough East, 4 points up on 8th spot Carolina.
The Canucks are clinging to 5th spot in the West, 4 points up on 8th spot Colorado.

There are a lot of Canucks who are not 'rolling' right now.
There are plenty of Devils who are:
-Patrick Elias has arisen from the dead and is already approaching his points total from last year. He has 19 goals and 48 points in 42 games this year.
-Zach "attack" Parise is leading the team in scoring with 24 goals and 49 points in 42 games played. Tell me: How the hell is this guy only named to the Eastern Conference Allstar RESERVE LIST? Good Lord. A travesty.
-Brian Gionta is another player who has rebounded from a dismal 2007-08 campaign. He currently has 10 goals and 36 points in 41 games.

So if Luongo does not play we will have a battle of the backups. 2 teams with generally the same philosophy go head-to-head.

Can the Canucks put up a more consistent effort? I'm going to go with "yes". I also really doubt Sundin will take a late penalty this time around. In fact, given the rate of his improvement (and the fact that it's January 13, I think he could have a heck of a game.

Send the Devils back to hell...or...New Jersey. Same thing. :)

Speaking of that, here is a little song to get you into the mood:



GAME TIME: 7:00 PST
TV: CANUCKS PPV

T Tags: Canucks Devils Game+preview Brodeur Luongo Clemmenson Labarbera Devils+stats hell Satan Slayer

Banged up but well rested Blues stumble into GM Place tonight

No Paul Kariya.
No Andy McDonald.
No Erik Johnson.
No TJ Oshie.
No Eric Brewer.
No DJ King.
No Jay McKee.

And you thought the Canucks had injury issues!

I see some people are annoyed that Mats Sundin is still getting massive coverage at NHL sites, including TSN. Well I think the annoyance comes from bitterness and idiocy to be blunt with you. TSN = Toronto Sports Network. Guess what, buttheads? We have a superstar player in our lineup now who used to be a Leaf. Get used to it. The Canucks are finally getting the recognition that they deserve from eastern-based major sports sites (TSN, Sportsnet, etc.) even if it took a Mats Sundin signing to do it.
Sundin will go up against 2 former teammates tonight in Alex Steen and Carlo Colaicovo who were traded to the Blues in the Lee Stempniak deal.

This is the first time the Canucks will play the Blues this season, and not the last.
The Blues have won 2 of their last 5, as has Vancouver. But the St. Louis has a 3-7 record in their last 10 and last in the Western Conference where Vancouver is 4-4-2, and 2 points behind 4th place Chicago.

The Blues have not played for 5 days. Holy hell, who makes their schedule?

Check out the Blues' last game, a 5-2 win, over the Jackets. 4 of their goals were scored on the power play and the other a shorthanded goal. Special teams at it's finest.

Remember when Mike Gillis tried to pry restricted free agent David Backes from the Blues this summer (which the Blues matched)? Well Backes is 5th in team scoring with 12 goals and 19 points in 39 games. Keith Tkachuk is slowing a bit but is still effective. Patrick Berglund is coming of age.

The Blues are not to be underestimated. But we really should be demolishing a team that is last in our Conference. But we also said that about Atlanta and then lost to them. I expect a different result tonight.
Mats Sundin may not put up any points again tonight, but his presence is welcomed. It's a pleasant distraction to the opposing teams. Last game, Vancouver's 3rd line became beneficiaries of that and combined for 8 points.
I heard some fools on CBC radio whining that Sundin isn't worth his price tag. To you I say: watch hockey a little more before you run your mouth. For one, it's too early to judge. Secondly, Vancouver is even more of an exciting team to watch now with the presence of a superstar forward. These are good times in Canucks Land. Stop being so negative.

Jason Jaffray was put on waivers this morning because he had to be in order to be sent back down to Manitoba. This was done to make way for Ryan Johnson. Jannik Hansen's demotion and then recall was obviously to send a message to the Dane to get his game in order. Alain Vigneault had nothing but good things to say about Jaffray today.

“He’s played well, he’s done everything that we expect, that I expect from him," said Vigneault of the gritty forward yesterday after practice. "I know Jaff from back [in Manitoba], he’s dependable at both of the ends of the ice, he plays with an edge, he can help out on the power play, so he’s played well for us. With Ryan [Johnson] coming back we have some decisions to make with our personnel.”

I doubt anyone (and hope no one) will claim him off the waiver wire...but you never know.

