It was a sloppy game most of the night. The Canucks were playing their fourth game in six nights and fatigue became a major factor. This victory propels the Canucks to 22-11-6 (50 pts) which is fourth best in the Pacific Division, and sixth best in the Western Conference.
Vancouver had a territorial advantage in the first period. They received an unlikely powerplay tally from Brad Richardson as the powerplay was about to expire. He won the faceoff back to Dan Hamhuis who fired the puck at the net, and Richardson was able to deflect it with his stick past Ondrej Pavelec.
With 3:30 to go in the first period, Roberto Luongo was seen stretching his leg in the crease. Just before, he and old foe Dustin Byfuglien had a minor collision in the crease and Luongo felt something pull. He did not return to the game and handed the net duty over to Chicago shootout hero Eddie Lack during the next TV timeout.
The Jets had more chances in the second period as Eddie Lack remained strong in the net. Evander Kane would tally a powerplay goal for the Jets halfway through the period as the Canucks could not complete a clear out of the defensive zone.
The Canucks regained some momentum in the third period as they took the territorial advantage back from the Jets. The game deciding goal came from another unlikely player named Chris Tanev. David Booth carried the puck across the blueline and made a nice pass to Zack Kassian who shot the puck wide and circled the net. Kassian followed that up with a pass from behind the redline to the top of the circle to a waiting Chris Tanev. Tanev fired a wrist shot toward the net and the puck went in! Pavelec never saw the puck as he was screened by a fellow Jets teammate.
Dan Hamhuis led all skaters in icetime with 25:57. Eddie Lack stopped 15 of 16 Jets shots. Ondrej Pavelec stopped 23 of 25 Canucks shots.
John Tortorella was very upbeat during his post game press conference. He was proud of the way the team showed guts. Torts spoke very highly of Chris Tanev and said he has been one of the most consistent defensemen this season.
Happy Holidays! Until next time, stay classy! -George
Dun, dun, dun, dun, dundundundundun.... Byfuglien and the Jets! The Winnipeg Jets make their first and only appearance to Vancouver this season. This is the first of three meetings between the Jets and Canucks. Former Vancouver Giant Evander Kane comes home to Vancouver, while former Blackhawk playoff foe Dustin Byfuglien makes his return to Rogers Arena.
The Canucks are back home after a three game Central Division road swing which they went 1-1-1. They won their last meeting against the Chicago Blackhawks in an eight round shootout with Ryan Kesler scoring the game winner. The Jets won their last game against the Florida Panthers 5-2. The Jets have struggled in their last ten games posting a 4-5-1 record. Vancouver is ranked fourth in the Pacific Division, seventh in the Western Conference. Winnipeg is ranked sixth in the Central Division, eleventh in the Western Conference.
This game can be viewed on Sportsnet Pacific or TSN-Jets at 8 PM ET/5 PM PT.
Here are the projected lineups: Jets (the bad guys)
Forwards:
Evander Kane - Bryan Little - Blake Wheeler
Andrew Ladd - Olli Jokinen - Michael Frolik
James Wright - Mark Scheifele - Devin Setoguchi
Eric Tangradi - Eric O'Dell - Chris Thorburn
Defensemen:
Jacob Trouba - Dustin Byfuglien
Tobias Enstrom - Zach Bogosian
Mark Stuart - Adam Pardy
Goaltenders:
Ondrej Pavelec (starter)
Al Montoya
Canucks (the good guys)
Forwards:
Daniel Sedin - Henrik Sedin - Jannik Hansen Chris Higgins - Ryan Kesler
- Mike Santorelli David Booth - Brad Richardson - Zack Kassian Tom Sestito - Zac Dalpe - Dale Weise
Defensemen:
Jason Garrison - Kevin Bieksa Dan Hamhuis - Christopher Tanev
Andrew Alberts - Yannick Weber
Goaltenders:
Roberto Luongo (starter)
Eddie Lack
Things to watch for - Jets:
Dustin Byfuglien - "Big Buff" is fourth best amongst NHL defensemen in points. He has 6 goals and 26 points in 37 games. The Minneapolis native is a former Stanley Cup Champion and is a versatile player. He can also be used as a forward if needed. He has a booming shot from the point which the Canucks will have to shut down and pay close attention to.
Andrew Ladd - the Maple Ridge, BC native makes a return home to Vancouver tonight. He is the Captain of the Winnipeg Jets and also a former Blackhawk. The feisty winger is a good shooter and consistent agitator. Ryan Kesler and Andrew Ladd have a history and will no doubt be in each other's grills.
Things to watch for - Canucks:
Jason Garrison - the White Rock, BCnative is ranked ninth best amongst NHL defensemen in points. He has 4 goals and 23 points in 38 games. He registered a helper against the Blackhawks in 22:57 ice time. He is another defensemen around the NHL known for his booming shot. Garrison has helped the blueline out by logging more minutes in the absences of Alex Edler and Ryan Stanton.
