The Hottest Team In The West Comes To Town: Canucks-Wild Preview
by Sean Zandberg on Dec 12, 2009 12:00 AM PST
in Game Preview
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Wild (15-13-3) vs Canucks (17-14-0)
Game Time: 7:00 PST
TV: CBC
The Opposition: Hockey Wilderness
Update (2:12 PST): Dan Murphy is reporting on Twitter that Josh Harding will start for the Wild tonight and Canucks 1st round draft pick from 2000 Nathan Smith will take the place of the injured Owen Nolan.
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The Minnesota Wild may have won 5 of 14 in October and 5 of 11 in November, but they have won 6 of 7 in December, including an 8-1-1 record in their last 10. The only other NHL teams that are cookin' like the Wild are the Capitals and Bruins. I managed to watch the 3rd period and OT of the Wild-Flames game last night. The Wild are still playing well defensively, but are utilizing a super speed and aggressive game as well. You'll see it when they play the Canucks tonight. This is a team that is rising from the Western Conference basement and making a push for a playoff spot.
It's madness. Only 6 points separate 8th place Dallas from 14th place St. Louis, and the Canucks are right in the middle of the dung heap. It further emphasizes the point that the Canucks need to get on a roll...and quick. Once again, Vancouver plays a team that is playing the 2nd game in 2 nights. That is not something to take for granted, as I had mentioned Minny's speed game is intense.
More after the jump...
The Wild are now 6-10-2 on the road this season. That almost mirrors the Canucks' road futility (6-10-0).
Martin Havlat has not found his game in Minnesota yet. However, right when the play-by-play guys were mentioning his 2 goals, 9 assists and -17 rating this season, Havlat bagged the OT winner tonight. He finished with a goal and an assist and a +2 rating against the Flames. How unlike him. He now has 1 goal and 4 assists in his last 8 games. He's slowly heating up.
More Wild player stats over their last 8 games:
-Andrew Brunette has 1 goal and 8 assists
-Mikko Koivu has 3 goals and 4 assists
-Antii Miettinen has 5 goals and 1 assist
Complete list of Wild player stats here.
The last time the Wild played in a back-to-back scenario, Josh Harding, who's stats are nowhere near as good as Niklas Backstrom's, got the start in a 5-3 win over the Predators on December 5th. I wonder if Harding plays tonight.
COMPARATIVE STATS
GOALS PER GAME AVERAGE: Canucks 4th, Wild 24th
GOALS AGAINST PER GAME: Canucks 8th, Wild 17th
5 on 5 F/A: Canucks 3rd, Wild 27th
POWERPLAY: Canucks 4th, Wild 19th
PK: Wild 8th, Canucks 27th
SHOTS PER GAME: Canucks 10th, Wild 17th
SHOTS AGAINST PER GAME: Wild 8th, Canucks 10th
The Canucks are 2-0 against the Wild this year, winning 2-1 on October 17th and 5-2 on November 5th.
Mike Gillis is not so happy with the Canucks' efforts so far this season, and he let them hear about it on Thursday. He challenged the players to "look in the mirror".
"There was a sense of complacency," he said. "I think our guys thought, OK, let's just get back in the playoffs and redeem ourselves for what happened with Chicago and forgot you've got to play 82 games to get into the playoffs. I think now it's been imparted to them that no one's happy with where we sit today. I believe this team is a better one than we had last year and we've yet to show it on a consistent basis."
More on that here.
Kyle Wellwood will likely sit out again tonight, as he continues to occupy Alain Vigneault's doghouse over Darcy Hordichuk.
From RUWT? Sports: Roberto Luongo
has a 10-11-4 with a tie and 2.66 GAA versus the Wild, but has allowed four goals on 71 shots while winning his last three starts against them.
There is so much hype surrounding Rick Rypien over the past 2 days and his ability to kill almost anyone. Will we see a Rypper-Boogaard tilt? I've wondered this twice this year already and nothing has happened. Maybe the Boogeyman is afraid? Haha. I don't think so. Boogaard fought Brian McGrattan last night and won:
Rypien-Boogaard is a tilt I've been dying to see. That would be Rypien's ultimate test.
Mason Raymond will be the guest on CBC's After Hours post game.
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With all the hype of UFC 107 tomorrow the fight I’m most looking forward to is Boogeyman vs. Ripper.
Canucks need to use this homestand to get going and this is another game they need to pounce on. My prediction, 3-2 Canucks with a Kesler GWG.
Josh Harding, who’s stats are nowhere near as good as Niklas Backstrom’s
However he’s still the third best in the division. lol
Believe that was in reference to the article out of Minnesota a few years ago that ranked the goalies Backstrom-Kipper-Harding-Luongo.
lol
well hopefully he plays tonight like those #’s you just posted
by Sean Zandberg on Dec 12, 2009 2:23 PM PST up reply actions
He only played 4:29 though. What’s the point of even icing him if he’s getting that little ice time?
