Canucks 3 Red Wings 2 (ot)

Forgive me if you've already heard this, but WOOOOOO! Not their best game for sure, but the effort was there. Detroit was certainly trying to test Curtis Sanford as much as they could, but just like that game in Minnesota, this Canucks team doesn't know how to quit. Taylor Pyatt had a huge game tonight, lots of hustle, great defensively and created a number of chances. That goal was so huge not just because it tied the game, but it sent a message to the Red Wings: this ain't over. And even when Datsyuk scored late in the third (and I am sorry, but I have to say the senior officials in the NHL lately have been mind-numbingly atrocious) I could feel the Canucks would score. And what a way for Daniel to get his 400th point. Great deflection, and then the best part is they don't quit, but actually press for the winner in regulation. In the OT it was all Canucks, and then Frandsen finally gets called for the interference Detroit had been getting away with all night long, and the PP goes to work. Pavol Demitra was the key there, continuing to call for the puck, and doing a hell of a job quarterbacking the power play. You knew Salo was gonna get another chance after hitting the post, and he nailed that one so hard I thought it would go right through the mesh. Salo made an impression on nhl.com, as they named him 2nd star of the night. Of course he got beat out by Cal Clutterbuck (oh deja VU!!!), but at least Clutterbuck got on the scoresheet this time. So now it's a couple days rest and a date with the Calgary Flames, who we haven't seen since those back to back asskickings we gave them at the start of the season. Fireworks aplenty are coming, kids. More post-game coverage tomorrow.

GAME DAY: Canucks vs Red Wings

As the Vancouver Canucks await word on the severity of Roberto Luongo's injured groin,
they have another pressing concern, that being the Detroit Red Wings. The Wings looked their usual selves in dismantling
the Calgary Flames Saturday night, and no doubt will want to test Curtis Sanford early and often. The Canucks are looking to win
their 4th straight tonight, and are playing a very confident brand of hockey right now despite the injury to their captain. Both teams
are among the hottest in the NHL right now, the Canucks sitting just 3 points behind the Wings for the 2nd seed in the West, and both are 7-1-2
in their last 10 games. The Red Wings have been the best road team in the NHL so far this season with a 10-1-1 mark, but Vancouver's 6-2-1
home record is no small potatoes. This is a short homestand for the Canucks as they play Calgary Thursday in the 1st half of a home and home
that sees the Canucks start a 7 game road trip Saturday in Cowtown. While the Canucks will be playing their backup tonight, the way this team
rallied around him both in Minnesota and Pittsburgh after Luongo went down has been nothing short of inspiring. You will see evidence of that tonight
when they hit the ice, and I bet you actually hear from this fabled 7th man they keep talking about. The games against the Wings are always highly entertaining
no matter how well the Canucks are doing, but you can't help but feel this team is on a mission to prove everyone was wrong about them.

Along with Luongo, the Canucks will be without Sami Salo, Kevin Bieksa and Rick Rypien. The Wings could be without Tomas Holmstrom, who has missed 2 straight with back
spasms, and Dan Cleary has missed 6 with an eye infection (ew!). They are still without Chris Chelios, on the IR with a fractured tibia.

The Canucks have at least a point in their last 9 games, an impressive run after that first disastrous road trip. The team has been getting some outstanding efforts
from a number of players, especially the line of Daniel and Henrik Sedin with Pavol Demitra, who have been on a tear since Demitra's return from a rib injury, and the
league took notice, naming Henrik 2nd star of the week for his 7 assists on that 4 game Eastern road trip. Despite wins against some very good teams, the Canucks will have
their hands full with the Wings, who have lost just twice in regulation. The Red Wings were the last team to beat the Canucks in regulation, a 3-2 win in GM Place that despite
the loss seemed to signal a bit of a turn around for the club. This is the Wings last visit for the season, so it should be a dandy.

