Game Day Preview Canucks vs. Blackhawks: Bring It On, Chicago!

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Nov 232013
 
Shoot, score, win! (credit canucks.nhl.com)

Shoot, score, win!
(credit canucks.nhl.com)

The Vancouver Canucks had a huge win 6-2 last night against the Columbus Blue Jackets – their first win in 5 games (1-2-2) – and inched back to within 4 points back of a playoff position in the tough Western Conference.

The Canucks, who are 2-3-3 in their last 8 games, are hoping that last night’s game was a bit of a turning point, but a win tonight against the Chicago Blackhawks won’t come easy. The Blackhawks, who beat the Winnipeg Jets in Winnipeg by a 6-3 score on Thursday, have lost just 3 of their last 12 games, though 2 of those losses came on the road.

This is the first of three meetings this season between the two teams. Nothing like a Saturday night Hockey Night in Canada showdown to ignite their longtime rivalry. Tonight’s game should be intense, and it should be interesting to see the impact coach John Tortorella will have on these often-heated games.

The Canucks are looking to maintain some momentum after last night’s offensive outburst against the Blue Jackets. They 6 goals they scored matched their total from their previous 5 games combined. The Sedins played particularly well, especially after Torts reunited them after a brief period apart, and they combined for 5 points. Without Dave Bolland to pester them all game, they should see some time against Chicago’s top line.

For the Blackhawks, this is game 3 of their 7 game-road trip. They’ve broke even so far with a loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday before their win in Winnipeg on Thursday.

Forward Patrick Kane leads the team with 24 points, 13 of which have come in his last 9 games. Marian Hossa returned to the Blackhawks lineup Thursday after nursing a lower body injury for 3 games, and promptly scored a goal and added an assist.

Who’s Out

Jordan Schroeder remains out with an ankle injury. And also, speculation continues to surround David Booth as he was again a healthy scratch last night.

Chicago’s Bryan Bickell and Nikolai Khabibulin are both out with lower body injuries, and Michal Handzus is on injured reserve with an upper body injury.

The Game According to Twitter: Canucks 6 vs. Blue Jackets 2

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Nov 232013
 

Well, that was a big monkey of their backs.

After 5 consecutive losses, a stretch in which they scored a grand total of 6 goals, the Vancouver Canucks busted out of their slump in a big way, and beat the Columbus Blue Jackets by a 6-2 score.

Here’s hoping this is the start of some good puck luck for the good guys.

Read more #TGATT goodness past the jump.

Game Day Preview Canucks vs. Blue Jackets: Please Beat the Blue Jackets

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Nov 222013
 

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(source: nhl.com)

Vancouver Canucks (11-8-4)
Columbus Blue Jackets (8-11-3)

The Blue Jackets are in Vancouver to take on the Canucks for their second and final meeting this season. In their last meeting in Columbus on October 20th, the Blue Jackets won 3-1. Blue Jackets goaltender Curtis McElhinney, was impressive with 37 saves.

The Canucks are looking for their first win in 5 games. Their current 5-game losing streak is their longest since an 8-game losing streak back in January 2009. And we all remember how they bumped that slump, right?

As for the Blue Jackets, they have won 2 out of their last 5 games.

Who’s Hot

Blue Jackets forward RJ Umberger has recorded a point in the last 3 out of 4 games (2 goals and 1 assist). Defensemen James Wisniewski is the Blue Jackets leading point scorer; he also has 3 points in the Blue Jackets’ last 4 games.

Despite the Canucks’ recent play, goaltender Roberto Luongo has been doing well with a 0.924 save percentage in November, including a 0.933 save percentage in his last 3 games.

Who’s Out

The Vancouver Canucks are still without Jordan Schroeder (ankle), who’s on IR and not expected back until late December.

The Columbus Blue Jackets are missing quite a few players. Brandon Dubinsky, the Blue Jackets second-leading scorer (5 goals) injured his foot in Tuesday’s game and will be out. The Blue Jackets are still without Nathan Horton (shoulder), Cody Bass (thumb), Matt Calvert (abdomen), Dalton Prout (back) and Marian Gaborik (knee).

The Game According to Twitter: Canucks 2 vs. Panthers 3 (SO)

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Nov 202013
 

Another game, another loss. With their 3-2 loss to the Florida Panthers (!), the Vancouver Canucks have now lost 5 games in a row for the first time in nearly 5 years.

The good news is, they scored more than a single goal in a game for the first time in almost 2 weeks. And Roberto Luongo again had a solid game, stopping 34 of 36 shots in regulation and 2 of 3 Panthers in the shootout. But the Canucks’ offensive woes extended into the shootout, and again, no Canucks shooter was able to beat Tim Thomas mano-a-mano; in 4 games that went to the shootout this season, they’ve only scored on 2 of 15 shootout attempts.

Yeah, sure, let’s go with that.

Read more #TGATT goodness past the jump.

CHB Countdown: Top 5 Sedin Line Combinations

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Nov 202013
 

The Sedins and Alex Burrows celebrate a goal against the Anaheim Ducks.

