Canucks - Blues Game Preview
by Sean Zandberg on Dec 31, 2009 1:26 AM PST
in Game Preview
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CANUCKS (23-16-1) AT BLUES (17-17-5)
GAME TIME: 4:00 PST
TV: Sportsnet
SEASON SERIES: 2-0 Blues
THE ENEMY: St. Louis Game Time
UPDATE 11:55 AM: Thanks to splnwezel for the update via Andy Strickland: Andy McDonald has the flu. e i e i oh! He is most likely not playing tonight. Erik Johnson is out of the doghouse against the Canucks, and Derek Armstrong, (remember him?) will play in his first NHL game this season.
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The starting time of the game was moved back an hour, from 5 to 4 pm. I'm not sure why. Maybe it's because the Blues want to get the game over with earlier so they can start drinking sooner. Why the long faces in St. Louis? Ah, there are several reasons. The Blues have the worst home record in the NHL by far. 6-13-2. They are 1-5 at the Scottrade Center in the month of December, while posting a 6-2 record on the road. When the Blues beat the Canucks 3-1 in a stinker at GM Place on December 20, they climbed out of the Western basement. They followed that game with 2 victories over Edmonton and Calgary, only to lose their last 3 games. They are now only 3 points up on last place Edmonton and 8 points out of a playoff spot.
The Canucks used that loss as a stepping stone. They have a 3-0-1 record since. They have to kill the Central Division jinx though. They are 1-7 against Central teams this season.
Remember what happened before the Blues-Canucks game on December? Blues' GM Larry Pleau reportedly went into the team's dressing room and told the players that he will not fire coach Andy Murray and that they had better pull up their socks.
Now, 3 wins and 3 losses later and no sign of identity from the club, fans want Murray's head on a platter. It's a mess there right now. Let's hope the Canucks can make it even more unfavorable.
Vancouver has problems of their own. With Kevin Bieksa lost potentially for a long time to a leg injury, and with Mathieu Schneider done as a Canuck, Aaron Rome now gets a big chance to play in the top 6 and make a name for himself. It's not Rome that I am worried about. It's the question marks that would ensue if another D-man gets injured. Who would get called up next? I have several opinions on that which I won't get into now. Where's Brent Sopel when you need him? I kid. In all seriousness, I'm sure Gillis is looking for another D-man right now.
WHO's HOT?
I'm going to quote Rocky "forget about it" Bonnano from NHL.com:
Daniel Sedin has 2 goals and 5 assists in four games, Henrik Sedin has 3 goals and 4 assists in four games, Sami Salo has 2 goals and 3 assists in eight games, Alexandre Burrows has 3 assists in four games, and Mason Raymond has 3 goals and an assist in three games. For the Blues, Patrik Berglund has 3 goals and 3 assists in five games, Steen has 4 goals and 4 assists in five games, Brad Boyes has a goal and 8 assists in nine games, and David Perron has 2 goals and an assist in five games.
COMPARATIVE STATS
GOALS PER GAME: Canucks 4th, Blues 24th
GOALS AGAINST PER GAME: Canucks 8th, Blues 14th
5 ON 5: Canucks 4th, Blues 19th
POWER PLAY: Canucks 3rd, Blues 25th
PENALTY KILL: Blues 4th, Canucks 17th. Gotta fix that, Van.
SHOTS PER GAME: Canucks 12th, Blues 20th
SHOTS AGAINST PER GAME: Canucks 10th, Blues 15th
WINNING % WHEN SCORING FIRST: Canucks 11th, Blues 26th
WINNING % WHEN LEADING AFTER FIRST PERIOD: Canucks 7th, Blues 25th
WINNING % WHEN LEADING AFTER 2 PERIODS: Canucks 6th, Blues 27th. Blow leads much?
Best thing for Vancouver is to score first. Take ownership of this Blues team early, especially with their fragility on home ice. I don't want to hear Alain Vigneault saying post game: "Hey the Blues are not a bad team. It's a tight race in the West." F*ck that. The Canucks need to continue their strong play and dispose of these guys.
With both Calgary and Colorado winning on Wednesday, the Canucks need to keep pace. If the Canucks lose to the Blues in regulation and both the Kings and Stars win their games, the Canucks will once again be out of a playoff spot. Am I being too negative? Probably. I have faith. No really, I do!
The Sedins will need to make amends for the December 20th loss to the Blues. They were hardly a factor. Ty Conklin looked sharp for St. Louis, but the Canucks did not pepper him with many quality shots.
Watch out for Ryan Kesler tonight. He threw his stick in disgust after the shootout loss to Phoenix. I'm sure he wasn't happy with his play.