Questions about Curtis Sanford's ability to step in and win big games seem to have been answered, as he has allowed just 3 goals on 48 shots in 2 consecutive victories. The Canucks
have Corey Schneider on the bench tonight, and depending on the severity of the injury to Luongo, you have to think he will get some playing time on this call up, especially on the road trip.
Some milestones could be reached tonight, as Daniel and Henrik are both sitting at 399 career points, and Steve Bernier is 1 short of 100.

Keys to the game:
1- Quick start: The fans will be looking for something to calm their fears, especially if the news about Luongo is bad today, so getting a couple behind Chris Osgood, who is a certified Canuck
Killer will be huge. Look for th Wings to concentrate heavily on the PHD line (23 points last week) perhaps freeing up the HBK line to do some damage.
2- Treat it like a road game: This seems to make a lot of sense, actually. The Canucks played some smart, fundamentally sound hockey on the road last week. They were great defensively, did a
decent job of staying out of the box, and towards the end even had a better effort on the PK. You cant give Detroit opportunities with the man advantage, so we need to make sure that the emotions are kept
in check and we stay at 5 on 5, where statistically we are better than them this season. We may not get many chances on the PP, but we need to make the most of them, as the Wings PK is pretty even with ours.
3- Focus: Just like the game against the Rangers, there are subplots that can be distracting. The Canucks did an incredible job of treating it like any other game and keeping focused on the real issue: 2 points
in the standings. They have a chance to move 7 up on the Flames and Wild, best to make the most of it.

Though it will be great when Salo and Bieksa return to the lineup, the Canucks D, led by Willie Mitchell and Mattias Ohlund have been stellar as of late, but it's been the grunts like Shane O'Brien, Alex edler
and Lawrence Nycholat who are getting it done. The shot blocking this team has been throwing up lately is so nice to see, and a sign this team is doing everything they can to help out their goaltender, regardless
of what number is on his jersey. Gametime is at 7pm and you can catch it on Sportsnet pacific and the Team 1040.

A little side note, we have added the Canucks.com news widget to the site, so you can see breaking news when it happens. We will be making one for our site soon too.

The Luongogeddon has arrived!!!!

Stoic, leader-type guy: Ok... if I can get everyone to just be quiet for a second, we can see if we can muddle our way through this. Now, it's important that everyone stays calm. Here is what we know. Roberto Luongo has suffered some type of leg or groin injury... (camera pans to audience in mass hysteria, screaming. Some cry, others just stare blankly. One man jumps through the window to certain death on the concrete below).
Stoic, leader-type guy: People...people, please! You have got to calm down! We can get through this together, but you have to just chill the hell out!
Hysterical mid-30's man: You said this couldn't happen!! You said it wouldn't happen!!!
Stoic, leader-type guy: (Leaning over and slapping the man across the face) Dammit, man! Get a hold of yourself! Now, does anyone have any ideas? (Camera pans across the room, people showing a variety of emotions on their faces)
Hysterical mid-30's man: Well I don't know about you guys, but I can't deal with this, man! It's all too much... (he turns and walks towards the door, faster until he begins to run, not looking back)
Stoic, leader-type guy: Well? Anyone else think this is too much? Now's your chance to leave. If not, then let's get to work. We have to do something so this whole damn thing doesn't fall apart.

