Canucks Review and Preview: February 7 to February 13, 2011

[Every Sunday, Caylie King looks at the Canucks week that was and the Canucks week ahead. You can follow Caylie on Twitter (@cayking).]

Canucks Record

53 GP, 34-10-9, 77 points (1st in Northwest Division, 1st in Western Conference)

Who’s Hot

Daniel Sedin is currently on a 8-game point streak. He has 11 points in that stretch, though surprisingly, he only has 1 goal and seems somewhat content to leave the scoring to his teammates. Daniel has easily been one of the most consistent Canucks this season. He leads the team in scoring with 28 goals and 41 assists. He’s in the top-four in the NHL in goals and assists. He briefly took over the league scoring lead after Friday night’s game and now sits second (to Steven Stamkos) with 69 points.

Who’s Not

Although the Canucks rely mostly on Manny Malholtra for faceoff and penalty-kill duties, it’s still worth noting that he hasn’t recorded a single point in 17 games and is a minus-4 in that stretch. Fortunately the Canucks are winning games, and that’s the most important thing, but the team’s depth – specifically, the third line – will be counted on to be a very important factor come playoff time. Hopefully, Manny can also start to contribute more offensively.

Who’s Next

Monday, February 7, 2011 vs. Ottawa Senators (7:00 PM start, home)

I think it’s safe to say that Ottawa has been one of the biggest disappointments this season. The Senators have gone 1-10-3 in their last 14 games and have not won a game since January 13, 2011.

The Canucks are 3-1-1 against Northeast Division teams this year and have a winning record of 9-3-2 against Eastern Conference opponents.

Captain Daniel Alfredsson and rookie Erik Karlsson lead the team with 30 points each, but are a dreadful minus-18 and minus-30, respectively, for the season.

Wednesday, February 9, 2011 vs. Anaheim Ducks (7:00 PM start, home)

The Ducks come into town with a 7-3-0 record in their last 10 games. Both the Canucks and the Ducks have won a game apiece in the season series so far, with the Canucks winning their latest meeting on December 8th, 2010.

Corey Perry is on pace to have a career year in points. He has been on a hot streak, as of late; he has 14 points (8 goals – 6 assists) in 14 games since the Ducks lost Ryan Getzlaf to injury. He had a hat-trick in their last game against the Avalanche.

Speaking of Getzlaf, he’s targeted this game as his return from nasal fractures; he’s been out since December 28, 2010.

Saturday, February 12, 2011 vs. Calgary Flames (7:00 PM start, home)

The Flames come to Rogers Arena on the end of back-to-back situation. They have been one of the hottest teams since they fired Darryl Sutter stepped down as GM. They are currently on an 8-1-2 run and have clawed themselves to within one point out of a playoff position.

The Canucks hold a 2-0-1 edge in the season series against the Flames, though the Flames did win their last meeting on January 22, 2011 in a shootout.

Alex Tanguay has been a big part of the resurging Flames. He is currently on a 3-game point streak (2 goals – 3 assists). His 42 points (14 goals – 28 assists) on the year is second on the Flames to Jarome Iginla’s 49.

Most Deserving of a Shoutout: Christopher Tanev

Since being called up from the Manitoba Moose on January 16th, Chris Tanev has fit nicely into the lineup. Although he has only recorded 1 assist, he has been averaging just over 13 minutes of ice time per game, and is a plus-1. Tanev seems to get better and more confident with each game, his first pass out of the zone has been one of his best qualities. With the injuries on the back end, Tanev has been exactly what the Canucks needed. With Aaron Rome regressing a bit and Sami Salo close to returning, Tanev’s play will force Mike Gillis and Alain Vigneault to make an interesting roster decision.