Avalanche vs Canucks - Game Preview

It's game day once again and tonight, the Colorado Avalanche are hosting the Vancouver Canucks at the Pepsi Center.

Luongo suits up

This will be Roberto Luongo's second start since returning from a rib injury and he couldn't have come back sooner, with Andrew Raycroft finally showing his true form.

Against the Avalanche though, Luongo is a it less like Darkseid and a bit more like Dr. Horrible with a 2.97 GAA and .898 save percentage in 25 games against. So you'll have to pardon me for feeling a bit cocky about the matchup.

I hope someone catches the connection between the headline and the second paragraph. I bet Jori will...

Jersey foul

The Avalanche's new third jersey is a foul in and of itself. I still don't mind the "uniprons" but I'm with Tapeleg here, these just aren't doing it for me. I know the Avs colors are burgundy and blue, but they shouldn't have barfed blue all over this jersey. It's too much. And where the hell is the yeti foot?

Hejduk Returns

The Avalanche will get Milan Hejduk back and it looks like he'll play with Matt Duchene. Most excellent. This also means that David Jones will stay on the top line and Marek Svatos will get bumped down to the third line. That's a win all the way across the board if you ask me.

Preissing Appears

Tom Preissing will suit up for the first time as a Colorado Avalanche. You know what? I'm excited to see what he'll do for this team. Don't expect a monster game as he'll need to find his groove again,

And note to Joe Sacco: this is so not a must win game. Look, I get what you're trying to do but if the team puts in a valiant effort and loses, that will still be forward progress.

Simon says

Today's game preview is a special edition which includes a Q&A session with Simon from the Canucks blog Dan Cloutier for Vezina, where he also has posted a Q&A session with myself.

With Roberto Luongo on the shelf, Andrew Raycroft helped carry the Canucks with some solid goaltending. Does this mean Vancouver will be more willing to rest Luongo and start Raycroft in hopes of keeping him fresh for a playoff run?

Probably not. Luongo is a guy that, while healthy, pretty much has to play every night. Even when it comes to optional practices during the season, Luongo will show up to work on his game and hates to take any time off. It even came to the point a while ago where the Canucks had to kick him off the ice from an optional skate just he’d take a break. So with all that being considered it seems pretty unlikely that Luongo will be sitting on the bench unless they are playing back-to-back on the road. The long fourteen game round trip surrounding the Olympics and the fact that Luongo will be playing in the Olympics means that Raycroft might get an extra start or two that back-up goalies typically don’t get here but ultimately I don’t see the team sitting down Luongo much at all now that he’s back.

Mikael Samuelsson was thought by many to be a product of a great team. So far, he is on pace to eclipse his season highs in points and goals. Do you think he can keep up this pace?

He probably can, but with that being said, I’d like to see him tidy up his overall game. Too often he is turning the puck over or is a defensive liability. Especially when he plays the point on the power play, if he as much as fumbles the puck, you can expect a great scoring chance for the other team. He’s a minus player on the team right now which is something that I’m sure the coaches would like to see him improve on. With all the injuries the Canucks have right now, they have been playing a defensive style of hockey which means they don’t have the luxury of being allowed to have guys who are frequently -1 or -2.

When the Canucks matched the Flyers offer sheet on Kesler, it appeared to drive up salaries for what would be considered grind-line player. Since then, Kesler has gone on to be a key cog for the Canucks. Does he appear to be future captain material for this team?

He absolutely is future captain material. If he stays in Vancouver then he’ll be waiting a long time for the ‘C’ since Luongo is here for the foreseeable future but Kesler is definitely one of the best leaders on the team. I see him more as a “leader by example” type rather than someone who is outspoken. That’s fine since no one plays harder than Kesler on a shift-to-shift basis than him. He can often go out and dominate a shift and you’ll see the type of potential he has to be a leader.

Looking back I don’t think too many people objected to the Canucks matching the offer sheet that Clarke put out there since Kesler showed a lot of signs for potential. When he first came into the league he had great speed but lacked any kind of finish. He got his game together playing on the checking line with Alex Burrows and I think Burrows and Kesler really fed off each other a few years ago when they were as automatic of a combo as Daniel and Henrik Sedin. Now that Burrows and Kesler are playing bigger and more offensive rolls they both have each other to thank for the chemistry they had on the checking line.

Was sending Cody Hodgson back to Brampton the right move for his future?

Yes, and looking back now Hodgson probably shouldn’t have been playing in the pre-season trying to earn a spot on the team. His back clearly hadn’t fully recovered from injuring it while working out prior to the Canadian World Jr. Camp. There isn’t much for him to accomplish in the OHL anymore and he might even get a little bored but it’s certainly better than having him confidence shattered by poor production in the NHL and losing a year of his entry level contract. I fully expect him to come back to camp next season and be more like the player the Canucks saw two years ago after being drafted and what we saw last December and January at the World Juniors.

Game time

The puck drops at 10:08pm ET and it's on the CBC, home of Don Cherry, Jim Hughson and Shane Giroux.

Related Links

MHH Game Preview

Avalanche Thump Canucks, Win 4-1

I gotta tell you, that felt good. No, it didn't help the Tank it 4 Tavares standings, but I was getting sick and bloody tired of watching this team lose.

So with four rookie defensemen and a rookie centering the top line, the Colorado Avalanche took down the Vancouver Canucks and dealt a blow to the Canucks race for the Northwest crown.

I cheered like hell on every goal and ran around the room giving high fives when the buzzer sounded. Which is a bit weird since nobody else was in the room at the time. If my neighbours didn't know better, they'd have thought the Avs were having a good season and had just secured a playoff berth.

Sigh.

Random thoughts
T.J. Galiardi now has three goals in seven games - all coming against Vancouver - and is building up my expectations for next season.

Wojtek Wolski made his return after battling the flu. Apparently the team was worried it could be mono. Or possibly a broken leg.

I like Ryan Kesler's style but I didn't like him moving in on Ian Laperriere without reciprocating on taking off his helmet as Lappy did. But on the other hand, I can see why some guys are a bit reluctant to lose their lid these days. I'm torn on the fighting issue and during the offseason, I might put my thoughts to bits and explain why I'm so torn.

Milan Hejduk scored to overtake Ryan Smyth for the Avs goal scoring "race". It might not be the Avs finest year but Hejduk has been a consistent performer for this team and I'm glad he's leaning towards coming back.