Ok, so my future as a screen writer is in serious doubt. But I really feel that this is not the end of the world. The reports of Luongo in the dressing room joking around afterwards seem to indicate at least for now it may not be serious. Obviously you can't make a diagnosis from that, but given how passionate Lu is, it's a good sign. The way this team has played since returning from that 6 game roadtrip has been quite impressive. They have gone 10-2-2 in their last 14, after going 2-4-1 in their first 7. The PHD line of Pavol Demitra with Daniel and Henrik Sedin have been on a tear, notching (if my math is correct) 23 points since Demitra returned to the lineup from his rib injury. The play of Curtis Sanford in the last 2 games is certainly a bright spot, with huge wins over Minnesota and now Pittsburgh. And defensively the Canucks have rattled off some impressive efforts, leaving teams utterly frustrated in their wake, none moreso than the Penguins today. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin were a combined -3, with 1 and 3 shots respectively. The play of Willie Mitchell and Mattias Ohlund lately has been awe-inspiring. Mitchell was his usual rock solid self, logging almost 27 minutes, and Ohlund was a +3 with almost 25 minutes TOI. My favorite stat however, was the shot clock. The Canucks held the Pittsburgh Penguins and all their firepower to 19 shots on goal. I truly believe that this is not just a team on a hot streak, but the true manifestation of this year's dark horse. I know there is a lot of hockey to be played here. And with the Luongo injury, a lot of uncertainty. But for the time being Curtis Sanford and Corey Schneider will be called upon to handle the load. For now, they can rest in their own beds, await the news of their Captain's status, and prepare for Monday and the Red Wings. Oh, did I mention they are going on a 7 game road trip later in the week? You can't accuse them of being boring, that's for sure. Oh, and Matt Cooke played 25 seconds before douchebagging Alex Edler. You stay classy, Cooke. Shame all that amazing work you do in the community gets flushed away by your actions on the ice.

Canucks 3 Wild 2

Are you freakin' kidding me? As I had mentioned in the pre-game post, I didn't think this one would go down as a win, but it would be great to hang on for a point. No one told the Canucks that, as they battled back twice to tie it and then to paraphrase Joey Kenward on the Team 1040 last night "Henrik scores!! Or was that Daniel? I don't care, it was a Sedin and it's 3-2 Vancouver". Classic. Now unlike some who pander to the eternal pessimists out there, (*coughDanRussellcough*) I think it is a very big deal that the Canucks were able to win that game last night. Playing their 3rd game in 4 nights on the road, with a 3 hour flight and a time zone change tacked onto it, the Canucks went into a place where they were 6-1-2 in their last 9 visits with Curtis Sanford and without Sami Salo and Kevin Bieksa and won it. They did it with hard work, a great job of line matching by Alain Vigneault (congrats on win #100, Coach!) and great nights from 2 players in particular: Willie Mitchell and Pavol Demitra. Funny that not only did Mitchell not get recognized for his efforts last night in the 3 star selections, but neither did Curtis Sanford. Can't blame them though, as it's hard to look good when you have the league's premier player Cal Clutterbuck on the ice. Seriously. Clutterbuck was an even, with 3 shots and 8 hits. Fine, 8 hits. Good for him. But he had 9:34 TOI. Then we go to Mr. Mitchell: 1 assist, +2, 24:01 TOI, 2 hits and 4 blocked shots. But maybe they just wanted an excuse to get Mr. Clutterbuck on the scoresheet, because you won't find him anywhere else except the program. Is this a big deal? No. But it speaks volumes about the perception of things in the Cult of Lemaire (tm). Can't say enough about Curtis Sanford. he certainly showed how hard he can battle, and it was truly inspiring to see how hard the team was battling for him last night. Sanford is a relentless worker in practice, and it certainly gives the Canucks a boost to have him come in and give them the chance to win such a huge divisional matchup. Good on Steve Bernier to get off the Schneid as well... He has been busting his ass out there, so a goal, especially the timing of it was huge. So that's 5 of a possible 6 points on this road trip, and they head into Pittsburgh with a well-rested Roberto Luongo to take on Crosby, Malkin and the Penguins tomorrow morning at 11 am PST. Yeah, ask me how happy I am about that. The game is on Sportsnet with Shorthouse and Garrett, and Joey and Tommy have the call on the Team 1040.

On a side note, the game took on a bigger meaning as the Flames shutout Colorado 1-0. The win moves the Flames into a tie with the Wild, but they retain 2nd due to games in hand.

GAME DAY: Canucks @ Wild

In the fabled 8th borough of New York City, the Canucks are hoping they have something left in a huge divisional matchup against the 2nd place Minnesota Wild. We all know this scheduling sucks, so let's get past this and do what they did last night and focus on the task at hand.

