Canucks Canucks NHL Enterprises, L.P. (c) 2009 NHL. All Rights Reserved Sun, 22 Nov 2009 20:49:58 EST http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=506928&cmpid=rss-jory You want to know what happened in the Canucks game and you want to know now. We get it. Here’s the bare bones recap of Vancouver’s 5-2 win over Colorado. …Steve Bernier tipped in a nifty pass from Christian Ehroff to the right of Colorado netminder Craig Anderson with 8:21 remaining in the third period. Bernier’s seventh tally of the season, a power play marker, was made possible by the stick work of Ehrhoff who displayed great patience with the puck from just inside the Avalanche blueline. With two goals already to his name, Ehrhoff forced Colorado to respect his shot and he turned that against them with several fake blasts before sifting a pass Bernier’s way. That score put the Canucks up 4-2; at that point they had rallied with four consecutive goals after giving up a two goal lead in the first period. Henrik Sedin had Vancouver’s third goal, the game-winner, while Mikae Samuelsson capped off a courageous comeback effort with the fifth Canucks goal late in the third. Roberto Luongo had 22 saves in net for the Canucks in their third straight home victory. Another dominating win over Colorado didn’t look to be in the cards until Christian Ehrhoff, or Bobby Hoff as his teammates are calling him, scored a pair to give Vancouver new life. Ehrhoff first goal was Vancouver’s first, he put the Canucks on the board with a rocket Craig Anderson is still looking for. His second came off a similar shot, although this time it skidded along the ice and found the inside of the right post. Goals four and five on the season were both as timely as they come. More than just a scorer, Ehrhoff set up Bernier for an insurance goal before throwing his hat in the ring for the trifecta. His third shot of the game rang off the iron and stayed out leaving Ehrhoff without an NHL hat trick. The last three goal game by a Canucks defenceman came on November 22, 1991 courtesy of Dave Babych in a 6-5 overtime win over Calgary. Ehrhoff did manage to set a new career high for goals in a game and he tied his career high for points in a game at 3. In this gutsy comeback there were more than one hero as three players stepped up their game to ensure a Canucks win. Mikael Samuelsson gets top billing for his first three point game of the season, he had a goal and two helpers and was one of five Canucks at plus-2. Jannik Hansen deserves a shout out for helping set up Hank’s game-winning goal. The assist was his third point in as many games since returning from injury. Alex Burrows doesn’t have eyes in the back of his head, as far as I know, but he did when he fooled the Avalanche and sent a smooth pass to Henrik Sedin for the game-winning goal. Kyle Wellwood started Vancouver’s scoring domino effect as he won the draw that led to Ehrhoff’s first goal. His first point in nine games doubled his season output thus far, he now has two points on the year. Wellwood was more noticeable than usual on this night as he nearly scored his first goal of the season in the third period and went 12-for-16 on draws. Coach Alain Vigneault’s take on his team’s come-from-behind win: ”I didn’t mind our first period five-on-five, I thought guys came out with a lot of energy, our Ds were involved in the play. They got two power play goals but I thought both those penalties were soft penalties and they capitalized on them. After the first period we just talked about sticking with the process and plugging away, and that’s what we did. We won the second period and then we won the third.” After destroying the Avalanche 13-4 over the last two games, the suddenly high-octane Canucks have Saturday to rest up before hosting the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday. Despite Willie Mitchell’s smackdown on Jonathan Toews being completely clean and legal, the Blackhawks will no doubt be out for a little revenge so this game could get ugly. NUMB3RS 1 – Point for Kyle Wellwood, he now has two on the season. 3 – Points each for Christian Ehrhoff and Mikael Samuelsson. 5 – Unanswered goals by the Canucks. 22 – Saves for Roberto Luongo; 14 over the final two periods. QUOTABLE “I guess I got lucky on two shots there. I tried for it, but I couldn’t put it away. I had enough chances for the hat trick, but I couldn’t finish it off.“ -Christian Ehrhoff "That was a trouble start, we gave up two goals and weren’t too happy about that, but we stuck with it and Bobby Hoff took care of the rest." -Roberto Luongo "Ehrhoff had an incredible game tonight, everything was clicking for him, great shots and that last tip goal was just a great heads up play." -Mathieu Schneider OFFENCE The Canucks outshot the Avalanche 12-10 in the opening frame, but it wasn't until the second period that the shots really got dangerous. Once Vancouver's snippers found their legs this became a completely different game, one Colorado couldn't compete in. DEFENCE You know something is going right when Vancouver's biggest threat offensively is a defender. Ehrhoff not only scored, he shut down Colorado's shooters and helped the team shut the door over all after a pair of quick power play goals early. SPECIAL TEAMS Both teams used the power play to their advantage going 2-for-4. Derek Jory Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:53:00 EST http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=506928 http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=506845&cmpid=rss-phillips The Canucks scored two goals or fewer in nine of their first 21 games, five times they scored only once and once they were shut out. But in their last game, Saturday against Colorado, the Canucks erupted for an 8-2 victory. The win allowed the Canucks to complete a five-game trip with a 2-3 record. The big news was Steve Bernier breaking through for his fifth and six goals of the season. The bigger news was Henrik Sedin recorded his first career hat trick. It only took him 667 games. "I'm hoping it's the type of night that's going to get the whole group going, confidence-wise, offensively," Canucks coach Alain Vigneault told the Vancouver Sun. "We were going to the net harder and staying in front of their net a lot more. We got off to a good start. Our guys had a much better net presence. We made life very hard on their goaltenders." Sedin told reporters, "It was huge for us, especially after the last few games where we haven't scored a whole lot of goals. ... It's something to build on. It gives the guys confidence." There could be more good news coming. Sedin's twin brother, Daniel, may return to the lineup Sunday against the Blackhawks. He hasn't played since breaking his foot Oct. 7. Preissing healthy, happy in Colorado -- In 2006-07, defenseman Tom Preissing tied Detroit's Nicklas Lidstrom for the plus-minus lead among defensemen (plus-40) as a member of the Ottawa Senators, but he'll have a hard time repeating that feat this year. Canucks Extras This week on Canucks.com Canucks on the mend Samuelsson's experience guides Canucks Surprises aplenty in early going Damaged Daniel Saturday, in his first game this season and his first as a member of the Avalanche, Preissing was minus-4 in an 8-2 loss to the Canucks. But Preissing is happy simply to be back in the NHL. Last season, as a member of the Kings, Preissing was plagued by injuries, battled vertigo and eventually found himself demoted to Manchester of the AHL. According to the Denver Post, Kings coach Terry Murray questioned Preissing's willingness to compete. Preissing developed a reputation as a player who stopped playing hard after receiving a big contract. "It was a weird year," Preissing told the Post. "It started with some promise and then things started faltering a little bit. For whatever reason, it just never really worked out for me and wasn't a good fit in L.A." A successful comeback by Preissing would give the Avalanche an offensive boost from the blue line. Colorado has been the most surprising team in the League this season, bolting to the front of the Northwest Division after finishing last in the Western Conference last season. Asked about Preissing, Avs captain Adam Foote told the Post, "He's a guy who can really help us if he plays the way he's capable." Preissing, 30, was scratched in Tuesday's 3-2 win at Calgary; Wednesday he had an assist but was minus-1 in a 6-4 loss at Edmonton. He's hoping to turn his career around in Colorado. He admits his morale took a hit last season. "When I fell into a slump, it (was) easy to get negative on yourself. Mentally, it was a tough time," Preissing said. "At the same time, I know I have had success in this League."   Making progress -- Despite a 3-2 loss Wednesday to Phoenix, the new edition of the Minnesota Wild is making progress. After a 3-9-0 start, the Wild are 4-3-2 in their last nine games. In the early days of the season, the contrast between the old and new team was stunning.  The new Wild were floundering, while former coach Jacques Lemaire's new team, the Devils, was soaring. So it was easy to ponder the possibility the Wild made a mistake when moving away from Lemaire's defense-first style to the more wide-open approach espoused by new coach Todd Richards. Slowly, though, as Lemaire thrives in New Jersey, the players on his former team seem to be adjusting. Opponents are noticing, too, including Tampa Bay coach Rick Tocchet. The Lightning recently beat the Wild, 4-3 in a shootout, and Tocchet was impressed. "They're starting to play the new system real well," Tocchet told the Minneapolis Star Tribune. "To me, it didn't seem the coach panicked. He said, 'This is the way we're going to play. This is my system,' and you can tell they're reaping the benefits." Tocchet credited Richards with sticking with what he believed in even through the rough start, saying, "As a coach, you have to believe in your style and your system. If you show the players any hint that you're changing certain things because you lost the first month and are panicking, I think you lose the team." Richards said he never considered abandoning his approach when the team struggled early. "We saw in spurts how we could play," he told the Star Tribune. "It was just getting the players to trust that if we play this way, we can be a good, effective team." Just as significant as the switch from Lemaire to Richards was the departure of oft-injured sniper Marian Gaborik. Gaborik has thrived with the New York Rangers, but the veterans and kids in Minnesota are beginning to jell. The Wild remain on the outside of the playoff picture, but their bad start didn't bury them. If they continue to develop, they could yet challenge for a playoff berth in Richards' debut season.   Better late than never -- The Oilers' 3-2 shootout loss Monday may have been your run-of-the-mill early season game for some of those who were involved, but not for Dean Arsene. At the age of 29, the 6-foot-2, 195-pound Arsene made his NHL debut, receiving 6:24 of the greatest ice time of his life. "It was everything I thought it was going to be," Arsene told the Patriot-News of Hershey, Pa., where he played minor-league hockey. "It was unbelievable. I felt like I was watching a movie of myself." Arsene told the newspaper the first time he touched the puck, he "tried to get rid of it as fast as I could." Arsene had been playing this season in Springfield. He told reporters that at first he thought it was a "cruel joke" when he was told he'd been called up to Edmonton. He'd never been called up before. "This is kind of new," he told the Edmonton Sun. "I didn't know what to do, what to pack. I was completely lost, I felt like I was a rookie in junior again. ... Nine years is a long time. This is pretty surreal. Funny enough, it was my dad's birthday (last week) and it was a pretty good birthday present to be able to call him and tell him that."   Growing up -- Center Dustin Boyd hasn't exactly taken the NHL by storm since the Flames drafted him in the third round in 2004. And he isn't making anyone forget Sidney Crosby or any of the other young stars in the League this season, either. Boyd has only 3 goals and 6 assists through 18 games this season. But if he keeps up that pace, he'd finish with what easily would be a career high 41 points. And the Flames believe the former Western Hockey League star is beginning to become the player they've been hoping he would develop into. "There's players who come out of junior hockey, big goal scorers, big point-getters, and they don't quite reach that potential at the NHL because it's a whole different game," coach Brent Sutter told the Calgary Herald. "Some players develop at different stages at this level, and that's not different than at junior levels where players develop at different stages, and he's at that stage where he's just starting to come now." One way for progress to be measured is ice time. In Boyd's first couple of seasons in the League he averaged about 10 minutes a night. Last season he appeared in a career-high 71 games, had 11 goals and 11 assists, and averaged 12:52 of ice time per game. This season, he's averaging 13:17 a night playing on the third and fourth lines. "The guys are so much smarter, so much stronger up here," Boyd told the Herald. "There's a few guys who come out of junior and go right to the top two lines and are successful, but most guys have to work their way up. ... It's a long learning process." Boyd admitted it's taken time for him to feel he fully belongs. "When you first come in, you get a little nervous, get the jitters," he said. "Confidence is huge. If you don't have it, you're doubting yourself. For me, you want to play with a lot of skill, make plays, do everything you did in junior but be more responsible defensively and whatnot, but you never want to lose your offensive touch. Brent's giving me a good opportunity this year and playing me some good minutes, which is nice." Roger Phillips Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:08:00 EST http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=506845 http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=506504&cmpid=rss-jory Canucks annual Dice & Ice fundraiser is a royal flush for the Canucks for Kids Fund. The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat took on a whole new meaning Monday night during the Vancouver Canucks' eleventh annual Dice & Ice benefit. The Canucks for Kids Funds' signature charity benefit, a funny money casino evening with a “Rat Pack” theme held at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, featured the Canucks themselves working their magic at the tables, but not at players, as dealers. “I’ve played a lot of blackjack before so I know how it’s done, but it’s easier being on the other side of the table,” smiled second-year blackjack dealer Steve Bernier. “It’s tough to be the dealer because you’ve got to add up the cards and really focus.” Bernier, an experienced card player who had tried his hand in Las Vegas twice and come out on top both times, was as comfortable as the Canucks dealers came thanks to his extensive knowledge of cards. Ryan Johnson, on the other hand, doesn’t know a full house from a flush. Canucks Extras This week on