Ryan Kesler - the engine which drives the Canucks. He was more active and involved in the Chicago game. He did not register a point but logged over 25 minutes of icetime. Kesler will be responsible for shutting down the big Jets line featuring Evander Kane, Blake Wheeler, and Bryan Little.
It was a dreadful night in Big D as the Canucks dropped a big one to the Stars 4-1. I correctly predicted the outcome/final score of this game. This was a trap game all the way through for the Canucks.
One could argue that the game was over in the first five minutes of the contest. A bad line change with a late Kevin Bieksa arrival led to the Stars first goal of the night scored by Jamie Benn. When it rains it pours... fifteen seconds later, another Stars goal by Colton Sceviour. This happened because Canucks defensemen Yannick Weber got caught up the ice which led to an odd man rush for the Stars. About three minutes after the two goal debacle, the Canucks would get one back from Chris Higgins on an odd man rush the other way. The Canucks were not completely out of it at this point.
The second period was a strong period for the Canucks. They controlled play and outshot the Stars 14-5. The Canucks did everything right except score a tying goal. The Stars dagger came from Erik Cole with about three minutes left to go in the second period. Cole shot a weak little wrist shot at Luongo coming down the wing which was defended pretty well by Yannick Weber. Luongo would like to have this one back as it just squeaked through his pads.
The Stars would open up the third period and get a quick goal from rookie Valeri Nichushkin. This was all she wrote for this contest. A lot of weaknesses of the Canucks were exposed in this contest. The Jannik Hansen experiment on the first line is simply not cutting it. The defense got outworked and botched assignments most of the night. Luongo was not sharp, especially on the third Stars goal. This game was all set up for disaster.
Stars goaltender Kari Lehtonen had another impressive performance against the Canucks as he made 27 of 28 stops. Canucks defensemen Dan Hamhuis ate a lot of minutes on the blueline as he registered 27:55 ice time.
Here Come the Hawks...
Vancouver is going to close out the three game Central Division road swing tonight as they face the defending Stanley Cup Champions Chicago Blackhawks. The Hawks are the best team in the NHL to date as they show no signs of a cup hangover. This is the Canucks first and only trip to United Center this season. Chicago defeated Vancouver 2-1 on November 23 at Rogers Arena (2 goals in 9 seconds for the Blackhawks).
Chicago Blackhawks: 37 GP: 25-7-5; 55 pts Vancouver Canucks: 37 GP: 20-11-6; 46 pts
The Canucks have lost two straight games after winning their previous seven in a row. Vancouver is ranked fourth in the Pacific Division and seventh in the Western Conference. The Blackhawks have won two straight and are 6-3-1 in their last ten games. Chicago is ranked first in the Central Division, first in the Western Conference, first in the NHL.
This game can be viewed on NHLN-US, TSN, RDS2, CSN-Chicago at 8 PM ET/5 PM PT.
Here are the projected lineups: Canucks (the good guys)
Forwards:
Daniel Sedin - Henrik Sedin - Jannik Hansen Chris Higgins - Ryan Kesler
- Mike Santorelli David Booth - Brad Richardson - Zack Kassian Tom Sestito - Zac Dalpe - Dale Weise
Defensemen:
Andrew Alberts - Kevin Bieksa Dan Hamhuis - Christopher Tanev
Yannick
Weber - Jason Garrison
Goaltenders:
Eddie Lack (starter)
Roberto Luongo
Blackhawks (the bad guys)
Forwards:
Patrick Sharp - Jonathan Toews - Marian Hossa
Kris Versteeg - Michal Handzus - Patrick Kane
Bryan Bickell - Andrew Shaw - Brandon Saad
Brandon Bollig - Marcus Kruger - Ben Smith
Defensemen:
Duncan Keith - Brent Seabrook
Johnny Oduya - Niklas Hjalmarsson
Nick Leddy - Michal Rozsival
Goaltenders:
Antti Raanta (starter)
Jason LaBarbera
Things to watch for - Canucks:
Eddie Lack - for the seventh time this season, he will be starting in between the pipes for the Canucks. The 25 year old Swede has a 2.00 GAA and .928 SV% on the season in nine total appearances. He has solidified himself as the backup behind Roberto Luongo. His last win came against Carolina on December 9 as he shutout the Hurricanes with a 31 save performance.
Ryan Kesler - he took a big slapshot from teammate Jason Garrison last night. He was hobbling around most of the game against Dallas. Hopefully it was just a stinger and nothing is broken. Kesler will be instrumental in trying to beat the Blackhawks. He will be in charge of shutting down the powerful Toews/Kane duo.
Things to watch for - Blackhawks:
Antti Raanta - the 24 year old Finnish goaltender signed as a free agent with Chicago back in June. He has been lights out for the Blackhawks while Corey Crawford has been out with an ailment. He has won 7 out of 10 games played and has a very good 2.26 GAA and .920 SV%.
Patrick Kane - the 25 year old Buffalo native is second in the NHL in points. His 20 goals and 46 points in 37 games have helped propel the Blackhawks to number one in the standings. Greasy mullet in its glory, he has burned the Canucks before in many contests. He has two cups under his belt and a Conn Smythe Trophy to boot.
