Game Review: `Nucks Shut Down Dallas

COUNTDOWN: 8 more to go....

Canucks Win! Canucks Win!...Is it just me or, Is the Canucks new `old school` defensive-minded hockey much more palpable when we win. The Canucks Captian seems to think so, "I think we have played great hockey the last two games,"The game featured the Reincarnation of Mason Raymond, H. Sedin creating chances off the rush! (Oh! My!) And, the team once again relying heavily on their goaltender. More statistical observations after the jump!

Positives:

• Henrik (WD) when playing without Daniel, seems forced to create more chances off the rush like he did last night to set up the Canucks game winning goal. Henrik did what top players ought to do, (Gretzky, of course, was famous for this) help lesser players like Raymond get out of a slump.
  

• Canucks team defence had their best game in a long while. They limited Dallas to 26 shots against, well below their season average of 30 and their best defensive road performance against a playoff team in over two months, when they allowed 22 shots in a loss to Florida back in January. Fenwick Against (shots against+ missed shots against) was also an extremely low 33. Overall, it was a `low event` game with only 63 total Corsi events. Seems to be just the way A.V. likes it! Individually, Alex Edler was much improved although the heavy minutes he his logging 24:00 and 26:00 minutes in back to back nights, seems inadvisable or at least worrisome,considering a long playoff run is hopefully around the corner. A night off should be near by.
• Canucks `mental state` has done a 180 and now after the last two games, according to Henrik, they ``.. feel really good about where we are and it looks good here going forward." Looks like this is one small positive to come out of the D. Keith cheap shot.

Negatives:

• The Canucks high octane scoring has all but disappeared especially on the road. 8 GF in last 6 road games. Coach V. was not kidding when after `The Cody Trade` he justified the move by stating he wanted to go with two shutdown lines.This does not bode well considering the well established need for goal scoring in the playoffs.
• Andrew Alberts played for the second straight night. He tried hard but had, by my count at least 3 defensive giveaways, and was a -6 fenwick, worse on the team. The Canucks 6th defensive position (Alberts,Rome,Ballard) is a real weakness and one sharp opposing coaches will look to take advantage of in the playoffs especially when the Canucks are on the road and Coach V. cannot get his match-ups.
• Coach V. decided to take a run at the officiating, in particuliar referee Dan O'Halloran and even brought up old wounds from the Boston series. ``We got a big two-minute power play off that hit from the same referee -- remember last year when Daniel got punched six times in the face in the Boston series?" Vigneault said. "I seem to remember it was the same guy."....
• To me, his comments are bang on! Considering what happened in the finals. However, not sure if it was a smart move risking potential retribution by the officials union. What do you think....