Canucks.com Dice & Ice: the video Dice & Ice: the pics Canucks for Kids Fund Canuck Place Children’s Hospice Canucks Autism Network “You put me in Vegas and I’ll be at the pool or at the shows, not at the slots or tables,” laughed Johnson. “I just have no concept of blackjack or poker or any of that stuff, which is very rare on this team.” Thankfully Johnson is a quick learner and he’s come to learn a few of the the ins and outs of blackjack. It helped that Dice & Ice is about helping children in need, not walking away a millionaire. All funds raised from the business formal event, which was sold-out yet again at 720 guests, benefit Canuck Place Children’s Hospice and the Canucks Autism Network. Nearly $300,000 in net proceeds was raised for the Canucks for Kids Fund in support of Canuck Place Children’s Hospice and BC Children’s Hospital Foundation at last year’s event. “Guys have been talking about this one for a while just because of all the interaction that goes on with the people at the tables and with all the unique things they have going on all night,” said Johnson. “It’s a good mix of pleasure and raising funds for some incredible causes and I think everyone has a good time.” Also included in this year’s festivities were silent and live auctions featuring rare sports memorabilia, unique travel experiences and themed gift baskets created by players and their wives and significant others. Among the swag up for grabs was a Canadian Classic Road Trip with the Canucks, a Roberto Luongo game-worn blocker, glove and stick, a Night Out with Tim McGraw, a Behind the Scenes on a Vancouver Movie Set experience and a Wheelbarrow of Booze. While the players worked on their poker faces, it was smiles all around for the guests in attendance and two grins in particular jumped out from the crowd, that of Katy Harandi, chair of the Canucks Autism Network (CAN) and John Rose, chair of Canuck Place Children’s Hospice. For CAN, an organization that enhances the quality of life for families living with autism in British Columbia, this event is its biggest fundraiser of the year and being a relatively young charity with only two years under its belt, the funds raised make all the difference. “It’s overwhelming to have such support from the Canucks for Kids Fund and the whole Canucks organization,” said Harandi. “I think it’s just fabulous to have an event where so many people who are dedicated to the Canucks turn up.” “The funds help support our various programs and they’re really such a necessity in Canada and in Vancouver especially, because programs are really scarce and far between for autism. The Canucks Autism Network hopes to fill the gap and really help the families struggling with this challenging disorder.” Rose echoed the sentiments that pairing fun with fundraising is really win-win situation for everyone. “It’s a fun night, but it’s also very meaningful and I know for us, it’s a very significant event in the sense of just building awareness of what Canuck Place does and how we benefit from the involvement with the Canuck players, whether it’s pumpkin carving or coming over and being with the kids,” said Rose, adding that having ridden the elevator up with Kevin Bieksa, he sensed this was an event the players truly enjoyed getting behind. “It’s one event that really is fun for them and I think it really connects the Canucks with the community. Then you’ve got the Canucks for Kids Fund and people like ourselves, Canuck Place, and CAN being the beneficiaries, I think it really brings the community together.” Follow these links for more information on the Canucks for Kids Fund, Canuck Place Children’s Hospice, the Canucks Autism Network and other Canucks community partnerships.   Derek Jory Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:00:00 EST http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=506504 http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=506507&cmpid=rss-rosen Steve Yzerman has the job everyone wants and the task that no one desires. How in the world does he pick the 23 "best" players Canada has to offer to make up the Olympic team? Yzerman is a Hall of Famer, but does that make him qualified to say this superstar is better than that superstar? Canada is a country full of NHL superstars. Yzerman used to be one of them, but we're fairly certain he never publicly said Player A was better suited to play on the Olympic team than Player B. That's his job now. He has to publicly tell a handful of worthy players that they are not good enough to play for Canada's Olympic team. He has to be the one that decides who's in and who's out. He's the primary architect and a country of fans awaits his decisions. I don't envy his challenge, but I'm certainly jealous that he gets to be the one to tackle it. So jealous, in fact, that I decided to turn in my credentials as a staff writer for NHL.com for one day so I could become Steve Yzerman. I already feel the pressure. What about this guy? What about that guy? You're taking him? What are you nuts? Have you ever watched hockey before? Who hired you? Oh Stevie, I feel your pain. Well, OK, not really. But choosing 13 forwards, seven defensemen and three goalies off of Canada's impressive list of candidates was harder than I ever imagined. Nevertheless, here's my team, which I believe is filled with skill, smarts, grit, toughness and strength. Martin Brodeur, New Jersey Devils Obvious choice here because the NHL's all-time wins leader has still got it. He's playing at a high level for the Devils this season and has shown no reason why he should not only be on this team, but serve as the No. 1. Marc-Andre Fleury, Pittsburgh Penguins He's only 24 (25 when Olympics start) and he's never been to the Olympics, but the humble Fleury has enough experience in big games. He's a Stanley Cup champion and has had a strong start to the season. He belongs. Roberto Luongo, Vancouver Canucks Provided he's healthy, Luongo can be the best goalie in Canada on any given night. He's not getting our nod to start over Brodeur or even Fleury now, but that could change by February. Not a bad fallback option for coach Mike Babcock, eh? Scott Niedermayer, Anaheim Ducks The veteran has won it all, including Olympic gold in 2002. He may not be as good as he once was; but as they say, you can't teach experience and there aren't many who have as much. Niedermayer gets our nod as captain of this team. Chris Pronger, Philadelphia Flyers He's won it all, too, and he's still the most intimidating defenseman Canada has to offer. He's arguably the most intimidating defenseman in the NHL. The guy does it all and, even at 35, he's doing it at a very high level. Dan Boyle, San Jose Sharks A taxi-squad guy in Torino in 2006, Boyle deserves to be on the ice this time around. There aren't many who move the puck or join the rush better than Boyle, who is off to a sterling start for the Sharks this season. Plus, he's a right-handed shot. Shea Weber, Nashville Predators You want grit? He's got it. Toughness? Check. Offense? You bet. Size and strength? Yes and yes. Weber has become one of the League's best all-round threats from the blue line. Oh, and he's also a right-handed shot. Those guys aren't easy to find. Duncan Keith, Chicago Blackhawks The Blackhawks' best blueliner is another one of those do-it-all guys. Keith has some grit to his game and he loves to join the rush. He blocks nearly as many shots as he takes. Jay Bouwmeester, Calgary Flames He's an ironman, an ice-time eater, strong defender and slick playmaker. Bouwmeester replaced Niedermayer on Canada's disappointing 2006 Olympic team, so he's also got the experience. Drew Doughty, Los Angeles Kings The future of Canada's defense corps has earned a spot on the present national team. The 19-year-old is building on his impressive rookie season with a much better sophomore season. There's nothing he can't do and he does everything well. Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins He's the No. 1 center and at the very least an alternate captain. The pride of Nova Scotia is an even greater weapon now that he has got this faceoff thing down. Rick Nash, Columbus Blue Jackets Nash is the perfect guy to put with Crosby. He'll use that big body coming down the boards and No. 87 will find him for scoring opportunities. Nash is no longer a liability -- in fact, he's a bonus now -- on the defensive end. Jarome Iginla, Calgary Flames Put him with Crosby and Nash and Canada may have the most dynamic line in the tournament. Ryan Getzlaf, Anaheim Ducks He is not scoring as many goals as he would like right now, but Getzlaf is one of the premier pivots in the game and, as second option behind Crosby, he provides the size to make the second line look different from the first. Dany Heatley, San Jose Sharks He's found a new home in San Jose and a happy Heatley is dominating. Can't you just see him coming down the left wing and getting the puck from Getzlaf, who then dashes straight to the net to clean up any loose change? Scary. Very scary. Jeff Carter, Philadelphia Flyers A sniper who could play with Getzlaf and Heatley. Carter also gives coach Mike Babcock options because he can play center or wing. Jonathan Toews, Chicago Blackhawks He's a gritty center who reminds a lot of people of Bryan Trottier and some more of Steve Yzerman. He's force around the net and fantastic in the shootout. Babcock would feel pretty confident putting Toews on the ice in any situation. Patrick Marleau, San Jose Sharks A bubble player before the season, the Sharks' veteran has been spectacular through the first month and a half of the season so he jumps over a few players for this spot. He can also play center or wing, but he's probably better on the wing. Martin St. Louis, Tampa Bay Lightning St. Louis remains one of Canada's best weapons. I have him with Toews and Marleau now, but he can bump up to energize either of the top two lines as well. He can set up anyone for goals. Mike Richards, Philadelphia Flyers My shutdown center and one of my top penalty killers. Richards will probably be a perennial Selke Trophy nominee and he's a point per game guy to boot. Brenden Morrow, Dallas Stars The right wing on the shutdown line with Richards. Morrow has shown no hangover effects from missing most of last season with a knee injury. He scores and he plays physical. Gotta love it. Ryan Smyth, Los Angeles Kings He's the left wing with Richards and Morrow, rounding out our grinding line. Not bad to have three guys who can also score a point per game making up your grinding line, is it? Smyth can also be our net-front presence on the power play. Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay Lightning Babcock is saying it'll be hard for a guy who wasn't at the orientation camp in August to make the squad, but I'm making an exception because Stamkos' production and his energy are too good to pass up. He's the perfect extra forward. This is a team that I feel can take home gold because it has the size, speed, strength, grit, intelligence and experience necessary to win under the kind of microscope it will be under in Vancouver. My team has centers that win faceoffs, forecheck and create; wingers that score goals and generally take up space; defensemen who join the rush, rarely give up much behind them and throw an elbow or two; and goalies who are the best in the world. Some hard choices were made and superstars like Joe Thornton, Vinny Lecavalier, Shane Doan, Dion Phaneuf, Mike Green, Corey Perry and Eric Staal didn't make the final cut. That, though, is part of the challenge when you accept this job. It's not easy, but someone's got to make the hard choices. I'll be back to update my team sometime next month and after that it'll be in Yzerman's hands to pick the real team and announce it on Dec. 31. Dan Rosen is a NHL.com staff writer. He may not be Steve Yzerman, but he has covered the legend enough in the past three years to play him on the Internet. Contact Dan Rosen at drosen@nhl.com Dan Rosen Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:43:00 EST http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=506507 http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=506499&cmpid=rss-holland In 2006, the Finnish Men's Olympic hockey team came within one goal of forcing OT against its most bitter rival, and within two goals of a celebration that likely would have lasted at least into the preliminary round of the 2010 Olympic tournament. It began simply enough in pool play, with wins against a gritty Swiss squad, the host Italian team, and a gutsy 4-2 victory against the Czech Republic. But by the end of their 2-0 victory against the powerful Canadian team, Team Finland's fans began to believe that their boys in white and blue had latched onto something special. Team leader Teemu Selanne knows what that something special is. It's called chemistry … karma … gelling as a team. Something the Finns -- who all understand their team identity -- do as well as any in the 12-team Olympic field. "It's a short event. I think the men's hockey tournament will be played in 12 days -- so the team that can find its game right away will be strong," Selanne told NHL.com correspondent Risto Pakarinen this summer. "The differences in the rosters aren't huge. We know that. We all play in the NHL against everybody every day, so I don't think that's an issue. "If we play our own game, we can beat anybody. Having said that, it's just as obvious that we're not the favorites to win, the pressure is on other teams." Coming together as a team is the single most important aspect for any Olympic gold hopeful. Team Finland rode that sense of "team-first" hockey to the gold-medal game in 2006, and will be looking to do the same in 2010. With that philosophy in mind, here is my 2010 Team Finland Olympic roster. Niklas Backstrom, Minnesota Wild Despite little international experience, Backstrom enters 2009-10 likely with the No. 1 job to lose, having played to a .920-or-better save percentage and a 2.33-or-better GAA in each of his first three NHL seasons. Miikka Kiprusoff, Calgary Flames Once the most-recognizable face of the Finnish goaltender invasion, Kiprusoff has seen his play slip in each of the four seasons since he led the Flames to Game 7 of the Cup Final in 2004. It's hard to argue with his cool in the crease, however, and he should have a firm grip on the No. 2 -- perhaps even pushing for No. 1 status. Antero Niittymaki, Tampa Bay Lightning Sorry Pekka Rinne, but even if Niittymaki hadn't taken home "Best Goaltender" honors in 2006, his strong start to 2009-10 would have at least given him the inside track for the No. 3 goaltender come February. Kimmo Timonen, Philadelphia Flyers Timonen is the de facto No.1 defender for the Finns, the most complete player they have on their defense and should, yet again, be a huge part of the Finnish blue line. Joni Pitkanen, Carolina Hurricanes A tough start to the season notwithstanding, Pitkanen is a dangerous offensive playmaker and able-bodied defender -- when he feels like it. If healthy and motivated, he is as good as most No. 2 defenders in this tournament, and better than some with "bigger" names. Petteri Nummelin, HC Lugano (Swiss league) Nummelin's NHL career is on hold for now;, but