The first meeting of the season between the Wild and Canucks is one that the Canucks may have wanted to get the extra point out of. They let this game slip away as they have done several times in other games.
The Canucks controlled the first period and got a goal from the top line as Jannik Hansen notched his sixth goal of the season. About three minutes later, Minnesota would respond on the powerplay as Zach Parise netted his fifteenth goal. The Canucks got hemmed in their own zone and could not clear the puck which led to giving up a rare powerplay goal.
Canucks defensemen Ryan Stanton went down early in the second period after being "tripped" into the boards by Wild forward Zenon Konopka. I am quite shocked that there has been no hearing scheduled for this trip/hit into the boards. I thought Konopka actually nudged Stanton into the boards and did not trip him.
The Canucks would control play in the second period and got another go ahead goal from David Booth eleven minutes into the period. They led 2-1 at the end of the second period and had a 23-16 shot advantage.
The third period was a lethargic period for the Canucks. Wild forward Charlie Coyle would shoot a snapshot about eight minutes into the third period which squeaked past Luongo. Luongo would probably like to have that one back. The Canucks were outshot 11-5 in the third and 5-3 in overtime.
The shootout is not a favorite thing to do for the Canucks. All three shooters for the Canucks (Santorelli, Higgins, and Kesler) were not able to put anything past Josh Harding. Jason Pominville would be the lone Wild scorer in the shootout as it propelled the Wild to a 3-2 victory.
Seeing Stars:
The Canucks visit Big D for the second game on this Central Division roadtrip. This is the second meeting between the Canucks and Stars this season. Dallas took the first meeting in Vancouver 2-1 as goaltender Kari Lehtonen made a whopping 42 saves on the night.
The Canucks are 8-1-1 in their last 10 contests while the Stars have struggled at 4-3-3 in their last 10. Vancouver is ranked fourth in the Pacific Division and sixth in the Western Conference. Dallas is ranked fifth in the Central Division and tenth in the Western Conferncce.
This game can be viewed on Fox Sports Southwest or Sportsnet Pacific at 8:30 PM ET/5:30 PM PT.
Here are the projeted lineups:
Canucks (the good guys)
Forwards:
Daniel Sedin - Henrik Sedin - Jannik Hansen
Chris Higgins - Ryan Kesler
- Mike Santorelli
David Booth - Brad Richardson - Zack Kassian
Tom Sestito - Zac Dalpe - Dale Weise
Defensemen:
Andrew Alberts - Kevin Bieksa
Dan Hamhuis - Christopher Tanev
Yannick
Weber - Jason Garrison
Goaltenders:
Roberto Luongo (starter)
Eddie Lack
Stars (the bad guys)
Forwards:
Jamie Benn - Tyler Seguin - Valeri Nichushkin
Antoine Roussel - Cody Eakin - Ryan Garbutt
Erik Cole - Shawn Horcoff - Colton Sceviour
Ray Whitney - Rich Peverley - Alex Chiasson
Defensemen:
Alex Goligoski - Brenden Dillon
Jordie Benn - Sergei Gonchar
Kevin Connauton - Cameron Gaunce
Goaltenders:
Kari Lehtonen (starter)
Dan Ellis
Things to watch for - Canucks:
Andrew Alberts - the 32 year old Minnesota native defensemen will be playing in his seventh game this season. He usually is a healthy scratch on most nights. Due to injuries to fellow defensemen Alex Edler and Ryan Stanton for a while, his services will be needed on the blueline. He is trying to escape Tort's doghouse and trying to earn more playing time. Alberts' style of play is better suited to playing against big slower teams like Dallas.
David Booth - is he coming into his own? He has scored two goals in the last two games and has three points in the last three games. He is playing wing on the third line with Brad Richardson and Zack Kassian. Canucks fans can hope he can keep his scoring streak going due to some injuries up front.
Things to watch for - Stars:
Kari Lehtonen - he played an unbelievable game against the Canucks in Vancouver. He is a huge reason why the Stars continue to hang around. The 30 year old Fin has a respectable 2.63 GAA and .916 SV% on the season.
Tyler Seguin - the Bruins outcast is having a productive season in Big D. He has 33 points in 31 games and 18 goals on the season. The second overall pick of 2010 was sent to Dallas in mega deal over the summer as the Bruins decided to retool their lineup. Seguin grew sour with Bruins management as they believed he needed to grow up as a professional. He is thriving alongside star winger Jamie Benn.
The Canucks begin their Central Division roadtrip and will face off against the Minnesota Wild. Former Northwest Division foes are once again jockying for conference positioning as two points separate them in the standings.
The Canucks have won 7 straight games and 8 out of their last 10. The Wild are coming off a 3 game roadtrip where they went 1-2 overall, but defeated the scrappy Avalanche in a shootout in their last contest. The Wild have only won 4 out of their last 10 games.
