In this last TGATT of the season, we recap the Canucks’ final game of the season – a 4-3 loss to the San Jose Sharks.
Are you disappointed? Mad? Sad? Glad?
I’m so upset that I’m eating a salad #TGATT
— Elmee Baterina (@elmeebaterina) May 8, 2013
Some people drink to drown their sorrows, some eat salad. D’fferent strokes, I suppose.
Ahhh… the playoffs. White towels galore, Roberto Luongo in net, and U2′s “Where the Streets Have No Name” blaring as the Canucks skate on the ice.
Let the towels reign supreme!!! U2 is back on the entrance baby LUUUUUUUU! #TGATT ITS PLAYOFFS BABY WOOOO! #Canucks
— Glen Thayer (@glenthayer) May 2, 2013
Lu was great too. It’s just too bad the rest of the team weren’t.
Cory Schneider’s got the flu so Roberto Luongo gets a start. And the Canucks had to sign University of Calgary Dino, Dustin Butler, to back him up.
No worries though. Lu’s got this – he made stopped 40 of 41 Flames shots en route to a 4-1 Canucks win.
Hey guys, this Luongo guy is pretty good! #canucks #TGATT
— newvanfan (@newvanfan) April 11, 2013
Yeah, he’s not bad, eh?
It wasn’t exactly a masterpiece, but the Canucks won their 5th consecutive game last night, beating the Columbus Blue Jackets 1-0 in the shootout.
If you were looking for chills, spills and thrills, well, you went to the wrong place.
#TGATT #DogYawn #TGATB (the game according to Bernard) twitter.com/vanchuk4/statu…
— Chuk (@vanchuk4) March 27, 2013
But hey, 2 points is 2 points, and with the win, the Canucks regained top spot in the Northwest Division, although the idle Minnesota Wild has 2 games in hand.
Dale Weise was out of the lineup so Cam Barker was back in. And Keith Ballard was back at forward. What could possibly go wrong?
Actually, it wasn’t too bad.
Against the worst team in the west, Cory Schneider got his fourth consecutive start and the Canucks extended their win streak to 4 games.
For good measure, Keith Ballard also got on the scoreboard with an assist on Alex Burrows’ game-winning goal.
Ironic that the only person who knows how to derail and contain Keith Ballard is Alain Vigneault. #TGATT
— j.Bowman (@jBowmancouver) March 25, 2013
Now on to the game.
I look at the good, the bad, and the interesting from the Vancouver Canucks’ 7-4 victory over the Nashville Predators at Rogers Arena.
I doubt that anyone predicted 11 total goals in this contest between two teams that have had difficulty scoring this season. The fans were treated to a highly entertaining contest that had a bit of everything: nice goals, fights, defensive breakdowns, and even a penalty shot.
I touch on Jannik Hansen, Andrew Ebbett, Mason Raymond, Henrik’s penalty shot, David Booth, Kevin Bieksa’s tough game, our crowded blueline, and a little trip I’m taking.
Thus, I’ll be taking a one-week break from creating these postgame commentaries.
After winning just 1 of 3 games in their recently-concluded road trip, the Canucks head back to Rogers Arena for a 4-game home stand. They’ll look to build on their shootout win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday and improve on their rather average 6-3-3 home record.
Like the Canucks, the Nashville Predators are in a dogfight to make the playoffs. They currently sit in 10th place in the Western Conference, but are among a group of 8 teams (including the Canucks) that are within 2 points of each other. In fact, after the Chicago Blackhawks and Anaheim Ducks, only 8 points separate 3rd place and 15th place in the wild, wild West.
Photo by Frederick Breedon
Perhaps none of this should be a surprise to the Preds. While they managed to retain Shea Weber – thanks to Paul Holmgren, it only took them $110 million to do it – Weber himself hasn’t been as good this season as he has been in the past. Losing Ryan Suter does that. They’re also relying more on second-year players like Roman Josi and Gabriel Bourque.
Now, if you think this matters to Preds fans, or if you think the team would suffer in the box office because of the lockout, you’re wrong. The Predators have sold out all 12 home games so far this season and they expect to sell out the remaining 12 home games the rest of the way.
The Canucks and the Preds have already met once this season. Led by Roberto Luongo and his 23 saves, the Canucks won a 1-0 decision in Nashville back on February 22nd. Dale Weise, who scored the game’s lone goal halfway through the third period, was the unlikely hero.
Canucks Record
25 GP, 12-7-6, 30 points (1st in Northwest Division, 3rd in Western Conference)
Who’s Hot
Jason Garrison has points in consecutive games (1G-1A-2P). He’s also been logging some additional ice-time – in the 23 to 25-minute range – while Kevin Bieksa remains injured (and Andrew Alberts remains in the lineup to play his whopping 10 minutes per game).
After a 5-game stretch during which he allowed an average of 4 goals per game, Pekka Rinne has 2 shutouts in his last 3 games.
Who’s Not
Despite his decent play and his beauty of a spinorama move in Tuesday’s shootout, Mason Raymond only has 4 points (2G-2A) in his last 13 games.
Quickies
In a serious case of déjà vu, it took more than overtime for the Canucks to beat the Columbus Blue Jackets and salvage the road trip.
I wonder how fans feel about that?
Is it bad that I’m relieved about a win over the Blue Jackets? #Yikes #Canucks
— Chris Pysanczyn (@Pysanczyn) March 13, 2013
Oh my.
In a grudge match of sorts, the Canucks host the Los Angeles Kings for the first time since the Kings eliminated them in the first round of last year’s playoffs.
Opened a beer. Now THIS is a game. THIS I’ve missed. #playlikewinners #playlikechampions #TGATT @canucksgame
— Arielle Tuliao (@ajtuliao) March 3, 2013
Hockey, check. Beer, check. Here we go.
Having throughly erased the third period of Friday night’s game from our collective memory, we’re back for a Sunday night game against the Blues.
I suppose I’ll be hoping for a solid 60-minute effort from the #Canucks… about the only thing missing from Friday night.
— Clayton Corley (@opiatedsherpa) February 18, 2013