during his short three-year stint in North America, he proved two things. First, he is a capable power-play quarterback, with 29 of his 45 career points coming on the man advantage. Second, his career 8-for-10 shootout record means he knows how to deke. Those two tidbits should be more than enough to put him into an Olympic jersey. Ossi Vaananen, Dynamo Minsk (KHL) With 479 career NHL games under his belt, Vaananen has proven he can skate with the world's best; and on the thin Finnish defensive corps, that counts for a lot. Sami Salo, Vancouver Canucks The Finnish team's second-most accomplished NHL defender, Salo brings leadership and calm under pressure -- not to mention his booming slap shot. Those attributes make him a very valuable piece of the Finnish puzzle. Ville Koistinen, Florida Panthers With 41 points in 59 games for the AHL's Milwaukee Admirals in 2006-07, great things seemed in store for Koistinen. Injuries and spotty play have tarnished some of that shine, but he remains offensively gifted and bursting with talent. The bright lights of the Olympics might be the stage to bring out his best. Sami Kapanen, KalPa Kuopio (SM Liiga) A grizzled veteran of Finnish hockey, the NHL, and international competition from the World Junior to the Olympics, Kapanen's most valuable asset is his versatility, namely the ability to seamlessly transition between offense and defense. In a short tournament where injuries can decimate a game plan, having a swingman like Kapanen is worth its weight in, well, gold. Teemu Selanne, Anaheim Ducks A national hero with cult-level status in Finland, there is no way Selanne doesn't a) make this team; b) have a shot at the captaincy; and c) make his presence known with some timely goals in key situations. He's the most dangerous offensive piece of the Finnish puzzle, even after all these years, bar none. Olli Jokinen, Calgary Flames Playing in Calgary for Brent Sutter means Jokinen will be physically and mentally prepared for the grind of the Olympics -- which might look like a cakewalk compared to one of Sutter's practices. Mikko Koivu, Minnesota Wild Despite not having the name recognition of others, Koivu enters 2009-10 as the Finn with the brightest rising star. The Olympics could mark the last opportunity for hockey poolies to take him in the later rounds in Yahoo.com fantasy leagues. Saku Koivu, Anaheim Ducks Brother Mikko may be the biggest piece of the next wave of Finnish superstars, but the sun hasn't set on Saku just yet, and playing the first 50-or-so games with countryman Selanne should make the two a no-brainer line combination, at least to start. Tuomo Ruutu, Carolina Hurricanes The youngest Ruutu has all of the rough and tumble edges of brother Jarkko's game, but he also has a vast skill set that still has yet to reach its potential. Few will forget his individual-effort goal against the Canadians in the 2004 World Cup. His up-tempo, aggressive style will be a boon for Team Finland in 2010. Valtteri Filppula, Detroit Red Wings A wrist injury derailed what appeared to be a breakout year for Filppula, but his size, strength, control and hockey sense, combined with the tutelage the veteran leadership in Detroit, make him a potent addition to the 2010 team. Niklas Hagman, Toronto Maple Leafs After averaging 22 goals in his past three NHL seasons, few would say that Hagman hasn't stepped up his game to the Olympic level, even if he doesn't have the star-power name. Jarkko Ruutu, Ottawa Senators Fourth-line minutes suit this Ruutu just fine, as he makes the most of every second on every shift. A career PIM-a-game player, his role will be to clear space for his teammates, and maybe lure a few talented opponents into the sin bin alongside him, on occasion. Jussi Jokinen, Carolina Hurricanes Jokinen's role in the Hurricanes' run to the Eastern Conference Final has been well-documented (3 game-winning goals of 7 total in 18 playoff games), and that sort of production in big-time games will bode well for his 2010 chances. Sean Bergenheim, New York Islanders Still a young man by NHL standards (he'll turn 26 shortly before the tournament begins), he is finally beginning to play with the edge and confidence the Islanders predicted out of him when they selected him No. 22 in 2002. Jarkko Immonen, Ak Bars Kazan (KHL) Gaudy AHL numbers -- just about a point per game -- never really translated to NHL success for Immonen. But his career pedigree makes the 6-foot, 209-pound veteran a good bet for third- or fourth-line duty in 2010. Niko Kapanen, Ak Bars Kazan (KHL) With seven goals and 10 points in only seven games at the 2009 World Championship this past summer, Kapanen showed the Finnish hockey world he is still a dangerous offensive player, and kept his name in the mix for 2010. Antti Miettinen, Minnesota Wild Last year's breakout campaign continued into the summer for Miettinen, who was selected to Finland's 2009 World Championship team, where he scored 3 goals and 8 points in seven games. A tireless checker with the ability to put the puck in the net, he should find a home on one of the Finns' checking lines, and as a key component in their penalty killing. Oskar Osala, Hershey (AHL) -- Osala could one day be a household name in the NHL, but right now the 6-4, 217-pound Capitals prospect is content to refine his game in the AHL. The youngest member of my hypothetical Team Finland likely wouldn't see much ice, but simply being on the team would do wonders for his career development as a Finnish national team member, something that could eke him into a roster spot in Vancouver There you have it. From the team that took home the 2006 silver medal, only 14 of those 24 remain on my 2010 incarnation of Team Finland. That is one reason the 2010 tournament could play out quite differently for the Finns. The man between the pipes will be different, as Niittymaki should start only in the event that each of his All-Star countrymen falters when given the starts, and Selanne is now four years older than the then 35-year-old veteran who magically found his legs for one of the world's biggest hockey stages. He should play only a minor, but important, role, as veterans like Mario Lemieux and Steve Yzerman did in Team Canada's run to the 2002 gold medal. It is time, however, for younger players to take the reins from players like Selanne and Saku Koivu, who are likely playing their last Winter Olympics. Players like Miikko Koivu, Tuomo Ruutu, Filppula, Jussi Jokinen and Bergenheim all need to start flexing their muscles in the international game. That does not mean that the Finns will be expecting a different outcome. Possessed of a stubborn, almost super-human, ability to defy the odds, the Finns have surprised the world more often than not lately. Since Calgary 1988, the Finns have medaled in four of six tournaments, with two bronze and two silvers to their credit. They will be looking to upset the "favorites" yet again, comfortably situated in their position as the oft-overlooked team of international competitions. Brad Holland is the video guru at NHL.com and it's a safe bet he has seen virtually every big goal scored by a Finnish NHLer this season. Brad Holland Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:38:00 EST http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=506499 http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=506492&cmpid=rss-kimelman The hallmarks of Swedish hockey are its all-round smarts, steadiness and dependability. While the Swedes may not be blessed with game-breaking skill or overwhelming ability in one particular position, the Swedish team that will take the ice in Vancouver will be strong in all phases of the game. It's the plan used four years ago in Turino, and the result was a gold medal; so why monkey with success? While rosters for the 2010 Olympics aren't due for another 90 days -- Dec. 31 is the IIHF deadline -- NHL.com is taking a stab at what Sweden's list of 20 skaters and three goaltenders might look like. The roster will include 21 players currently in the NHL and one who might be there before the end of the season -- Peter Forsberg. Forsberg, now 36, hasn't played in the NHL since the end of the 2008 playoffs. But he's still trying to play on his chronically sore right foot, and in three games earlier this season with Modo in the Swedish Elite League, he had 3 goals. He played for Sweden at the Karjala Cup, and if the former NHL MVP feels up to it, it's not a stretch to see him suiting up in another Olympics. Here's a look at the Forsberg-enriched roster I believe Sweden will use to defend its Olympic gold at the 2010 Games in Vancouver. Johan Hedberg, Atlanta Thrashers The well-respected, long-time NHL backup has played the last four seasons with the Atlanta Thrashers. His good attitude and strong work ethic will go a long way in the dressing room. Henrik Lundqvist, N.Y. Rangers "The King" is the unquestioned starter for this team. A three-time Vezina Trophy finalist, last season he became the first goaltender in NHL history to start his career with three straight 30-win seasons. He's seeing more shots than he's used to this season, but that hasn't seemed to affect his stats adversely and may be good preparation for Olympic duty. Jacob Markstrom, Brynas (SEL) Markstrom is regarded as the best player in the world not currently in the NHL. In his third season with Brynas in the Swedish Elite League, the young Markstrom is among the top three goalies in the Swedish Elite League. The 2008 second-round pick of the Florida Panthers could be in the NHL as soon as next season. Tobias Enstrom, Atlanta Thrashers The Thrashers found a gem deep in the famed 2003 Entry Draft, snagging Enstrom in the eighth round (No. 239). Last season, he had 32 points and a plus-14 rating on a team that was outscored by 29 goals. His skating and positioning make him an ideal choice for the Olympics. Jonathan Ericsson, Detroit Red Wings It's been nothing but a steep climb for the player taken by the Detroit Red Wings with the final pick of the 2002 Entry Draft. Finally a full-time NHL player, Ericsson has fit seamlessly into the Wings' defense corps. Ericsson also has proven he can play in pressure situations, as he had 8 points and a plus-9 rating in 22 Stanley Cup Playoff games last season. Nicklas Grossman, Dallas Stars In his second full NHL season, the Stars blueliner isn't a big point producer, but he certainly is big -- 6-foot-4 and 226 pounds. Grossman played for Sweden at last year's World Championship, and with a solid defensive showing for the Stars this season, he could be playing himself into an Olympic spot. Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay Lightning The second pick of the 2009 Entry Draft might seem like an odd choice to be one of the top seven blueliners from his country, but at 18, Hedman already looks comfortable playing against NHL opposition. He's averaging more than 23 minutes per game with the Lightning, and plays in all situations. Hedman already looks good; by February he'll be even better. Niklas Kronwall, Detroit Red Wings The new "Motor City Hitman," Kronwall will supply the brute strength on Sweden's blue line. Just 6-foot and 192 pounds, Kronwall is fearless, blocks shots and will hit anything on skates. Nicklas Lidstrom, Detroit Red Wings Is any explanation really needed for why Lidstrom belongs on the Swedish Olympic team? Even at age 39, he's still leading the Wings in ice time; plays impeccable defense and never takes penalties. He's the even-money favorite to be named team captain. Mattias Ohlund, Tampa Bay Lightning The 33-year-old Lightning veteran was imported to help Hedman adjust to life in the NHL. Considering Hedman looks like he'll be in Vancouver come February, that project certainly has worked. Beyond that, Ohlund still can play the game. He's had at least 24 points in eight-straight seasons, and the chance to play in his fourth Olympics in Vancouver -- the place he spent his first 11 NHL seasons -- is a driving factor. Daniel Alfredsson, Ottawa Senators With a torrid offensive start, Alfredsson has helped the Ottawa Senators get through a rough summer and emerge as an early playoff team. At 36, he's on pace for a career-best 109 points. Nicklas Backstrom, Washington Capitals Alex Ovechkin is the offensive centerpiece of the Washington Capitals, but someone needs to get him the puck, and there are few better than Backstrom. "If I play without him, maybe I don't get too many points, maybe I don't get too many goals," Ovechkin told the Washington Post. Backstrom has turned in an assist-per-game guy, and now coach Bruce Boudreau is using him against the opposition's top line. Loui Eriksson, Dallas Stars Eriksson represents the next generation of Swedish scoring stars. The Stars left wing led the team last season with 36 goals, and this season, he's on a similar pace. Peter Forsberg Forsberg's resume speaks for itself -- two Stanley Cups, 2003 Hart and Art Ross trophies, three-time NHL First-Team All-Star, the eighth-best point-per-game average in League history. His injury history is just as lengthy, but if he's healthy, Forsberg will be motivated to not just show up, but to play a leading role. It's a risk, but an 80-percent healthy Forsberg still is better than the majority players out there today. Tomas Holmstrom, Detroit Red Wings Few forwards play a simpler, more effective game than Holmstrom. And after battling numerous injuries the past few seasons, the Detroit Red Wings forward is healthy and productive -- perhaps on pace for his best offensive season of his illustrious career. Patric Hornqvist, Nashville Predators The Predators second-year right wing is a prime example of someone playing their way onto an Olympic team. On a Predators team struggling to score, he's one of the Preds' few consistent weapons. Olympic play would be a huge step up in competition for the 22-year-old, but after adjusting to the smaller North American ice last season -- he played 28 games in Nashville, 49 in the minors -- he seems to be a burgeoning talent who could do well from being around talented, smart veterans. Kristian Huselius, Columbus Blue Jackets Wherever he's been, there's been one consistent with Huselius -- he's always been able to put the puck in the net. The Columbus Blue Jackets left wing has scored at least 20 goals six times in seven full seasons. He has battled an injury in the early season, but is due back this week. Sammy Pahlsson, Columbus Blue Jackets he Blue Jackets center remains one of the best penalty killers and checking-line centers in the NHL. Mikael Samuelsson, Vancouver Canucks Was Samuelsson's success the last few seasons just a product of the Detroit system? His early-season showing in his first season in Vancouver suggests otherwise. He's emerged as the heart of the Canucks' offense in the absence of Daniel Sedin. Daniel Sedin, Vancouver Canucks The goal-scorer of the Sedin twins has missed all but four games this season with a broken foot, but like Forsberg, he has an Olympic-worthy pedigree. Sedin has scored at least 30 goals twice in the last three seasons. He's expected back by late November, leaving him more than enough time to get back to full speed by February. Henrik Sedin, Vancouver Canucks The Canucks center is on pace for his fifth-straight 75-point season. And he's still producing despite the absence of brother Daniel. Four years ago, Henrik had 4 points in eight games in Turin. He'll have a bigger role this time around, and it's a good bet his production will show it. Fredrik Sjostrom, Calgary Flames Much like Pahlsson, Sjostrom's will be used for checking and killing penalties. Not to be overlooked, though, is the right wing's proficiency in the shootout. Last season with the Rangers, Sjostrom was 3-for-9 with two game-deciding goals. Henrik Zetterberg, Detroit Red Wings One of the most complete players in the League, there isn't any role he can't play, in even strength or on special teams. He'll have no problem checking the bigger, stronger forwards Canada and Russia will ice, and he has the versatility to slide to left wing to play on a line with Forsberg. With Mats Sundin and Kenny Jonsson retired and Lidstrom, Alfredsson, Holmstrom and Forsberg likely playing in their final Olympics, now is the time to initiate the next generation of Swedish players to top-level international play. That's why a number of young NHL players -- Eriksson, Hornqvist, Ericsson, Hedman, Enstrom, Markstrom -- were chosen ahead of more established Swedish players either in the NHL or playing in Europe. The wild card in all this remains injuries, especially where Forsberg is concerned. Other forward candidates who could emerge to fill any holes include St. Louis Blues center Patrik Berglund, Dallas Stars left wing Fabian Brunnstrom, and Johan Davidsson of HV 71, the leading scorer in the SEL. Among defenders, HV 71's David Petrasek remains a candidate, as does Vancouver's Alexander Edler. In goal, Stefan Liv and Mikael Tellqvist both have Olympic experience, but are out of the NHL. Liv plays in the SEL, while Tellqvist is in Russia. This version of the Swedish Olympic roster has all that's needed to earn another gold medal -- experienced veterans and talented newcomers, all of whom do everything well.   