The last time these two teams met, the Canucks shut them out 2-0, and Roberto Luongo outdueled Niklas Backstrom. Tonight, it may be Curtis Sanford in goal however, as the Canucks may want to rest Luongo for the Saturday morning game against Sidney Crosby and the Penguins. Backstrom was 3-0-2 against the Canucks lifetime at the Xcel Energy Center, and will be looking to keep his winning ways going, as he has won 2 straight in the shootout, including the Penguins Tuesday night. This will mark Pavol Demitra's first game against his old team. Demitra has returned with a vengeance from the IR, with goals in 2 straight games and 5 points in the 3 since his return from the rib injury. Sami Salo left the game limping last night and is questionable for tonight's game. Kevin Bieksa and Rick Rypien are still on the IR. Marion Gaborik, Kurtis Foster and Josh Harding are out for the Wild. This game is quite honestly not too winnable. The Canucks played last night then took the 3 hour flight to Minnesota, while the Wild have been resting since the shootout win over the Pens. I am expecting a loss, but with some hard work we could maybe see a point out of this. Getting to OT would be huge for the Canucks, who lead the Wild by 1 point. Here's what they need to do to have success tonight:

1- Play your game: Sure we would love to have a quick start, but it's not likely. So what will be needed is to weather the first 10 minutes. Jacques Lemaire will have his troops fired up and they will throw everything they can at a tired Canucks squad. If they can get out of the first half of period 1 unscathed, they have a shot.

2- Discipline: There are bad feelings brewing deeper and deeper each time we play the Wild, and no doubt their fans will be looking for some retribution for the 2-0 loss earlier this month. Jacques Lemaire accused the Canucks of playing "boring hockey" in that game. Seriously. It's amazing he doesn't get laughed out of the press conferences with lines like that. But with the PK still needing some fine tuning (the Rangers were 2 for 6 last night), the Canucks, especially Shane O'Brien need to stay out of the box and not let themselves get suckered into confrontations. Pick your battles.

3- Play their game: The whole Minnesota model is clog up the middle, forecheck tenaciously and try and capitalize on mistakes. Sounds like a plan to me. It may not make for the most exciting game, but desperate times call for desperate measures, and if it means giving them a taste of their own medicine, so be it. The points are what's important, and this team has shown it can play a number of styles. Give them a trap of their own to deal with and make sure to provide support for Sanford (or Luongo, as I am not entirely sure they won't just go with him) with lots of support.

Like I said, I don't expect them to win this one, but it is not out of the realm of possibility. A confident team can do some amazing things, and the Canucks are certainly that after dismantling the best in the East last night. After this the Canucks head back East for that Saturday morning matchup against Sid the Kid and the Penguins.

Canucks vs. Leafs Post Game

Boy they made it so close. The Canucks are lucky they have Luongo. Wellwood's goal was a fluke, and I think there was interfer... uh, sorry. I seem to have been temporarily possessed by a Leafs fan for a minute there. Fact is, all the score does is flatter the Leafs even more. They had no business winning that game, because they didnt mount any type of sustained pressure. Sure they outshot the Canucks, but they didn't dominate the play. If anything, they should thank their defense for doing such a good job of clogging up the slot so the Canucks couldnt get shots through on the point. Hey at least one of their scouts was paying attention...
Pavol Demitra had an impressive return, setting up 3 of the 4 goals, including the opener from Wellwood, who was in the lineup because of Demitra's rib injury in the first place. As far as the story of the game though it was the 5 on 3 powerplay that the Leafs had in the first. Roberto Luongo, playing without a stick stopped the Leafs 5 times, and not long after Wellwood got the Canucks on the board. The defensive duo of Shane O'Brien and Lawrence Nycholat were solid last night, and Nycholat's set up of Daniel Sedin for the 4th Canucks goal was downright impressive. Who knew he had that kind of set up ability? Favorite moment of that game however, besides the fans chanting "Leafs Suck" after various organ tunes, was the Willie Mitchell goal. Big Willie has been busting his ass this year, and is well on his way to a career high for points, but had been goal-less so far. So it was fitting that his goal was not only a beauty, as he charged up the middle to tap it home, but it was the game winner. Luongo may be the Captain, but as far as the skaters go, Mitchell leads by example with heart and desire every night on the ice. The Taylor Pyatt bashing continues, and Steve Bernier continues to be snakebit. Pyatt didn't play bad IMO, and as far as Bernier, you can feel it building up, and we will probably see a long streak coming from him. So with that Eastern roadtrip out of sight and another one approaching, the Canucks are now 7-2-1 in their last 10, neck and neck with the Wild for 1st in the Division. First up on the trip is the Islanders, followed by a game we've all had circled on the calendar: the Rangers and Markus Naslund. This game is not just huge because it's against our former Captain, but because this will send a message to the league and many of those sports writers who still think it's the Vancouver Luongos: This team is far better than you thought, and while it's not necessary to apologize, should they beat the Rangers, you can at least admit you were wrong. Yeah I get a little worked up about this stuff. I'm a fan, no apologies.
The new jerseys made their debut last night, and I think I speak for most when I say the Johnny Canuck shoulder patch should have been the main logo. I like 'em, but they would have been the best jersey in the league with JC on the front.

