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Tale of the Tape: Canucks vs. Avalanche (1.30.13)

Wednesday, 30.01.2013 / 11:59 AM / Features
By Daniel Fung


Tonight’s game is presented by PlayStation.

Team Record: 2-2-2
Last Game: 2-3 SO/L at Los Angeles (JAN.28.13)

Season Series: 0-0-0
Last Meeting: 1-0 W (MAR.28.12)		 Team Record: 2-3-0
Last Game: 1-4 L at Edmonton (JAN.28.13)

Season Series: 0-0-0
Last Meeting: 0-1 L (MAR.28.12)

THE SET-UP

The Canucks (2-2-2) look to snap a two-game winless skid tonight when they return to the friendly confines of Rogers Arena to face the Avalanche (2-3-0) who are looking to put an end to their own two-game losing streak.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

  • The Canucks are looking to avoid their longest winless streak of the season after closing out their recent road trip with back-to-back defeats. They did not go winless in three straight regular season games at any point last year.
  • The Avs are playing the third game on their four-game road swing tonight but are still seeking their first win on the trip having dropped decisions in San Jose and Edmonton.
  • Colorado is 0-3-0 overall on the road this season and have been out-scored by a combined 12-3.
  • The Canucks swept the Avalanche in their season series last year winning all six head-to-head meetings. It was the first time in team history that they had ever swept the Avs.
  • Vancouver was dominant on the scoreboard against Colorado last season out-scoring them 18-5 in the season series, including having a combined 10-1 advantage in goals in the three games played at Rogers Arena.
  • Canucks G Cory Schneider, who is expected to return to the crease tonight, was involved in three shutouts against the Avs last season. He blanked them twice himself - once at home and once on the road - and also combined with Luongo for a shared shutout at Rogers Arena. In fact, Schneider did not allow a single goal against the Avs in 156 minutes of action stopping all 87 shots he faced.
  • Four Canucks shared the season series lead in points with five each against the Avs: Hansen (3-2-5), Higgins (3-2-5), Bieksa (1-4-5) and Henrik Sedin (0-5-5). No Avs players had more than two points in the season series.
  • The Canucks have won seven in a row against the Avs overall and have earned at least one point in 17 consecutive meetings versus Colorado (15-0-2).
  • The Canucks have won their last six in a row against the Avs at Rogers Arena, and are undefeated in regulation against the Avs at Rogers Arena in nine straight (8-0-1).
  • With Monday's shootout loss, the Canucks have now blown a lead after 40 minutes twice. Last season, in 35 games where they had a lead after two periods, they only failed to secure the full two points on three occasions (32-1-2).

FOLLOW THE ACTION

Tonight's game faces off at 7 pm PT and can be seen on Rogers Sportsnet Pacific. Listen live on The TEAM 1040 Sports Radio or online at teamradio.ca.

Those away from a TV or radio can follow @CanucksGame on Twitter for live in-game play-by-play.

THE CANUCKS WIN IF...


  • The power play wakes up. Vancouver's man-advantage has gone 0-for-10 since their three goal performance in Anaheim last Friday. They've lost all three games this season (0-1-2) in which they've failed to score at least once on the power play.
  • The twins bump the slump. Daniel and Henrik have both been held off the scoresheet in consecutive games. Last season they combined for three goals and eight points against the Avs.
  • They win the third. Vancouver must close out tight games in the third period by getting an insurance marker or two, rather than letting their opponents get themselves back in the game. They've already blown third period leads twice this season.


THE AVALANCHE WIN IF...


  • They stop taking penalties. You can't be one of the most penalized teams in the league and be dreadful on the PK. In their last two games, the Avs have been assessed a combined 63 minutes in penalties and have allowed a whopping seven power play goals on 12 times shorthanded.
  • The defence chips in. Colorado blue-liners are still looking to get on the scoreboard for the first time this season.
  • They figure out the power play. After finishing in the top-10 in power play execution last season, Colorado has managed just one goal on 15 opportunities to start the season and is 0-for-8 on the road. Last season, three of their five total goals against the Canucks in the season series actually came on the man-advantage.