I had a funny thought today about the Tomas Kaberle situation in Toronto. Kaberle has stated that he will waive his no trade clause if management wants to move him. The first thing that comes to my mind is that Brian Burke is at the helm in T.O. Would he want to swing a deal with Mike Gillis, trading Kaberle for Ohlund? You know Ohlund is Burke's kind of player.
Would you work that deal if you were Gillis?
After spnding some time picking my nose and shovelling snow today I thought to myself: "No way." Kaberle can put up the points and run a power play better than most. But he is a defensive liability and has no physical presence. I'd rather keep Ohlund for a potential playoff run and risk letting him go for nothing in the summer.

Interesting column from Darren Dreger yesterday stating that the Lightning had offered Lecavalier and Paul Ranger to the Canucks for Roberto Luongo a couple years back. Check out that column here. Personally I think Nonis did the right thing.

GAME TIME: 7:00 PST
TV: Sportsnet

Canucks.com Live Blog

T Tags: Canucks Blues game+preview Sundin injuries Johnson+returns Jaffray+on+waivers

Sundin ready, now can the Canucks stop the red hot Oilers?

“It’s great he’s finally here,” said Pavol Demitra. “It’s a huge game. Edmonton is playing great right now so if Mats can help us, it will obviously give us a little more jump. I think he came at the right time and definitely he came to the right place.”

Link to the story at Vancouver Sun.
The right time, in a sense yes. The Canucks have lost the last 2 games in a shootout. Sundin should be a difference-maker there. But bottom line is that this team needs to focus and not rely heavily on Sundin to be Jesus. Everybody pulls their weight. If they do, then I think the Coilers are meat tonight.

As for why Hansen was sent down, AV said:

“Jannik for the last seven or eight games, we felt that his play had slipped a little bit," said Vigneault. "Obviously we talked to him about it and when push came to shove, these last few games here we thought Jaffray and Bolduc were a little bit better."

More of a game preview later.

PREGAME NOTES

- Ales Hemsky will probably not play (concussion)
- Fernando Pissani is out (broken ankle)

- Erik Cole, who I am a big fan of, has 3 goals and 6 points in his last 5 games. He is finally picking up the pace.

- Ryan Johnson is about a week away from returning. Hos broken foot is healed, but his finger injury is still hampering him. Can't wait for him to come back.

"We talked about a reasonable amount of ice time to get him going. I think he’s fine with it. He told me at the end of practice that he’s good mentally and physically." - Canucks head coach Alain Vigneault on easing Mats Sundin into the lineup. (Vancouver Sun)

With Sundin playing with Wellwood and Raymond, I would assume that he will be eased into action 5 on 5. But when a power play occurs, I'm sure he will get a lot of ice time, preferrably with the Sedins. It could be a complete Swede PP line with Sundin, Sedins, Ohlund and Edler. Impressive.

-It may seem like the Canucks are somewhat stinky lately, and they are in the fact that they lost to Atlanta. However, in the past 3 games they have earned 4 of a possible 6 points.

- The Oilers are going to come out hard tonight. If they win, they take the 8th spot in the West, held by the Coyotes. That would also put them 4 points behind Vancouver. Yes, it really is getting that close.

LUONGO A WESTERN CONFERENCE ALLSTAR

From CDC:

Vancouver Canucks are pleased to announce that goaltender and captain Roberto Luongo has been named to the Western Conference All-Star Team for the 2009 NHL All-Star Game in Montreal, Quebec, on January 25th. Luongo will represent the Vancouver Canucks for the annual event.

How can anyone read that without calling bullshit? The guy hasn't played since November 22. Stupid popularity contest.

GAME TIME: 7:00 PST
TV: SPORTSNET

This is a big day in Canucks history with Sundin playing here for the first time. Come hang out at Canucks.com's live blog of the event.

T Tags: Canucks Oilers Game+preview January+7+2009 Sundin+returns injury+updates Hemsky Pisani Ryan+Johnson

Canucks look to avoid getting Thrashed in Atlanta / Live Blog

From CDC:

A season-high five-game winning streak had Atlanta at 7-7-2 on Nov. 14. Since then, though, rookie coach John Anderson's club has been dreadful.

The Thrashers have posted a 5-14-3 record, and have failed to string together back-to-back wins in that span. Ilya Kovalchuk scored on Wednesday but Atlanta (12-21-5) lost its fourth in a row, 3-1 to Carolina.

"We lose again, so it really doesn't do anything," said Kovalchuk, who leads the Thrashers with 25 assists and 37 points.

Kovalchuk scored his first goal in 12 games (I believe) in Atlanta's last game, a 3-1 loss to the Hurricanes.
-The Thrashers rank 9th in the NHL on the power play. They rank 30th on the penalty kill.
- When trailing after 1 period, the Thrashers have a dismal winning percentage (.067%). So the Canucks need to get the first goal and bury these guys early.