There could very well be a podcast for that game Monday, it all depends on how many puppies we still have around the house (the shameless attention hogs that they are, they're always trying to hog the mic).

Canucks 5 Flames 4 (OT)

"Typical. Refs help the Canucks, as usual."
Gotta love the trolls on CDC. Forget that the Flames gave up a 3-1 lead, and then a 4-3 lead. Forget that they had Robyn Regehr back in the lineup, after apparently missing him so much Thursday (he was a -2 and coughed up the puck on the game opening goal from Daniel Sedin). It was the refs helping the Canucks. They certainly don't mind being the Rodney Dangerfields of the league. The Canucks moved to 2-0 with a home and home sweep of the Flames in a wild one, that featured some great plays, hits, fights and goals, in a game that was marred by bad calls (and non-calls) on both sides by the refs that really took the flow out of the game at times. A bit of a costly loss as Kevin Bieksa left with a leg injury after he got can-openered by Wayne Primeau. Some interesting notes:
- Rick Rypien equalled his goal total from last season already... and did he ever clean Brandon Prust's clock
- Todd Bertuzzi was a huge factor in the game for the Canucks tonight, oh... right he plays for the Flames. -1 and a goal he totally didn't mean to score, along with cheap shots on Daniel and Ryan Johnson (sure Johnson helped it out, but it was still dirty) proving that no matter how talented he is, he still finds ways to hurt his own team.
- Roberto had a shaky start, not all his fault but battled back and made some good saves. Kiprusoff though, looked shaky again...
- Can't say enough about Willie Mitchell tonight, +3 and a great scrap with Jarome Iginla.
- No matter how many times you see them do it, it still makes your jaw drop when the Sedins score goals like that.
- Cheers to Darcy Hordichuk for a decent game, making the most of very little ice time, he made his presence felt.
- Pavol Demitra picked a great time to show up... and Burrows and Kesler continue to turn heads around the league
- Mason Raymond looks so damn dangerous... now if we can just get Pyatt out of his slumber.
- Overall, a huge character win for the team as they head out east for some big games, starting with Alexander The Great in Washington.

Oh, and did I mention Rypien?

