Basement Blues Come To Garage To Test Canucks' Character
by Sean Zandberg on Dec 20, 2009 2:21 AM PST
in Game Preview
22 comments
BLUES (14-14-5) VS CANUCKS (20-15-0)
GAME TIME: 7:00 PM
TV: Sportsnet Pacific
The Enemy: St. Louis Game Time
UPDATE (2:58 PM): Did Blues' GM Larry Pleau rip into the players after their 6-3 loss to the Lightning? Well, only if you believe this guy.
UPDATE (2:02 PM): No Mathieu Schneider at practice today. He was absent due to personal reasons. Remember what I said a couple of days ago... Also, tonight is Fan Appreciation night. That means the "Jersey's Off Our Backs" ceremony will happen post game. Hopefully Rypien's jersey is stained with Blues' blood. Wouldn't that be a keeper? Hell yeah!
UPDATE (1:55 PM):
Asked if the Canucks had to guard against a letdown, which occurred on the last road trip after impressive wins in New Jersey and Philadelphia, Kesler replied: "The world is filled with such negative thinking. There is a positive bubble in this room and we have to not let this negative thinking creep into this bubble we have.”
-The Vancouver Sun
UPDATE (11:49 AM): The Blues have lost 5 of their last 6 at GM Place. -Sports Network
******************
I've seen this story before. The Canucks play well and beat a superb team and then play a basement dweller and show lack of intensity and lose. Is it about to happen again? Do the Canucks want to be in a playoff spot or not? They can do just that if they win tonight.
More after the jump...
This will be the first game of a 4-game road trip for St. Louis. They hold an impressive 8-3-3 record away from home. They last played on Friday, a 6-3 loss to the Lightning. They are 4-4 in December, 4-5-1 in their last 10, and have lost 2 in a row.
Which Blues are "rolling" over their past 5 games?
-David Backes: 3 goals and 5 points
-Brad Boyes: 1 goal and 4 assists
-TJ Oshie: 3 goals and 1 assist
-Andy McDonald: 1 goal and 3 assists
-Paul Kariya: 4 assists
COMPARATIVE STATS
GOALS PER GAME: Canucks 4th, Blues 30th
GOALS AGAINST PER GAME: Canucks 10th, Blues 15th
5 on 5: Canucks 5th, Blues 21st
POWER PLAY: Canucks 4th, Blues 30th. Wow.
PENALTY KILL: Blues 4th, Canucks 18th. Draw your own conclusions.
SHOTS PER GAME: Canucks 11th, Blues 16th
SHOTS AGAINST PER GAME: Canucks 10th, Blues 23rd
WINNING % WHEN LEADING AFTER 2 PERIODS: Canucks 8th, Blues 27th
FACEOFF %: Canucks 11th, Blues 19th
Another intriguing stat: The Canucks have scored more goals on home ice than any other team in the NHL. The Blues are 26th overall in goals scored on the road.
Statistically, the Canucks have the Blues dominated. They need to put these guys away and get into the playoff picture. 6 points separate the Canucks from the Northwest Division-leading Colorado Avalanche.
The last time these 2 teams played was on November 10. The Blues destroyed the Canucks 6-1 in a penalty-filled game.
The Blues have started Chris Mason 23 games this season, and Ty Conklin 11. Conklin has better stats. Not sure which one plays against the Canucks tonight.
Tanner Glass scrapped Cam Janssen in a marathon match last game. Let's see Rypien and Janssen go at it!
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That’s really the test for this team right now, finding ways to beat these ‘bubble’ teams. This game is especially important considering they will have their hands full with a very hot Nashville team on Tuesday. Having the memory of last years playoff series should help to motivate them; as well the Blues will hopefully be reminded of the difficulties they had beating Luongo last April.
Perhaps the most encouraging thing to come out of the Caps game was the way that the Canucks neutered Washington’s PP. If our penalty killing continues to play well I think we will take this game. On that assumption I will predict a 5-2 Canucks win, with a Daniel GWG.
by Twincest on Dec 20, 2009 6:49 AM PST reply actions 0 recs
Don't worry, the Blues PP has no balls...
…last in the league and disgustingly impotent. No, trust me, If the ‘Nucks lose tonight, it won’t be because of our power play.
Stranger things have happened though…
I once shot a man just to see him die...then I got distracted and missed it.
by TheDuke32 on Dec 20, 2009 2:46 PM PST via mobile up reply actions 0 recs
I can tell you don’t watch the Canucks very often ;) We get teams out of funks and hand out first career NHL goals on a regular basis.
by Sean Zandberg on Dec 20, 2009 2:48 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Then we shut down Ovechkin like pros…. so inconsistent.
by Sean Zandberg on Dec 20, 2009 2:53 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
The Blues are the same way...or were.
