Canucks Look To Start Road Trip On Right Foot Against Leafs
by Sean Zandberg on Jan 30, 2010 10:30 AM PST
in Game Preview
69 comments
| Canucks (33-18-2) |
Leafs (17-27-11) | ||||
 |
AT |  |
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| Time | 4:00 PST |
TV | CBC |
| Season Series | 1-0 Canucks |
Last Meeting | 3-1 Canucks (Oct. 24) |
| The Enemy | Pension Plan Puppets |
| Canucks | Category | Leafs |
| 3rd | Conference Position | 14th |
| 7-2-1 | Last 10 | 2-6-2 |
| 3.23 (3rd) | Goals Per Game | 2.64 (16th) |
| 2.40 (5th)) | Goals Against Per Game | 3.46 (30th) |
| 1.39 (2nd) | 5 On 5 GF/GA | .96 (16th) |
| 22% (4th) | Power Play | 16.3% (24th) |
| 81.6% (16th) | Penalty Kill | 69.2% (30th) |
| 29.7 (16th) | Shots Per Game | 33.7 (1st) |
| 29 (7th) | Shots Against Per Game | 29.8 (14th) |
| 77.8% (7th) | Winning % When Scoring First | 61.1% (24th) |
| 85.7% (4th) | Winning % When Leading After 1 | 63.6% (23rd) |
| 95.8% (2nd) | Winning % When Leading After 2 | 86.7% (15th) |
| 51.6% (6th) | Faceoffs % | 50.4% (12th) |
| 15.7 (27th) | Least PIM's Per Game | 12.7 (15th) |
| +34 (3rd) | + / - GF/GA | -18 (27th) |
UPDATE: Sami Salo will not play tonight. Will the Leafs start Gustavsson?
***********************
Opportunity knocks for Vancouver. They can make a statement on Hockey Night in Canada and perhaps give Don Cherry and Ron Maclean something else (other than the Leafs) to talk about on Coach's Corner, but more importantly, they can pull ahead of the Colorado Avalanche (who are 2nd in the Northwest Division) by 4 points. A big thank you to the Stars for beating the Avs 3-2 on Friday night.
More after the jump..
It's baffling to see that the Leafs lead the NHL in shots per game. It just goes to show, like most of us know, that they do not have enough finishers on their team. You know a club is in deep shit when a defenceman is leading the team in scoring. That would be, obviously, Tomas Kaberle. Is this guy the best bang for the buck for a defenceman in the NHL? For him to put up 43 points in 55 games on that squad speaks wonders for his abilities. For Jason Blake to only have 10 goals and 26 points in 55 games is a surprise to me. More is expected of him. Phil Kessel nearly signed a death warrant by playing for the Blue and White this season, as he was potentially going to be a saviour when he returned to action from injury/surgery. But not even his 15 goals and 31 points in 43 games is good enough to save the Leafs.
Toronto is 0-3-2 in their last 5 games. In that span:
-Alexei Ponikarovsky had 3 goals and 6 points
-Niklas Hagman had 3 goals and 5 points
-Matt Stajan had 3 goals
-Phil Kessel had 3 assists
-Ian White had 1 goal and 2 assists
-Only 2 assists for Kaberle
-No points for Jason Blake. Blake has not scored a point in 8 games. He only has 1 goal and 1 assist in his last 15 games.
This should be a lock for the Canucks, who are better than the Leafs in just about every category. But nothing is ever a guarantee. The Leafs have many flaws in their game, yet they have a decent work ethic and cannot always be counted out. They erased a 4-2 deficit against the Devils in the 3rd period only to lose in OT on Friday night; their 11th loss in extra time this season. Only the Lightning and Stars have that many OTL's. Jonas Gustavsson started that game in goal for Toronto, but Vesa Toskala finished it. I'd expect Toskala to start against Vancouver.
Some Trivia:
The Canucks have currently won 6 games in a row. When was the last time they did that in the regular season? Answer: February 2007. They have only had six - 6 game winning streaks in their existence, according to Canucks Library. They have also had two- 7 game winning streaks (last one was December-January 2007) and their longest winning streak ever is 10 games, accomplished in November 2002.