Speaking of goals, those are becoming a little hard to come by for Vancouver lately. They have only scored 9 goals in their last 5 games. There are too many Canucks who have not scored for an extended period of time. Jannik Hansen has not scored in 26 games I hear. Kyle Wellwood has not bagged a goal since that "batting out of the air" special weeks ago. I won't even start with Steve Bernier. When these kinds of droughts happen, the pressure falls squarely on the Sedins, which is the problem we were trying to avoid in the first place this season.
Vancouver's Swedes must be stoked about Sundin playing. They have combined for 12 points in those 9 goals scored over the past 5 games. But these guys need help. Whatever goalie we put in net needs more support.
I swear the Canucks were almost playing to lose last night during large stretches of that game. They barely bailed out Jason "Barbie" Labarbara in the end. Too much passing and not enough shooting. It's frustrating to watch. I don't see much from this squad that would suggest much change. Then again, this team is unpredictable.
So I am not predicting a blow out by Vancouver over Atlanta tonight. At the same time, this could be a ripe time for some Canucks to get out of their slumps. Atlanta has allowed more goals against than any other team in the NHL and they sit in 14th spot in the East. They have a struggling Kovalchuk, who is rumored to be traded soon.
As sucky as the Thrashers are, they still have players that can do damage. Kovalchuk, Kozlov, Todd White, Colby Armstrong, Bryan Little....yeah you don't hear much about these guys in Sucklanta.
A win by Vancouver and loss by 8th spot Colorado would put us 8 points ahead of them. Sounds like a good idea. It would also put us 1 point behind of the red hot burning Flames. But the Flames will still have 3 games in hand. Huh...
Go Nucks! Finish stupid mini road trip in convincing fashion!

Word is that Labarbera will start again tonight, and he SHOULD. Let's see what this guy is made of.

The last time these 2 teams played was back in February 2008. The Canucks won 2-1. The Thrashers had Marian Hossa back then. We had Roberto Luongo. That game means nothing now.


(Image from CDC)

GAME TIME: 4:30 PM
TV: Sportsnet

Live Blog at Canucks.com. or below

If you are visiting the live blog chat room, remember that Cover It Live only allows 10 people to have their comments automatically added. Everyone else is individually moderated after the 10 maximum is reached. If your comment takes a few seconds to appear..well that's why. Anton Sledgehammer, the Fan Zone master is usually pretty quick to mod and add your comments so don't despair, and COME AND HANG OUT. It's always a hoot.



T Tags: Canucks+Thrashers+game+preview January+2+2009 slumping+Canucks Swedes+rolling Thrashers+suck

Canucks - Predators Preview / Live Blog

UPDATE: A 2-1 win. Phew! Labarbera is the first star of the game. He is unfortunately affectionatly known as Barbie or Lady Baba on CDC's live blog. We'll have to think of something more manly.

Jason Labarbera will start in goal tonight...and hopefully finish. Curtis Sanford's groin problem isn't going away anytime soon either as he is listed as week to week. Sounds familiar. I sure hope Labarbera shows us something good.

Mike Halford of Orlando Kurtenblog has a great Labarbera profile post up.

If the Canucks are going to continue their win-one lose-one trend then tonight they'll beat the Predators. The Canucks have beaten Nashville twice this year: 3-1 and 4-0. Their 3-1 win on December 9th didn't come without controversy. The laid out some huge hits, and Burrows was accused of leaving his feet to hit JP Dumont, Davison accused of a head shot. What a game. Check out the highlights here.

The Preds just may come out with a feisty effort to gain some revenge.

"We questioned some of the hits. We were very public about that," Coach Barry Trotz said." … They are a good team, they are a physical team, and they are coming into our building and we have to make sure we win a hockey game, and that's primary." - The Tennessean

Yeah sure. Scott Nichol has missed every game since that devastating Rob Davison hit (pictured- Getty images). Concussion. He just resumed skating about 24 hours ago according to the Tennessean. Wow.

Vancouver needs the win to catch up to Calgary, who now leads the Northwest by 5 points. Nashville dropped a few slots and out of a playoff spot recently. A win for them puts them back in. Look at the dog fight in the West. Unreal.

Come on, Canucks. Win this one for me. I have a New Years Day hangover and I need something to cheer me up!

Game Time: 5:00 PST
TV: Sportsnet

Canucks.com liveblog here. I guess I'll post it here as well.





T Tags: Canucks Predators Game+preview liveblog Jason+Labarbera+starts+for+Canucks

Are the Canucks the Flyer's b**ch?

