Beware Leaving The Crease - Canucks @ Kings Gamethread

SNet Pacific, 1:00pm PDT (hey look, a matinee!)

Rival territories: Jewels From The Crown, Battle Of California

The Canucks are beginning to show signs of strength again. Cory Schneider was great in net the other night, keeping Vancouver in the win column. The game against the Coyotes came at a cost though: my precious Alexander Edler got himself in trouble. Everyone has been dissecting the hit since it happened, and I haven't had my chance yet, so here goes. I think that goalies are relatively fair game when they leave the crease. Sure, the NHL needs to protect them in some ways, I can see that. But if the goalie is behind his net keeping an opponent from getting the puck when said opponent is less than 5 feet away, that's overkill on protection. And it's not just hits that goalies need to worry about: there are far too many blooper reel goals from goalies being stupid outside their creases.

Okay, rant over. The Canucks are in LA today, for a matinee against the Kings. LA has been pretty much 2nd in their division all season long, although Anaheim has run away with the Pacific lead. The Kings find themselves with the Canucks in a glut of teams fighting for playoff chances.

Coconuts go!