Canucks 6 Flames 1

Stop me if you've heard this one, but remember, it's still the preseason so try not to read too much into it. That being said, you really have to like the approach the Canucks took to their contest against the Flames last night at GM Place. Pavol Demitra set up Alexander Edler 21 seconds in to really set the pace, and the line of Ryan Kesler, Alex Burrows and Jannik Hansen were on a mission, making it 2-0 less than 5 minutes in. Hansen would add a sexond goal, while his linemates finished the night with 3 assists each. Demitra had a goal and 2 helpers, while Lawrence Nicholat and Mason Raymond rounded out the tallies for the home squad, Robyn Regehr scored for the Flames. Roberto Luongo was both stellar and captain-like in goal, leading his team to victory with some amazing stops, giving up just his 2nd goal in the preseason. The line of Raymond, Demitra and Taylor Pyatt were a threat all night, tantalizing the fans with the thought of 3 lines capable of scoring, this team may just be better than a lot of the so-called experts are claiming. The Canucks D was rock solid last night, especially when you consider they played without Ohlund, Salo, Mitchell or Bieksa. Lawrence Nicholat was a +3 with a goal and an assist and almost 20 minutes of ice time, and while he struggled at times, Nolan Baumgartner led the Canucks in ice time at 24:24 and a +1. You have to think that with the way players like Mason Raymond and Jannik Hansen are stepping up, guys like Matt Pettinger, Cody Hodgson and Jeff Cowan may not be around much longer, either going to the Moose or placed on waivers. Calgary didnt dress a number of their opening night roster, but Jarome Iginla was a -2, and dman Adrian Aucoin was a -3. Miikka Kiprusoff certainly didn't look like the highest paid goalie in the NHL last night, as the Canucks had their way with him, and if not for some saves that showed the Kiprusoff of old, this one could have gone to double digits.

Canucks 3 Sharks 2

The Canucks youth movement continues to show promise, as they did something they were unable to do last year, getting a win in San Jose. Goals by Jason Krog, Jannik Hansen and a beauty PP marker from Pavol Demitra, as well as more strong goaltending from Roberto Luongo and Cory Schneider helped the Canucks build a 3-0 lead after 2, then hang on for the 3-2 victory. I think the thing I enjoyed the most was a consistent work effort, for the most part for a 3rd consecutive game. There are a number of players challenging for roster spots and they are definitely making their presence felt. Mike Brown and Rick Rypien both did well in fights, Brown in the 1st against Ryan Clowe, and Rypien in the 2nd against a tougher and bigger Brad Staubitz. Despite suffering a bloodied face, Rypien surprised Staubitz more than once with his ability to change hands, and landed a number of blows against the San Jose prospect. Special teams got it done for Vancouver, as they scored two PP goals on the best PK in the NHL so far this pre-season, as well as a shorthanded marker by Krog, who tapped in a rebound after Sharks' goalie Brian Boucher stopped Jannik Hansen on a breakaway. Hansen has to be considered almost a lock to make the team with his strong play, he now has 3 points in 2 games. Kyle Wellwood had a decent game, showing a loss of focus at times, but still turning in a decent performance, picking up an assist on the Hansen goal. Mason Raymond looked very fast last night, and apart from a couple giveaways, Demitra looks like he is going to fit in well in the Canucks' offensive scheme this year. The Sharks made a contest of it halfway through the 3rd as Ryan Clowe broke the shutout on Schneider on the PP, and Patrick Marleau added one with 9 seconds left, but it wasn't enough to stop the Canucks from moving to 3-0. Joe Thornton was remarkably average for the Sharks, including taking a very selfish penalty in the 1st that was rather uncharacteristic for the reigning NHL assist leader.

GAME DAY: Oilers @ Canucks

The Canucks and Oilers go back to back tonight, and the first home appearance of the season for the Canucks gives the fans a look at a number of new faces tonight at GM Place. Darcy Hordichuk will make an appearance on the 1st line with Henrik Sedin and jannik Hansen, while the much anticipated 2nd line has Pavol Demitra and Steve Bernier centered by this years 1st round draft pick Cody Hodgson. Alex Burrows is on a 3rd line with Mark Cullen and Alexandre Bolduc and newcomer Ryan Johnson centers Mike Brown and Micheal Grabner. Luongo will get the start in goal for the first half, with Sanford playing the 2nd half for the Canucks. The Oilers iced a lineup that will probably look like the one they will start the season for them, minus just a couple notables like knuckledragger Zach Stortini, so you can expect him and Hordichuck to renew aquaintances tonight. At press time no word on the Oilers line up and once again the game is available on Rogers Sportsnet, team 1040 and streaming on Canucks.com. Being the shameless homers that we are, we're gonna call the Canucks on this one.