At this point, yes they are. As CDC puts it, the Flyers have not lost in Vancouver for nearly 20 years. The Flyers have an unbeaten streak in Van of 13 (9-0-4) since their last loss on January 18, 1989. When we lose to Philly, it's been ugly. The Yankee Canuck points out the 8-2 smoke show on Octber 11, 2007.
Check out this amazing Flyers-Canucks historical piece at the HF Boards Game Preview. Wow.

Some positive news from Canucks.com though:

But the Flyers haven't been as sharp in the first two contests of their current trip, falling 5-1 in Chicago on Friday and enduring their first shutout of the season, 3-0 at Columbus on Saturday. They've been outshot by a combined 71-38 in those contests.

Now would be a good time to erase this domination, Luongo or not.
The Canucks rolled over the lifeless Senators on Sunday and showed a lot of character and character in doing so. That same effort and more will be needed against a Flyers team that can be explosive at any given time. Philly has the best power play in the NHL right now. And Jeff Carter...26 goals and 41 points in 36 games. He has arrived. The Flyers have more firepower than just Carter however.
Maybe Sundin's presence will motivate the Nucks. You know the Swedes will be rolling. Maybe it will distract some of them. Maybe Sanford is going to continue his great play and this team will rally around him.
The Flyer streak must end tonight.

GAME TIME: 7:00 PST
TV: Canucks PPV

Canucks.com is live blogging again. Great times last game versus the Sens!
I will not be a moderator tonight. I am recording the game and watching it later.

T Tags: Canucks Flyers Game+Preview December+30+2008

We should be able to beat a slumping Senators team, right?

The Senators have lost the first 2 games of their season-high 8-game road trip, a 6-3 loss to Calgary last night and a 6-4 loss to Flyers on the 23rd. Ottawa has not won a game on the road in 11 games now (0-9-2). However the Canucks have lost 3 of their last 4 games and are taking a lot of penalties in the process.
-Ottawa is 29th overall in goals per game. The Canucks are 13th.
-The Canucks have allowed fewer goals per game than the Sens.
-Ottawa holds a slight edge in power play efficiency.
-both teams have the same penalty kill percentage.
-both teams are utilizing goalies that are not considered starting netminders. Both goalies could be lit up at any time. How ironic that the last time the Senators came to GM place was December 9, 2005 and lost to the Canucks 3-2. Our goalie back then? Alex Auld. (Canucks.com) Now let's see what kind of effort Auld puts up tonight against us. It was only a couple of years ago when we dumped Auld, Bertuzzi and Bryan Allen to Florida to get Luongo and Krajicek.

The Senators sit 10 points out of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The team is floundering. The Canucks sit in 5th in the West but the Wild West is insanely close in some areas, as you can see below.


























There are all kinds of concerns with those standings:
-The Flames are rolling and now lead the Northwest by 3 points.
-The Canucks are only 4 points ahead of the 9th place Avalanche.
-Six points separate the 9th place Avalanche and 15th spot Blues.

Yes, we have Sundin and Luongo arriving on white horses just over the horizon, but this injury-riddled Canucks team needs to look at RIGHT NOW and start winning with what they've got. If the Canucks want to roll the dice by taking too many penalties against the Senators they are going to pay for it. It's no secret that you have to shoot high on the shorter Sanford to beat him. The Sens have some guys who can do that no problem.
And just to point fingers at one player directly: we are not paying Pavol Demitra $4 million so he can slump like this repeatedly. It's great seeing him staying healthy, but he's got to get rolling offensively.

This Canucks squad is not doing much to convince me that they are going to win any games until Luongo or Sundin enter the lineup. That's unfortunate. I watched a couple of Devils games this weekend and they sure get the job done without Brodeur. Of course, Scott Clemmenson is better than Sanford I suppose.
As for tonight's game: As Gimli said in The Two Towers: "Let's hope they last the night."

Game Time: 7:00 PST
TV: Canucks PPV. (Oh no. What's our record in PPV games this year? 0-2?)

Canucks.com's Live Blog is happening again. Everyone with a pulse and a clean mouth is invited. I will be joining the Mod Squad on that board tonight.












T Tags: Canucks Senators game+preview stats slump December+28+2008 Demitra+slump Sens+suck

The game after a stinker and before Sundin comes to town

That’s definitely the tough part, getting the turkey out of you the next morning. But I think it will be a little bit easier being a home game. You get to sleep in your own bed and really enjoy the full Christmas experience and when you wake up Boxing Day, you turn the page and get ready to go. - Shane O’Brien on getting back to business tonight after the holiday break. -Shane O'Brien, Vancouver Sun.