Adam Kimelman, the draft expert at NHL.com, may not have had Swedish meatballs yet, but his knowledge of the Swedish Hockey scene is unquestioned. Contact Adam Kimelman at akimelman@nhl.com. Adam Kimelman Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=506492 http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=506454&cmpid=rss-roarke Team USA General Manager Brian Burke makes no secret about the kind of hockey he wants to see the Americans play in Vancouver this February. "If you look at the course of a hockey game, there are jobs that a player is called upon to perform and some of them aren't glamorous," Burke said at the summer orientation camp. "You know, winning a key faceoff in your own end, killing a penalty or blocking a shot at a key time. These are things that we are going to need to be successful. "My assessment hasn't changed. We can't take the 23 best players. We have to take the 23 players that can perform specific tasks at high levels -- even if that is a grunt task or a blue-collar task." As the American GM for this exercise, I agree wholeheartedly with Burke. The United States simply can't field an All-Star team that can compete with the Russians or the Canadians in a short tournament. If the Americans are to be successful, it will have to be with a hard-working, team-first approach. And that is the team that I believe I have built, a team that features a fair dose of offensive skill, but one that also will be above average in other aspects of the game. I also have taken Burke at his word that players not at the Olympic orientation camp will be able to play their way onto the team. In fact, I have three players from outside the summer pool of 34 on the American team as we sit three months away from the start of the Olympics. Tim Thomas, Boston The reigning Vezina Trophy winner entered the season as the favorite to claim the No. 1 job for the Americans, but his grasp on that position is slipping with his early-season troubles.   Ryan Miller, Buffalo Perhaps fueled by his Olympic snub four years ago, Miller is making a strong case to be the No. 1 after his red-hot month of October.   Craig Anderson, Colorado Yes, Jonathan Quick was the third goalie invited to orientation camp, but Anderson has been better this fall -- by a long shot. His save percentage in the past four seasons is better than .925 -- that's hard to beat. And at 28, he still is young enough to be a viable understudy.   Brian Rafalski, Detroit Rafalski brings experience, a champion's mentality and power-play acumen to the table. That's a pretty in-demand trifecta of talents for any team. He's a lock.   Paul Martin, New Jersey A busted forearm was not in Martin's plans as he prepared for the Olympics, but he should be back by mid-December and the injury should have little effect on his game, which is predicated on his skating ability and positioning. Erik Johnson, St. Louis Apparently he has shaken off any rust from last season's catastrophic knee injury and once again is a dominant player for the Blues. But can he do enough to make this team? He'll have to be better in certain areas as his power-play chops aren't in demand on a roster loaded with potential man-advantage quarterbacks. Jack Johnson, Los Angeles This youngster can do everything a defenseman needs to do. He hits, he's not afraid to tee it up from the point, he kills penalties, works the power play and logs copious amounts of ice time. There'll be no problem fitting him into the rotation.   Ryan Suter, Nashville Forget the Olympic pedigree -- his father and uncle wore the American sweater in Olympic competition -- Suter is among the most-solid all-round young defensemen in the game.   Ryan Whitney, Anaheim No defenseman on the American team sees more ice time than Whitney, who is playing more than 26 minutes a game and has developed into one of the Ducks' primary penalty killers, although that unit has struggled so far this season.   Alex Goligoski, Pittsburgh This team is going to struggle for offense and Goligoski -- who was not invited to orientation camp -- can provide it from the back end, both with the man advantage and at even strength. But Goligoski is not a one-trick pony; look at the numbers. He kills penalties for the Penguins and is not afraid to block a shot. Chris Drury, New York Rangers A proven winner at every level, Drury will be an integral part of this team. He has struggled offensively this season, but does too much well to be excluded. He may be the perfect third-line center in this tournament if he is able to shake off his latest concussion. Patrick Kane, Chicago One of the most dynamic offensive players in the game today. If he is not the top-line right wing, it will be a shocker.   Phil Kessel, Toronto We all know how much Burke loves Kessel; look at the package of assets he gave the Bruins this fall for his rights. A slow start is to be expected as Kessel comes back from offseason shoulder surgery, but unless he completely flames out, Kessel not only will be on the team, but play a key role. Jamie Langenbrunner, New Jersey A defensively reliable left wing that kills penalties but still has some offensive instincts. Like Drury, he might be the prototypical third-liner in a tournament like this because of his diverse skill set.   Zach Parise, New Jersey Perhaps the most consistent goal scorer among American forwards. Parise on the left and Kane on the right side on the same line will be a handful for even the best defensemen in the world.   Dustin Brown, Los Angeles In a tournament dominated by skill, you need a few players that are willing to get their nose dirty. Nobody gets their nose dirtier than Brown, who will go to the front of the net and work the corners. But Brown is far from a grinder as he brings goal-scoring skill to complement his grit.   Dustin Byfuglien, Chicago The choice to carry seven defensemen instead of eight opens a spot for Byfuglien, a power forward that is more than conversant with the skill set necessary to play defense. He could play on the blue line during an injury crunch or he can serve as a body-banging power forward. That's a nice luxury to have. Ryan Kesler, Vancouver One of the lesser-known names on the team, Kesler is a player that quietly does everything a team needs. He is a top faceoff man, he'll block shots, he plays relentless defense, can skate with the best players in the League and has been one of Vancouver's best power-play performers. Paul Stastny, Colorado A heady center, Stastny has the ability to play with a variety of forwards. But if he can not make this team as a top-two center, his options may well be limited. So far, he has done enough to do just that. Scott Gomez, Montreal Gomez has experience going for him. He is one of just five players in the orientation pool this summer that has Olympic experience. That can't be discounted on what will be a young and untried team. It would help, however, if Gomez recaptured the form that marked his inclusion on the 2006 Olympic team. Bobby Ryan, Anaheim A natural finisher, Ryan scored 31 goals in just 64 NHL games last season. Now imagine him with a top-line center on Team USA's second line -- makes for a pretty pleasant image for Team USA supporters, eh? Tim Connolly, Buffalo Not on the orientation list, Connolly is making a solid push to be on the U.S. team come Jan. 1 -- if he can stay healthy. The big center hasn't played a full season since 2002-03, but he was a point-a-game player in a 48-game run last season and has been on a similar pace so far this season. If he makes it to late December without getting dinged, he would be an excellent option to give the Americans some size in the middle. Joe Pavelski, San Jose Pavelski was a hot topic of conversation at orientation camp in the summer after a 25-goal season with the Sharks in 2008-09. But a pretty significant injury put Pavelski back in the shadows. But not with us. We love the energy and skill he brings to the table, as evidenced by his strong return to the lineup. There you have it -- my Team USA. It certainly is a little different from what Burke might be considering right now, but I think it is a team that can be medal-competitive in Vancouver. It is very strong in skill-specific players, although it admittedly does lack some size, which would not please Burke or coach Ron Wilson very much. There also are some questions about the goaltending, as none of the three candidates has yet to play in a Stanley Cup Final game. And, there still are plenty of players out there that could change the makeup of the team. We still have our eyes on Quick in goal and absolutely would love to find room for Tim Gleason and Ron Hainsey on defense. We're also partial to Mike Komisarek, but don't see how he makes this team with his current form, although Burke and Wilson love what he brings to the table. Up front, Brian Gionta, David Booth and Ryan Malone still have shots to upset the apple cart. We'll see you again in mid-December with a final update before the real GMs pick Team USA on Jan. 1 during the broadcast of the 2010 NHL Bridgestone Winter Classic from Fenway Park in Boston (NBC, CBC, 1 p.m. ET). Shawn P. Roarke Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:07:00 EST http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=506454 http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=505711&cmpid=rss-paterson For all of their years in Canuck colours, it has simply been an accepted truth about the Sedins – Daniel is the goal scorer and Henrik is his able accomplice feeding him those passes that allow him to find the back of the net. And when they’re both healthy and in the line-up, the twins have used that formula to become one of the top one-two offensive punches in the National Hockey League. But as anyone who has watched the Canucks this season is well-aware, Daniel hasn’t been healthy nor in the line-up. And Henrik, well, he hasn’t really been Henrik – at least not the play-making twin Canuck fans have become so familiar with over the years. In his brother’s absence, Henrik has developed a nose for the net and, after recording the first hat trick of his NHL career on Saturday in Denver, he now leads the hockey club with a dozen goals on the season. More from PATERSON Jeff Paterson is a Team 1040 broadcaster and a regular contributor to the Georgia Straight. More Jeff Paterson articles This week on Canucks.com What really matters What does preseason mean? Changes on the horizon Draft wrap 2009 With Daniel about to return to action after missing a month with a broken bone in his foot, a fascinating study is about to play out. Henrik has 12 goals on the season, Daniel has none and a quarter of the 2009-10 National Hockey League campaign is in the books. So we have to ask: which Sedin will finish the season with more goals? At first glance, the double-digit goal edge for Henrik hardly seems insurmountable for a proven goal-scorer like his brother. But at the same time, Daniel’s basically starting his season over, may require a little time to find his scoring touch and who knows what Henrik’s total will be before Daniel gets his first one. With 12 goals in 21 games this season, Henrik’s on pace for 47 goals – more than double the career-best 22 he scored last season. Now, even Henrik would have to admit he’s not likely to push the 50-goal mark. It’s just not who he is or what his game is all about. But with the start he’s had, it’s hard to think that Henrik won’t score 25 goals and he’s put himself in position now to take pretty good run at 30. Daniel, on the other hand, has yet to score a goal this season and now has 61 games remaining to do his damage. Daniel has scored 60 goals over the past two years, so let’s make the safe assumption that he would have potted 30 had he played the full season. But he now has to make up for lost time and a 30-goal scorer playing three-quarters of a season projects out to around 22 goals for the year. So Henrik looks like he should be a shoe-in for 25 while Daniel’s going to have to hustle to reach 25. Again, we ask: which Sedin will finish the season with more goals? It’s natural to assume that Daniel’s return will cut into Henrik’s goal production to some degree. But Henrik can’t allow himself to revert to always being the playmaker. Even with Daniel in the line-up, Henrik has to continue doing what he’s been doing and shooting the puck when he has opportunities. Only once in their eight years in the league has Henrik outscored Daniel. It was the twins’ second season with the Canucks (2001-02) when Henrik had 16 goals to Daniel’s nine. Since then, however, the two have settled into their separate roles – Daniel as the triggerman and Henrik as one of the top set-up guys in the NHL. Over the past four seasons, Daniel and Henrik have combined to score 40, 46, 44 and 53 goals for the Vancouver Canucks with Daniel always leading the way. That may change this year. But a quick look at the numbers reveals that that change may have begun late last year when over the final 27 games of the season Henrik outscored Daniel 12-6. Add on all that’s taken place so far this season and Henrik has bagged 24 of the last 30 goals scored by a Sedin. It goes without saying that the Sedins want to perform at the highest level possible and contribute as much