Canucks-Hurricanes Preview: Gee, Nice Start Time...
by Sean Zandberg on Dec 4, 2009 6:00 PM PST
in Game Preview
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10:29 PM ET Update: WAKE UP YOU FILTHY BUGGERS!
Dan Murphy just tweeted the following: "Aside from Raycroft, no line-up changes expected today. Hansen likely to stay on 2nd line."
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GAME TIME: 10:30 AM PST
TV: Sportsnet
The Opposition: Canes Country
Like Jason Botchford mentioned in the Province today, it was about a year ago that Roberto Luongo played in a morning game (pacific time) against the Penguins. He wrecked his groin on that fateful day. I don't think that plays a role in Andrew Raycroft getting the start against the Canes. Louie has played in 10 straight games, and has a 6-4-0 record in that span, along with a shiny 2.01 GAA and a .929 save percentage.
Raycroft's last start was not very pretty. On November 10th he started a game against the Blues and allowed 4 goals on 13 shots in the first period and was yanked. The Canucks admitted that they hung Raycroft out to dry in that game. They had also just come off a 5-day layoff and were not sharp. Now, with a healthy roster and less days off, the Canucks are kicking some serious ass on this road trip.
So, what on earth is wrong with the Hurricanes?
They have been without Cam Ward since November 7 due to a leg injury. In the 15 games with Ward in the lineup they had only won 2 games. Up to his injury, Ward and his mates had lost 10 straight games. Even so, his numbers were not terrible, according to ESPN.
Since the Ward injury, the Hurricanes have gone with the goalie tandem of Michael Leighton and Manny Legace. In those 11 games they lost 8. Manny Legace will start against Vancouver. Carolina has had 4 days off.
If you take a look at the Hurricanes' scoring leaders you can see many glaring problems. Tuomo Ruutu is leading the team in scoring with 6 goals and 16 points in 23 games. Rod Brind'Amour is a -19! Eric Staal..where did you go? 3 goals and 9 points in 17 games. He won't stay that lousy forever. Their highest scoring d-man is Joe Corvo with 4 goals and 12 points in 27 games played. He is a -10. Edit: He's also injured.
Will Chad LaRose and/or Jussi Jokinen play?
I wonder how well newly-acquired Jiri Tlusty will fit in.
Let's look at the comparative stats:
-The Hurricanes sit last in the East and the NHL...8 points behind the Leafs! Yikes!
-The Canucks are trying to get into the top 8 in the West and are almost there.
-Goals Per Game Average: Canucks 5th, Canes 30th
-Goals Against Per game Average: Canucks 7th, Canes 30th
-5 on 5: Canucks 5th, Canes 30th
-PowerPlay: Canucks 3rd, Canes 29th
-Penalty Kill: Canes 20th, Canucks 21st
-Shots Per Game: Canes 9th, Canucks 13th
-Shots Against Per Game: Canucks 11th, Canes 16th
-Faceoff %: Canucks 9th, Canes 22nd.
Should be an automatic win, right? Nope. That depends on how lightly the Canucks take these guys. They have to go out there and pretend those guys are wearing Devils jerseys.
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Corvo’s not going to be in the lineup tomorrow (or for a while), he suffered a lacerated calf earlier this week
Space Weed Says Telling it like it is without a care about the mainstream's feelings
"DO NOT get stuck behind Kyle Wellwood in the buffet line. This isn't really etiquette, but it will prevent you from starving to death"- Down Goes Brown on Etiquette for Jason Spezza's wedding
by Kevin Sellathamby on Dec 4, 2009 6:03 PM PST reply actions
why does it have to be a morning game??
seriously, i have to catch a greyhound bus up-island tomorrow, and i have to leave the house at about 11:00. if i catch any of the game, it will only be the first couple of minutes before i have to leave. grrrrr………………
4-2 canucks, burrows with the winner. getting it in there now while i still have time…..
"If you ever lose your way in the dark, a good thing to find in your pocket would be Mathieu Schneider's teeth." Kurtenbloggers
"If Chuck Norris was up against 7 Rangers, he'd call Ryan Kesler." random commentor at yahoo
GO CANUCKS GO!
Maybe the Bobcats play later?
Do they share an arena with them?
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"
-Goals Per Game Average: Canucks 5th, Canes 30th
-Goals Against Per game Average: Canucks 7th, Canes 30th
And they’re outside the playoff race? That can’t last, not if they keep playing to that level.
The opposite of serious is not funny; the opposite of serious is unserious.
Yeah, playing like that they have nowhere to go but up this month.
by Sean Zandberg on Dec 4, 2009 6:07 PM PST up reply actions
I hate save %; what a terrible way to present a stat.
Let’s try SPG (shots per goal) instead:
Luongo: 14
Legace: 9
Much better.
The opposite of serious is not funny; the opposite of serious is unserious.