It's not just the stuffing the Canucks have to get over, it's the 5-0 destruction the Sharks handed them on the 24th, a game they barely showed up for.
I read through some of my posts from October until now, looking for other stinker games, and the best I could come up with was the 5-2 loss to the Sabres on October 17 and the 3-1 loss to the Flames on November 29. Besides the obvious trend of the Canucks perhaps taking too many penalties, not showing up, getting outshot in those games there is another: the Canucks would lose the next 2 games after each sleeper.
But there is a more positive stat to throw out there: the Canucks are 2-1 against the Oilers this season. Both wins came at home, where they play tonight.
The Canucks have won 3 of their last 5. The Oilers only 2.
From Canucks.com:

The Oilers have won six of their last nine road contests, and head to GM Place for the second time in 10 days following a 4-2 loss on Dec. 17. Edmonton is 2-5-1 in its last eight visits to Vancouver.

Also:

The Oilers are looking to string together back-to-back victories for the first time since opening the month of December with three straight wins.

INJURIES

-Ethan Moreau is questionable after injuring his wrist blocking a shot against the Oilers' win over Phoenix on the 22nd.

-I know we all miss Luongo, but how about Ryan Johnson? There's a character guy that I've missed since he broke his foot and finger weeks ago.
In regards to Luongo, there is no talk of a timeline except "week to week". I talked to my cousin at the family dinner last night about groin injuries for goalies, as he plays net locally and does summer goalie camps, and he said it's a tough injury to have. He said that you can be walking around feeling fine for long periods of time and then all off a sudden you'll feel pain walking up stairs, for example. He projects 2 more weeks for Luongo. I'm not so sure about it after hearing of my cousin's experiences. 2 weeks would be terrific wouldn't it?
How about the Canucks just play better without Luongo?! They do it in stretches and are inconsistent. I hear many Canucks fans wondering if we should be getting a different backup goalie while Luongo is out. My opinion on that wanes. How about the team plays better? Curtis Sanford looked great in relief of a rubber-stricken Cory Schneider last game. How about the coach rides Sanford for a while and the team buckles up in front of him?!
It's Friday today but it feels like Monday, why? Because it's a big week in Vancouver. We play 3 in a row at home against the Oilers, Senators and Flyers. The team needs to establish some form of consistency in Luongo's absence and while Mats Sundin practices with the team yet does not play. He reportedly arrives tomorrow.
Distractions everywhere. Focus boys!

FROM ENEMY LINES

Good for them. I know many long suffering Canuck fans who seemed to be on the edge of a dream before a Jovo dumbkoff penalty or Bertuzzi the Brave decided to alter time and space. Perhaps no fan group in the NHL deserves a Stanley Cup more than Vancouver.

And you know what? They might just do it. - Lowetide

Great piece about Canucks fans, management by Lowetide today.

GAME TIME: 7:00 PST
TV: SPORTSNET

Canucks.com live blog is happening!

T Tags: Canucks+Oilers+game+preview Friday+December+26+2008 Mats+Sundin+Vancouver+arrival losing Luongo

Gonna take a miracle to save us this time

17-0-2. That is the Sharks' record at home this season. They are 26-4-3 overall. That is a scary good team. They did drop 2 of 3 games on the road last week to Detroit and Columbus, but returned home to beat the Rangers on Saturday. Wait..Columbus? Hey maybe we have a chance against these guys. Ah, but then go to Canucks.com's preview and you will see that since October 5, 2007 the Sharks have beaten us 4 straight times, out-scoring us 15-6 in the process. Joe Thornton has 3 goals and 6 assists in that span. Steve Bernier scored twice against us in them 4 games.

A breakaway goal

and a gift-wrapped goal.

What are the chances that Steve Bernier has a hell of a game tonight? He had 2 assists last night. Looks like he could peak at the right time. Cross your fingers. This Canucks team, even though it has won 4 of its last 6, is going to need all the help they can get.

It's too bad Luongo isn't in net. Then we could truly see how we measure up against the Sharks. It's going to be a massive task for whatever Canucks goaltender plays tonight. The Sharks rank 5th in the League on the power play and 4th on the penalty kill. The Canucks rank 17th and 9th respectively. So you know the drill for this game and what it will take for us to get a win.

Think we'll be deep at center when Sundin arrives? The Sharks have Thornton (37 points in 33 games), Marleau (37 points in 33 games), Pavelski (24 points in 31 games) and good ol' JR Jeremy Roenick, who is out of the lineup with a shoulder injury. There is a lot of skill on that Sharks club that we have to shut down tonight.