I was really hoping for a more competitive first round last year, Sean. A good, long series (coupled with the feistiness it had) would have solidified the Blues-and-‘Nucks match-up as a ’rivalry.’ If only…
At least this season, the Blues aren’t regularly rolling over for Canadian teams – last year it seemed like we had a record of 2-16 against our neighbors to the north. The reverse-Chicago, as I called it – since they never seemed to lose across the border during the season.
I once shot a man just to see him die...then I got distracted and missed it.
by TheDuke32 on Dec 20, 2009 4:17 PM PST via mobile up reply actions 0 recs
Man that 6-1 loss was depressing.
'Nucks Misconduct - Housing Swedish Millionaires Since 2000.
by Yankee Canuck on Dec 20, 2009 7:06 AM PST via mobile reply actions 0 recs
i am back home (aka my hometown) for christmas now. unfortunately, i also got a couple shifts at the grocery store i’ve been working part-time at for the last 4 years, and my first one is a 2-11 tonight, which means no canucks game for me :(
unfortunately, during my rushed packing process yesterday (only had a half hour between getting back from my exam and having to head out to the bus), i completely forgot to pack my stuff for my algorithm.
i don’t think they’ll whip us this time around. i seem to remember how they left raycroft out to dry and let in 4 goals in the 1st period, and luie replaced him in the 2nd (that was his official come-back from injury too).
4-1 canucks, burrows with the winner.
"If Chuck Norris was up against 7 Rangers, he'd call Ryan Kesler."
GO CANUCKS GO!
by missy on Dec 20, 2009 9:52 AM PST reply actions 0 recs
I just want someone to tune up Janssen.
Please allow me to adjust my pants, so that I may dance the good time dance, and lead the onlookers and innocent bystanders into a trance.
by Smoboy41 on Dec 20, 2009 10:09 AM PST reply actions 0 recs
I like the way Janssen fights. He hits to kill. Hate to say it, but he’s one of my fave fighters. Not tonight he’s not though
by Sean Zandberg on Dec 20, 2009 11:43 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
I really, really hope the Canucks don’t play down to the Blues’ level this time.
Go 5-hole on Mason!
3-2 Canucks, Raymond GWG.
by cyxj on Dec 20, 2009 10:51 AM PST reply actions 0 recs
Anyone watched Inglorious Basterds yet? Just saw it. Unreal.
by Sean Zandberg on Dec 20, 2009 11:51 AM PST reply actions 0 recs
That was a solid movie.
Bahn-gee-or-no!
Falling, fallen, we all fall down, it only really matters how we stand our ground
If and when we rise to our feet again, we'll be on our own
-Tomas Kalnoky/Streetlight Manifesto, If and When We Rise Again
by kentcheesehead on Dec 20, 2009 12:19 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Haven’t yet, but I am renting it over the holidays…Tarantino is one of my fave directors…
Soon.
Ummm…lets see. SOB remembered that “other” part of his game against the Ducks, I look for him to tune up Jannsen, with Ripper destroying whatever other Blues player wants to run his mouth. I think it will be a pretty chippy affair. Canucks will have that 6-1 debacle in their heads, because the coaching staff will be pushing that button at every opportunity.
Plus, that whole “Kelly” thing, it won’t take much for these two teams to turn it rough.
Our PK and PP will be better than theirs, Canucks 5-2 win.
Been going out on a limb on the others for GWG, this one, going with the Gold Standard…Henrik Sedin with the GWG…
Peace
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"
by vancitydan on Dec 20, 2009 12:28 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
4-2 canucks, daniel gets gwg
The opposite of serious is not funny; the opposite of serious is unserious.
by casual on Dec 20, 2009 12:23 PM PST via mobile reply actions 0 recs
3-2 Canucks. Samuelsson with the winner.
by Sean Zandberg on Dec 20, 2009 2:54 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
You watching the game at home?
I’m at Hodge’s house hahaha!
by Temujin on Dec 20, 2009 4:04 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Wait, what did you say about Schneider, Sean? I must have missed that.
by Beantown Canuck on Dec 20, 2009 4:45 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
I said something about “cue the rumor machine”
by Sean Zandberg on Dec 20, 2009 6:43 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
7-1 Canucks, Ehrhoff FTW
Time for a blowout :)
by nucksandpucks on Dec 20, 2009 5:47 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
VIDEO: Wow, Cam must be getting tired of hitting that guy in the face.
Wow, didn’t expect to see that video on canuck’s blog. Janseen dominated Glass there, the VAN announcers were hilarious, all awkward in silent.. Really? a left on the button? I must of missed that.. lol
Whatever it takes?
by JoMilla on Dec 20, 2009 11:35 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
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