How disappointed was everyone that Peter Budaj just missed the goose egg? Once the first period was over, I thought to myself "Budaj's got a shot at a shutout tonight." But alas, it wasn't to be.

Upcoming Schedule
The Avalanche play the Sharks tomorrow night and I don't expect anything near the same result. Brace yourselves, this one may get ugly.

Then it's back home for the final three games of the season. And as you may recall, I will be in Denver for all three.

I'll be checking out one game with with my girl and then I'll be taking in the final game with Mr. Jay Vean of the Avs Hockey Podcast.

I've still got my fingers crossed that Joe Sakic will suit up for Sunday's game but even if he doesn't, I'm still somewhat comforted that it will be Lappy's 1000th NHL game. So either way, it should be a historic night.

Related Links
Sakic Eyes Olympic Gold

Avalanche Downed by Canucks, Lose 4-2

When your team goes down 3-0 by the end of the first period, what is there to say? "They were tired"? "Vancouver was rested"? "It was a late game"? I don't buy any of that.

The Avalanche just weren't prepared to play in the first 20 minutes. When you play the night before, you actually need more of a warmup the next day to get your body ready to fight. Instead, it appeared that the Avalanche woke from a nap that ended about 5 minutes before puck drop, just in time to toss on the pads and skates and see who their opponent was.

John-Michael Liles in particular was looking quite dreadful to start the game. After Alexander Edler ran Chris Stewart face first into the boards, the Avs had what the announcers called a "power play." It was anything but.

Liles had the puck at the point and tried to make a pass with Alexandre Burrows stick a mere inch away from his own. Shockingly, Burrows intercepted the pass, streaking in on surprise starter, Andrew Raycroft with about ten steps on Liles. Lucikly, Burrows got denied by the post but not to worry, the fun wasn't done.

Liles picked up the puck, carrying it along the left boards where he was then rubbed out by Ryan Kesler. Kesler then broke into the Avs zone but was knocked off the puck by Milan Hejduk. The puck ended up in Liles skates and in classic comedic style, he couldn't get a handle on it. Kesler centered it to Burrows who was initially denied by Raycroft but thanks to Wojtek Wolski forgetting he was playing defense, he was able to grab his own rebound and put it into an empty net.

That put the Canucks up 2-0 on the backs of a powerplay goal and a shortie. Taylor Pyatt then completed the trifecta with an even strength goal while Avs fans everywhere picked up the "Tavares or Hedman?" debate.

Luckily, Vancouver came out looking a bit listless - overconfident perhaps? - in the second period and the Avalanche were able to put one past Bobba Lou, on the powerplay no less! And then thanks to a miscue by Lou to start the third period, Darcy Tucker was able to bang home his eighth goal of the season. It was an interesting goal as Tucker shot it from behind the net while Luongo was racing back in. The puck ended up sticking to Luongo's outside skate and as he rotated to find it, he swung it into the net. And we had a one-goal game and renewed hope!

Alas, it was not to be. A phantom hi-sticking call on Ben Guite put the Canucks on the powerplay with a little over two minutes left in the game. In other words, the Avs needed to score a shortie or they were done. And done they were as Alexander Edler nabbed his ninth of the year to make it a two-goal game.

I think the best part of the phantom call to seal the game came this morning from Tony Gallagher (via Kukla) who complained that the referees kept Colorado in the game by parading the Canucks to the penalty box after they went up 3-0. Yeah, that seven second 5-on-3 was a bitch, wasn't it? And Henrik Sedin getting called for a pretty obvious trip at the tail end of a Canucks powerplay was a horribly biased call. And when Edler put the puck over the glass? What kind of crap call was that? Bad referees. Bad, bad, bad.

Random thoughts
Wingers still go deep in our zone, leaving the points open to keep the cycle going. I'm not even a friggin' coach, let alone a defensive coach, and I can see that as a problem.

Marek Svatos hasn't looked too hot playing with Stastny the last couple games. He's been pretty soft on the puck and has actually been trying to carry it too much. He's not a stickhandler, he's a sniper.

AD mentioned that Peter Budaj would get the start but I guess Tony G was trying to trick the Canucks as he went with Andrew Raycroft instead. Interesting strategy. If only the name "Andrew Raycroft" struck fear in opponents hearts rather than inducing laughter.

After last night, I now believe that Scott Hannan is incapable of scoring. He simply can't do it. He had two chances tonight, the second being a wide open cage and he couldn't put it home. Don't feel bad, Scott. We don't expect you to score. Even if it's an empty net. But it would be nice.

From the Announcers
I had the Canucks feed tonight and had the announcers tuned out about five minutes in. But I did catch a couple notables.

Darcy Tucker is 34 but the way he's playing this year, could be 44

Sad but true. Though he has looked much better playing on a grind line rather than a scoring line.

...taken away by Stastny who was in perfect position

Just say "taken away by Stastny", the rest is redundant.

Related Links
MHH Canucks-Avalanche Game Recap
Early errors cost Avs in road loss (Denver Post)

Avalanche @ Vancouver Game Preview

Ok, I got all cranky in my game recap from last night's 3-2 OT win against the Oilers so I'll try and stay positive here. And the one thing that was me slightly upbeat is that the Canucks are on an 8-game winning streak on home ice. And what does that mean, folks? That's right, "Shane logic" will save the day. Because the more things stay the same, the more likely they are to change.

Peter Budaj will man the pipes again after a solid outing last night. He'll face off against Robert Luongo and as scary as that initially sounds, the Avalanche have actually had Luongo's number in recent years. They've only faced him once this year - a 2-1 OT win - but in 07/08, the Avs put 25 goals past Bobba Lou in eight games included putting five past him twice. I predict the Avs will light him up for at least three tonight. That's a ballsy prediction considering they couldn't score on Atlanta but you gotta take a leap every now and again, right? Hmm, I wonder how close Davey Jones is to scoring 30 goals...

It's a late game being in Vancouver but thanks to good ol' DST, a 10:00 ET start is now an 8:00 FUST start. FUST of course standing for F'd Up Saskatchewan Time.

Avalanche Dump Canucks in Shootout, Win 5-4

I'm currently in a temporary apartment and without my TV/PVR/Center Ice trifecta. And though I have a Slingbox, the wifi I'm pilfering has been hit-and-miss.