This game can be viewed on Fox Sports North or Sportsnet Pacific at 8 PM ET/5 PM PT,
Here are the projected lineups:
Canucks (the good guys)
Forwards:
Daniel Sedin -
Henrik Sedin - Jannik Hansen
Chris Higgins -
Ryan Kesler - Mike Santorelli
David Booth -
Brad Richardson - Zack Kassian
Jeremy Welsh -
Zac Dalpe - Dale Weise
Defensemen: Ryan Stanton - Kevin Bieksa
Dan Hamhuis -
Christopher Tanev
Yannick Weber -
Jason Garrison
Goaltenders:
Roberto Luongo
(starter)
Eddie Lack
Wild (the bad guys)
Forwards:
Zach Parise - Mikko Koivu - Charlie Coyle
Nino Niederreiter - Erik Haula - Jason Pominville
Matt Cooke - Kyle Brodziak - Brett Bulmer
Dany Heatley - Torrey Mitchell - Zenon Konopka
Defensemen:
Ryan Suter - Jonas Brodin
Jared Spurgeon - Marco Scandella
Keith Ballard - Clayton Stoner
Chris Higgins - he is a big reason why the Canucks have won 7 straight games. He has 3 goals and 7 points in the last 5 games. The second line featuring Higgins, Kesler, and Santorelli has started to heat up. If they can keep contributing and working hard, the streak should continue to grow.
Roberto Luongo - he is riding a 5 game winning streak in between the pipes. Tonight he enters his house of horrors in Minnesota. Can he exorcise his Wild demons and play respectable in Minneapolis? The 34 year old should be a lock for the Canadian Olympic team as he continues to get stronger as the season rolls along.
Things to watch for - Wild:
Ryan Suter - he never leaves the ice. He leads all NHL blueliners with 29:32 of time on ice per game. The US Olympian is the anchor of the Wild blueline and plays in all situations. He has an assist streak going with 3 assists in 3 games. He does not have a goal tallied this season.
Zach Parise - the Minnesota native and former Devil is also a US Olympian. He leads the Wild with 26 points in 34 games. He is a shorthanded threat and will score anytime given a breakaway chance.
It was a monumental night at Rogers Arena. Players, coaches, and fans had this game circled on their calendars. It delivered as expected and turned in to a rout for the Vancouver Canucks.
The game was chippy the whole way through. Ryan Kesler and Jarome Iginla continued their historic rivalry with a scrap early in the game. Rivalries amongst rivalries were presented to the fans attention as the game went along. Brad Marchand was the center of attention all night as he kissed his finger repeatedly and made cup hoisting gestures at various Canuck players and fans. This drew boos from the Canuck faithful every time he touched the puck.
Jannik Hansen scored a fluky goal near the end of the 1st period gave the Canucks some jump heading into the 2nd period. The Canucks, however, came out flat in the first five minutes of the 2nd period and the Bruins were able to capitalize on a defensive mishap as Reilly Smith used his speed and buried the puck past Luongo.
Here comes a Canucks timeout followed by a Torts tirade - @#!%
The Torts tirade changed the game and fired the Canuck troops up. About a minute later, Brad Richardson made a nice pass to a streaking David Booth who fired a laser past Rask.
Chris Higgins found the back of the net about four minutes later which gave the Canucks a 3-1 lead heading into the 3rd period.
The onslaught continued over a minute into the third as the Canucks got an unlikely contribution from Yannick Weber. The Bruins decided to give goaltender Tuukka Rask a courtesy yank to try and spark the team. It made no difference for the Bruins as Henrik Sedin would capitalize on the powerplay and Chris Tanev would score shorthanded as the Canucks built a comfortable lead in the 3rd period. Bruins' Reilly Smith would tally his second goal of the night late, but it made no difference in the outcome.
The Canucks were outshot 19-8 in the third period, but the Bruins did not have many quality scoring chances. Both teams showed high levels of fatigue late in the game as this rout came to a close. Roberto Luongo stopped 39 of 41 Bruins shots in this contest.
Canucks Three Stars (against Boston):
1. Roberto Luongo
2. Mike Santorelli
3. Chris Tanev
Central Roadtrip Preview
The Canucks hit the road this week for a Central Division roadtrip. The roadtrip begins in Minnesota on Tuesday as the Canucks renew acquaintances with old division foe Wild. The Canucks will then travel to Dallas on Thursday and face playoff rival and defending Stanley Cup Champion Chicago on Friday.
The points are becoming critcal in the tough Western Conference. Minnesota has always been a house of horrors for the Canucks, but I feel they should take care of the Wild if they play a full 60 minutes. The back to back with Dallas and Chicago will be tough ones, but I expect the Canucks to play good defensive games against those teams.
I am sure Torts will continue to stress the "one game at a time" approach. A good goal for the Canucks on this roadtrip is to get 4 out of a possible 6 points.
The Canucks sixth win a row came at the expense of the Edmonton Oilers with a 4-0 lopsided victory. The Oilers were coming off a back to back game situation where they faced the Boston Bruins 24 hours beforehand.