ALEX BURROWS

After a sluggish start to the season, Alex Burrows' play certainly seems to be trending in the right direction of late even though his team's play might not be.

The 31-year-old, who signed a contract extension with the team just before the lockout that will keep him in Canuck colours through the 2016.17 season, has points in three straight games since opening the season point-less in three straight. He's also averaged five shots per game in his last three outings.

Burrows will be looking to stretch his point streak to four games tonight against the Avs. Last season, he notched two goals and four points in six games versus Colorado. He has seven goals and 20 points in 41 career outings against the Avs.

P.A. PARENTEAU

The Avalanche brought in former Islander P.A. Parenteau on the opening day of NHL free agency hoping that his proven offensive ability would provide a boost for a team that finished near the bottom of the league in goal scoring last season. So far, Parenteau has delivered exactly what's been expected of him.

The 29-year-old, who had a career-high 67 points with the Isles last season, has four points in his first five games with Colorado and leads the team with three goals. The Avs will need him to continue that production even though he may be missing one of his linemates in Gabriel Landeskog. Parenteau and Landeskog had been forming the Avs' top trio along with Matt Duchene prior to Landeskog's recent injury.

Parenteau, who made his NHL debut against the Canucks way back in February 2007 with the Blackhawks, will be looking for his first career points against the Canucks tonight after failing to net a point in four previous career games versus Vancouver.

Game Notes on Canucks.com are written by Daniel Fung. Follow him on Twitter @daniel_fung or e-mail him at dfung_sports@hotmail.com.

CANUCKS LEADING SCORERS

2012.13 Regular Season

Player GP G A P +/-
Daniel Sedin
 6 2 4 6 -1
Alexander Edler
 6 2 3 5 -1
Zack Kassian
 6 4 0 4 0
Dan Hamhuis
 6 1 3 4 -3
Henrik Sedin
 6 0 4 4 1
AVALANCHE LEADING SCORERS

2012.13 Regular Season

Player GP G A P +/-
Matt Duchene
 5 2 3 5 5
PA Parenteau
 5 3 1 4 5
Milan Hejduk
 5 0 3 3 3
John Mitchell
 5 2 0 2 2
Ryan Wilson
 5 0 2 2 4
IN THE INFIRMARY

For the Canucks...

F Ryan Kesler (shoulder/wrist surgery) and F David Booth (strained groin) are on the injured reserve list.

For the Avalanche...

F Gabriel Landeskog (head/neck) is questionable. F Steve Downie (knee) is on the injured reserve list.

BY THE NUMBERS

2 – Wins needed for Coach V to reach 400 career NHL victories.

6 – Points needed for Henrik Sedin (751) to surpass Markus Naslund (756) as the franchise's leading point scorer.

24.8 – Penalty minutes per game average for the Avalanche this season.

143rd – All-time meeting between the Canucks and Avalanche. Vancouver leads the all-time series 61-57-24.

410 – Straight sellouts for Canucks hockey at Rogers Arena entering tonight's game. The streak dates back November 14, 2002 and includes 364 regular season games and 46 playoff games.

THE TWEET STUFF

@runaroundkid

- Everyone chill out about the Canucks. So they're having a rough Octobuary, what else is new?

@gvalksportsnet

- Couple bright spots in Canuckville 1. Tanev w Ballard 2. Higgins and Hansen w burr are heating up. 3. Both goalies playing great 4. Zack

@alixiswright37

- Oh my gosh guys. The Canucks told me they love me back! We're twitter official!!

DID YOU KNOW?

Milan Hejduk is just days away from reaching a major milestone with the Avalanche as, after tonight's contest which will be his 997th career game, he will be just three games away from reaching 1,000 career games all coming as a member of the Avs.

The only other member of the 1,000-games club in Avalanche franchise history is Burnaby's own Joe Sakic. Sakic appeared in a total of 1,378 games with that franchise – 508 as a member of the Quebec Nordiques and 870 with the Avs.