Canucks Game Preview

Canucks @ Sabres: Rover, Wanderer, Nomad, Vagabond...

By Zanstorm Nov 15, 2010, 12:00am PST

CANUCKS		SABRES
	AT

Time	Mon. 4:00 PM PST	TV	Sportsnet Pacific
Season Series	(09/10) 1-0 Canucks	Last Meeting	3-2 Canucks Jan. 25/10)
The Enemy	Die By The Blade	Scoring Leaders	Daniel Sedin: 11-9-20 Derek Roy: 8-11-19

Canucks	Category	Sabres
10-4-2	Season Record	6-9-3
3rd	Conference Position	11th
Won 2	Streak	Won 1
4-4-1	< Road Record / Home Record >	1-6-1
8-1-1	Last 10	4-4-2
+12 ^	Goals For / Against +/-	-10
3.19 (5) ^	Goals Per Game	2.50 (24)
2.31 (7) v	Least Goals Against Per Game	3.17 (24)
1.07 (14) v	5 On 5 GF/GA	1.09 (13)
28.3 (2) -	Power Play %	11.4 (28)
85.0 (10) ^	Penalty Kill %	79.4 (23)
31.5 (10) ^	Shots Per Game	33.1 (2)
30.7 (18) v	Least Shots Against Per Game	28.3 (8)
80.0 (9) -	Winning % When Scoring First	42.9 (29)
87.5 (9) ^	Winning % When Leading After 1	50.0 (25)
33.3 (12) ^	Winning % When Trailing After 1	27.3 (17)
85.7 (19) v	Winning % When Leading After 2	75.0 (25)
0	Winning % When Trailing After 2	20.0 (8)
44.4 (16) -	Winning % When Outshooting	42.9 (19)
83.3 (3)	Winning % When Outshot	0
55.6 (1) ^	Faceoffs %	48.9 (23)
13.8 (16) v	Least PIM's Per Game	11.7 (7)
(NHL.com)

UPDATE (11:52 AM): Keith Ballard will sit again tonight. Vigneault sticks with the winning formula/mix. That means Mario Bliznak plays again too. Alain Vigneault's post-practice interview here. Didn't his mommy ever tell him not to talk with food in his mouth? Or to chew with his mouth closed? smack smack smack.

What is the significance of the pictured players above? Both the Sabres and Canucks entered the NHL in 1970. As a result, they received the first 2 picks in the NHL Entry Draft that year. To determine who would get the prized first overall pick, Gilbert Perreault, a roulette wheel was spun. As mishap occurred. The Canucks thought they won it but they did not. As a result, they chose Dale Tallon second overall. Frustrating on top of that is that Reggie Leach (Bruins), Rick MacLeish (Bruins) and Darryl Sittler (Maple Leafs) were chosen, 3rd, 4th and 8th overall. Tallon was a solid defenceman who could put up points but hardly in the same calibre as Perrault, Leach or Sittler. The Canucks history of lousy drafting had begun. As a comparison,

the Islanders drafted Garry Howatt, Lorne Henning, Bob Nystrom, and Richard Brodeur in their first ever draft in 1972.

The Sabres finally won their first home game on Saturday against the Capitals. Vanek scored the winner in OT and well, hell you gotta see it (and listen to Rick Jeannerette):

Oh my.
Vanek scored 2 goals that game, and perhaps he has woken up. There are several Sabres players who are not earning their paychecks.
Over the Sabres' last 3 games: Derek Roy has 1 goal and 3 assists, Vanek has 2 goals and 2 assists, Jordan Leopold has 4 assists. If you have Jason Pominville in your pool you must be disgusted.
For the Canucks: Over their past 5 games (4-1): Daniel Sedin has 3 goals and 2 assists, Henrik Sedin has 1 goal and 6 assists, Ryan Kesler has 5 goals and 2 assists (WOOO!), Alexander Edler has 1 goal and 4 assists, Mason Raymond has 1 goal and 4 assists, and Mikael Samuelsson has 1 goal and 3 assists.
Cory Schneider (3-0-0, 0.90 GAA and .969 save percentage) is expected to start. Ryan Miller is in for Buffalo.
Raffi Torres returns to Buffalo and could show some extra motivation against the team that gave up on him last season. I am so happy they did.
Intriguing stat from the Province:

The Kesler line is 1-2-3 in shots taken on the Canucks (Kesler 56, Raymond 48, Samuelsson 46) and Kesler has nine goals. But Raymond's scoring percentage is just 8.3 per cent, tied for 11 on the club with Alex Burrows.
The Canucks and Christian Ehrhoff's agent have halted negotiations (Vancouver Sun).
WHACK FACT: The Canucks have not won a game in Buffalo since February 7, 2003. Artem Chubarov scored the winner. That sounds a lot worse than it is. They have played in Buffalo (argh I lost count!) maybe 5 times since 2003.
VIDEO