Vancouver controlled the game from the start and had a very strong 1st period, with nothing to show for it. It took Daniel Sedin on the powerplay in the 2nd period to get the Canucks on the board. The score remained 1-0 after 40 which gave the Canucks faithful some concerns knowing as how they tend to blow leads.
David Booth started the action early in the 3rd period by shooting a weak little wrister toward the net, which Zack Kassian help deflect the puck in past Devan Dubnyk. An Oilers turnover 4 minutes later gave Ryan Kesler a partial break toward the net. He was able to make a sweet backward pass to a streaking Chris Higgins who shot the puck 5 hole past Dubnyk. For good measure, the Canucks powerplay was treated by a goal from Dale Weise. Weise and his linemates Zac Dalpe and Jeremy Welsh worked hard all night and gave the Canucks some great shifts in the Oilers defensive zone. They were rewarded with more ice time which eventually paid off.
Vancouver outshot Edmonton 40-19 in the contest. Roberto Luongo was not tested too much as he stopped all 19 Oilers shots which gave him his 3rd shutout on the season.
Bruins @ Canucks Stanley Cup Final Rematch Preview
It has been over 800 days since the Game 7 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals. The Canucks came within one game of winning the franchise's first Stanley Cup. It was a compelling series filled with so much hatred. It had everything from punches to the head, finger biting, suspensions... it was nasty to say the least.
This is the main event of the night. Both teams are hot right now - the Bruins have won 4 straight while the Canucks have won 6 straight. The Bruins are ranked 1st in the Atlantic Division and 1st in the Eastern Conference. The Canucks are ranked 4th in the Pacific Division and 6th in the Western Conference.
There are some new faces to each side since the 2011 Cup Final. Some new faces on the Bruins side include Dougie Hamilton, Jarome Iginla, and Torey Krug. Some new faces on the Canucks side include Mike Santorelli, Ryan Stanton, and Brad Richardson. I have a feeling the rivalry is still there between the players who were there and experienced the Finals. I could see some explosions and bad blood be carried over too.
Update: Bruins forward Shawn Thornton has been suspended 15 games for his slewfoot/punch to head of Penguins Brooks Orpik.
This game can be viewed on CBC at 10 PM ET/7 PM PT.
Here are the projected lineups:
Bruins (the bad guys)
Forwards:
Milan Lucic - David Krejci - Jarome Iginla
Brad Marchand - Patrice Bergeron - Reilly Smith
Carl Soderberg - Ryan Spooner - Matt Fraser
Nick Johnson - Gregory Campbell - Jordan Caron
Defensemen:
Zdeno Chara - Johnny Boychuk
Dennis Seidenberg - Torey Krug
Matt Bartkowski - Kevan Miller
Goaltenders:
Tuukka Rask (starter)
Chad Johnson
Canucks (the good guys)
Forwards:
Daniel Sedin - Henrik Sedin - Jannik Hansen
Chris Higgins - Ryan Kesler - Mike Santorelli
David Booth - Brad Richardson - Zack Kassian
Jeremy Welsh - Zac Dalpe - Dale Weise
Defensemen:
Ryan Stanton - Kevin Bieksa
Dan Hamhuis - Christopher Tanev
Yannick Weber - Jason Garrison
Goaltenders:
Roberto Luongo (starter)
Eddie Lack
Things to watch for - Bruins:
Milan Lucic - the heart and soul of the Bruins. The Vancouver native is on pace for a great season with 11 goals and 24 points in 32 games. The former Vancouver Giant is a model of what a hockey player should be like - he can score, he can fight, he can get pissed off. Milan Lucic is an icon in hockey with his many intangibles and great leadership.
Zdeno Chara - the big rig on the Bruins blueline. The 6'8" Slovakian team Captain has a huge shot and is a bear on skates. He ranks 11th in the NHL in time on ice at 25:17.If he gets any free looks from the point, he will score 9 times out of 10.
Things to watch for - Canucks:
Roberto Luongo - he is coming off 4 straight wins and a shutout. He has gotten stronger as the season has gone on. He has a 2.20 GAA and a .920 save percent.He was at the center of controversy during the 2011 Cup Finals with his "tire pumping" comments directed at Tim Thomas.
Ryan Kesler - he is coming off a 2 point night against the Oilers. He won 72% of his draws and provided some big hits on Oiler forwards Ales Hemsky and Taylor Hall. He looked like the Kesler of 2011 in last night's contest. Can he bring some of that edginess to tonight's matinee with the Bruins?
Times have been good for the Canucks. It is the holiday season, the Canucks have won 5 straight games, providing everyone with some cheer. They have had a nice little 3 day break which has included charitable events and ugly sweater parties. The Canucks currently sit 5th in the Pacific Division and 8th in the Western Conference with 41 points (18-10-5). The Oilers are at the bottom of the Pacific Division and 14th in the Western Conference with 25 points (11-19-3).
It is time to get down to business this weekend with a doubleheader featuring the Oilers tonight and big bad Bruins tomorrow night.
This game can be viewed on CBC at 9 PM ET/6 PM PT.