A win and we'll chant "woo!" and scream to the rest of the League that we are contenders. A loss and we'll blame it on the fact that we don't have Luongo or Sundin yet and say to ourselves "good damned thing we beat the Ducks last night!"

This could get ugly, OR this could be a defining Vancouver Canucks team moment.

Canucks.com's live blog is here.

TIME: 7:00 PST
TV: TSN

T Tags: Canucks Sharks game+preview December+23+2008

Canucks have to put aside distraction and beat the Hawks tonight

I know I would be distracted, having Sundin in the back of my mind. You can tell that Roberto Luongo was aware of the possibility when he was interviewed about Sundin. He said basically that the signing is great but the Canucks have to focus right now and win some games before Mats arrives.
I hope the Sundin-signing fuels this team.
Curtis Sanford will start again tonight, and he and the team need to get on a roll. The biggest reason is that the Canucks are now 2nd in the Northwest Division because the Flames got a point in their OT loss last night. This drops the Canucks to 5th in the West, 5 points ahead of 8th place Phoenix, 6 points ahead of 9th and 10th placed Nashville and Colorado. Ah the pressure is on. Look at the records of these teams in their past 10 games. Yeesh. It's a dog fight.
I had mentioned that the Canucks needed to play 500 hockey in Luongo's absence and they are close. 5 wins in 11 games. A win tonight obviously then puts them at 500. I think Luongo could be out about another month. Thank god there is a Christmas and Allstar break in there PLUS a Sundin entrance. There is reason to be positive. There is also reason for concern. We play the Hawks, Ducks and Sharks in our next 3 games. Tough stuff.
Let's take a quick look at Chicago in point form.
-make no mistake, I have liked the Hawks since the early 80's (big Tony Esposito-Denis Savard fan), but tonight they are the enemy. And this enemy is rolling.
-Chicago has won 6 straight, outscoring their opponents by a whopping 28-9 margin in the process. They are now tops in the NHL in goals for per game.
-the Hawks have also won 7 of their last 8 and gained at least a point in 8 straight
-they have 11 power play goals in the past 8 games (now 4th best in the NHL). They have only allowed 3 power play goals against in those games. And you wonder why they're rolling...
-Patrick Kane: 15 goals and 38 points in 30 games. Look at how spread out their scoring is past Kane. Impressive.
-Nikolai Khabibulin: once trade bait...no longer. He has played 16 games and has compiled a 10-1-4 record with a 2.44 GAA and a .922 save percentage. Huet? Not so good.
Having said that, over the past 8 games Huet has won 4 games and Khabibulin 3.
-while the Canucks are near the League basement in shots per game, the Hawks are 6th best.

Am I scaring you yet?
It is going to take a well-disciplined game from the Canucks and a steal of a game by Curtis Sanford to stop this Hawks team. A character win over the Hawks would be such a boost to Vancouver, let alone Sanford.

T Tags: Canucks+Blackhawks+game+preview December+20+2008

Linden night - Canucks-Oilers preview

This is a big day in Canucks' history. Canucks legend Trevor Linden will have his #16 retired and there will be all sorts of festivities surrounding the Canucks-Oilers game.
At 6:00 pm the celebration ceremonies begin on Rogers Sportsnet Pacific, or you can watch it at Canucks.com. It's going to be a tear-jerking and suiting tribute to Mr. Canuck.
At 8:00 pm there will be a roundtable hosted by Barry MacDonald with special guests Dean Linden, Kirk McLean and Norm Jewison.

Linden's jersey is going to look great next to Stan Smyl's #12.

The Canucks will most likely feel the emotion of this tribute and hopefully play an ultra-inspired game against an Oilers squad that had their butts handed to them 9-2 by the Blackhawks on Tuesday night. Once again, you can expect fireworks in this game with all the emotions and the rivalry alone. Keep in mind that the Vancouver lost 3-0 to the Oilers last Saturday in an un-inspired effort. I don't see them sleeping in this one.
I'll update this post all day with any player interviews or lineup changes.

11:53 AM
Sami Salo is doubtful for tonight. Where once he had a groin issue, he is now apparently suffering from the flu...again. Sometimes I really thing we need to either trade this guy or waive him. Then he scores an OT goal against Detroit and I like him all over again.

Thanks to Canucks.com for this tidbit:

On Sunday against the Panthers, the Canucks set a new team record for the three fastest consecutive special teams goals in a single period when Pavol Demitra and Kyle Wellwood tallied power play markers followed by Ryan Kesler’s shorthanded goal in a span of 2:08 during the second period.

That was pretty impressive wasn't it? Adiose Panthers!

From Sanford today:

"It’s up to one of us to take the ball. We can’t be winning one, losing one. One of us has to get on a roll. Until the coaching staff sees that, it might be back and forth."