as they can to greater good of the team. But there is – and always has been – a natural sibling rivalry and anyone that knows them is well aware that they are highly competitive individuals in all they do. So now that Daniel’s back on the ice, you can bet that he wants to reel in his brother in the goal scoring department. But can he overcome Henrik’s 12-goal head-start? That’s a sizeable edge. The best case scenario for the hockey club is that Henrik continues to score on a regular basis and that Daniel catches fire upon his return to action and that both eclipse the 25 goal mark by season’s end. Having the two playing together again should be a boost for the Vancouver Canucks and should cause problems for their opponents. But it also presents an interesting race -- and a game within the game -- to see which Sedin will come out on top in the goal-scoring department this season. Jeff Paterson Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:33:00 EST http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=505711 http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=506368&cmpid=rss-jory Roberto Luongo is back. Were you smart enough to buy when his stocks were low? Roberto Luongo, oh how we missed thee. The Vancouver Canucks went six games without their captain and while Andrew Raycroft and Cory Schneider filled in admirably, there’s no arguing the Canucks are a better team with Lui on his throne. From a fantasy standpoint, having Luongo back made a monster difference as far as points go. If you were savvy enough to invest in shares of Luongo LTD (KickPadSave) since his return, theres’s a good chance you’re currently king of the castle. Luongo made 26 saves against the Red Wings in his first start since October 27 for 11 fantasy points and followed that up with 34 points off a 32-save win over the Avalanche in which he earned a game-star and was third in Canucks Fantasy scoring. Any fantasy player knows that the one thing that separates winners from losers is consistency and right now that's spelled L-u-o-n-g-o. THE WEEK THAT WAS From being blown out by St. Louis to blowing out Colorado, Vancouver experienced some real highs and lows to end its five-game, 10-day road trip. Nothing went right for the Canucks against the Blues last Tuesday as the visitors gave up four goals in the first 7:36 of the opening period in a 6-1 loss. This porous effort translated into a loss in the standings and a lot of lost points for those playing Canucks Fantasy Hockey. Canucks Extras This week on Canucks.com Canucks Fantasy Hockey With an assist, plus-1 rating, two shots, two hits, three faceoffs won and a blocked shot, Ryan Kesler led all Canucks with 22 fantasy points; he was the only player to eclipse the 11-point mark. Who knew selecting a line-up for this game would be like trying to step around landmines as although 14 Canucks had at least one fantasy point, six finished in the minus. Yikes. Fantasy points were once again few and far between two nights later when the Canucks lost their third consecutive game, mainly because Vancouver only managed to score a single goal. Kevin Bieksa and Ryan Kesler led the charge with 14 and 13 points thanks to a power play assist each and a handful of shots, hits and blocks. For the second time this season Vancouver emerged from a funk in sizzling style. After opening the year with three loses, the Canucks thumped Montreal 7-1. This time around Colorado got the brunt of the rage in a 8-2 Canucks win on Saturday. In an eight goal effort it’s not surprising that every single player had a minimum of four fantasy points. Henrik Sedin’s first career hat trick capped off a 42-point performance, which included a game-star, while Mason Raymond (31), Ryan Johnson (37), Jannik Hansen (39), Kevin Bieksa (30) and Roberto Luongo (34) all had over 30 points. WE HAVE A WINNER Not picking a goalie paid off for judnuck and diogiman as they finished atop the leaderboard with 77 points apiece in Vancouver’s 6-1 loss to St. Louis. Although most of us want to forget this game ever happened, judnuck and diogiman should cherish their first victory of the season. The combo of Kesler, Wellwood, Bieksa and Glass combined for 54 points and vaulted both into first place. Although Robero Luongo held his own against the Red Wings, lore396 opted for 10 skaters, including four defencemen, instead and it paid off. lore396 held off LGall by four points to win this game 82-78. The offensive success of the Canucks translates directly into success at Canucks Fantasy Hockey, as nucks1 can attest. nucks1 had 11 players on their roster, game-stars Luongo and Hansen were in that mix, and only two, Rypien and Wellwood, scored less than 17 points. A new Canucks Fantasy Hockey record was set by nucks1 as 273 points helped them finish numero uno in the TELUS Game of the Week and tickets to the Canucks/Blackhawks game on November 22nd. Click here to check out the leaderboard, it's a jumble of 5,372 fantasy fanatics. THE WEEK AHEAD You don’t have to worry about setting your fantasy roster for another four days as the Canucks are off until Friday before finishing up the strangest home-and-home series ever when Colorado comes to town. It’s Family Night at GM Place on the 20th, hopefully all the kiddies in attendance will get to witness another TKO by the Canucks. FRESH PICKS Ryan Kesler - $4 million – This past week Kesler put up 45 fantasy points over three games, good for an average of 15. To put those numbers in perspective, Kesler had eight less points in three contests than Kyle Wellwood has had all season. Not to compare apples and oranges, but Kesler continues to be a constant contributor with goals, shots, hits and blocks. Get him. Now. Jannik Hansen - $1 million – Not many Canucks are averaging a point a game this season, but Hansen is. Does it matter that he’s only been back for two games? Probably. At $1 million he’s worth his weight in gold right now though and as Vancouver continues to search for scoring depth, Hansen will likely be there to step up. The Danish Duke is back and your line-up should reflect that. Roberto Luongo - $5 million – The ribs are healed and the man behind the mask will be nice and rested when the Avalanche roll into town on Friday. He was in the zone against them this past weekend and a repeat performance could be in the cards. Forget about Steve Bernier, Shane O’Brien and Wellwood and purchase Luongo. Right now, he’s a slam dunk. INJURY UPDATE Michael Grabner (fractured ankle), Alex Bolduc (shoulder), and RW Pavol Demitra (shoulder) are all on the injured reserve list. Daniel Sedin (broken foot) is as well, but there is talk of him returning to action as soon as this Friday. DISCLAIMER While I claim to be the Canucks Fantasy Hockey swami, the man with all the answers and a crystal ball as clear as they come, this is very self-described. Most of my picks are backed by stats, while others come from the gut. Use with caution!   Derek Jory Mon, 16 Nov 2009 21:53:00 EST http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=506368 http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=506148&cmpid=rss-jory You want to know what happened in the Canucks game and you want to know now. We get it. Here’s the bare bones recap of Vancouver’s 8-2 win over Colorado. …Steve Bernier scored his fifth goal of the season off a quick shot in front of the Colorado goal 11:17 into the third period. Bernier’s goal, which was set up by a heads up pass out front from Ryan Johnson, came 25 seconds after Matt Hendricks cut Vancouver’s once commanding 4-0 lead to 4-2; the score snuffed out any comeback attempt Colorado had in mind. A quick start to Vancouver’s fifth and final game on a 10-day road trip had the Canucks up 1-0 less than two minutes into the first period thanks to Henrik Sedin. Hank had the Canucks up 2-0 in a flash before Jannik Hansen netted his first of the season. The Canucks led 3-0 after the first and 4-0 after forty minutes of play, but the Avalanche fought back early in the third with two goals before the flood gates opened for Vancouver. Bernier had two goals, Tanner Glass had a single and Henrik completed the hat trick in Vancouver’s best offensive performance of the season. Vancouver needed two things on this night: goals and quick start. Henrik Sedin was happy to provide both. Hank scored his 10th goal of the season just 1:57 after puck drop, he then put the Canucks up 2-0 five minutes later. The Canucks assistant captain took his foot off the gas offensively until late in the third frame when he converted a perfect one-timer from Alex Edler to record his first career Hank trick. Sorry, hat trick. Normally a think-pass-first type player, Henrik has proven he can light the lamp in the absence of brother Daniel. In 17 games without Daniel, Hank has nine goals and 17 points. FYI - Vancouver’s last hat trick came on November 21, 2007 when Markus Naslund beat Josh Harding three times in a 4-2 win over the Minnesota Wild. The Canucks displayed such majestic firepower against the Avalanche that Roberto Luongo’s 32-save effort, one of his best of the season, could be easily overlooked. It shouldn’t be. Luongo has been in fine form since returning from a rib injury against St. Louis and versus Colorado he was here, there and everywhere. His best stops on the night were a pair he strung together midway through the third period just before the Avalanche finally scored on the power play. The first save was of the mind-blowing glove variety as Luongo somehow found the puck through a bushel of players to stop a sure goal from the point. The second was a perfectly timed skid across the crease where he got his left pad over just in time to rob Darcy Tucker on a one-timer at the side of the goal. Wawaweewa! Thirteen Canucks recorded at least a single point in Vancouver’s finest offensive showing of the season, with eight players collecting two or more. Henrik Sedin led the way with his first career hat trick, followed by Mason Raymond and Ryan Johnson who had three assists each. Vancouver finished with a rating of plus-30 overall, fifteen different Canucks found themselves with a plus-1 or better. Jannik Hansen, Christian Ehrhoff and Ryan Johnson were all plus-3. Mathieu Schneider, the first defenceman to find the back of the net for the Canucks in eight games, on his second goal of the season and how traffic in front of the goal made all the difference: “We’ve been getting an awful lot of shots and getting a lot of shots through, our guys have been doing a great job getting more and more traffic at the net, which is something we’re talking about everyday. Nine out of 10 shots you’re not going to beat guys clean in this league, you’ve got to get screens and you’ve got to get traffic and there was certainly traffic there.” After a hectic five-game, 10-day road trip, the Canucks return home for a five-game stand. Hectic can’t be used in reference to this stint though, as Vancouver has five days off before finishing off this home-and-home with Colorado next Friday. The Canucks sport an impressive 7-2-0 record at GM Place this season, they’re one of only five teams to have hit the seven win mark on home ice thus far. NUMBERS 1 – Goal scored by Jannik Hansen, his first of the season. 3 – Goals for Henrik Sedin for his first career hat trick. 3 – Assists each for Ryan Johnson and Mason Raymond. 13 – Canucks recorded at least a single point. 15 – Canucks had a plus-1 rating or better. 32 – Saves for Roberto Luongo in his first win since October 25 in a 2-0 shutout over Edmonton. OFFENCE Talk about a slump buster. After scoring only three goals in the last three games, Vancouver pumped Colorado for eight scores and chased Craig Anderson from the net after the second period. Henrik Sedin got the game's first star for his hat trick effort, but credit goes to the supporting cast, especially the likes of Ryan Johnson, Steve Bernier, Matt Pettinger and Tanner Glass, who all had their moments in this game. DEFENCE Offence from the defence was needed to help the Canucks end their three-game skid and the back end combined for four points, including a Mathieu Schneider goal, his second of the season and the first from a blueliner since October 27. Roberto Luongo was stellar in goal making 32 stops in his seventh win of the season. SPECIAL TEAMS Both teams scored once on the power play; Vancouver went 1-for-6, Colorado was 1-for-5. Derek Jory Sat, 14 Nov 2009 20:26:00 EST http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=506148 http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=506434&cmpid=rss-News in English Trinity Western University Titans Hockey team is very excited to host the Vancouver Canuck Alumni on December 5, 2009 at 7:00pm. It will be a benefit game held at the George Preston arena complex (20699 – 42nd Ave). A message from Dwayne Lowdermilk, Head Coach/GM of TWU Titans Hockey Team. We are honored to have the Vancouver Canuck Alumni play the TWU Titans team and the players look forward to rubbing shoulders with their hockey heroes. This game will sponsor the further recruiting and development of education for the TWU players in future years as a Scholarship fundraiser. Titans enter their 3rd season in the 3yr old BCIHL hockey league which is quickly growing and expanding with opportunities for graduating junior players wishing to further their hockey and educational degrees. This event is a further step for the league and the teams to be able to offer financial support to students through scholarships. This is Trinity Titans first attempt to reach its goals of support dollars for next season. The Canuck Alumni have been a large part in BC support with special events and fundraisers and the Trinity Western University Titans Hockey team is very excited to have this opportunity and want to thank the Canucks Alumni in advance and applaud their continued success and workings in this Province. For more information on the event please click here. Story by Leah Peden, Canucks Centre Student Associate   Vancouver Canucks Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:53:00 EST http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=506434 http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=505912&cmpid=rss-jory You want to know what happened in the Canucks game and you want to know now. We get it. Here’s the bare bones recap of Vancouver’s 3-1 loss to Detroit. …Niklas Kronwall cleared the puck down the ice and into Vancouver’s empty net with 56 seconds left in the third period. The Canucks trailed 2-1 with time winding down in the game when Roberto Luongo took a seat for an extra attacker. A frantic push by Vancouver had Detroit on its heels until Kronwall’s innocent clearing attempt found the button. This game, the second of the season between the Canucks and Red Wings, was even at 1-1 before Henrik Zetterberg scored a highlight reel goal to put the home side up for good. Detroit backup netminder Jimmy Howard got the call in absence of an ill Chris Osgood, he turned aside 31 shots for just his fourth career win. Howard already had a win against Vancouver this year meaning half of his career victories have come against the Canucks this season. Roberto Luongo was the main reason this game was as tight as it was for as long as it was. In his