So what does that mean? It means I only saw bits and pieces of the game so I'll do this recap in point form.

See, individual points have less chance of making me look like an ass than if I pontificate on a "trend" based on one observation.

And here...we...go!

Notes
Daniel Tjarnqvist is making his case for staying in the lineup. Could he be making another defender expendable?

Milan Hejduk lived up to his "Canuck killer" moniker as he potted one goal, assisted on two others and sealed the Canucks fate with a goal in the shootout.

David Jones found the twine tonight as he continues to improve from earlier this season. He's got a ways to go to hit 30 goals though.

What was with Steve Bernier tonight? He potted two goals and only the post kept him from ending the game in overtime.

Wojtek Wolski is the new Jussi Jokinen. But his moves are even sweeter.

Could Wolski, Marek Svatos and Hejduk be one of the most potent shootout lineups this year? Seriously, I'm asking.

Related Links
NHL.com Boxscore

Avalanche @ Canucks, Game 15 Thoughts

Here's a few more thoughts from last night, in no particular order.

Ruslan Salei played his best game of the season last night. I watched him more closely than any other defender as I was getting tired of seeing him underperform. Early in the first it was apparent his positioning was much better. He wasn't allowing players to skate past him while he brushed them on their side with a "check". Tonight, he was stepping in front of them and preventing them from going around him. His head was moving much better tonight as well and he always seemed to be aware of where the nearest Canucks players were.

The McLappy line had a new ingredient last night as Darcy Tucker joined the line while Cody Mcleod found himself on the third line with Tyler Arnason. Tucker ended up spending some time with Hensick including a shift during OT. The weird chemistry those two had in their past two games may be wearing off a bit. It never made much sense to begin with frankly.

If T.J. Hensick gets sent down, everybody sharpen up your pitchforks. Though he didn't get any points tonight - tough to get any in a one-goal game - he still looked good out there. Coach Granato agreed as he played him for 18 minutes which could be a career high for Hensick. Contrast that with the 8:20 Arnason played tonight in his triumphant return after being a healthy scratch.

Ryan Smyth continues to do a great job fighting in the corners and being a pain in the ass for the opposing team. He's currently on pace for a 23 goal, 53 point season which is not spectacular. Someone could certainly argue it's not worth over $7M/season. But his work along the boards is invaluable and if Granato keeps sticking him in front of the net on the PP, more points will come. He did make one bonehead behind-the-back pass in his own zone but I'll forgive him. Just this once.

Early in the first period while the Avs were shelling Roberto Luongo, Ray Ferraro said "This is what a great goalie can do for you when you struggle" Amen, Ray. We saw it from both sides tonight and it was exciting as hell to watch.

Marek Svatos has been awarded the game-tying goal that originally went to Paul Stastny. In the first view I saw, I was elated as it looked like Svatos had scored. But from the "in the net" view, it looked like Svatos had wiffed on it and Stastny put it in. I'll take this decision as I've got Svatos in my pool and he's been underwhelming so far to say the least.

Chris Cuthbert mentioned itsallaboutlappy.com on the air. Now go buy a shirt and support Ronald Macdonald House!

Now, for my main beef with the game tonight. And it's been a beef of mine since the season started. The Avalanche are running a "wide open" offensive style, right? Then why in the world do they do they try and hold hands through the neutral zone?

There were half a dozen occasions where on a breakout, the player on the opposite side of the ice would skate over and actually get in the puck carriers way. What is the deal with that? Are they trying to use the flying V?

I'm getting frustrated watching the puck carrier try to manoeuvre the puck through his teammates skates while heading into the zone so I can't imaging how the puck carrier feels. It makes negative sense to me.

Related Links
Wolski, Svatos deliver in shootout for Avalanche
Avalanche cracks Luongo in shootout

Avalanche Down Canucks 2-1 in Goaltending Duel

Peter Budaj outdueled Roberto Luongo tonight as the Colorado Avalanche downed the Vancouver Canucks 2-1 in a shootout.

The Avalanche started off strong but Robert Luongo was up to the task and shut the Avs down at every opportunity. The Avs fired off 16 shots in the first period but Luongo made it look like a day at the beach.

In the second period, it was the Peter Budaj show as the Canucks turned up the pressure. It took a penalty shot for the Canucks to finally get one past him.

In the third, it was a bit more give-and-go and both Budaj and Luongo came up huge for their teams. Budaj's most memorable save was robbing Henrik Sedin on a cross crease pass on the PP. For Luongo, he saved his team's bacon with just 1.9 seconds left as he robbed Wojtek Wolski on a one-timer off a great pass from T.J. Hensick.

The OT solved nothing and it was off to a shootout. I think I heard Jib let out a stifled roar. But the Avs took the win off of goals from Wolski and Marek Svatos while Budaj turned away 2 of 3 attempts.

It was a whale of a game and great way for the Avs to kick off their three game road trip. I'll put up more notes tomorrow but the one extra thing I will add...Ruslan Salei had his best game of the year tonight.

And Blaine won the bet. But his team still lost. So I win.

Related Links
NHL.com Event Summary

Avalanche @ Canucks, Game 15 Preview

The Avalanche offense has been anemic mustering ten goals in their last seven games with including a miserly two goals in their last two games.

Robert Luongo hasn't been scored on since November 2nd and has posted three straight shutouts.

Will one of those give tonight?

With Joe Sakic out of the lineup, Tyler Arnason draws back in after being a healthy scratch against the Nashville Predators.

Will Arnason respond to coach Granato's challenge?

Peter Budaj gets the start in goal and is coming off a shutout of his own. He looked calm, cool and collected in net against the Preds and is looking to build on that performance.

Will this be the night that Peter Budaj turns the corner and proves his detractors wrong?

The game starts at 10:00 ET, 8:00 MT on TSN (Canada) and Altitude (USA) which means the game doesn't start until 9:00 for me.

Will I be able to battle off the flu and stay up for the whole game?

Sidenote: Though I told Alanah the shutout streak would end before the 10:00 mark of the first period, I don't actually believe it will happen that soon. Ssshhh. Don't tell her.

I actually have a bet with a 'Nucks fan at the office that it will end before the 5:00 mark of the second period. And though he thinks the streak will end tonight, he thinks it won't be until 3:10 of the third period.

