| RED WINGS |
|
CANUCKS | |||
 |
AT |
 |
|||
| Time | Thurs. 7:00 PM PST |
TV | Sportsnet Pac. |
| Season Series | 1 - 1 |
Last Meeting |
4-2 Canucks Dec.21/11 |
| The Enemy | Winging It In Motown | Scoring Leaders |
H. Sedin: 11-42-53 Datsyuk: 14-39-53 |
| Wings |
Category | Canucks |
| 34-16-1 | Season Record | 31-15-4 |
| 1st |
Conference Position | 2nd |
| Won 1 |
Streak | Won 3 |
| 14-14-0 |
< Road Record / Home Record > |
15-6-3 |
| 8-2-0 |
Last 10 | 7-2-1 |
| +45 |
Goals For / Against +/- | +37 |
| 3.10 (5) |
Goals Per Game Average |
3.16 (3) + |
| 2.31 (6) |
Goals Against Per Game Average |
2.40 (7) + |
| 1.55 (2) |
5 On 5 GF/GA | 1.18 (6) + |
| 18.2 (12) |
Power Play % |
23.0 (1) - |
| 80.8 (23) |
Penalty Kill % |
85.6 (6) - |
| 51.1 (8) |
Faceoffs % | 51.9 (6) |
| 1017 (22) |
Hits |
1124 (16) |
| 655 (19) |
Blocked Shots |
588 (28) |
| 351 (19) |
Giveaways |
352 (18) + |
| 329 (17) |
Takeaways |
319 (19) + |
| 8.5 (2) |
PIM's Per Game Average |
13.7 (27) + |
| NHL.com |
"I've played on teams before where we've had some great stretches of hockey but didn't have a winning record," Higgins noted Wednesday as the Canucks prepared for Thursday's meeting with the first overall Detroit Red Wings. "We're playing very mediocre hockey right now and still getting the results. I think it's a sign of a good team but, at the same time, you'd like to feel more in tune with the way you're playing."
More on that at the Vancouver Sun.
"Babs is a big believer in shooting pucks on net — whether it’s a good or bad angle and create rebounds and scrambles. When you add the fact that they’re got five or six guys who can do the unexpected, it’s pretty dangerous. As a team we’ve got to be sharp. They’ve got a lot of weapons."
From the Province.
Lou knows. The Canucks' goaltending has saved a lot of games because the team doesn't put out 60 minute efforts. They may not get away with such efforts against a team like the Red Wings though. A lot at stake here. The Canucks can pull within one point of Detroit for top spot in the West with a win in regulation. I guess, just to be positively morbid, if the Red Wings beat us that will put them 6 points ahead of Chicago. Yay? No Way! Beat these bastards!
PROJECTED ROSTERS
Chris "The Professor" Higgins - KesLORD - David Booooth
MayRay - Cody "Chinook" Hodgson -Jannik "Beaker" Hansen
Maxim "Lappy" Lapierre - Money Mo Malhotra - Dale Weiser
Dan "The Hammer" Hamhuis - Kevin "Juice" Bieksa
Alex "E-Money Edler" - Sami "Undead" Salo
Keith "Hips" Ballard - Aaron "God" Rome
Franzen - Datsyuk - Bertuzzi
Filppula - Zetterberg - Hudler
Miller - Helm - Cleary
Cory Emmerton - Abdelkader - Jan Mursak
Lidstrom - White
Kronwall - Stuart
Ericsson - Commodore
INJURIES
-For both teams via TSN. Both teams mostly healthy. Wings have been without Patrick Eaves since November.
TRENDS
- Red Wings are 6-0 in their last 6 vs. a team with a winning record.
- Red Wings are 6-1 in their last 7 after allowing 2 goals or less in their previous game.
- Red Wings are 6-1 in their last 7 games playing on 1 days rest.
- Red Wings are 5-1 in their last 6 when their opponent allows 2 goals or less in their previous game.
- Red Wings are 40-16 in their last 56 games following a win.
- Red Wings are 11-5 in their last 16 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600.
- Canucks are 7-0 in their last 7 vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
- Canucks are 5-1 in their last 6 after allowing 2 goals or less in their previous game.
- Canucks are 15-6 in their last 21 games following a win.
- Canucks are 13-6 in their last 19 when their opponent allows 2 goals or less in their previous game.
- More at Covers.com.
VIDEO
Highlights of the Nucks-Wings from December 21:
Kronwall destroys Kesler:
Great save Luongo:
The title of this game preview post is brought to you by White Zombie - yeah!:
PREDICTION
3-2 Canucks, Kesler with the winner.