-Is this the game where Line 3 breaks out? To me they still seem to get better and better every game.
-I'm not gonna lie, I grew up watching the Leafs and am quite partial to them. The Canucks-Leafs clashes are my fave games of the year.
-It's also one of my fave days of the year. Happy Hockey Day In Canada to all of you! Enjoy the festivities!
Here are a few clips to get your Canucks-Leafs mojo going (like you needed it):
1. Love him or hate him, this Sundin moment may live forever in Canucks lore.
2. Canucks beat Leafs 3-1 in October 2009. How many times were the Kesler-Raymond-Grabner line in those highlights?
3. Canucks kill Raycroft and the Leafs 6-1 in 2007. Hey Bob Cole! Don't sound so thrilled.
4. Canucks-Leafs brawl in Game 3 of the 1994 Semi-Finals:
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4-2 canucks, Pudge with the winner.
Official Ambassador for Nucks Misconduct.
"If Chuck Norris was up against 7 Rangers, he'd call Ryan Kesler."
GO CANUCKS GO!
LOVE the '94 flashback
such a sweet victory that series was :)
http://waachcast.blogspot.com/ < WAACHCast Blog
by canucklehead666 on Jan 30, 2010 10:39 AM PST reply actions
I didn’t foresee the Canucks beating that Leafs team in only 5 games.
by Sean Zandberg on Jan 30, 2010 11:22 AM PST up reply actions
5-2 Canucks
Burrows with the winner
http://waachcast.blogspot.com/ < WAACHCast Blog
by canucklehead666 on Jan 30, 2010 10:51 AM PST reply actions
those shots for are incredible
surely the leafs have been unlucky.
6-1 Leafs
Clark (3), Vaive, Fergus (2, GWG)
Tanti
by Temujin on Jan 30, 2010 10:54 AM PST via mobile reply actions
I think Skriko is due for a breakout game.
by nucksandpucks on Jan 30, 2010 12:00 PM PST up reply actions
From Mirtle on Twitter:
#Leafs are 3-2-1-0 facing rested team in 2nd game of B2B nights .. #Canucks are 3-4-0-0 as rested team playing team with games B2B
Mirtle should have also Twttered this:
#Leafs are a terrible, terrible excuse for a hockey team… #Canucks are quite good
by Beantown Canuck on Jan 30, 2010 11:26 AM PST up reply actions
4-1 Canucks, Burrows FTW
I will be there, screaming my heart out for the Canucks. They’d better put on a good show, this is the only time I get to see them all season!
Haha, okay I’ll keep that in mind. I am actually really excited to hear the first “LOOOOUUUU” of the game. I predict that it will be the loudest of the year outside of GM Place :)
by nucksandpucks on Jan 30, 2010 12:46 PM PST up reply actions
cxyj said:
I just wanna get in my score prediction early, as I’m going to be out of town up to and maybe during the game.
4-1 Canucks, Dank GWG.
He posted that in the Friday morning coffee post. I thought I’d repost it here for convenience.
You want a laugh?
Find the Hungry Leaf fan videos. They are hilarious. The guy’s insane.
Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.
I can’t find the videos, PPP. I see the blog and twitter updates and I’m laughing already. Where’s the vids?
by Sean Zandberg on Jan 30, 2010 1:47 PM PST up reply actions
btw, no offense to any leafs fans here, but this is still good.
Official Ambassador for Nucks Misconduct.
"If Chuck Norris was up against 7 Rangers, he'd call Ryan Kesler."
GO CANUCKS GO!
It's the LEAFS!
5-2. Canucks. Mr Sean O’Brien with the GWG!
( That should count for 2 points! ) Give Don something to hang his hat on…
Good Ontario kid!
If I'd written all the truth I knew for the past ten years, about 600 people - including me - would be rotting in prison cells from Rio to Seattle today. Absolute truth is a very rare and dangerous commodity in the context of professional journalism.