5:00 Fighting major happened.
I’m saying that when he was on the ice for that brief time he looked good. Gritty, tenacious forechecking.
by Sean Zandberg on Dec 12, 2009 1:38 PM PST up reply actions
3-2 canucks in a SO
samuelsson and burrows with the goals.
4-3 canucks, daniel with the winner.
my algorithm outputted 3.0-2.5, and since there’s already a few 3-2’s i decided to round up and continue our flawless overtime streak.
"If Chuck Norris was up against 7 Rangers, he'd call Ryan Kesler."
GO CANUCKS GO!
gotta love CBC
today’s double-header:
4:00 – Caps @ Leafs
7:00 – Wild @ Canucks
oh yeah!
"If Chuck Norris was up against 7 Rangers, he'd call Ryan Kesler."
GO CANUCKS GO!
can’t say I mind that either! How many points does Ovechkin get tonight? I’m gonna say 4.
by Sean Zandberg on Dec 12, 2009 11:20 AM PST up reply actions
the caps-leafs would actually be a good one to watch, since the caps will be in town next friday and this is their second-last game before then (they play in colorado on tuesday)
"If Chuck Norris was up against 7 Rangers, he'd call Ryan Kesler."
GO CANUCKS GO!
their second last game before next Friday? wow.
by Sean Zandberg on Dec 12, 2009 1:39 PM PST up reply actions
My god. What the hell is wrong with the Flyers?
by Sean Zandberg on Dec 12, 2009 4:42 PM PST up reply actions
Do we get an extra point for that?
LOL
I guess I will say…oh, you said the 3rd best goalie is playing tonight and not the first?
OK then…4-2, the last one an empty netter. Samuelsson with the GWG.
And Ovie will get 1 goal amd 2 assists …
;-)
The earliest use of the word with the spelling we recognize today is found in "L'Acadie: or Seven Years' Exploration in British America" by James Edward Alexander, published in 1849:
We also met a lusty fellow in a forest road with a keg of whisky slung round him who called to us 'Come boys and have some grog, I'm what you call a canuck"
4-2 canucks. gwg to daniel.
The opposite of serious is not funny; the opposite of serious is unserious.
by casual on Dec 12, 2009 1:34 PM PST via mobile reply actions
The only 2 times I’ve predicted exactly right this year I used that one, casual. It’s money, heheh
by Sean Zandberg on Dec 12, 2009 1:40 PM PST up reply actions
You get 1 for the correct score, 2 if you get the right score and right team, or 3 if you predict the correct score, team and winning goal scorer. You also get 1 if you guess the right game winning goal scorer. Tough isn’t it?
No points for solely predicting the right team…the list would get too damned big and I don’t have time to do that.
by Sean Zandberg on Dec 12, 2009 2:10 PM PST up reply actions
nice! Blastoff quietly going about his business.
by Sean Zandberg on Dec 12, 2009 2:10 PM PST up reply actions
all our boys seem to be doing so, eh? (henrik for example)
"If Chuck Norris was up against 7 Rangers, he'd call Ryan Kesler."
GO CANUCKS GO!
Yeah…the Sedins…Kesler is putting up the points….
Kind of stuck with my opinion of Burrows on the top line. Sure, he may be the best fit there with the current roster, but I’d like to see someone who can score more consistently on that line, even if we have to trade to get it.
by Sean Zandberg on Dec 12, 2009 2:59 PM PST up reply actions
See, I like Burrows there. He makes things happen with those guys.
Last 5 games he has 3 goals, 3 assists and is a plus 3.
Not saying thumbs up or down to a trade, but I don’t really think that Burr’ is a problem there.
I’m more concerned about Sammy getting some chemistry on the 2nd line. We need a 2nd that is a little more dangerous. They showed signs last game…so, we’ll see how it goes I guess…not ready for a deal yet, but Gillis did in the papers earlier this week..maybe open up the players minds to the “thought” of one…ya know?
Pycho Doug McLean was on Hockey Central running hos dumb mouth about the Nucks too. Sadi they don’t have a “presence” on the blue line. That Salo was “thought to be it”, but hadn’t come through, and that Orrhoff was a “secondary” player.
He then smugly said “I don’t think Neidermayer would go there”…babbled on a bit more, and then raised his non chin and did the “looking down on you” glance at the camera and listened to the whatever his name is “Watters”, or something try to back him up.
Pffft…
BTW…have you seen the new reality show…“Steven Segal Lawman” on A&E?