Here are the projected lineups:
Oilers (the bad guys)
Forwards:
Taylor Hall - Sam Gagner - Nail Yakupov
David Perron - Ryan Nugent-Hopkins - Jordan Eberle
Jesse Joensuu - Mark Arcobello - Ales Hemsky
Luke Gazdic - Anton Lander - Ryan Jones
Defensemen:
Anton Belov - Jeff Petry
Andrew Ference - Philip Larsen
Nick Schultz - Justin Schultz
Goaltenders:
Devan Dubnyk (starter)
Jason LaBarbera
Canucks (the good guys)
Forwards:
Daniel Sedin - Henrik Sedin - Jannik Hansen
Chris Higgins - Ryan Kesler - Mike Santorelli
David Booth - Brad Richardson - Zack Kassian
Jeremy Welsh - Zac Dalpe - Dale Weise
Defensemen:
Ryan Stanton - Kevin Bieksa
Dan Hamhuis - Christopher Tanev
Andrew Alberts - Jason Garrison
Goaltenders:
Roberto Luongo (starter)
Eddie Lack
Things to watch for - Oilers:
David Perron - he is hot right now. He has 5 goals and 9 points in the Oiler's last 5 games. The former Blues stud was traded to the Oilers this offseason after falling out of favor with the St. Louis faithful. He has been able to put out very good production with 27 points in 29 games this season. He leads the Oilers in shots on goal with 106 registered.
Jordan Eberle - the Oilers leader in points. He has 28 points in 33 games. He is one of my favorite young players around the NHL. He is a good shooter and deadly around the net when looking for loose rebounds.
Things to watch for - Canucks:
Dan Hamhuis - he turns 31 today. He has 9 points in 33 games and has been a steady eddie on the Canucks blueline. The Canadian Olympic hopeful provides a smooth skating defensive presence on the blue line and has helped fellow defensemen Chris Tanev in his development.
Chris Higgins - the New York native has the Canucks hot hand right now. He has 6 points in his last 5 games which includes the big goal he scored in overtime against Phoenix.
Prediction:
3-2 Canucks (Hamhuis birthday game winner)
It is no secret that the Canucks are in search for a top 6 scoring forward. The Sedins and Ryan Kesler have been missing quality linemates for a few seasons now. Gone are familiar faces Mason Raymond and Mikael Samuelsson who filled the top 6 voids for the Canucks during the 2011 cup run and in previous seasons.
The Canucks have not replaced Mason Raymond or Mikael Samuelsson's goal production since both have departed. Players like Zack Kassian, David Booth, Chris Higgins, and Jannik Hansen have put their best efforts forth to try and stick in the top 6 forward lines. However, those players are just not consistent enough and are better suited for other roles on the team.
Canucks fans have been wondering when help will come. The fanbase has desired another top scoring forward for several seasons. The main reason the Canucks have had recent playoff failures against division rivals San Jose and Los Angeles is because they simply did not score enough goals in those series.
It is time the Canucks management needs to look outside the organization for help. Every experiment has been tried over and over again. Coach Tortorella is doing all he can by changing the lines on the fly to try and give the team a consistent spark. These attempts are just simply not cutting it and changes need to be made.
Who Could Help the Canucks?
1. Evander Kane (Winnipeg Jets)
I know what you are thinking - Kane is the face of the Jets franchise, there is no way they part with him. I am a firm believer that everyone is available (*for the right price*). The 2009 1st Round pick of Atlanta has been surrounded with some controversy in his young career. He has been rumored to not get along with Jets head coach Claude Noel and he has posted some controversial pictures on social media (money stack on Twitter). But beyond his controversial flaws, he is an outstanding power forward. He plays the game with an edge and can do it all on the ice. He plays in all situations and is a former 30 goal scorer. Kane is the complete package - he can hit, fight, score, shoot, and agitate. The former WHL Vancouver Giant would become very popular in a hurry amongst the Canucks fanbase. He would be my number 1 person to try and target.
Trade Proposal: Edler, 1st, Jensen/or Gaunce
2. Paul Stastny (Colorado Avalanche)
The 2005 2nd Round Pick of the Avalanche has had his ups and downs in the Mile High City. He is a former 70 point centre and former 20 goal scorer. The US Olympian is known for his slick hands and good speed. Stastny is good in the faceoff dot and can play in all situations. He is in a contract year coming off a deal that pays him 6.6 million dollars. The Avalanche are in a big pickle as they are very deep down the middle (O'Reilly, Duchene, MacKinnon, Talbot). I am sure Stastny will command somewhere close to what he is making right now as top 6 centres are a very hot commodity. Do the Avalanche decide to trade him if they cannot come up with the funds to resign him? The situation with Stastny in Colorado is certainly worth keeping an eye on.
Trade Proposal: Edler, Hansen, 2nd
3. Max Pacioretty (Montreal Canadiens)
The 6'2" 215 lb winger has good NHL size which is something that is needed for the Canucks. The former 30 goal scorer has been rumored in the trade winds for several months. He just recently signed a 6 year deal that comes with an affordable cap hit (4.5 million dollars).He is a burly gritty winger who is known to score some dirty goals. While he is not known for his physical play, he knows how to cycle the puck well and he is a good puck battler in the corners.Would Montreal give up one of their bigger forwards who is one of their better finishers? What would the Canucks offer the Habs? Both teams need scoring - both have good defense and goaltending.