first start since facing the Red Wings on October 27, Luongo stopped 26 of 28 shots, including 13 in the second period, in holding the Canucks in this contest until the bitter end. Luongo, who is typically slow coming off of injuries, was in fine form all night as even the pucks that snuck past him, the first on a wicked tip in front, the other courtesy of a one-in-one hundred shot, were next to unstoppable. With a save percentage of .929, Luongo statistically had his sixth best showing of the season. Mason Raymond and Rick Rypien. One scored a goal, the other scored a near knockout. Raymond, continuing his hot streak, scored for the eighth time this season and fourth time on the power play when he performed a perfect triple sow cow in front of Howard, Kevin Bieksa let a point shot fly upon his decent and the puck went off Raymond’s skate and in. That was all the puck luck Vancouver had on this night. Rypien, continuing his streak of pummeling everyone, dropped the mitts with Brad May early in the first period. May deserves credit for how he started the fight, a little one-two how-you-doin’, but at the midway point this trolley ran out of steam and Rypien cranked the chuckers up to spin cycle. Lefts and rights were falling like raindrops; the icing on the cake was that Rypien got part of May’s jersey over his head to finish the tilt. It’s no coincidence that Vancouver has only scored one goal in each of its past three games and that they’ve all been losses. The Canucks are mired in a scoring slump right now and with Daniel Sedin, the team’s leading goal scorer from last season, unavailable until next week, the offence needs to put forth a better team effort Saturday in Colorado to avoid dropping four straight. Mason Raymond is clearly doing his part, the same can’t be said for players like Alex Burrows (one goal in 15 games), Steve Bernier (one goal in nine games) and Kyle Wellwood (0 goals in 16 games). Mason Raymond on the disappointing outcome and his stellar play of late: ”I think we played a lot better than the score showed out there. I think we did a lot of good things that we talked about yesterday at practice, the unfortunate thing is that we ran into bit of a hot goalie and made a few costly mistakes.” ”Things are feeling pretty good. Shots are going in. The puck went out to the point for Kevin and I can’t say I planned that one, but I’ll take it, the bounces are finally starting to go my way a bit, so it’s nice. You take those when you can get them.” The Canucks look to end their second three-game losing streak of the season Saturday night when they face the Avalanche in Colorado. Vancouver and Colorado have traded 3-0 wins this season with both teams winning on home ice. After Saturday’s game the Canucks have five days off before hosting the Avalanche on Friday, November 20. NUMBERS 1 – Goal scored by the Canucks in each of their last three games. 3 – Straight losses for Vancouver, the second time this season the team has dropped three in a row. 3 – Canucks who were held without shots. Fifteen others combined for 32 shots. 8 – Goals for Mason Raymond this season, he's got three in the last four games. 26 – Saves for Roberto Luongo in his first start since October 27. OFFENCE The Canucks shook off their 6-1 loss to the Blues in style as they came out firing on all cylinders and heavily outplayed the Red Wings in the first period. Unfortunately that didn't result in any scores. Vancouver had a lot of chances to score in this game, including a Ryan Kesler post on a breakaway in the second period, but goals were hard to come by. Shots were 32-29 in favour of the Canucks. DEFENCE Roberto Luongo and his blueliners put together a good overall outing as two of Detroit's three goals, Zetterberg's and the empty-netter, were preventable only by luck. Luongo looked good in his second action in as many games; if the Canucks can get their offence flowing again the team will be back in business. SPECIAL TEAMS Vancouver had a chance to pop this game open during back-to-back power plays in the second period, but after Raymond scored one power play earlier, the Canucks simply couldn't get the puck on goal. Vancouver finished 1-for-5. Detroit scored its first goal on the man advantage finishing 1-for-2. Derek Jory Thu, 12 Nov 2009 20:10:00 EST http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=505912 http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=505488&cmpid=rss-devji Canucks prospect Anton Rodin just wants to play. Plain and simple. When Anton Rodin plays, he plays well. The only problem is, he doesn’t play very much. Rodin scored a goal on his first shift, and added an assist and a penalty as Sweden’s national junior defeated the Carleton Ravens 5-1 in their first of three World Junior tune-up games earlier this month. Not bad for a night’s work, one might think. Try again. Rodin’s first shift came in the third period. He wasn’t even supposed to play at all. He started the game as the 13th forward, but was forced into action after Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson left the game with a concussion. Rodin spent the first two periods sitting on the bench, cheering on his teammates. And he’s been doing a lot of that this year over in Sweden. After putting up 55 points in 37 games with the Brynas junior team last season, Rodin made the jump the men’s team in the Swedish Elite League this season, where he is averaging just over six minutes of ice-time per game. And he’s found it to be a big change. “It’s been like upside-down, I think,” said the Canucks second-round draft-pick in last summer’s entry draft. “It’s hard to get the ice time. It’s frustrating, of course. You want to play as much as you can. But I’m doing my best and that’s all I can do.” Canucks Extras This week on Canucks.com Prospects Central And his best has impressed Canucks scout Inge Hammarstrom, who lives on the same street as Rodin in Gavle, Sweden, the city in which Brynas plays. “When he plays, he’s been good, and at times sensational,” said Hammarstrom, who is currently in Finland scouting a tournament of 1992-born players. Hammarstrom talks to Rodin on a regular basis, with the goal of mainly just trying to keep his spirits up. “I try to just give him advice, cheer him up, and keep pushing him to work hard,” said Hammarstrom. “If he can battle through this, he will come back to North America and produce.” Hammarstrom says that he has been in contact with Brynas’ management, and if Rodin doesn’t start to see more ice time, he might be sent down to the Allsvenkan league, where he would likely see 20-25 minutes per night. The Allsvenkan league is also a men’s league in Sweden, just a lower level, equivalent to the AHL in relation to the NHL. Although Hammarstrom says coming over to play in North America is not being considered as an option at the moment, Rodin admits that he’s thought about it. “I’ll take it one year at a time,” said Rodin, who tries to follow the Canucks as much as he can. “But there are thoughts about that. Right now, I’m just focusing on playing as well as I can in Brynas.” Judging by the fact that he was named to Sweden’s preliminary roster for next month’s World Junior Championships in Saskatchewan, he must be doing something right. Rickard Gronborg, Sweden’s team manager, says that there may be a difference of two or three players when the final roster is named, but he likes what Rodin brings to the table. “Anton is obviously a very smart player with the puck,” said Gronborg. “He’s an intelligent hockey player and I think that’s the biggest thing for him. I mean his skills and everything else are very good, but what sticks out for me is that he’s a smart player out there.” By all accounts, there’s a very good chance he’ll be in Saskatchewan next month when Sweden goes for gold, and he’s looking forward to the opportunity. “Of course, I’m excited,” said Rodin. “It’s fun. You know, coming here to play more than 10 minutes like I do at home.” Rodin just wants to play, and he continually proves that he can. So, just let the kid play. Farhan Devji is a freelance journalist based in Ottawa. Find out more about him and his journalism dream here.   Farhan Devji Wed, 11 Nov 2009 09:36:00 EST http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=505488 http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=505497&cmpid=rss-News in English It's time for the fans to take charge and not just the invisible rabid ones. I’ve been a Canuck fan my entire life. Really. There’s a picture of me as a baby, eyes glued to Curt Ridley on the TV. I started playing hockey because I wanted to be like Richard Brodeur. And to this day, I pick only Canucks in my playoff pool. So, I’m a great fan, a terrible gambler, but a great fan. When I was a kid, we cheered on the Canucks. Now, we wait for something to happen. When did it change? Is it because the Canucks were so horrible before, that we had to entertain ourselves, or were we better fans back then? Has the true fan been priced out of the arena? I don’t know, I have no answers. But, I’m told this column has to be at least 600 words. So, here’s some more of ‘em. I’ve never liked the negative cheers. Yelling “You Suck!” should, in my opinion, only be thrown at a ref, an opposing player, or Leaf fans. Never a player on our own team. The “Go Canucks Go!” cheer should be released in times of need, not just when things are going well. It never comes out when the Canucks are going through a rough patch. Instead a flurry of boos fill the air like grandpa farts on Christmas eve. More from EWANUICK Fred Ewanuick gets paid to pretend for a living, and has never played professional hockey. fred-ewanuick.com This week on Canucks.com I’ve heard that we’re smart fans, that we know when to cheer, and when not to cheer. But, isn’t it our job as fans to pump up the Canucks. Do all in our power to get the other team off their game? Give the Canucks a boost when the tanks running low? That’s what happens at other levels of hockey. Why is it different for the NHL? At every other level the fans make a difference. The fans get the team going, not the other way around. We seem to wait to cheer. Wait for them to earn it. I think the most important time to cheer is when the Canucks need us the most. When they’re playing their worst. It would make for a more euphoric feeling when there’s a goal, or a big hit. We would have had a part in that occurrence. We would in essence be a member of the team. An extra attacker, not on the ice, but hovering just over the playing surface. Like that invisible army of the dead from Lord of the Rings. The Canucks would be unstoppable! (Evil Laugh!) I don’t care how much these guys make, they’re still hockey players. And what hockey player isn’t pumped up by an arena filled with invisible rabid fans, hovering inches over their heads, cheering them on. Maybe we could look to other sports for help. When a visiting QB is getting ready for the snap, the fans make it impossible for the line to hear the count. And more times than not, a player will jump offside. The fans did that, and not just the invisible rabid ones. How could that work in hockey? Maybe when a time out is called, instead of making a text to our stock broker guy, we could make so much noise, that the players can’t hear the coach’s play, and the center draws the puck back when he was supposed to go forward. Or, when the Canucks are killing a penalty, we steal from basketball and get that “De-Fense” clap cheer combo thing going. Or, MAYBE, we could sing those songs like they do at soccer games! ... You know what, forget that last thing. Okay, now, as I’m sitting here preaching, I’m watching the Canucks lose to the Blues, and I’m screaming some pretty horrible things at the TV. Things I’m pretty sure would get me arrested in Singapore. Yes, directed at the Canucks. It’s clear this won’t be an easy task. But, I’m going to give it a go. I’m going to go a little Oprah here and start using the power of the universe for the Canucks greater good. It’s a dangerous road, I know, we’re talking about the universe here. It’s worth the risk. The Canucks need it. We, as fans, need it, and I’m pretty sure Oprah needs it. (My buddy Marco tells me she’s a huge Canuck Fan.) I want to see the Canucks hoist the cup, before I’m so old that I throw my back out celebrating as Kyle Wellwood pops in the overtime winner in the seventh game of the Stanley Cup final. Yeah, Kyle Wellwood ... Why not? As Canuck fans we should see ourselves as part of the team, and not just spectators, or critics. Lets leave that position for the Tony Gallaghers of the world. Go Canucks Go!   Vancouver Canucks Wed, 11 Nov 2009 09:05:00 EST http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=505497 http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=505601&cmpid=rss-jory You want to know what happened in the Canucks game and you want to know now. We get it. Here’s the bare bones recap of Vancouver’s 6-1 loss to St. Louis. …St. Louis scored three goals in a span of just 1:54 early in the first period to take a commanding 4-0 lead. The Blues, who had scored only four goals in their last five games, all loses, got on the scoreboard just 18 seconds into the game and they didn’t let up from there winning 6-1. Brad Boyes led the way with a goal and three assists for the Blues, while David Perron recorded his first career hat trick and Andy McDonald had a goal and two helpers in his 500th NHL games. Henrik Sedin had the lone goal for the Canucks, who have now lost consecutive games for the first time since dropping three straight to start the season. It might be a playground way of looking at things, but in this 6-1 drubbing, at least the Canucks managed to score on Blues netminder Chris Mason. Breaking Mason’s shutout bid was one of the only bright spots for the Canucks in this lopsided affair; Henrik Sedin accomplished the feat a minute into the third period when he squeaked a puck just over the goal line. Ryan Kesler set the play up by stealing the puck from Mason behind the goal before dishing it to Hank. Henrik now has nine goals and 20 points on the season, the Canucks assistant captain is only five scores off Ante Kopitar and Alex Ovechkin’s NHL-high 14. On a night when nine Canucks finished with a minus-rating and the team combined to go minus-15 overall, Ryan Kesler and Mason Raymond each managed to salmon their way up stream at plus-1. Kesler and Raymond were Vancouver’s two strongest forwards and their ice time reflected that as they each played 22 shifts and had 18:13 and 16:31 of ice time. With an assist on the Sedin goal, Kesler now has 17 points on the year, while Raymond was held without a point for the first time in five games. Canucks netminder Andrew Raycroft came into this contest having won three straight starts in place of Roberto Luongo, he was also first in the NHL with a goals against average of 1.60 and second with a save percentage of .936. In allowing four goals on 13 shots in the first period against the Blues, Raycroft got the hook as Luongo made his return to the net. Raycroft dipped his head on the bench and his numbers took a dip as well as he fell to sixth in both goals against and save percentage. The Canucks have Wednesday to lick their wounds and refocus before heading into Detroit on Thursday. The Canucks and Red Wings have face each other once already this season with Detroit walking out of Vancouver with a 5-4 win thanks to a late goal Jason Williams. Thursday’s game will be the second in as many nights for the Wings as they face the Columbus Blue Jackets Wednesday evening. NUMBERS 4 – Goals against for Andrew Raycroft; 2 for Roberto Luongo. 