Wednesday nights…it rocks…turns out he has been a sheriff in New Orleans for 20 years…
The earliest use of the word with the spelling we recognize today is found in "L'Acadie: or Seven Years' Exploration in British America" by James Edward Alexander, published in 1849:
We also met a lusty fellow in a forest road with a keg of whisky slung round him who called to us 'Come boys and have some grog, I'm what you call a canuck"
Well, Welly is already kinda gone. If we also trade SOB then we’ll have cap room for the return of Demo, so basically, compared to tonite’s lineup, we can “trade” SOB for Demitra.
Be interesting to see if Samuelsson, a shooter, could have good chemistry with Demitra, a passer. Bring back Grabner to reunite the Speed Line and we could have 3 decent scoring lines,no?
Or am I being too hopeful? Just thinking that we might not wanna rush into a trade till we see how the above plays out, first.
The opposite of serious is not funny; the opposite of serious is unserious.
No, I think along those lines sometimes, and I wasn’t dismissing that Gillis has moves to make anyhow as people get healthy…Demo and Grabs in particular.
Just dismissing “Doogie” MacLean.
There will be deals that have to be made. It will be interesting to see if it is picks or prospects.
Or more a package for a more quality player.
The earliest use of the word with the spelling we recognize today is found in "L'Acadie: or Seven Years' Exploration in British America" by James Edward Alexander, published in 1849:
We also met a lusty fellow in a forest road with a keg of whisky slung round him who called to us 'Come boys and have some grog, I'm what you call a canuck"
Sure, Burrows has 6 points in his last 5 games but do you ever see him being an 80-point scorer? A 35-40 goal scorer?
Hate to bring the name up, but Anson Carter was the best fit there. He had better hands than Burrows does.
I hear you on your other points, especially Samuelsson.
by Sean Zandberg on Dec 12, 2009 4:15 PM PST up reply actions
No way way Carter as good as Burrows on that line. Sorry. I respectfully disagree.
Anson was made a lot better by them, as evident in his rapid descent out of the league. He didn’t add another element to their game and make them better like Burrows does. He basically went to the net and kept his stick on the ice. Burrow seems to be getting better at reading the Twins too.
Last year when they got together, I was saying the following, and they are starting to show this facet to their game now that everyone is back again.
Burrows makes them better because they become a line that can not only set up in the offensive zone and cycle, but because Burrows makes them more dangerous off the rush.
Carter was OK at that, and OK in front of the net.
Burrows is better at both those aspects. He makes them feistier too, which is always fun…
The earliest use of the word with the spelling we recognize today is found in "L'Acadie: or Seven Years' Exploration in British America" by James Edward Alexander, published in 1849:
We also met a lusty fellow in a forest road with a keg of whisky slung round him who called to us 'Come boys and have some grog, I'm what you call a canuck"
Alone Burrows is not an 80 point scorer. He is an agitator and gets under the other teams skins. However, for whatever reason when teamed up with the Sedins, he becomes a skilled forward that can put up decent numbers. I think of all the players on the team the Sedins make Burrows the best and that’s why you put him on the top line. They make a relatively average player into a good player.
Burrows is a 25-point producer without the Twins!
by Sean Zandberg on Dec 12, 2009 4:41 PM PST up reply actions
yeah I agree. I was directing that at Dan
by Sean Zandberg on Dec 12, 2009 4:50 PM PST up reply actions
He is better than that. And you guys are missing my point. He is playing at great value for his 2 mil with the Twins. Of course they make him better.
They make everyone that plays with them better.
I don’t know if you got a guy that was a …say….6 mil player ( which is the wrong way to build a team in todays NHL when your 1st line makes close to 20 mil…at least until you have enough good young talent producing at a level above their paychecks…)
That he would be that 4 mil better, you know?
Burrows is fine there. Why change what is working until it stops working?
The earliest use of the word with the spelling we recognize today is found in "L'Acadie: or Seven Years' Exploration in British America" by James Edward Alexander, published in 1849:
We also met a lusty fellow in a forest road with a keg of whisky slung round him who called to us 'Come boys and have some grog, I'm what you call a canuck"
Why change what is working until it stops working?
Sure.
But Burrows isn’t going to score 80 points, so at some point it’s not going to be working..so my point is that we should put someone with better finish there.
by Sean Zandberg on Dec 12, 2009 4:53 PM PST up reply actions
Fair enough Sean.
But, just for the record, and to the point of him being of great value..
Not sure what it is, but of his 51 points last year, he got somewhere in the mid thirties I think it was with the Sedins. In 39-ish games together. Maybe a little less, but even low thirties is still pretty good.
Of his 22 points that he has in 31 games, most of those have been with the Sedins. Again, don’t have the right number, but I am guessing its probably 15-18 of those 22.
He has played …what, about 10-12 games with them now this year?
Lets round it to… in 50 games-ish with the Twins, out little buddy from Pincourt QC has about 45-ish points.
