Blues At Canucks Preview: Beauty Of The Beast

Time	Tuesday, 7:00 PST	TV	Sportsnet Pacific
Season Series	1-0 Canucks	Last Meeting	3-2 Canucks Oct.25/13
The Enemy	St. Louis Game Time	Scoring Leaders	H. Sedin: 9-30-39 Steen: 24-14-48

BLUES	CATEGORY	CANUCKS
31-7-5	SEASON RECORD	23-13-9
67	POINTS	54
2nd	CONFERENCE POSITION	7th
Won 7	STREAK	Lost 5
9-0-1	LAST 10	3-3-4
14-4-3	ROAD RECORD / HOME RECORD	11-6-5
1.58 (1)	5 ON 5 GF / GA	1.05 (11)
24.7 (3)	POWER PLAY %	15.7 (23)
85.4 (5)	PENALTY KILL %	89.0 (1)
51.5 (10)	FACEOFF WINS %	51.0 (15)
891 (24)	HITS	875 (25)
613 (16)	BLOCKED SHOTS	683 (10)
173 (25)	MINOR PENALTIES TAKEN	153 (9)
NHL.COM

How good are the Blues? Winners of 7 in a row. Best team 5 on 5. They have scored the most goals per game average in the NHL. They are only behind Boston and L.A. in goals against per game average.  They are 3rd in the NHL in goals scored on the road and have allowed the fewest goals away from home. A +63 as a team.

But hey, the Canucks still did this to them in October:

That while Patrik Berglund was in the box for hooking Daniel Sedin. Thanks Bergy. Bork! Bork!

The Canucks had a 4-1-1 record in their previous 6 games heading into that game. Now it's a completely different story. The boys are losers of 5 straight, 3 of them in extra time for 3 loser points (which is better than nothing). There is a lot of pessimism in Canuckland lately. I haven't been reading comment sections on any sites except this one nor have I been on Twitter, but I can just imagine the anger.

Hey, I still want a top 6 forward acquired for this team for a playoff drive, but that's as far as I go. I still think that this group can do some damage and that, of course, they are going to snap out of this funk soon enough, injuries or not. Hell, they erased a 2-0 deficit to score 4 straight goals on the mighty Penguins last game. Sure, they blew it late in the 3rd, again, but that is a current weakness that the team as a whole will iron out. It's just a matter of time. It sucks to be stuck in the moment as a Canucks fan, but I am not in that moment. I am in the future, baby. At least the Canucks are IN these games, unlike those Leafs.....

Are you feeling the power of positivity yet?

Wait, what? Daniel Sedin is listed as questionable with a lower body injury? WE ARE DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMED! HNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNG

OH BURROWS WHERE ART THOU?

Everyone's asking, nobody knows the answer. Projected timeline for a jaw fracture is about a month and that deadline had come and gone a week ago. A Burr injection would be a nice drug for the team in trialing times.

Roberto Luongo will still be out for another week at least. Eddie lack's 5-hole is looking a little exposed at crucial times lately but he'll be alright.

Expect big games from David Booth and Dale Weise, who were both healthy scratches last game, IF Torts lets them back in.

The lineup could look a little somethin' like this:

D. Sedin (oh for the love of god please be alright) - H. Sedin - Santorelli

Higgins - Kesler - Kassian

Booth - Richardson - Hansen

Weise - Dalpe - Sestito

Tanev - Hamhuis

Bieksa - Garrison (the love-hate combo)

Corrado - Weber (sure, I'd like to have Edler back)

Lack Attack.

KNOW YOUR ENEMY

David Backes is an ass. I hate him so much that I wish we had him on our team.

The Blues killed the Flames 5-0 on Thursday night. 5 different scorers. 2 of them on the power play.

The Blues have 7 players with 30 or more points. The Canucks have 2. The Blues have 5 guys with 15 or more goals. The Canucks have 1. So what am I trying to say? We are going to win this one, that's what.

PROJECTED BLUES ROSTER

Schwartz - Backes - Oshie

Sobotka - Berglund - Tarasenko

Paajarvi - Roy - Stewart (still on a 3rd line, hey Derek?)

Morrow - Lapierre - Reaves

Pietrangelo - Bouwmeester

Shattenkirk - Jackman

Ian Cole - Leopold

Halak played Thursday night, so Brian Elliot in goal?

That is a kick ass team right there. That 4th line has me drooling. Lots of depth. And to think that Canuck - killer Alex Steen will not even be playing in this one. Woo! We have a chance! Of course we do!

RANDOM

My boyfriend calls my boobs the sedin twins and says the left one is Daniel bc it's his favorite.... — Lindseyyy (@lindsciarra1126) January 9, 2014

That's what I find when I look for a Daniel Sedin update on Twitter.

SCORE-PREDICTING WIZARDS UPDATE

Only BigPDog got a point last game for calling "Mr. girlywhine" to score the winner. The updated list can be seen here.

The title of this preview post has been brought to you by a beautiful ballad by Stevie Nicks:

Gives me goosebumps. All hail Stevie. What a voice.

GO CANUCKS GO!