4 – Shots for Mikael Samuelsson, a team-high. 9 – Goals for Henrik Sedin, he scored a career-high 22 last season. 56 – Penalty minutes handed to the Canucks on 14 penalties. 4 – Fighting majors dealt to Vancouver; Bieksa received two, Hordichuk and Glass had one each. OFFENCE Vancouver hit Chris Mason with 23 shots, although 21 of them came in the opening two periods. Once the Canucks were well behind the eight-ball, they struggled offensively with only two shots in the third. Mikael Samuelsson had a team-high four shots, he leads the team with 66 overall. DEFENCE This was far from a good effort on the back end as St. Louis exposed flaws in Vancouver's defense and on at least two goals Vancouver defenders were caught out of position. Vancouver's goaltending wasn't much better as Raycroft struggled allowing four goals on 13 shots, while Luongo stopped 15 of 17 shots. SPECIAL TEAMS The Canucks took eight minors and 14 penalties overall, that gave the Blues a lot of time on the power play, although St. Louis only went 1-for-6. Vancouver responded with an 0-for-4 effort with the man advantage. Derek Jory Tue, 10 Nov 2009 20:21:00 EST http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=505601 http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=505498&cmpid=rss-jory Rome has made it to the NHL's summit, but playing alongside his brothers still means the most It never dawned on Canucks defenceman Aaron Rome that the odds of winning the lottery or getting struck by lightning were better than playing in the NHL. Rome, an off-season pick up by Vancouver, wasn’t concerned about making it to the big show as a kid, he was just trying to keep pace with older brothers who had a step on him at the rink. The third of four boys, Rome grew up in Nesbitt, Manitoba, a community so small it isn’t even worthy of a label on Google maps. He got his start in hockey like every other kid from the prairies, the 26-year-old played because “there’s not much else to do in Manitoba in the winter.” It was either play hockey, ice fish or build snowmen – the choice was clear. “My dad took a liking to the game and even though he never played, he got my brothers started in hockey. It just trickled down to all of us and once we started, we just never quit. We each fell in love with it.” Canucks Extras This week on Canucks.com Rome harvested that love and cultivated it into an undying passion for hockey; he lived and breathed the game as he worked his way up through the ranks from the SMHL to the WHL to the AHL to the NHL. The unique thing about Rome’s story is that as he played his way from frigid rinks in the middle of who-knows-where Manitoba to the most elite league in the world, he was never alone. Just as Aaron ran with his NHL dream, so too did brothers Ryan (30), Reagan (28) and Ashton (24), the latter being the only forward of the group. It’s one thing to have family support away from the game, it’s another to have it on the ice. “I actually got a chance to play junior with Ashton in Moose Jaw for three months, so that was pretty cool, and we lived together too,” said Aaron. “I played with Reagan on two different occasions, we played together in Saskatoon in junior for two weeks and we actually played together, we were defensive partners, and then I played pro with him in Cincinnati, he got called up for a weekend when he was playing in Reading and we played two games together as D partners again so that was pretty cool. “Ryan is the only one I’ve never had a chance to play on a team with.” Of the four Rome brothers, Aaron and Ashton were drafted by NHL clubs, Aaron to the Los Angeles Kings 104th overall in 2002, Ashton to the San Jose Sharks 143rd overall in 2006, although all four made it to at least the minor pro level. The fact that their hometown boasts a population of fewer than 30 people makes that an incredible feat. While Aaron credits his brothers with helping him become the versatile defenceman that has slotted into Vancouver’s line-up for 10 games already this season (some as forward), it was his parents Dennis and Karen that made his NHL dream a reality. “As I’m sure every guy at this level would say, my parents played a huge role in my brothers and I having a go at hockey. They gave up a lot of their social life, a lot of time and a lot of money, a lot of mileage on the cars too, just to give us an opportunity to play hockey and not just in the winter, but in the summer as well. “We went and played in Brandon because the hockey was better and our parents made a huge sacrifice there. Some of the hockey was even better outside so we moved to Souris and played for some really good teams there and really developed so my parents made some big sacrifices by moving. They spent a lot of time and a lot of money over the years.” Ryan no longer plays minor pro hockey, while Reagan continues to duke it out bouncing from league to league. Last season he was with the Lausitzer Foxes, before that he split time between the AHL and ECHL, same as Ashton, who is currently playing for the Idaho Steelheads in the ECHL. Aaron is the only Rome with NHL experience to his name and he’s made the most of it having already on a Stanley Cup - kind of. Rome was recalled by the Anaheim Ducks for their Cup run in 2006 and although he didn’t suit up during the Stanley Cup final, he did appear in one playoff game which was enough for the team to bestow him with a championship ring and let him spend a day with the Cup. Rome didn’t strike it rich playing the lottery and he’s never been zapped by lightning, instead he not only defied the odds of making the NHL, but he made it to the league's highest summit. Still, Rome's best hockey memories are the good old days of playing alongside his brothers. “We played a lot of road hockey games at home and it was always Ryan and Ashton, the oldest and the youngest together, against me and Reagan, the two middle boys. We thought that was fair but I’m pretty sure we won the majority of the games.”   Derek Jory Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:11:00 EST http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=505498 http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=505465&cmpid=rss-jory Ryan Kesler, Alex Edler and Cory Schneider: two of these things are not like the other... A wacky week it was in terms of Canucks Fantasy Hockey as in three games Vancouver had three different players emerge as fantasy threats – two of which likely weren’t on your radar. Ryan Kesler has been having a great season offensively as he’s second only to Henrik Sedin in team scoring with five goals and 11 assists in 18 games. Kesler is second to no one in terms of fantasy scoring though, his 318 points is a whopping 56 more than Hank’s 262. Henrik may have more real points, but Kesler adds hits and blocks to his impressive fantasy total. Kesler put together a gem of a game to start the week with three assists in a 4-1 win over the Rangers; he also had a game-star to finish with 46 points. Following his fine showing, Kesler went pointless in back-to-back games for just the third time this season, which opened the door for others to contribute. Alex Edler and Cory Schneider waltzed on through and each had their moment in the spotlight as a fantasy stud to close out the week. THE WEEK THAT WAS After starting the week with a thrashing of the Rangers, the Canucks set out on an 11-day road trip that began with back-to-back games in Minnesota and Dallas. Canucks Extras This week on Canucks.com Canucks Fantasy Hockey Let’s be honest here: put your hand up if A- you thought Vancouver and Minnesota would combine for seven goals, or B – you expected Edler, Johnson, Burrows, Pettinger or Hordichuk to be major fantasy contributors. Anyone? That’s how things played out in Vancouver’s 5-2 win as Edler led the way with a pair of helpers, a plus-two rating and a game-star for a 34 point outing. Ryan Johnson, playing in his first game since October 27, was second with 27 fantasy points, largely because he collected his first assist of the season and was a plus-two, but also as a result of his five blocked shots and 7-for-9 showing at the faceoff dot. Alex Burrows had his first multi-point game of the season to finish with 26 fantasy points, while Matt Pettinger and Darcy Hordichuk both scored for the first time this year to give them 23 and 22 points each, respectively. If you thought the Canucks and Stars were bound for an offensive shootout and made picks based on a high-scoring tilt, you likely didn’t fair too well in Vancouver’s 2-1 loss in Dallas. If you went with Cory Schneider in his first start of the season, you were heavily rewarded as he stopped 45 shots en route to a 32 fantasy point performance, including a game-star. In a game of surprising contributors, Shane O’Brien, Tanner Glass and Ryan Johnson had 13, 11 and 10 points, even though none of them found the scoresheet. WE HAVE A WINNER It turns out Susie Q is more than just a dance step in the Lindy Hop as SuzieQ came up big in Vancouver’s win over New York by picking Kesler (46), Samuelsson (34) and Raycroft (30), who all had game-stars, in 169 point fantasy performance, good for first place. SuzieQ had only seven players on their roster for what was only their third fantasy game of the season; lukekim employed a vastly different strategy spreading the love between 12 players in Vancouver’s win over Minnesota. Ten of the 12 players picked up at least two points for lukekim, six accumulated at least 20 points for a grand total of 167. JakeEllis was a close second finishing with 163 points. Cory Schneider certainly wasn’t the most popular pick when the Canucks played the Stars, but for only $2 million there wasn’t much risk in buying him. Schneider led 103 fantast competitors to 100 points or more, including winner james48, who edged out GForbes 137-135. Other than Schneider, james48 put his eggs in the baskets of Raymond and Bieksa and they combined for 37 points. For the second consecutive week tarzan is holds down the season leader position with 1877 points through 18 games. Click here to check out the leaderboard, it's a jumble of 5,105 fantasy fanatics. THE WEEK AHEAD The Canucks continue their five-game, 11-day road trip in St. Louis on Tuesday in their first game against the Blues since the playoffs last season. Vancouver will use Remembrance Day to get to Detroit where they will play the Red Wings on Thursday; the Canucks then have Friday off before traveling to Denver on Saturday to play the Avalanche in the second game of the Hockey Night in Canada double-header. FRESH PICKS Ryan Johnson - $1 million - In case you haven’t noticed, it’s time to add Vancouver’s hardest working player to your fantasy roster. At only $1 million, Ryan Johnson is well worth the price right now and it isn’t because of his offensive fortitude. Johnson has only one assist this season, his true fantasy value lies in the thankless jobs of blocking shots (23), hits (10) and faceoffs won (22). Mason Raymond - $2 million – Hot, hot, hot is the only way to describe Raymond’s play over the last five games. The third year forward came into the season wanting to be more consistent and through 13 games that wasn’t the case as Raymond had only three points. Asked to play a bigger role on offence due to the injuries, Raymond has responded with four goals and two assists over his last five games; his current five-game streak is a career best. Just 18 games into the season and Raymond is only four goals off his career best and 14 points off his career high. Christian Ehrhoff – $3 million – Only five Canucks have eclipsed 200 fantasy points this year and Ehrhoff is the only defenceman to accomplish the feat. He’s done this by being aggressive offensively and responsible in his own end, he’s got 12 points and 39 shots to go along with 14 hits and 16 blocks. Plus, he’s had a plus-rating in eight games and in fantasy it’s rating x 2 = big points. INJURY UPDATE Alex Bolduc (shoulder), Jannik Hansen (broken hand) and Pavol Demitra (shoulder) are all on injured reserve, while RW Michael Grabner is out indefinitely. Roberto Luongo (ribs) and Daniel Sedin (broken foot) are both with the team in St. Louis and could factor into the line-up this week. DISCLAIMER While I claim to be the Canucks Fantasy Hockey swami, the man with all the answers and a crystal ball as clear as they come, this is very self-described. Most of my picks are backed by stats, while others come from the gut. Use with caution!   Derek Jory Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:43:00 EST http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=505465 http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=505135&cmpid=rss-jory You want to know what happened in the Canucks game and you want to know now. We get it. Here’s the bare bones recap of Vancouver’s 2-1 loss to Dallas. …Marty Turco made a point-blank glove save on Alex Edler with the Canucks on the power play late in the third period. The Canucks trailed 2-1 at that point and Edler’s first goal of the season would have evened the game up, Turco had other plans as he flashed the leather for one of his 32 saves on the night. Although Turco came up big late, Cory Schneider outplayed the Dallas netminder on this night as he finished with 45 saves in his first start of the season. After making 22 stops in the first, Schneider was beat once in the second and again on the power play in the third to give the Stars a 2-0 lead. Mason Raymond scored his seventh goal of the season midway through a spirited third to cut the Dallas lead to 2-1, but that’s as close as the visitors got in Texas. With how well Andrew Raycroft has been playing in relief of Roberto Luongo, Cory Schneider getting the start in net for Vancouver was a gutsy call by coach Alain Vigneault. The gamble paid off as Schneider stopped 45 of 47 shots in the best showing of his young career; without his solid play in the first and second periods Vancouver would have trailed heavily heading into the third. Schneider has won two of six starts over the last two seasons and is now 2-5-1 in his career. Everybody loves Raymond in Vancouver and rightfully so, the 24-year-old has been a consistent contributor all season for the Canucks. Raymond scored his seventh goal of the season on a rebound in the third period against Dallas, he now has nine points on the season and is currently riding a five-game point streak with three goals and two assists over that stretch. Rewarded for his upstart play, Raymond led all Canucks forwards in ice time with 22:12 on 25 shifts. The 47 shots the Canucks faced was a season-high against, five more than they surrendered to Detroit earlier this season. The Stars had 22 shots in the first, 18 in the second and seven in the third. Vancouver was hit with 40 or more shots only four times last season, Calgary had a season-high 47 on April 7, 2009. Cory Schneider on the importance of his play to keeping Vancouver in this game: ”We played a lot of games, I think nine in the last 14 games and then back-to-back here so I knew guys would be a little tired and it was my job to keep them in it to give us a chance to win. We really came hard in the third and we almost tied it there a couple of times and just fell short. I think the whole team battled hard and they had a lot of shots, but a lot were from the outside and I saw all of them, which was good.” A much needed and much deserved rest comes Vancouver’s way as the Canucks have three days off before traveling to St. Louis to play the Blues on Tuesday. This break gives the Canucks time for some rest and relaxation, which means in all likelihood Vancouver could have a few more bodies in the line-up against the Blues. Finally. NUMBERS 5 – Hits for Tanner Glass, a team-high. 5 – Game point streak for Mason Raymond, he scored Vancouver's only goal. 14 – Consecutive penalties killed by the Canucks before Morrow scored in the third period. 