Photo credit: canucks.com

Glen Sather once proclaimed that a “fire hydrant could score 50 goals playing with Wayne Gretzky”, alluding to how The Great One made everyone around him better. Many would say the same about the Sedin Twins who seem to boost the stats of any player lucky enough to find themself flanked by the ginger duo. Simply put, these guys are just easy to play with.

That being said, the Canucks recent slump has forced John Tortorella to try different line combinations to spark the dried up offense. In the past week we’ve seen Ryan Kesler, Alex Burrows and Jannik Hansen join the top line to no avail. This isn’t the first time different players have been assigned to the top line, with some combinations lasting years while others dwindle after a few games. Everyone seems to have an idea of what kind of player would complement the Sedins best, but history has shown us it is not always the obvious choice.

Here are the top 5 greatest Sedin line combinations:

5) Daniel Sedin-Henrik Sedin-Taylor Pyatt: This line, featured prominently in the 2006-2007 season, showcased Taylor Pyatt’s size and strength. Pyatt scored 23 goals and 37 points (both career highs) and helped the Canucks cruise to 48 wins and a division title. Here he provides a strong net presence while the Sedins do their thing.

4) Daniel Sedin-Henrik Sedin-Ryan Kesler: The most recently formed line on this list, the “Beastmodo” line is the sexiest on paper but simply has not been together long enough to be placed any higher. Dominant at times, with two accomplished trigger men in Daniel and Kes’, teams have struggled to match the firepower of this first line. Surely, we will see this line together again under the Torts’ regime.

3) Daniel Sedin-Henrik Sedin-Trent Klatt: Not the most offensive linemate the Sedins have ever had, Klatt provided a veteran presence for the twins in the first few years of their professional career. The dominance of the “west coast express” line during this period allowed the Sedins to develop at their own pace and Klatt kept them at an even keel, while providing offence at a steady rate.

2) Daniel Sedin-Henrik Sedin-Anson Carter: This combination only lasted a year but was wildly successful with Anson Carter leading the team with 33 goals. This year marked the coming out of the Sedins as the core offensive players and leaders on the team.  Carter’s ability to crash the net aided the Sedins’ cycling ability well.

1) Daniel Sedin-Henrik Sedin-Alex Burrows: The longest tenured player on the Sedin line and with good reason, Alex Burrows has spent the majority of the last 5 years playing with the twins. A tremendous reader of the game, Alex has gained the instinctual movement and know-how that the Sedins seemed to be born with. Burrows has become one of the more reliable goal-scorers on the Canuck squad and his presence on the top line has elevated the Twins stats as well with the two of them winning back to back Art-Ross trophies with Burrows at their side.

Canucks vs Panthers Game Day Preview: Goals Please

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Nov 192013
 
Torts "Hey Kes, I'm going for all you can eat after this, wanna come?" Hansen "I never get invited anywhere cool...."

Torts: “Hey Kes, I’m going for all you can eat after this, wanna come?”
Hansen: “I never get invited anywhere cool….”

 

The Florida Panthers are in town tonight to face our bent but not broken Vancouver Canucks. It’s the first of two meetings between the two teams, who meet again in March but under the Floridian sun.

It’s been 3 years since the Canucks and the Panthers last played against each other. The Canucks beat the Panthers 2-1 in October 2010. Since then, Obama’s been re-elected, John Tortorella’s been hired, Roberto Luongo lost his starting goaltender job to Cory Schneider, Schneider got traded to the New Jersey Devils, and I’ve grown 2 inches.

The Canucks could use a little pick me up, having lost their last 4 games (0-3-1). They may still be a little bitter too after that controversial disallowed goal on Sunday against the Dallas Stars cost them a point.

If we were looking for positives, the Canucks’ offence has outshot their opponents in 3 of their last 4 games. However, finding the back of the net has been a struggle as they’ve scored exactly 1 goal in each of their last 4 games. Overall, the Canucks are averaging 32.5 shots per game, 3rd in the NHL, disproving the theory that if you keep shooting at the net one is bound to go in.

The Panthers are 2-8-1 on the road. They won their season opener in Dallas, but then lost 9 consecutive road games before winning their most recent outing last Saturday in Colorado. They beat the Avalanche 4-1 and got goals from 4 different players.

Who to Watch

Defenseman Brian Campbell leads the Panthers with 12 points, while forward Brad Boyes leads them with 7 goals, 1 of which was scored on Saturday against the Avs. Campbell, Scottie Upshall and Tom Gilbert all had multi-point games against the Avs.

Dale Weise is expected to return to the Canucks line up after missing 10 games with a knee injury. If anything, Weise on the 4th line provides the team with a physical presence.

Who’s Out

Jordan Schroeder (ankle) remains the lone Canuck on injured reserve. He’s not expected back until late December at the earliest.

For the Panthers, former Canuck Ed Jovanovski has a hip injury and is on injured reserve, and Scott Gomez is questionable for tonight with a groin injury (day-to-day).