So I decided to toss up a quick poll to get a general consensus on when the streak will end. If you want to get more specific, leave a comment. I believe they're working for everybody again.

If not, feel free to contact me at thebatlab {at} gmail dot com.



Related Links
TSOSWDNSO

Canucks Honoring Luc Bourdon Tonight

Amidst all the hype and hooplah surrounding the new season, I nearly forgot that the Canucks will be honoring the memory of Luc Bourdon before they drop the puck tonight. 

I have no idea if it will be part of the CBC feed. I would guess not based on timing issue but I'm sure they'll show clips of it.

The Canucks unveiled a wall of dreams today as part of the dedication. The organization appears to be going all out for the young defender and good on them for doing that.

I still remember watching the World Juniors in 2006 and hearing the Vancouver crowd scream "Luuuccc!" every time he touched the puck. He was something special and it's too bad his life ended so soon.

Roberto Luongo Named Captain Canuck

When I saw the headline, I thought it was a joke. When I saw the photo accompanying the story, I thought "Look at them laughing at their joke." But then I read the article and it didn't end with "Just kidding."

Yes, the Vancouver Canucks have apparently named Robert Luongo as their captain.

When was the last time a goaltender captained a team? I'm thinking it had to have been back in the 40's or 50's. I'd do the leg work to find this out but I don't care to.

This is just a bizarre move. I can understand that he is a team leader as is Martin Brodeur with New Jersey, as was Olaf Kolzig with Washington, and the list could go on and on.

But what's the point in announcing him as the captain? Maybe to add more pressure to being the Canucks goaltender?

Related Links

Canucks Laugh at your ancient tradition, name Luongo captain

Avalanche Clinch Playoff Spot with Win Over Canucks

(AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Jonathan Hayward)

Breathe in deep folks. Smell that? That's the smell of playoff hockey. Yes, with a 4-2 come-from-behind victory over the Canucks tonight, the Avalanche will start a new playoff streak this year.

The only question left is which seed will they end up? They could go as high as #3 or as low as #7 so there's still some fun to be had. Unfortunately most of the fun will be had by other teams as the Avalanche are out of action until Sunday when they close out the regular season against the Wild.

And at the current moment, the Wild would be the Avalanche's playoff opponent. Is that better than the Sharks? I'm inclined to say yes though the Avs are 2-4-1 against the Wild this year. But hey, the playoffs are a whole new season so anything can happen!

Rough beginnings
The game got off to a rough start as the Canucks really had some jump in their game in the first couple minutes. I was actually on the edge of my seat in the early goings and was getting concerned that the Avalanche were going to have "one of those games"

Pessimisity turns to optimisity
My pessimism was rewarded as the Canucks built up a 2-0 lead by the 5:50 mark of the second period and things weren't looking good. Fortunately, the Avalanche powerplay miraculously came through to get the Avs within one. Then Milan Hejduk tied it up. Then Wojtek Wolski scored again. That's right, before you could blink the Avalanche had taken the lead. Well, if you didn't blink in the 5 minutes and 19 seconds it took, you might want to get that checked out.

I'm taking my puck and going home
At that point, the Canucks seemed to basically pack it in. The fans lost all their life and the team looked so frustrated I actually felt a little sorry for them. Just a little. The Canucks had a powerplay opportunity 20 seconds after the go-ahead goal and they really sleepskated through it and that pretty much emptied the arena of any atmosphere whatsoever.

Forsberg gets his first
In the third, Peter Forsberg was sprung on a breakaway by Andrew Brunette and he made absolutely no mistake as he roofed it past Luongo's glove. For his first goal of the season, he looked pretty relaxed. He also played over 20 minutes tonight so it's a good thing the Avalanche don't play again until Sunday. All kinds of time for that groin/foot to heal up again. Unless of course he lacerated his liver late in the game.

Theodore shuts the door in third
Jose Theodore put in what is becoming a standard Theodore performance. Look ok in the first, above average in the second and lights out in the third. He made some great in-close saves in the final minutes to preserve the two-goal lead and definitely helped the team get the win.

I didn't see the second goal and was too lazy to rewind but on the first goal, he got a piece of it but it looked like he was screened and/or the puck caught a deflection. I'll never blame a goalie for a screen or deflection goal. But I'll certainly hope like hell that they figure out a way to have that puck still hit them.

Foote takes one in the ear
Adam Foote caught a puck in the ear after Milan Hejduk tipped a Vancouver shoot in. He immediately hit the ice as blood started coming from what appeared to be his ear. It's never good when blood comes from your ear but in this case, it shouldn't be too serious. However Foote didn't return to the game after the incident.

Which way to the golf course?
Tonight was a rough hit to the Canucks playoff chances. Along with their loss to the Avalanche, the Nashville Predators leapfrogged them with their own come-from-behind win over the Blues. The Canucks now need some help from the Predators if they don't want to be hitting the links come April 7th.

Kharmic Aura
I'd like to give a big wave to a couple Canucks fans. I'm not sure what their names are but last year at GM place on April 5th they had some choice words for me after the Avalanche win. Well, karma is a bitch, isn't it? Maybe if you'd kept your mouth shut the Canucks would have got in this year. But you had to open your annoying mouth and cost your team a shot at the Cup. Well done.

Related Links
NHL.com Event Summary
TSN Recap
In the Cheap Seats Game Notes
ColoradoAvalanche.com Recap
Rocky Mountain Recap

Canucks Forfeight Tonight's Game

In an unprecedented move, the Vancouver Canucks have forfeited their game tonight against the Colorado Avalanche. Although citing a multitude of reasons, GM Dave Nonis did point the finger squarely at head coach Alain Vigneault.

"I did nothing at the deadline expecting that Vigneault would ride the Sedins and Luongo into the playoffs and what happens? He splits up the Sedins and lets Luongo run off to take care of his family. It's inexcusable and I've had enough."

But Vigneault was quick to respond to the allegations.

"At the trade deadline I told Mr. No-moves - I mean Nonis - that we needed scoring help. Primary and secondary. Hell, tertiary scoring would have been great. Instead he said his book - NHL GMs for Dummies - told him to build a team around a goaltender. I guess the part about needing goal support is in Chapter 2 and he hasn't got there yet."