No kidding! One of you guys get on a roll already! Yeesh!

Linden said that he was "hocked and overwhelmed" by the honor that he is about to receive. I think sometimes you just have to know when you're good, Trevor! Don't be so bashful!

In case you have lived under a rock for the past 16 days, Canucks.com has had a special on their site called "16 days of Trevor Linden. The complete archive of that can be found here. Lots of great Linden history there.

CDC has a video clip up on Wellwood too. The players love him. No, he's not the fastest skater, nor does he have a huge physical game, but he's in the right place at the right time frequently. I don't think many people thought he'd be a sniper, because he's known for his playmaking abilities. But this year he's changed that. Worth a look.

3:00 PM

A new Gate 16 at GM Place has been intrduced in honor of Linden. The big 16 unveiled in the snowy weather today. I wonder how many city slickers won't make the game because of reckless snowy driving. Everyone take the Sky Train!
Said Linden today:

“I’m hoping to keep it together, that should be a challenge,” Linden told reporters this morning at GM Place. “I’m hoping to have fun and obviously speaking to 18,000 people is not my forte. But I think it is going to be a fun night. I know how hard (the Canuck staff) have worked on putting this night together, so I think it is going to be a great night.”

T Tags: Trevor+Linden+jersey+retirement December+17+2008 Canucks Oilers Game+preview

Panthers are Kings of the Road

From Canucks.com:

Powered by the longest road winning streak in franchise history, the Florida Panthers are climbing up the Eastern Conference standings. To extend that run, however, they must win in a city where they haven't done so since their inaugural season.

Florida looks to win its sixth straight road game on Sunday night when it visits the Vancouver Canucks, who haven't lost at home to the Panthers in more than 14 years.

Florida (14-12-3) got off to a slow start in 2008-09, and was tied for last in the league on Nov. 21. Since then, the Panthers have gone 7-1-2, earning 16 of a possible 20 points to move up to ninth in the East.

The Panthers have played the Oilers, Flames and Senators on this road trip and beaten them all. Stephen Weiss has scored the winner in each game.
I didn't watch the Canucks' 3-0 loss to the Oilers last night due to a poker night and apparently I picked the right game to miss.
Alain Vigneault mentioned that he had nothing positive to say about his club in the loss and that they were "out-everythinged in all areas."
The fact they scored no goals against the Oilers is disturbing because tonight they face a red hot goalie in Craig Anderson, who has a 5-1-0 record with a 1.71 goals-against average and two shutouts since Nov. 30th. His 0-3-1 record with a 3.17 GAA in four career starts against the Canucks means nothing right now. Not when he's playing like this.
It looks as though Cory Stillman may return to Florida's lineup tonight since being out for several weeks with a concussion. Maybe that will disrupt their team chemistry a bit. One can hope.

I think we can expect a better Canucks effort tonight. Maybe Alain Vigneault will do his usual line-shuffling to shake things up. Does he go with Cory Schneider? I don't think he should. Let Sanford redeem himself.

Should be a tight game. Maybe low-scoring. I think the Canucks will take this one. The have to. Hell, we need to play 500 hockey in Luongo's absence and that is not happening. Bring in Sundin!

I will be co-moderator with the Yankee Canuck for the Canucks.com's Live Blog for tonight's game. Always a good time there, check it out!

GAME TIME: 7:00 PST
TV: SPORTSNET



T Tags: Canucks+Panthers+preview December+14+2008 Weiss Stillman+returns Panthers+red+hot+road+record

Canucks finish a 7-game road trip tonight against the Oilers

They have gone 2-3-1 on this trip and really need to finish it at 500 and go home. Enough of these insane road trips already. After tonight the Canucks will play 4 straight and home, and 8 of their next 12 games at GM Place.
According to TSN, Sami Salo is still not ready to play for tonight. Doesn't matter. If Rob Davison is going to beat up on Edmonton like he did the Predators, then he's the better choice for tonight, in my opinion, because it's going to get violent if the Canucks played the way they did against Nashville. It was a new step in a physical direction.

KNOW YOUR ENEMY

The Oilers seem to be finding some form of success lately. Despite losing 2-0 to Florida last game (the Panthers are streaking it up with Craig Anderson in net-Oilers threw more than 40 shots at him), the Oilers beat the Sharks Kings and Stars in recent games. Their power play is better than ours at 11th overall (having Souray and Visnovsky helps) but their PK is 29th overall.
The Canucks are 7 points ahead of Edmonton, who sit 3 points out of 8th spot in 11th place.
Edmonton has a better road record than home record so far. 10-8-0 on the road and 3-4-2 at home not-so-sweet home.