Hunter S. Thompson
The TV business is uglier than most things. It is normally perceived as some kind of cruel and shallow money trench through the heart of the journalism industry, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free and good men die like dogs, for no good reason.
Hunter S. Thompson
Can't decide which "Hunterism" is more telling on media, both then and now.
i thought that call against spezza was pretty damn chincy for an overtime call. maybe he complained too vociferously about not getting a penalty shot lol
Yeah so much room on this ice. Great power move by Fisher that lucky bastard (referring to him being engaged to Carrie Underwood).
this is an example of why the shootout needs to go bye-bye and the players play 5 minutes of 3 on 3 after the 4 on 4
by Sean Zandberg on Jan 30, 2010 2:18 PM PST up reply actions
Toskala is starting tonight
I predict something like Eleventy Billion to 1, for the Canucks.
"The only way out is in a body bag. Go Leafs Go." - Blinky
Don’t forget who gets the GWG Karina!
BTW…I think it was you anyhow…that was quoted on the Kurtenblog yesterday, I think it was.
Kudos to you!
If I'd written all the truth I knew for the past ten years, about 600 people - including me - would be rotting in prison cells from Rio to Seattle today. Absolute truth is a very rare and dangerous commodity in the context of professional journalism.
Hunter S. Thompson
The TV business is uglier than most things. It is normally perceived as some kind of cruel and shallow money trench through the heart of the journalism industry, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free and good men die like dogs, for no good reason.
Hunter S. Thompson
Can't decide which "Hunterism" is more telling on media, both then and now.
the Kurtenblog? Hmmm I’ll check it out. Thanks.
"The only way out is in a body bag. Go Leafs Go." - Blinky
from Twitter, I think.
If I'd written all the truth I knew for the past ten years, about 600 people - including me - would be rotting in prison cells from Rio to Seattle today. Absolute truth is a very rare and dangerous commodity in the context of professional journalism.
Hunter S. Thompson
The TV business is uglier than most things. It is normally perceived as some kind of cruel and shallow money trench through the heart of the journalism industry, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free and good men die like dogs, for no good reason.
Hunter S. Thompson
Can't decide which "Hunterism" is more telling on media, both then and now.
Sure was. Always forget that Wolski played for the Battalion
by Sean Zandberg on Jan 30, 2010 2:06 PM PST up reply actions
our team has a tendency to buy into it’s own hype, don’t be surprised if it’s 6-2 the other way around.
that said, i’m firmly rooting for my side! =)
I just don’t want Godd on our Score Predicting Wizards list! haha
Ah Todd Gill. Now there was a defenceman.
by Sean Zandberg on Jan 30, 2010 3:05 PM PST up reply actions
Over/under on Toskala's GAA
I’m going to guess "huge."
Space Weed Says (Insert Generic quote about blog here)
"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 Jan 30, 2010 3:29 PM PST reply actions
4-1 Canucks, Wellfed pots the winner.
"Hey, why dont you give your balls a tug you fucking pussies". - Alexandre Burrows #14
by Chuckles Canuckles on Jan 30, 2010 3:30 PM PST reply actions
UPDATE: (would be putting this on the gamethread, but it's not up yet)
Glass is in tonight on the 4th line, Johnson is a healthy scratch.
Official Ambassador for Nucks Misconduct.
"If Chuck Norris was up against 7 Rangers, he'd call Ryan Kesler."
GO CANUCKS GO!
’Don’s on next ,,,Don’s on next"
*running through the room to the kitchen"
“Ma’…tell Dad his favurate is on…”
If I'd written all the truth I knew for the past ten years, about 600 people - including me - would be rotting in prison cells from Rio to Seattle today. Absolute truth is a very rare and dangerous commodity in the context of professional journalism.
Hunter S. Thompson
The TV business is uglier than most things. It is normally perceived as some kind of cruel and shallow money trench through the heart of the journalism industry, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free and good men die like dogs, for no good reason.
Hunter S. Thompson
Can't decide which "Hunterism" is more telling on media, both then and now.
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