So does this mean the Canucks are out of the playoff race? "Absolutely" said longtime captain Markus Naslund. "I think it's apparent from my intensity level that I could really give a shit about this team."

And as for all the Vancouver fans who have patiently waited for this team to win a cup while still maintaining an air of superiority?

"We don't do this for the fans." said Brendan Morrison. "I made over $3 million working for less than half a year. Screw the ticket payers, I'm rich, bitch."

Avalanche Thump Canucks

(AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Well that was the biggest win of the season by far. Tonight the Avalanche thumped the Canucks 6-3 - including 5 goals on Roberto Luongo - to jump into 7th in the West. The Avalanche are now 4 up on Nashville and 5 up on Edmonton in the playoff race. With a mere 4 or 5 games remaining between the teams gunning for the final spots, the Avalanche are all but assured a spot if they just keep the pedal pressed down.

Goaltending anti-duel
Roberto Luongo let in 5 goals which is the first time he's done that since February 9th against...the Colorado Avalanche. For a guy with a GAA below the 2.3 mark the Avalanche sure haven't had trouble scoring on him. Hey Gary, can you make an exception and let the Avs play the Canucks in the playoffs? Pretty please?

At the other end, Jose Theodore got the better of Luongo but still had some stumbling points. The first goal was a great goal by the Canucks and the 2nd goal was pure dumb luck. The third goal, however, could have turned the tide of the game in the Canucks favor. Sami Salo blasted a shot from the point and it beat Theodore cleanly on the short side. That's a puck that needed to be stopped as they were just 10 seconds away from taking a 3 goal lead into the third.

Forsberg and Hejduk together again
In what you could say is a brilliant coaching move, Joel Quenneville bumped Ryan Smyth from the RPM line and created the PPM line. And PPM stood for Point Per Minute for that trio tonight. Once those three were together they accounted for 3 goals and 9 points. Paul Stastny had a goal and two assists, Hejduk had two goals and one assist and Forsberg had three assist.

I think everyone well remembers the dynamite duo that Forsberg and Hejduk were back in day and Quenneville decided to give the duo a shot again. It payed off extremely well and I can't see why he'd bother breaking them up at this point. Of course next game they could come out flat for 5 minutes and Forsberg would find himself playing with Ben Guite.

Timeout while up?
In what I'd call another excellent coaching move, Quenneville called a timeout shortly after the Avs went up 5-2 after an icing call. Not only did it give the players a chance to catch a breather before a tough draw but it also settled the team down. They really started running around and loosening up a bit much so the timeout served to settle them back into their groove.

Smyth drops 'em?
In what I'd call a not so brilliant coaching move, after the Canucks had scored the late 2nd period goal Alain Vigneault put out a line including uber-pest Alex Burrows. Q, with last change, put out a line including Ryan Smyth rather than the grind line. What happened was Alex Burrows lined up next to Smyth and knocked his stick out of his hands off the draw. This apparently enraged Smyth and he chased after Burrows and the two dropped the gloves and fell to the ice (as Burrows was backpedaling faster than Dion Phaneuf)

Now, I think Smyth should have kept his cool and let it go but in his defense, he did get bumped down to the third line again so he may have been frustrated. But he never should have been out there at that point anyways. A 10 second shift to end the period after a momentum changing goal calls for the grind line of Guite, Lappy and McLeod.

"I really think Vancouver can come back"
In the only reference I'll make to McGuire - who wasn't that bad tonight I thought - he stated before the third period began that he really felt the Canucks could come back and take this game to OT. 23 seconds later Milan Hejduk made it 6-3 and we never heard mention of that comment again.

Notes
- Wolski had a great steal down low to lead to the 5th goal
- the Avs had 23 shots in their 4-goal second period
- Leopold left the game in the third with what appears to be another injury
- McLeod's goal was his first in 23 games and he keeps doing it against superstar goaltenders
- the fans were really into this game and it was great to hear the excitement
- that's the first 3-game losing streak for the Canucks this season
- Andrew Brunette continues to quietly rack up points with 2 assists tonight
- the Avs won the faceoff game (!!!) with 60%

Related Links
NHL.com Event Summary
In the Cheap Seats Recap
Denver Post Recap
ColoradoAvalanche.com Recap
How Luongo getting laid could help the Avs
Doing the dirty work, game in and game out

Tighter than a...

Can the Northwest be any closer? I know it's been talked about every year for the past 3 years but it's been no truer than tonight. Three teams, the Avalanche, Wild and Flames, are tied for the division lead with 84 points while the Canucks are just 2 points behind. And the "lowly" Oilers? They just beat the Sharks and are 7 points behind the division leaders. There is no other division where the bottom team isn't trailing the division leader by double digits.

So what does this mean for the playoffs? Well, right now I'd put the odds on four Northwest teams making it to the show. Nashville is close but if you look at Mirtle's playoff push numbers, they've got some streaking to do if they want to get in. Sure, it may not be terribly scientific, but it gets more accurate as the games wear on. In fact, by the time all games are done, it will perfectly predict the playoff seedings!

Yes, I was being facetious there. ;)

Avalanche Topple Canucks in Forsberg's Return

(Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

The Avalanche moved up to 3rd place in the Northwest division following their 2-1 win over the visiting Vancouver Canucks. But more importantly in a lot of people's minds was the return of Peter Forsberg.

Since signing with the Avalanche the day before the trade deadline, fans have been eagerly anticipating seeing Foppa in an Avalanche jersey. And no, practice jersey's don't count.

Forsberg's Return
The anticipation was thick in the air as the game began and almost all cameras were zeroed in on Peter as he sat on the bench to start the game. The fans didn't have to wait long to see him on the ice as 28 seconds in the game, Peter "Foppa" Forsberg set his skates on the Avalanche ice surface in a game for the Colorado Avalanche for the first time since the lockout.

The second he stood up to hop over the bench, the fans were rising to their feet in appreciation and adulation. It was the sort of display that many opposing teams fans will snicker at but had 99.9% of Avalanche fans with ear-to-ear smiles on their faces. I know I did.

So how did Peter fare in the game? Well he certainly injected some energy into both Sakic and Hejduk, his linemates tonight. Both seemed to have an extra spring in their stride throughout most of the game and I'm sure Hejduk remembers better than anyone who his linemate was during his 50-goal season. Seeing that trio flying 3-wide across the blueline, it appears they all remember each other just fine.