Not bad at all. You may have to remind me of that for next game.
by Sean Zandberg on Dec 4, 2009 6:47 PM PST up reply actions
I wish they’d do it all the time for the league.
It’s linear, so the diff between 14 and 9 is a lot more apparent than the diff between .930 and .890. And it relates to something you see all the time in every game – shots! – which makes it something the fans can relate to as the game progresses.
Formula’s simple enough, too: 1.00/(1.00-save%)
[as long as we remember that we call .930 a save percentage as a matter of habit, even tho technically it’s not a “percentage.” The percentage is actually 93.0, but we use .930 in our calcs, yada yada]
The opposite of serious is not funny; the opposite of serious is unserious.
or just divide the total number of shots against by the number of goals allowed (both columns are side-by-side in the NHL.com goalie stats, SA and GA)
"If you ever lose your way in the dark, a good thing to find in your pocket would be Mathieu Schneider's teeth." Kurtenbloggers
"If Chuck Norris was up against 7 Rangers, he'd call Ryan Kesler." random commentor at yahoo
GO CANUCKS GO!
True, but that would mean I’d have had to actually go look up the numbers instead of just using what Sean had already provided in the post. That’d cost extra; union rules!
The opposite of serious is not funny; the opposite of serious is unserious.
oh boo hoo!
"If you ever lose your way in the dark, a good thing to find in your pocket would be Mathieu Schneider's teeth." Kurtenbloggers
"If Chuck Norris was up against 7 Rangers, he'd call Ryan Kesler." random commentor at yahoo
GO CANUCKS GO!
My shame is no longer secret.
The opposite of serious is not funny; the opposite of serious is unserious.
I was going to say what Missy said…ya complicated bastard! haha
by Sean Zandberg on Dec 4, 2009 8:37 PM PST up reply actions
btw, i just remembered last year’s game. it was tied 3-3, and the canes got a powerplay. while on the penalty kill, kesler passed the puck to burrows to went on the breakaway and got the shorthanded goal that started the winning streak last february.
ah, good times.
"If you ever lose your way in the dark, a good thing to find in your pocket would be Mathieu Schneider's teeth." Kurtenbloggers
"If Chuck Norris was up against 7 Rangers, he'd call Ryan Kesler." random commentor at yahoo
GO CANUCKS GO!
whoops, forgot to mention how that powerplay was with 3 minutes left in regulation.
"If you ever lose your way in the dark, a good thing to find in your pocket would be Mathieu Schneider's teeth." Kurtenbloggers
"If Chuck Norris was up against 7 Rangers, he'd call Ryan Kesler." random commentor at yahoo
GO CANUCKS GO!
If its good enough for the Don Docksteader bird, its good enough for me.
4-1 Canucks, with…say…..Kesler with the winner.
He’s due.
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"
Blocked Shots Everywhere!
I think the team’s going to be dropping in front of Raycroft to get him a shut out. They hold off a quick burst of pressure from a desperate ’Canes team, Raycroft holds the fort and inspires the rest of the team to a dominant effort.
’Nucks win 5-0. Kesler breaks his drought, but Salo gets the winner. Straight from My Ass to This Page!
I am perfectly fine with this start time :)
'Nucks Misconduct - Housing Swedish Millionaires Since 2000.
You would be Yank’…fits in well into the day!
I have to say, it will be weird getting the Saturday hockey out of the way so early.
Guess I have to watch the Bruins and Leafs is it? Late game either the Oil or Flames?
“sigh”
morning hockey is better than no hockey at all!!!
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"
Americans
and their bloody afternoon hockey. It’s simple. Baseball= day, hockey=night. OK?
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.
Yeah but now you have your night. And in your cases your afternoon.
Don’t worry…I’ll be in Pacific time in about two and a half weeks, will lose my eastern bias and then bitch with the rest of ya!
'Nucks Misconduct - Housing Swedish Millionaires Since 2000.
by Yankee Canuck on Dec 5, 2009 5:17 AM PST up reply actions
They have to go out there and pretend those guys are wearing Devils jerseys.
That needs to be their mandate every game. If they do just that they’ll go a long way this season.
or Flyers jerseys...I thought that game was even more dominant than the Devils one...Boucher was the better goalie to play against...at least.
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"
3-1 is my score prediction. I’ll go with Edler to get the winner because our D has been very good as of late.
I’m hoping the early start doesn’t throw them off but I think having the Rayzer between the pipes will bring this team back down to earth. We really need this W, if we win and the Flamers lose to the Sharks we could be within 3 pts of them which would be great!
Good morning Vancouver! (and elsewhere, too, I suppose)
I’ve been waiting for this game all season!!!
At least today one of my teams is guaranteed to win, and I actually get to see the nucks play!
GO TEAM!
by Andrea's evil twin on Dec 5, 2009 7:26 AM PST reply actions
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