The Game According to Twitter: Canucks 1 vs. Stars 2

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Nov 182013
 

There are times when we wonder if the officials hold some sort of bias against the Canucks. Or, like last night in the Canucks’ 2-1 loss to the Dallas Stars, when a couple of questionable calls changed the complexion of the game, one nullifying a game-tying goal, we wonder if they’re just that incompetent.

Read more #TGATT goodness past the jump.

CHB’s Top 10 Reasons Why Henrik Sedin’s Goal Was Waved Off

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Nov 182013
 
So tell us how you really feel, John.

So tell us how you really feel, John.

The most popular topic stemming from last night’s 2-1 Dallas Stars victory over the Vancouver Canucks was the apparent Henrik Sedin power play goal that was called off early in the second period.  The official reason referee Rob Martell waved the goal off was because he felt that Daniel Sedin had made illegal contact with Stars’ goalie Kari Lehtonen just prior to Henrik’s shot.

Obviously, the goal could have been a huge momentum-changer, as it would have evened the score at 1-1 in a game that the Canucks were controlling the play.

Needless to say, Twitter exploded with conspiracy theories and charges of bias against the Canucks.  I was one beneficiary of this Twitter rage as my picture of “Angry Torts” (as above) had me trending atop the Trendsmap rankings for Vancouver for a short while.

CHB represent!

CHB represent!

I can safely say that this was the first time and likely the only time I will ever be trending in ANYTHING.  But I digress.

Thanks once again to you – the awesome people on Twitter – I have compiled yet another top 10 list.

Here are the Top 10 Reasons Why Henrik Sedin’s Goal Was Waved Off.

HM:  “Just to piss us off.” – submitted by @KevinBye1

HM:  “It was an action out of habit, as the refs all assume the Canucks can’t score.” – submitted by @A_L_ai

10:  “Ref made a human mistake but sh!tty rules allow that to happen with no recourse by team.” – submitted by @THECooop

9:  “Refs thought they were UFC judges.” – submitted by @greynotegroup

8:   “Coin came up heads.” – submitted by @skitzo12

7:   “The Henrik goal was waved off because the refs wanted to make the early bird special at the buffet. OT would have made them late.” – submitted by @HabsLions

6:  “Gary Bettman pressed the ‘Screw the Canucks’ button at NHL headquarters and activated the implant in the ref’s head.” – submitted by @b_cmack

5:  “Staches got in the way – too many participants for Movember.” – submitted by @elmeebaterina

4:  “Henrik farted in Lehtonen’s face. Heard that could give a guy pink eye.” – submitted by @cbaldwin74

3:  “One of them went to the Roxy last time they were in town. #herpesareforever” – submitted by @jennafabulous

2:   “The ref got confused that Henrik shot the puck. Thought it was an illegal move for him.” – submitted by @jasonclowers24

1:  “Ref didn’t want Henrik passing Don Lever on the all-time goal scoring list.” – submitted by @Steve_May

 

 

Game Day Preview Canucks vs. Stars: The Return of the Honey Badger

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Nov 172013
 

142153805_std
(source: nhl.com)

Vancouver Canucks (11-7-3)
Dallas Stars (10-7-2)

The Vancouver Canucks are looking to end their 3-game winless streak (0-2-1) tonight against the Dallas Stars. The Stars are 2-1-0 in their last 3 games, and also have won their last 5 games away from American Airlines Center.

This is the first of three meetings between the Canucks and Stars. The Stars won their most recent meeting by a 5-1 score back on April 18th, 2013.

Who’s Back

Jannik Hansen is expected to return to the Canucks line up after missing 10 games with a shoulder injury. At practice on Saturday, he skated on the second line with Ryan Kesler and Chris Higgins, which pushed Alexandre Burrows up to the first line with the Sedins. Maybe a change to the line-up is the boost the Canucks need to end get back on the win column.

Who’s Hot

Kevin Bieksa has 4 points in the past 4 games, scoring the Canucks’ lone goal against the San Jose Sharks on Thursday.

For the Stars, Tyler Seguin scored 4 goals and and added an assist in the Stars last game against the Calgary Flames. Seguin is the first player for the Stars since 2007 to score 4 goals in a game.

Who’s Out

The Vancouver Canucks are still missing fowards Jordan Schroeder (ankle) and Dale Weise (lower body). Both forwards are on injured reserve.

The Dallas Stars will be playing without forward Ray Whitney (lower body), who is also on injured reserve.

The Game According to Twitter: Canucks 1 vs. Sharks 2 (OT)

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Nov 152013
 

So, so close. 65 more seconds and the narratives today would have had a markedly different tone.

After beating their playoff nemesis in consecutive games, the Vancouver Canucks would’ve been touted as playoff contenders.

Roberto Luongo would’ve had his 3rd shutout of the season, and perhaps start shutting up some of his critics. (Or not. Who’re we kidding here?)

But alas, after controlling much of the game, the Canucks couldn’t finish on all but one of their scoring chances, gave up the tying goal with 65 seconds left in regulation time, took a penalty in OT, and then dropped a 2-1 decision to the San Jose Sharks.

*sigh*

Read more #TGATT goodness past the jump.

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