I was a bit nervous at times, particularly when Forsberg was controlling the puck along the boards with his skate. The Canucks took that as a good opportunity to jab away at Forsberg's foot - and who can blame them. However he held his ground like the Forsberg of old and showed that he is still one of the strongest players on the puck in the NHL.

He also got into some physical battles and showed he still has that fire inside to compete and win. So it should be an interesting stretch run for this team, even absent Ryan Smyth and Marek Svatos.

Now hang on for a second while I clean up after slobbering over Forsberg for the last minute here...

Everything else
As for the rest of the game, well I have to hit the sack and I'm not sure if I'll be able to update this until later on in the afternoon so here's some quick notes:

- Liles finally netted another goal and on the PP no less
- Wojtek Wolski started the game strong but seemed to fade away midway through
- Tyler Arnason appeared to not care less that a hockey game was happening around him
- what a lame call on Jose Theodore for delay of game (there were Canucks all over him!)
- John Garret gave a stat of the Canucks being winless without a point from a Sedin but at that point Henrik had already assisted on the Canucks lone goal
- Theodore took a knee to the head from Matt Pettinger but stayed in the game
- Theodore played strong overall but kicked out some big rebounds off his chest
- Scott Parker has no idea what to do with the puck
- or the puck is so scared of Parker that it actively tries to escape him

Avalanche Rally Late; Beat Canucks in Shootout

(Jeff Vinnick/Getty Images)

Phew! I'm going to be at an event most of the day tomorrow and it's late now but I had to get something up. Even if it's just to say "Wooo!!!!"

Ok, I'll say a bit more. After the Canucks went up by one late in the third on a reviewed goal that barely crossed the line, the Avalanche then tied the game at 2 with just 15 seconds left in the third period. Ruslan Salei displayed superb composure keeping the puck in the zone then fired it at the net where Joe Sakic banged home the rebound.

OT solved nothing and it was off to a shootout where both Joe Sakic and Marek Svatos, not the Avalanche's best SO performers, beat Roberto Luongo and Jose Theodore went 2-2 to bring home a huge W.

And given that Nashville got clobbered 8-4 by Buffalo, that means the Avalanche are back in a playoff spot as they now hold down the 8th seed in the Western conference. Who'd a thunk it?

So in conclusion, Adam Foote = warrior, Jose Theodore = superb, Scott Parker = scary, Darwin Head = millionaire and Joe Sakic = Joe Sakic (ie. god)

Gameday: Avalanche @ Canucks

(AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Jeff McIntosh)

After a much-needed win against the Flames last night, the Avalanche have to turn around and concentrate on another familiar foe in the Vancouver Canucks. And how big of a game is this one? Well if the Avalanche can win in regulation then they'll pull even with the Canucks, albeit with a couple extra games played, in the cramped Northwest division.

The Canucks are currently on a 4-game winning streak and you know what they - I - say, the more things stay the same, the more likely they are to change. This is the Canucks longest winning streak of the season and definitely has to end at some point. The Avalanche are 2-1-1 against the Canucks in the season series. and if I were to put money on it, I'd say tonight is the night the Canuck streak ends.

Fatigue factor?
The Avalanche are going to be a mildly fatigued group but I think the squad has really been invigorated by their recent acquisitions and can feed off of that energy. As soon as Foote made his way to the bench last night, you could see players eyes light up and smile like it was Christmas day and they were 10 years old all over again.

Foote effect
If anyone had any doubts on what Adam Foote could bring to this squad, I hope they started being erased last night. No, he didn't flatten anybody in front of the net or lay anybody out along the glass, but he stepped onto the ice and immediately began directing traffic.

There wasn't one time where the camera was on him and he wasn't intensely watching the play and directing someone where to go. That's the kind of leadership the back end was lacking and I can't stress how happy I am to see it. I mean, the guy bled in his first game with the team. What more can you ask for?

Salei
Ruslan Salei should be a part of the team tonight unless he has requested extra time to pack up and make the move. I highly doubt it so I fully expect to see him in the lineup and tossing some bodies around. Which would of course mean that there will be one healthy scratch and that man will be Cumiskey. I won't even quantify if with "probably" or "highly likely", I'm calling it a done deal.

Forsberg
Peter Forsberg is more doubtful I believe. Some reports are indicating that he is a possibility for the game but during Forsberg's press conference, he seemed to indicate that he wanted a bit more time before getting into the lineup.

UPDATE: In Dater's recap he notes that Forsberg will join the team in Vancouver but will not play tonight.

Starting Goaltender
It will be Jose Theodore vs Roberto Luongo tonight.


Related Links
TSN Preview

Avalanche Beat Down Canucks

The Canucks have to be hurting tonight after the Avalanche laid the smack down on them in a 6-2 drubbing to cap off Hockey Day in Canada. With the win, the Avalanche stay just one point back of the Northwest division leading Wild. Who would have thought that with Sakic, Smyth and Stastny gone, this team would be contending for the Northwest division crown?

Stastny
We'll start this one off on a bad note. Paul Stastny did not make his triumphant return to the lineup tonight as he remains on the IR list. So what exactly does that mean? Yes, it's yet another misdiagnosis. I know I'm kind of beating a dead horse but honestly guys, no news is better than fake news. Or you could just give us the truth.

Offense
How about that second line of Wolski, Arnason and Svatos? That line had a combined 9 points on the night including 3 hard working goals.

Marek Svatos continues his rise as he put in two typical Marek Svatos goals to bring his total on the season to 24. He is on pace to break his rookie goal scoring mark of 32 and is well on his way to signing a longer-term contract this summer. As long as he never forgets that he's an opportunistic goal-scorer and not Alexander Ovechkin, I'm all for it.

Tyler Arnason, sporting a visor tonight, racked up 3 more points (1g, 2a) and he now has 12 points in his last 7 games. It's about time he started picking it up as he did virtually nothing for the first half of the season after being re-signed to a two-year contract over the summer.

And to everyone's hopes, Milan Hejduk's two goals tonight could be the start of him breaking out of his goal-scoring funk. Of course we all think that every time he scores a goal in any game but dreams never hurt anybody. Unless you live on Elm Street.

And any day you chase Luongo from the net has to count as a good offensive day.