I know, I know, the Canucks and Flames will never make a trade (or will they?) Calgary is in the rebuild phase while Vancouver is in win now phase. Cammalleri is a streaky winger/centre who is a Los Angeles Kings draft pick. The Ontario native is known for his speed, shot, and goal scoring. He has bit the injury bug over the past few seasons, but he has reached the 30 goal plateau twice in his career. Cammalleri is in a contract year (6 million dollars). The 31 year old has eclipsed 80 points twice in his career. He will be a hot commodity to a team looking to load up before the trade deadline. Because of injury issues and steady decline, he should not command to much as a rental player.
Trade Proposal: 2nd, Jensen/or Gaunce
5. Thomas Vanek (New York Islanders)
Longtime Buffalo Sabre Thomas Vanek was traded to Long Island earlier this season in a blockbuster deal. The Austrian native is a former two time 40 goal scorer and two time 30 goal scorer. He knows how to score some goals and knows how to score consistently. Vanek is in a contract year this season (5.7 million cap hit). The Sabres chose to retain some of his salary in the recent trade - he is actually rated at over 7 million dollars. He has been a consistently healthy player over his 10 year NHL career. Will he accept the trade and stay in Long Island? Will Vanek test the UFA waters this summer and command a ton more money than what his expiring deal is worth? I think the Islanders may choose to trade him again, especially if they do not get into the playoff hunt. This should all be determined around the time of the trade deadline.
After an exhausting 3 games in 4 nights, the Canucks were able to take the second and final meeting with the Carolina Hurricanes with a 2-0 victory. The Canucks have propelled to 7th in the Western Conference and 4th in the Pacific Division.
Game Recap:
-Goalie Duel: Both backup goaltenders played at a very high level in this contest. Justin Peters kept the score from being 3-0 early as he stopped Dan Hamhuis and Daniel Sedin early in the 1st period on some glorious chances. Peters managed to stop 24 of 25 shots thrown at his net. In the opposite net, Eddie Lack made his Canucks home debut and recorded his first career shutout. Lack stopped all 31 Hurricane shots thrown at him.
-Powerless Play: Both teams were 0-4 with the man advantage. The Canucks did a good job with their sticks all night and shutting down possible passing lanes. The Canucks came dangerously close scoring shorthanded early on in the game. The Canucks powerplay looked very respectable and actually generated some scoring chances, but once again, came up close to finishing.
-Fatigue: The Canucks were an exhausted team in the third period. The Hurricanes managed to outshoot the Cauncks 13-7 in the third frame. Lack remain poised and stood tall in the net stopping everything that was thrown at him.
Concerns:
-Jannik Hansen: Hansen was placed on the top line to start the game and bounced around as the night went on. He does not look like his normal self. He is not shooting the puck in open space and firing his huge slapshot. He took a nasty spill into the boards in Carolina a week ago which is making me wonder if he is playing hurt.
-Zack Kassian: Many Canucks fans (including myself) are wondering just what his role is on the team right now. He was expected as to be a running mate with the Sedins entering the season. Torts has been against putting him on the top line. Can he come into form and continue to develop into a top 6 power forward or is he going to stay in the bottom 6 as a 3rd/4th line grinder?
The Canucks are 30 games into the 2013-2014 NHL campaign. They sit in 5th place in the tough Pacific Division at 15-10-5, 9th best in the Western Conference. The Canucks have won only 4 of their last 10 contests, including going 1-5 in their last homestand.
Where does the team stack up?
Team Stats:
GF/G: 2.63 (16th)
GA/G: 2.50 (13th)
PP%: 14.1% (26th) - awful
PK%: 89.0% (1st) - great
Shots For: 32.9 (3rd)
Shots Against: 27.8 (7th)
Hits: 574 (20th)
Player Stats:
Big 3:
Daniel Sedin: 10 G, 16 A, 26 P
Henrik Sedin: 7 G, 21 A, 28 P Ryan Kesler: 14 G, 8 A, 22 P
Big Surprises:
Jason Garrison: 3 G, 14 A, 17 P Alex Edler: -12
The Road Ahead... 11 December Games Remain
The next month will provide the Canucks a little bit of everything. 7 of their next 11 games will be at Rogers Arena. They will be on the road one week before Christmas when they face off against conference foes Minnesota, Dallas, and Chicago.
December has always been a historically good month for the Canucks. It is time for them to take advantage of some home cooking against beatable teams. The Canucks need to have a winning month to stay afloat in the very tough Western Conference.
Today, the Canucks announced the signing of 2013 3rd Round Pick Cole Cassels. The 18 year old centre plays for the OHL Oshawa Generals. He currently sits 4th in scoring for Oshawa with 12 goals and 28 points in 24 games played and has compiled 43 penalty minutes.