Yeah, a just about point a game pace doesn’t get you 80 points.
It gets you close though. That, coupled with what he does on the PK and whatnot, seems fine.
Thats just me though…we are just killing time here ’til puck drop right?
;-)
The earliest use of the word with the spelling we recognize today is found in "L'Acadie: or Seven Years' Exploration in British America" by James Edward Alexander, published in 1849:
We also met a lusty fellow in a forest road with a keg of whisky slung round him who called to us 'Come boys and have some grog, I'm what you call a canuck"
Sean knows
It’s not a surprise that Burr does well with the twins, everybody that plays with them does well, but it’s not really the point either. To me, the point is they are somewhat wasted without a true sniper finishing their great playmaking, I mean they are borderline elite players playing with a bunch of 2nd/3rd rate linemates, they could be a truly elite line that would change the whole dynamic of how opposing teams view the Nucks if they had a real sniper to complete what could be one of the very best lines in the league.
Y man…I totally agree with that.
It would be amazing.
But it would mean less money spent elsewhere..like Kes’s new deal.
I just think another Top 6…say Demo or his money to have a really dangerous 2nd line would help the team…especially if Burr’ can keep up his current production.
The earliest use of the word with the spelling we recognize today is found in "L'Acadie: or Seven Years' Exploration in British America" by James Edward Alexander, published in 1849:
We also met a lusty fellow in a forest road with a keg of whisky slung round him who called to us 'Come boys and have some grog, I'm what you call a canuck"
I have
a hard time with that objection with the kind of $ being wasted on the likes of 3rd/4thstringers Bernier, Wellfed, Schneider, and even Demo, etc.
This team can afford a topline winger if surpluses are/were minimized elsewhere, I love Burr but he is more of a 2nd liner, and has played well with Kes before. Sammy makes it a solid 2nd line, and if he’s not getting it done, he’s just another surplus imo, because again, he’s too expensive for 3rd line duties.
I really think this team would take a big step forward with that kind of a first line. Instead of thinking about what they are going to do, opposing teams’ first concern every night would be “how do we minimize the damage of that line”, and as I said that just changes the whole dynamic of every game.
Not only that
it makes the PP lethal, thereby forcing teams to watch how much the “cheat” so they don’t end up in the box.
And then there’s the confidence that comes from knowing that even when you are down in the 3rd period, you have the kind of gamebreaking line that can get it done despite the best offorts of the opposition locking down to protect the lead, in fact many teams will feel that they cannot sit back and protect a small lead.
Twins score very well no matter who they play with, but do they strike fear in anyone’s hearts? Do they keep coaches up at night wondering how to keep them off the scoresheet? Do they force the opposition to dedicate a checking unit to be on the ice amap with them and thereby reducing the ice-time of their scoring lines?
All dynamics that could be in effect if they had a truly dangerous sniper on the wing and they played 22 mins a game like best lines do.
pre-game report from kristen reid:
-line-up is same as last game for the canucks, pudge sits out for a second game
-wild will go to harding in net tonight
"If Chuck Norris was up against 7 Rangers, he'd call Ryan Kesler."
GO CANUCKS GO!
well, at least I’m ahead of you lately, missy. Check the update at the top of the post ;)
by Sean Zandberg on Dec 12, 2009 3:00 PM PST up reply actions
i just noticed that, you said “maybe” and i’ve got confirmation.
"If Chuck Norris was up against 7 Rangers, he'd call Ryan Kesler."
GO CANUCKS GO!
correction: “likely” not “maybe”
"If Chuck Norris was up against 7 Rangers, he'd call Ryan Kesler."
GO CANUCKS GO!
oh, getting all technical on me now! hmfft!
fine. you take the damned keyboard then! I’m leaving!
by Sean Zandberg on Dec 12, 2009 3:20 PM PST up reply actions
simmer down, i just add updates when i find them. in this case, you left uncertainty in the post and i found something to confirm it.
"If Chuck Norris was up against 7 Rangers, he'd call Ryan Kesler."
GO CANUCKS GO!
simmer down? simmer down? now you getting bossy with me?
missy, I was kidding the whole time. I’m still kidding around. that’s how I roll if it gets lost on here somehow and you’re unsure. Especially towards you. Sometimes it’s hard to tell when just reading what I put on here.
I appreciate all your inputs all the time. Keep it up!
by Sean Zandberg on Dec 12, 2009 4:18 PM PST up reply actions
and here comes sour grapes…..
"If Chuck Norris was up against 7 Rangers, he'd call Ryan Kesler."
GO CANUCKS GO!
….and he talked a lot about edmonton. nothing on the nucks.
"If Chuck Norris was up against 7 Rangers, he'd call Ryan Kesler."
GO CANUCKS GO!
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