| Senators (37-26-5) |
Canucks (41-23-3) | ||||
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AT |
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| Time | 7:00 PM PST |
TV | CBC |
| Season Series | 1-0 Senators |
Last Meeting | 3-1 Sens (02-04-10) |
| The Enemy | Silver Seven | Scoring Leaders | H. Sedin: 27-63-90
Alfredsson: 17-37-54 |
| Senators | Category | Canucks |
| 5th | Conference Position | 3rd |
| 4-5-1 |
Last 10 | 6-3-1 |
| 2.66 (17th) |
Goals Per Game | 3.24 (2nd) |
| 2.76 (17th) |
Least Goals Against Per Game | 2.55 (9th) |
| .89 (24th) |
5 On 5 GF/GA | 1.30 (3rd) |
| 15.8 (26th) |
Power Play % |
21.1 (5th) |
| 84.4 (5th) | Penalty Kill % |
80.8 (18th) |
| 29.8 (18th) |
Shots Per Game | 30.5 (12th) |
| 28.3 (4th) |
Least Shots Against Per Game | 29.2 (10th) |
| 73.5 (10th) |
Winning % When Scoring First | 80.0 (2nd) |
| 78.9 (8th) |
Winning % When Leading After 1 | 86.4 (3rd) |
| 35.3 (12th) |
Winning % When Trailing After 1 | 45.9 (5th) |
| 95.8 (5th) |
Winning % When Leading After 2 | 96.2 (4th) |
|
7.4 (25th) |
Winning % When Trailing After2 |
37.0 (1st) |
| 49.3 (18th) |
Faceoffs % | 51.2 (7th) |
| 13.4 (20th) |
Least PIM's Per Game | 15.5 (26th) |
| -4 (14th) | + / - GF/GA | +39 (3rd) |
Update (2:30): The struggling Pascal Leclaire will start for the Sens.
Update: Aha, AV said today: "Rome was one of our best defencemen throughout the trip," according to the Sun. That is why SOB is sitting. Take that, Rome haters!
Update: Did you know that Brad Lukowich never reported to the Moose after he was waived at the Olympic Break due to a shoulder injury? He's is done for the season as he requires major shoulder surgery. Not that he was getting called up again anyway, but hang in there, Luko!
Update: Bieksa in, Shane O'Brien out, according to Canucks.com. Huh. Hordichuk draws in and Glass sits as well.
**********************
The last time Vancouver played Ottawa, they were stymied by Brian Elliot, who stopped 29 of 30 shots in a 3-1 win. Milan Michalek had a goal and an assist and Alfie the Clown had 3 assists. Raycroft played well in the loss. That was the Sens' 11th straight victory. They would lose their next game 2 nights later to the....Leafs. Yeah.
Since that terrible day, the Sens are 4-5-1. The Canucks are 7-3-1. This game should hopefully be different, as the Canucks play their first game at home since January 27th. They should be pumped. The Sens know that.
The Sens are coming off a 2-0 loss to the Flames, where they outshot Calgary 33-25. The Canucks, eager to get home, barely lost to the Coyotes in a shootout 3 days ago.
Who's rolling for the Sens? Well, they are 1-3-1 in their last 5 games, losing to Calgary, Toronto, Carolina and the Rangers. They have only scored 7 goals in that span. Regardless:
-Daniel Alfredsson (god I hate him) had 5 assists
-Jason Spezza had 4 assists.
-Chris Kelly and Mike Fisher had a goal and an assist each.
-Milan Michalek and Matt Cullen each had 2 goals. Watch Matt Cullen and tell me you didn't wish he was a Canuck (on line 3).
Chris Phillips and a Swedish kid named Eric Karlsson chew up most of the icetime on the back end nowadays. Phillips has 7 goals and 19 points this season and Karlsson has 1 goal and 14 points. The Sens' most offensive defenceman, Filip Kuba Gooding Jr, has missed a bit of time with a lower body injury and has not yet returned.
I am curious as hell to see how Kevin Bieksa plays in his return. Prior to his injury he had only scored 1 goal in 40 games. That goal came on the opening night of the regular season. In the 5 games prior to the match where he was injured, his icetime was all over the place. He'll need to play smart in his return, because in all cruelty, the team has been fine in his absence. I'm hoping he excels down the stretch.
Alright, here are a couple videos as usual..and you won't like all of them!
1. Matt Carkner vs Tanner Glass. Ouch.
2. Chris Neil fights Rick Rypien. Strong finish by Neil.
3. One of Markus Naslund's best goals came against the Sens:
4. Nice goal by Edler against the Sens in low def (2008).
Enjoy the game! Go Canucks! And...welcome home!
Roberto Luongo will be the oh so special guest on Hockey Night in Canada's After Hours tonight. You can email a question to Scott Oake and Kevin Weekes to ask Lou here, like, if he's developed a drug problem since the Olympics...