Paul Kariya may not play tonight as he has a head injury. Must be that open gap between his ears. Not sure if Erik Johnson is out of Murray's doghouse yet either.
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Gillis should give GMGM a call. Supposedly the Caps have a plethora of NHL level d men.
Now drink with me deeply of the bourbon, scotch, and rye until such time as we are fighting drunk.
by Steckel Me Elmo on Dec 31, 2009 5:12 AM PST reply actions
I was seriously considering going with the Blues, but surely the Canucks will be up for this game to bust up their recent struggles this year against the Blues.
3-2 Canucks, Samuelsson.
3-1 canucks, kesler for the winner.
i will be here for the beginning of the fame for once in a blue moon, but i’m leaving halfway through the 3rd to head over to my friend’s new year’s eve party (yes, the vodka is coming out at 6:30)
check out my blog at canuckpuckbunny.blogspot.com
"If Chuck Norris was up against 7 Rangers, he'd call Ryan Kesler."
GO CANUCKS GO!
i can’t get too crazy though, have to work at the grocery store at 9:00 tomorrow morning :{
check out my blog at canuckpuckbunny.blogspot.com
"If Chuck Norris was up against 7 Rangers, he'd call Ryan Kesler."
GO CANUCKS GO!
Happy new years all.
Yes, the Dogs got an important PP goal last game…but really Sean, they have been fixing the PK.
That was something like the second goal in the last 30 something kills.
They brought it up from 27th to the current 17th.
Just need to keep improving!
OK…4-0, with Raymond scoring the winner…Luongo wants a shutout to get the Oly starting goalie competition going!
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"
Yeah the PK is slowly rising up the charts. It’s good to see. This is going to be a rowdy game I think. Hopefully it’s us getting under their skin. Lou with extra motivation? Bah! He should be in peak form by now !
Happy New Years!
by Sean Zandberg on Dec 31, 2009 9:13 AM PST up reply actions
PK is headed in the right direction
Very good sign.
The peripherals suggest this is a top 8, if not better, team in the league. Without Demitra.
TSN seems to have recognized this, with a 3rd overall ranking in their recent PR’s…
The Blues destroyed the Canucks two times in a row
It won’t be happening this time. 4:2 Canucks, with Hank, the winner.
Los Angeles, CA
NTS: Really early game today...
5-3 Canucks. Raymond with the winner.
"I was thinking it would be cool to see a game on the road. I have been looking all over this atlas but I don't see Vancouver anywhere. What state is this sh*t in!?"
- Dallas Stars Forum
by eightyseven on Dec 31, 2009 10:02 AM PST via mobile reply actions
Sammy says “fuck it” and gets the game winner. And thus his mantra for 2010 is realized and embraced.
“2010: fuck it”
'Nucks Misconduct - Housing Swedish Millionaires Since 2000.
or..."tell 'em to go fuck themselves"
sincerely, Mikael Samielsson.
And he has been better since the snub…
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"
Yeah, most players get better when they’re angry; not stupid angry, just grumbly angry.
Anyway, I still think there’s a chance for both Edler and Sammy to make the Swedish team if there’s an injury along the way AND the guys play well in the next month, so we’ll see what happens.
The opposite of serious is not funny; the opposite of serious is unserious.
Definitely. Though I am guessing Sammy’s comments got a ton of press in Sweden….will that coach swallow his ego and pick him as an injury call up?
Or will Sammy’s ego and his definitive statement allow him to accept any invite now?
I thought he had every reason to be pissed when they took guys like Forsberg, who is perma-injured…and guys like Paullson, Modin and Hornqvist are more his equals…and he played for the country in 2006 and in World Champs….
The anger comes from some guy like Weinhandl from the KHL gets picked over him.
Here’s hoping that anger keeps him percolating for a while!
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"
Pretty sure Sweden will let Sammy in if an injury occurs. They were suprised by his “fuck you” statement, but understood his anger, which meant passion to play for his country.
by Sean Zandberg on Dec 31, 2009 12:04 PM PST up reply actions
Per Andy Strickland
Andy McDonald is out tonight due to the flu … Backes to center top line with Boyes and Tkachuk.
Kariya not expected back.
Erik Johnson to slot back in tonight after being a healthy scratch last game.
Aaron Rome
Lets hope Rome steps up and fills the hole like an NHLer.
He does have a stanley cup ring after all.
What? With who, the Ducks? He didn’t play enough games for that.
by Sean Zandberg on Dec 31, 2009 2:12 PM PST up reply actions
He found it in a box of cereal and pimped it out to be a Cup ring. Either that or he bought it in Chinatown.
by nucksandpucks on Dec 31, 2009 3:15 PM PST up reply actions
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