clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Sticking A Knife Into The Wings' Playoff Hopes? Where Do We Sign Up?: Canucks-Red Wings Game Preview

  Red Wings (34-23-13)
Canucks (44-24-3)

AT

Time 7:00 PM PST
TV CBC
Season Series 2-1 Wings
Last Meeting 6-3 Canucks (03-03-10)
The Enemy Winging It In Motown Scoring Leaders H. Sedin: 28-66-94 Datsyuk: 22-37-59
Red Wings
Category Canucks
8th Conference Position 3rd
7-2-1
Last 10 7-2-1
2.64 (17th)
Goals Per Game 3.24 (2nd)
2.57 (10th)
Least Goals Against Per Game 2.54 (7th)
0.88 (24th)
5 On 5 GF/GA 1.29 (2nd)
19.6 (7th)
Power Play %
21.6 (5th)
83.3 (10th) Penalty Kill %
81.4 (18th)
32.9 (3rd)
Shots Per Game 30.6 (11th)
29.9 (14th)
Least Shots Against Per Game 29.0 (7th)
62.5 (21st)
Winning % When Scoring First 81.8 (2nd)
64.0 (25th)
Winning % When Leading After 1 88.0 (3rd)
36.8 (10th)
Winning % When Trailing After 1 44.7 (5th)
78.6 (22nd)
Winning % When Leading After 2 96.6 (3rd)
14.3 (15th)
Winning % When Trailing After2 35.7 (2nd)
51.1 (8th)
Faceoffs % 51.3 (6th)
9.1 (2nd)
Least PIM's Per Game 15.2 (26th)
-8 (16th) + / - GF/GA (see here)
+39 (3rd)

 

Update (5:14): I like the factoids Richard Loat from Canucks Hockey Blog comes up with. Here's his latest tweet: The #Canucks are 10-9-0 against the Central. They started the year 1-8-0. Can you imagine where they'd be if they started the year better? I had forgotten about the 1-8-0 part. Yikes! It's all good now.

Update: Wings' GM Ken Holland and Andreas Lilja talk about Mikael Samuelsson's surge in Vancouver.

Update: From Farhan Lalji at TSN: Canucks have 5 PP goals in their last 17 chances, Detroit has killed off 20 straight penalties.

******************

Detroit was about 0.3 seconds away from not getting a single point against the Oilers on Friday night. But Brian Rafalski scored just before time expired. The Wings lost in the shootout. An off game by Detroit. They looked great turning pucks over and moving it out of their zone even, but the Oilers played strong in front of Devan Dubnyk, limiting the Wings' chances in close. They sat back on a 2-0 lead and nearly paid for it.

That's not something the Canucks typically do, as San Jose learned on Thursday night.

They'll have to play disciplined and aggressive hockey against Detroit. The Wings' powerplay remains fairly lethal as you can see above. Roberto Luongo is going to have to put up with Johan Franzen's ass in his face as the Mule still likes to park there of course.

Detroit is in a glorious race with the Calgary Flames for that final playoff spot, which is why I'm surprised that they didn't play with more passion against the Oilers. Can we expect that from them against the Canucks? I kind of doubt it. This will be their "game in hand" that they hold over Calgary. They have to make the most of it. The Wings are 3-0-1 in their last 4 road games.

This is a game where you'll find Flames fans cheering for Vancouver! Love it!  "We'll do our best, Flamers...maybe"

The Wings have won 5 of their last 7 (since Van beat them on March 3) and 3 of their last 5. In their last 5 games:

-Brian Rafalski has 2 goals and 3 assists

-Henrik Zetterberg has 1 goal and 4 assists

-Tomas Holmstrom has 3 goals and 2 assists

-Pavel Datsyuk has 3 goals and 1 assist

-Johan Franzen has 2 goals and 2 assists

-Patrick Eaves (who left the Oilers game with an upper-body injury) has 2 goals and 1 assist

-Niklas Lidstrom has 3 assists

**********************

-I wonder if Chris Osgood gets the start against the Canucks. Jimmy Howard has started 17 games in a row. Last time Osgood was credited for anything was a 6-3 loss to....the Vancouver Canucks.

-Kind of a cool storyline that Ryan Kesler gets extended and then the next night gets to play against the team he grew up hating in Livonia, Michigan. The Keslord likes to score against them too. He has 2 goals and 3 assists in the the 3 games against Detroit this season.

-I don't know what Kyle Wellwood and Ryan Johnson ate during the Olympic Break but whatever it was, give some to Hordichuk, Rypien, Glass. Perhaps to Mason Raymond as well. Raymond has been playing well but alas, has not scored a goal in 10 games. He's due.

-Speaking of goal-less, Todd Floatuzzi has not scored in 19 games!

-The Sedin(s) like playing Detroit. Hank has 2 goals and 5 assists in the 3 games played against them (including 4 assists in their last meeting. Dank was injured for the first 2 games but managed 2 assists in the March 3 win.

-Kevin Bieksa has 5 assists in the 3 games against the Dead Wings this season. Nice.

Let's see what the Canucks have in them after an emotional win over San Jose.

Video Killed The Radio Star!

1. Canucks 6 Wings 3. Sit back and enjoy!

2. I think Burrows said something about Downey's mother here:

3. Canucks beat Detroit in Game 2 of the 2002 Playoffs:

4. Brad May vs Rick Rypien (November 2009)

5. This game was a classic, and I just happened to be there for it! Pathetic were the people who were heading for the parking lot because they didn't think the Canucks would come back...

Alright, GO CANUCKS GO!