Goaltending
Jose Theodore put in another solid performance as he stopped 23 of 25 shots to get his 15th win of the season. He now sports a GAA of 2.43 and a save percentage of .908. That means he's more likely to let in 2 goals in a game than 3. When was the last time we could say that?

Kelly Hrudey did a brief "rise and fall and rise again" on Theodore during his Behind the Mask segment. Some of you may recall that last year Hrudey said that Theodore may have become the worst goaltender in the NHL. He also clarified that it gave him no joy to say this. Well last night it gave him joy to say that Theodore is no longer the worst goaltender in the NHL - Welcome back Dan Cloutier! - and that he is starting his rise back to the top.

Whether he'll ever reach the top again is impossible to say but for now, he's making the saves he should make, a few that he shouldn't and he's putting up big fat "W"s in the standings.

Fisticuffs
There were plenty of these tonight as the Canucks were obviously a frustrated team. Ian Lapperiere had the first fight as he met Nathan McIver coming out of the penalty box and nicely told him to not mess with Marek Svatos. McIver had roughed up Svatos in front of the net after he scored the 3-0 goal and I guess Lappy thought was it was a classless move that needed to be rectified.

Then early in the third period Cody McCormick and Luc Bourdon went at it after McCormick laid a fairly innocent hit on Bourdon. Bourdon won the fight but took away the "Doucheback of the night award", typically reserved for Dion Phaneuf, as he continued to wail away on McCormick after McCormick was down. McCormick got back up and threw a few shots while the linesmen were in there which earned him a 10-minute misconduct.

And finally Nathan McIver again got into it only this time it was with our other Cody. I'm not even sure what caused this one other than Vancouver being all "Vancouverish" about being blown out.

Also, Alex Burrows should have got a beating after he ran Scott Hannan at the end of the game. I mean come on, 6-2 and the games almost done. Just let it be over, don't stat running people.

And in the same vein but for an unrelated game, what was with the Senators being pricks in their 6-1 win over Montreal? Is it really necessary to deliver big hits in the final 5 minutes when you're up by five goals?

Lines
Brunette-Hlinka-Hejduk
Wolski-Arnason-Svatos
Richardson-Guite-Laperriere
McCormick-Hensick-McLeod

No surprises here as there isn't really anything else Quenneville could do with this lineup. TJ Hensick continues to center the fourth line but also plays on the #1 PP line which he has helped spark as of late.

Vigneault did his best to line match but it actually ended up backfiring as the Sedin line was on the ice for the first two goals against.

Notes
- what does the elephant and #33 on the back of Theo's mask mean? Is he a Republican who cheered for Patrick Roy?
- Mick McGeough (I think that's all that needs to be said)
- while some may not like Hrudey's analysis, there's no doubting that he's an all-around nice guy
- Jim Hughson called Theodore "wrong-handed" which could be taken as offensive to all the lefties in the world
- Ian Lapperiere was still blocking shots with a 6-2 cushion
- Byron Ritchie is annoying

Related Links
NHL.com Event Summary
ColoradoAvalanche.com Recap
Denver Post Recap

Gameday: Avalanche @ Canucks

The Vancouver Canucks host our beloved Avalanche tonight in game #3 of CBC's Hockey Day in Canada. That's right, an entire day dedicated to the glorious sport of hockey. Given that it's -31°C here - without the windchill - I just might cozy up on the couch and watch every minute of it.

The first game has the unbeloved Wings heading to Toronto for an Original Six matchup followed by a battle of Northeast division rivals as the Montreal Canadiens head to Ottawa. That should be an intense game as Montreal is making a push to take over 1st place in that division.

And finally, the Avalanche are in Vancouver for a game which doesn't start until 10:00PM ET and you know what the means. Yep, lots of Avalanche fans falling asleep before the final buzzer has sounded. Thank goodness for PVRs.

Injuries
Paul Stastny was tentatively set to return tonight but Adrian Dater provided an update where he thinks the chances of Stastny being in the lineup tonight are pretty slim. So it could be another case of us getting our hopes up only to have them punctured like a cheap bike tire on a gravel road.

Joe Sakic and Ryan Smyth are inching closer and closer to returns as well. At least based on the "no news is good news" theory. Dater has a piece up talking about the blasphemous thought of this injury ending Sakic's career. The longer he has to sit out, the more retirement thoughts will pop into his head so I hope he's ready to go soon. The ice sheet is calling you, Joe!

Goaltending
Jose Theodore is back between the pipes after a win against the Sharks on Wednesday. I still find it hard to believe that Q has chosen a #1 this early in the season. And yes, I said "early" even though the season is almost 3/4 over.

Podcasting
A long time ago I went searching for an Avalanche podcast. You know, back when podcasts first started appearing and became the new sliced bread of the Internet. The one I did find was unfortunately a little disappointing and I never went searching for one again.

But a couple days ago, one came calling. A fellow named Jay Vean left a comment on my Remembering a Tragedy post which pointed me over to his site. So I checked it out and I have to tell you, I loved it.

It sounds and feels professionally produced and Mr. Vean has a voice made for radio, that's for sure. I highly encourage you to subscribe to it via iTunes or whatever podcast software you use.

Related Links
Remembering a Tragedy
Avs Hockey Podcast
The Return of Foppa
Dater's Mailbag
Finishing First as Good Guy
TSN Gameday

Avalanche Dominated by Canucks; Come Away with 2-1 OT Loss

(AP Photo/Sam Leung)

It was Jose Theodore vs. Roberto Luongo as the Canucks looked to stay perfect against Northwest division opponents. Or Robert Luogno according to the game description in my program guide.

First Period
Although there were no goals scored, this was a pretty exciting period. Some good end-to-end action, some good scoring chances, lots of pressure - mostly against the Avs - and some goods saves - mostly from Theodore.

Colorado got the first powerplay chance as Daniel Sedin went off for holding. There wasn't much manufactured on this powerplay as the Canucks were very aggressive and never gave the Avs time to set up.

Vancouver then got a powerplay chance of their own as Hejduk went off for interference. The Canucks has a better looking powerplay than the Avalanche did but weren't able to put the puck behind Theodore who was out challenging the shooters at every chance.

At that point, the Vancouver announcers decided to start arguing about Colorado's goaltending situtation. Hughson arguing that Theodore was about to take over the #1 position while John Garret argued that the Avalanche "liked" Peter Budaj too much to let that happen. Uh huh.