Ales Hemsky has finally arrived this season. After starting the campaign ice cold, he now has 28 points in 27 games.
Sheldon Souray is healthy enough this year to have 8 goals (4 on the PP) and 21 points in 26 games. That is why he is being paid the big bucks.
What the hell has happened to Erik Cole? I thought his style would suit the Oilers' more wide-open offensive style but that has not happened yet. The once 30-goal scorer has 3 goals and 8 points in 27 games this season. Wow.
The Oilers really had a great 1-2 punch on offence last season with the kids providing the secondary scoring. The kids being Cogliano, who has 8 goals this year, and Sam Gagner, who has hit a major sophomore slump, with 1 goal and 5 assists in 24 games. Ouch.
Yeah, there is too much wrong with the Oilers these days.
A plus for Edmonton? Dwayne Roloson is packing the goods lately. I am surrounded by Rolo-haters here, but I always stand by my opinion that he is a good goalie.
Complete Oilers player stats here.

Bytes: Craig MacTavish talks about the Canucks being a formidable team, the Oilers' 4th line struggles, and well hell even more compliments about the Canucks. Yeah, basically that the Oilers are measuring themselves up to us because we are so great....etc.

Looks like this will be a penalty-filled aggressive game. My hunch is that the Oilers will have the better power play and could quite possibly take this one. The Canucks are going to have to put Luongo out of their minds for a while yet and continue their tightened-up play in front of Sanford. We'll see what happens. It will no doubt be entertaining as hell: a power play-ridden, visor-fightin' blood bath.

Last time these 2 teams played on October 25th the Canucks' organization unveiled the #7 mystery and the team destroyed the Oilers 6-3. Here are the highlights:



Love that Wellwood goal! The Canucks actually scored 4 PP goals that night.

GAME TIME: 7:00 PST
TV: CBC

Canucks.com Fan Zone has a live blog up tonight. That is the place to go to hang with ultimate Canucks fans and put some alcohol down your throat perhaps!

And what's this? An Oilers lament of sorts written by Matt at the Battle of Alberta to the tune of "Bowling For Soup."
Hey, keep your head up, Matt! I think the Oilers will turn it around.


T Tags: Oilers+Canucks+game+preview Sam+Gagner+cold Hemsky+hot Salo+groin+injury

Salo out, Sanford in, plus a trade to announce

Let's start with the insignificant trade:
Jim Sharrow to the Hawks for a conditional pick in the 2009 Draft. Whoop.

Salo says his groin injury isn't as bad as the one he had earlier in the year (where he missed only 2 games). He won't be out long. To be honest, I'm losing patience with this guy. But if Lawrence Nycholat draws in I'm happy. I think he has done a fantastic job whenever he was called upon earlier this year.

Curtis Sanford, who was disappointed because he sat out the Colorado game, will get his chance to shine tonight against the Predators. Remember, he was playing terrific before his back gave out against the Jackets, stopping 11 of 11 shots. At this point I would definitely say I trust his play over Schneider's. Schneider needs more development and will only get better and better down the road.

I think we should almost expect a victory tonight. Well we really need one.We beat the Preds 4-0 in early November. Wellwood had 2 goals... his 5th and 6th in 7 games at that point. You can watch Woody's brilliance here.
But through all the Predators have been through the past 2 seasons they are never to be underestimated. Yeah, the Blues whooped them 6-3 last night, but Nashville beat the Wild 1-0, Colorado 3-2 and Buffalo 2-0 in a 3 game winning streak prior to last night's loss.
So which Nashville team shows up tonight?
Hell, which Canucks team shows up tonight?

GAME TIME: 5:00 PST
TV: SPORTSNET


Demitra is making news as one of the scapegoats in the Canucks' recent losing skid. Said Vigneault:

"Sometimes those skilled players just want to make one pass too many instead of getting more pucks to the net and keeping the play simple," head coach Alain Vigneault said. "He's got to keep plugging away and has to find a way to contribute. If not offensively, than he has to make sure he's really reliable defensively.

"I think he has more to contribute like a lot of our other guys on our team."

Yeah, you can't single out Demitra only. But he is the highest paid guy however. Said Demitra:

"I felt like when I was playing with the Sedins we dominated the puck but just didn't get any goals," Demitra said. "I've been feeling good lately and I just feel if I score one goal, all of a sudden I'll score 10. I just need a lucky bounce.

"My biggest thing is how I feel on the ice. Are my legs going? Am I getting scoring chances? And I am. Obviously, I want to score. I want the numbers every single game but it's not always going to happen, especially on the road."

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