He is the son of former Canuck Andrew Cassels.
What does this mean for the Canucks?
Cole Cassels is projected to be a gritty 3rd line NHL centre. He has been noted as a possible steal of the last NHL Draft. He has earned this contract and looks for a bigger role as he continues his junior career.
The Canucks have reached the 30 game mark of the 2013-2014 NHL campaign and stand at 9th place in the Western Conference with 35 points. Their record is 15-10-5 and they sit at 5th place in the Pacific Division.
Once again, this was another slow starter for the Canucks, who have had this bad habit since the season began. Daniel Sedin jump started the Canucks 31 seconds into the 2nd period with a quick goal. This was followed up about 45 seconds later with a goal from David Booth! Finally, Booth shows up to the party to contribute. After several weeks of poor play, Jason Garrison finally nets a powerplay goal to make it 3-1! Craig Anderson gets the yank after the Canucks third goal and Robin Lehner enters the game. Later in the period, Dale Weise would clean up the trash in front of Lehner and he gets a goal. The Canucks potted 4 2nd period goals which decided this game.
Torts Returns to Broadway: Canucks @ Rangers (5-2 Loss)
This was one of the worst Canucks games of this season. Halfway into the first period is when the floodgates started to open. Alex Edler made a pathetic clear attempt in the defensive zone which gave the Rangers an opening. Chris Kreider was the beneficiary of the poor effort from the Canucks as he was able to net a hattrick. Kreider had two goals within 5 minutes of play in the first period. Rick Nash scored 17 seconds into the 2nd period and Michael Del Zotto followed up on the powerplay later into the period. The score was 4-0 Rangers halfway through the contest. David Booth potted his 2nd goal in two games later in the 2nd period and Kreider completed his hattrick halfway through the third period.
Alain Vigneault got the best of John Tortorella in this coaching matchup. The Canucks had too many errors and were not able to gain control of this game. This was an uphill battle from the very beginning. The highlight of this contest came at regulation's end when Kevin Bieksa squared off with big Ranger forward Brian Boyle. A frustrated Bieksa wanted to provide a spark heading in to the next game against Carolina. He did just that by scrapping with Boyle and at the end of the fight he punted Boyle's helmet.
Rally in Raleigh: Canucks @ Hurricanes (3-2 Win)
A day after the debacle in Manhattan, the Canucks responded with a tight victory over the struggling Hurricanes. A boarding on Kevin Bieksa early in the 1st period woke the Canucks up. They were able to get an early 5 on 3 powerplay opportunity which they were able to capitalize on. Ryan Kesler cleaned up a dirty rebound off of Cam Ward which gave the Canucks an early 1-0 lead. Later in the first, Tom Sestito was able to deflect a Jason Garrison slapper which made the score 2-0.
The 2nd period provided some much needed excitement. 3 goals between both sides in a matter of 1:16. The Hurricanes rallied 39 seconds into the period as Jordan Staal potted a trashy goal in front of the net as the Canucks were not able to clear the puck out of the crease. On the next shift, Eric Staal broke toward the net on a real bad defensive breakdown and Nathan Gerbe was able to score a goal which tied the game. Just like that 2 Carolina goals within 10 seconds. 27 seconds later, Ryan Kesler was able to neutralize Carolina's early momentum and got the eventual game winner.
The Canucks would squeak out of Raleigh on the tail end of a back to back with a victory. The Canucks defense did a good job at not giving the Canes forwards much space on the ice. The penalty killers all deserve credit in this game as they killed 5 straight Carolina powerplays between the 2nd and 3rd periods.
Sustaining in Smashville: Canucks @ Predators (3-1 Win)
The Canucks headed to Honky Tonk Land to finish up this 4 game east road trip. Another slow start for the Canucks, but they did manage to control play for most of this game. The first period could have put anyone to sleep with limited shots and scoring chances.
The Canucks were able to get on the board first as Brad Richardson netted his 6th goal of the season. 30 seconds later, you guessed it, the Canucks got scored on as they got stuck in their own zone. Colin Wilson was able to net his 5th goal of the season for the Predators which neutralized the Canucks momentum.
Heading into the third period, the 2nd line of Kesler/Hansen/Higgins provided another hard working shift. Jason Garrison continued his point streak as he shot a big slapper from the top circle and Ryan Kesler was able to break the tie 7:37 into the 3rd period. Things got chippy as this game went along and Luongo was getting ran in his crease, which gave the Canucks some powerplay time. Ryan Kesler made the Predators pay 14:15 into the 3rd which sealed the deal and gave the Canucks back to back victories.
Recap:
After a horrendous 6 game homestand, the Canucks responded with a successful road trip east. The Canucks return back to Vancouver for a tough 5 game homestand in a little over a week. This homestand brings in Phoenix, Colorado, Carolina, Edmonton, and Boston. This will not be an easy one. The Canucks need to make Rogers Arena a very tough place to come play at. The Canucks need to give their fans something to cheer about and get back into the playoff race out west. They cannot have another bomb at home.