Kurt Sauer took a late penalty with just 1:31 left to go and the Canucks almost cashed in. The puck got fired wide, Daniel Sedin then did a nice spin move to bat the puck out of mid-air and in front of the net. Theodore saw it, stuck his glove on it, then Henrik Sedin came in and poked under Theodore's glove to put the puck in the net.

The ref immediately waved it off declaring that he'd blown the play dead. The announcers declared it, correctly, an unreviewable call. So we were all a bit surprised when there appeared to be a brief review. But the call on the ice stood and the Avalanche were lucky walk away with a 0-0 tie in a period they were badly outchanced in.

Second Period
The outchancing (is that a word?) carried over from the first to the second period. It just seemed like the Canucks would set up shop in the Avalanche end and there was nothing Colorado could do about it. And this wasn't just the Sedin line. Kesler and Linden's line were also moving the puck around at will.

It was at this point that I started disliking John Garret, the Canucks color commentator. I like Jim Hughson, I think he's got a great voice and calls the game well...but I think even he got a bit annoyed with this guy. He started by declaring the hit Cooke laid on Langkow last night as "questionable" and the worst part of the hit, according to him, was it was poor timing by Cooke seeing as they were up by 3 goals. No, the concussion wasn't the worst part. It was the poor timing. I mean, come on.

The Canucks were then able to cash one in though not without some controversy. Theodore made the initial save, the puck flew straight up in the air and Henrik batted it in. The ref called it a goal but Sakic and everyone else on the Avs was all over the ref saying it was a high stick. So of course, the call goes out to Toronto for the guys in the "war room" to check it out.

Immediately, without having yet seen a replay in any form, John Garret says "Oh, this one will count". So he's got the quickest eyes in the west apparently to be able to see the puck was conclusively hit below the crossbar. Then, after seeing a replay showing how close it was, there was a pause before Hughson finally said "I don't know..." and then Garret abdicated his position a bit. He still waffled around and then, on the one angle where I thought it looked like the stick hit the puck over the crossbar, he declared it "the best angle in favor of the Canucks". Whatever.

In the end, it was a goal and rightly so. The call on the ice was a goal and there is no way any video evidence could be conclusive on such a close play. Garrett then proceeds to say Quenneville was upset about the call because he must have felt there was a "home field advantage". That one nearly put me over the top. The guys in Toronto reviewing the goal could give a flying pigs fart about which team was the home team and Quenneville could have cared less if this game was played in Kuwait or Calcutta. He was upset because he believed it was a high stick and shouldn't count. Simple as that.

Ok, off my soapbox. The Canucks continued dominating this period with Theodore making some nice saves to keep the score close. He's still kicking out rebounds to some odd places but is looking confident while doing so. That's gotta count for something.

Towards the end of the period Colorado decided to show up a bit. They had some sustained pressure of their own which led to a couple chances but Luongo was there for all of them. On one, Ryan Smyth redirected a Jeff Finger shot just wide. The color guy said the reason Smyth didn't get a good redirect was that it was "23 inches off the ice". Yep. 23. He measured. I guess.

The Canucks then had a rush of their own late but it was just offside. On the replay, it was actually tough to see but the color guy said "See, his right skate was in before the puck." Ok. What about the left one? Maybe he should review the rule book on how you actually go offside. Two skates, not one, need to cross that blue line before the puck does.

Oh, and Daniel took another penalty towards the end of the period and the Avalanche did nothing with it.


Third Period
But they did something with the rest of the Sedin penalty to start the third. After being derided for not having a shot from the point - which is true - the Avalanche scored with a weak shot from the point by Liles. It appeared to get redirected by Willie Mitchell's foot and in. I can't see any other way this one would have got past Luongo.

This didn't stop the Canucks or give the Avs that much of a boost. They got a few more chances but it was still all Canucks for most of this period. And again, Theodore made some nice saves to make up for mistakes by the defenders. Most notable were a snazzy glove save after Finger whiffed on a clearing attempt and a good shoulder save on a redirected shot from the point.

The third line combo of Laperriere and Arnason played well for most of the game. This tended to be the line where I was least nervous when they were on the ice. Likely because they weren't playing against the Canucks tough lines. Still, they manufactured a few chances but couldn't get past Luongo.

The Wolski-Stastny-Hejduk line was virtually invisible all night but they broke through late in the third to get a couple chances but again, nothing went in. Wolski, in particular, seemed quite invisible tonight. But that'll happen from time to time so no need to worry.

Mike Weaver took a late hooking penalty as he got a stick around Joe Sakic so the Avalanche had a chance to close this one out. Unfortunately they cycled the puck too much and never really got through for any scoring chances. The Canucks PK was again quite good.

Overtime
Both goaltenders were playing well and they're the reason this one went to overtime. It was a pretty brief overtime though. Shortly after Finger had nailed Kesler and sent him doubled-over off the ice, the Sedins came on. That's trouble. They cycled the puck down low for about 5 hours, then finally brought it out front where Henrik tossed it on net and Kurt Sauer deflected it past Theodore.

The announcers said it went off Finger, I saw it go off Sauer. Either way, it went off an Avalanche defenseman and in. Tough one. But hey, at least they got one point out of tonight. They really shouldn't have.

Odds & Ends
- Hlinka was back in after sitting two straight
- Finger keeps on putting the body on people
- Brunette played a solid game and was the best Avalanche out there
- Guite played very well and had some key shot blocks
- the Sedins are just frightening (both looks and skill)

Stats
Paul Stastny was 9 for 10 in the faceoff circle. Yep, 90%! That's some good faceoff work. Guite and Sakic...not so much. They were 33% and 25% respectively.

Brett Clark was the ice-time leader for the Avalanche with 22:56 followed closely by Scott Hannan with 22:21. Clark was on the ice for a loooong shift at one point as each time he tried to get off, the Canucks regained position so he had to stay on to help out.

Scott Hannan had 6 blocked shots on the night. Jaroslav Hlinka had one but that might have been accidental.

Marek Svatos was dropped to the fourth line and saw limited minutes with just 9:59 in ice-time. Jaroslav Hlinka saw even less with 9:05.

Related Links
In the Cheap Seats Game Notes
ColoradoAvalanche.com Recap
TSN Recap