47 – Shots for Dallas, the most Vancouver has faced this season. OFFENCE Vancouver's offence had a tough time getting going in this game and the team's shots reflected that as the Canucks had only 16 through two periods. The Canucks came to life in the third outshooting the Stars 17-7, but Marty Turco was too much in the end as he collected his 18th career win vs. Vancouver. DEFENCE Cory Schneider put on a clinic as the last line of defence for Vancouver with a career-high 45 saves. Without his outstanding play, this game would have made Vancouver's 7-2 loss to Anaheim look tight. Christian Ehrhoff led the backend in ice time with 23:29 on 26 shifts. SPECIAL TEAMS The Canucks were 0-for-2, while the Stars went 1-for-3. Vancouver had killed off 14 consecutive penalties before Morrow scored in the third period. Derek Jory Fri, 06 Nov 2009 22:25:00 EST http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=505135 http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=505068&cmpid=rss-phillips Canucks on the mend The Vancouver Canucks appear to be on the verge of surviving an early season injury epidemic -- and their gradual return to health couldn't come at a better time. Vancouver opened a five-game road trip Thursday night at Minnesota, and plays 24 hours later at Dallas. A rout of the Rangers Tuesday night at GM Place lifted the Canucks to two games above .500 and into second place in the Northwest Division. Considering they've been without injured Daniel Sedin for 12 games this season and goalie Roberto Luongo has been sidelined for a week with a cracked rib, the Canucks' record to this point is reasonably impressive. The Canucks had reason for concern after beating the Rangers, because Henrik Sedin was limping after taking a puck off the foot. But X-rays were negative and he seemed fine the next day. Luongo, meanwhile, said he's starting to feel better, and in his absence the Canucks have gotten creditable work from Andrew Raycroft. Canucks Extras This week on Canucks.com Canucks report Canucks TV "I have made some progress, but I am not going to skate with the team until I am 100-percent pain free," Luongo told the Vancouver Sun. "I have been skating on my own the last couple of days, but nothing crazy. Hopefully sometime next week I will be able to play." A couple other players might be back before Luongo. Center Ryan Johnson, who has been out with a concussion, is ready to return, and winger Jannik Hansen (broken fingers) is close to joining the lineup for the first time this season. The Canucks, a respectable road team last season, have won only two of their seven games away from home this season. Their current five-game trip will be a good measuring stick of their progress. "We haven't had great starts on the road, that's kind of what has hurt us, I think," defenseman Kevin Bieksa told the Sun. "Maybe we're a little bit too loose. I don't know if we're changing our game, but we're not as tight on the road as we are at home. I think that's the mentality we have to have." Trying to ignore Olympic talk -- Craig Anderson had a solid season in 2008-09 for the Florida Panthers, going 15-7-5 with a .924 save percentage and a 2.71 goals-against average, his best season in an NHL career that to that point had been relatively undistinguished. On the first day of free agency this past summer, Anderson was signed by the Avalanche, a move to shore up goaltending that had been shaky last season. But it's doubtful even the Avalanche brass could have foreseen the impact the 28-year-old Anderson would have in his first month in Denver. This week, Anderson was named the NHL's First Star for October. He led the lightly regarded Avalanche, supposedly in a rebuilding mode, to a stunning fast start. Canucks coach Alain Vigneault even called him "the best player in the NHL." And there could be more recognition to come. According to USA Today, the Illinois native is very much on the radar of USA Hockey, meaning he could represent the United States in the Winter Olympics in February. "To wear the jersey for your country, there's no greater honor," Anderson told the Denver Post. "If it just so happens that I get selected, that would be great." It's more than a pipe dream. USA Hockey Assistant Executive Director, Hockey Operations Jim Johansson recently told USA Today that Anderson has "certainly played his way into the picture." Anderson was not among the three goalies invited to Team USA's Olympic evaluation camp -- those invites went to Boston's Tim Thomas, Buffalo's Ryan Miller and Los Angeles' Jonathan Quick. But it's impossible to ignore Anderson's accomplishments. Though backup Peter Budaj was in goal for Wednesday night's 4-1 defeat of Phoenix, Anderson has led the way all season. Through Wednesday's games, the Avalanche were tied with Pittsburgh for the overall points lead in the NHL. Anderson said he's not thinking about the Olympics. "My job right now is the Colorado Avalanche," he told the Post. "My job is to make sure these guys play well and that we win games. USA Hockey is a part of the game (and) we'll cross that bridge when it comes. Shades of Keenan? -- Despite loads of talent, the Calgary Flames struggled with inconsistency last season under coach Mike Keenan. Under new coach Brent Sutter, however, the Flames bolted to an impressive 7-2-1 start, upstaged in the Northwest Division only by the upstart Avalanche. But the Flames then were knocked off in consecutive games by Colorado and Detroit. Sutter didn't wait around for his team to sink deep into a malaise before shaking things up. With four days off between the Detroit loss and a game at Dallas on Wednesday, Sutter had his players do wind sprints and engage in a very physical practice this week. He also chewed out his players. "That's for us to discuss internally. I don't think we have to comment on what was said," defenseman Dion Phaneuf told the Calgary Sun. "I think the practice showed what we deserved." Sutter's message was that the Flames can be just as good as the players decide they want to be. But they have to make the commitment. "That was basically the lesson of the day -- we did it to ourselves," Phaneuf told the Sun. "That's what you get when you're not playing well. ... The words of the day were work hard, learn how to practice hard, try to kick some old habits and get some new thinking in here -- he was trying to drill it into us." It took a while, but the Flames seemed to respond Wednesday at Dallas. Leading 1-0 after two periods, the Flames fell behind in the third. Daymond Langkow then tied the score with 49 seconds remaining, and captain Jarome Iginla won it 1:25 into overtime with a power-play goal. The Flames were credited in the game with 36 hits, 11 more than Dallas. Going Wild -- There was no bigger surprise in the NHL in the past week than the Wild's 2-1 victory at Pittsburgh. After all, the Wild entered that game with an 0-8 road record, and the Penguins just happen to be the defending Stanley Cup champions. The second-biggest surprise of the week might have come in that very same game. Late in the second period, defenseman Marek Zidlicky dropped the gloves to fight Penguins captain Sidney Crosby. It was only the fourth fight of Crosby's career, and just the sixth for Zidlicky. The Wild, though, want Zidlicky to use his hands to provide offense. In his first five NHL seasons, including 2008-09 with the Wild, Zidlicky has scored 12 or more goals three times. But through 14 games this season, Zidlicky has no goals and 6 assists. He's not alone, however; through the first month of the season, the Wild has been among the NHL's lowest-scoring teams. Putting the 'O' in Oilers -- Speaking of not scoring much, the Oilers recently were shut out three times in four games, and in the fifth game in that stretch, they scored only one goal. Edmonton was hoping to get its offense in gear Thursday against the visiting Rangers. Monday's 2-0 loss at Boston might have been the most egregious of the shutout setbacks. An Edmonton Sun writer suggested that Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask "could have been defending a soccer goal and it still would have been 2-0." "We just didn't create anything," Oilers forward Ales Hemsky told the Sun. "We couldn't break out of our own end. It starts from the back end, we...forwards have to come back harder or something because we couldn't get any breakouts, couldn't get anything off the rush. Tough game." The Oilers had better figure things out quickly. They're 1-5-0 on the road, and after the Rangers game Thursday, they have a five-game trip that will be followed by five home games and then another six games on the road. They've scored one goal in their last nine periods on the road. "Our last three road games we've seen our team start pretty well and work hard, then get a little dumb in the middle of the second period," coach Pat Quinn told the Sun. "We're turning the puck over and giving momentum changes to the opposition. You have to work at the defensive side of the game to get your chances. I don't know how many we had tonight, but it wasn't a lot. We had a couple of chances in the third, but nothing good enough to get us back in the game." Roger Phillips Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:53:00 EST http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=505068 http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=504989&cmpid=rss-jory You want to know what happened in the Canucks game and you want to know now. We get it. Here’s the bare bones recap of Vancouver’s 5-2 win over Minnesota. …Matt Pettinger put the puck in from a brutal angle to restore a two-goal Canucks lead with 5:08 remaining in the second period. The goal, Pettinger’s first of the season, was the second goal produced by the fourth-line on this night as the trio of Darcy Hordichuk, Ryan Johnson and Pettinger combined for two goals and three points. Hordichuk opened the scoring with his first of the campaign, Mason Raymond then gave the Canucks a 2-0 lead with a power play goal early in the second. Minnesota made it a 2-1 game before Henrik Sedin wired a shot past Niklas Backstrom while shorthanded. The Wild were once again quick to respond making it a 3-2 game, but after Pettinger found the back of the net, Minnesota rolled over. Alex Burrows, who hadn’t scored in 11 games, bumped his scoring slump with an empty-net goal to give Vancouver a 5-2 win, its 10th victory of the season and seventh in nine games. The fourth-line earns top billing on this night after producing a pair of goals, three points and countless other intangible stats that made this win possible for the Canucks. In addition to producing 40 per cent of Vancouver’s scoring, Matt Pettinger, Darcy Hordichuk and Ryan Johnson, playing for the first time since returning from suffering a concussion four games ago against Detroit, combined for a plus-6 rating, three shots, six hits, six blocked shots and seven faceoff wins. When Andrew Raycroft signed with the Canucks this off-season, he wasn’t expecting to play much, if at all. Back-to-back starts? No chance. An injury to Roberto Luongo later and Raycroft has been more than a rag wrapped around a leaky pipe, he’s fused himself into a reliable goaltender. Raycroft, or Everyday as the kids are calling him, made 28 saves in his fourth win in five starts, that includes stopping 15 pucks in the third period alone. His best save came seven minutes into the final frame when he kicked his right pad out to make a kick save on a Mikko Koivu one-timer in front. Four stats jumped off the page from this game as both Darcy Hordichuk and Matt Pettinger scored, Ryan Johnson had five blocked shots in his first game back from a concussion and Sami Salo led the Canucks in hits with four. The fact that all those stats came together on the same night is like the perfect storm. Throw in the multi-point game for Alex Burrows, his first of the season, and it’s clear things just came together for the Canucks against the Wild. Darcy Hordichuk on his first goal of the season, a blistering slap shot from the left hash marks, and Matt Pettinger on the play of the fourth line: “It’s nice to actually get a shot on net. It’s one of those things where you try to get in on the forecheck and we did a good job turning the puck over there and I just tried to shoot far corner and it ended up going in so it was nice.” – Hordichuk ”We felt good. I played with Hordi there last game and Johnson is such a smart player, good on faceoffs and defensively sound, that we got the puck moving a bit on the cycle and found some opportunities.” – Pettinger The Canucks packed up and headed off to Dallas following this game and they’ll have little time to rest up before facing the Stars tomorrow night in the first of two back-to-back contests this season. Vancouver upended Dallas in the only meeting between the two teams so far this season with Ryan Kesler and Kyle Wellwood scoring in the shootout to give the Canucks a 4-3 win. NUMBERS 2 – Canucks who scored their first goals of the season: Matt Pettinger and Darcy Hordichuk. 2 – Points for Alex Burrows, is first multi-point game of the season. 4 – Hits, yes hits, for Sami Salo, who led all Canucks in the category. 28 – Saves by Andrew Raycroft in this fourth win in five starts. 143 – Wins as coach of the Canucks for Alain Vigneault; he moved past Harry Neale's 142 with this victory. OFFENCE The Canucks scored even strength, on the power play, shorthanded and into an empty net, all that was missing from a perfect game was a penalty shot tally. Vancouver had 22 shots overall and 11 of those came in the second frame when the Canucks scored three times to seal this game. Can't say enough about the play of the fourth line in this win. DEFENCE Vancouver's defence bent, but it didn't break as the unit twice gave up quick goals to give Minnesota life, yet in the end the Canucks held on for the win. Andrew Raycroft was stellar between the pipes making 28 saves, including 15 in the third period alone. SPECIAL TEAMS The Canucks were 1-for-4 on the power play with Raymond scoring on the man advantage, they also held the Wild off the scoresheet on the power play at 0-for-5. Vancouver also netted a shorthanded goal to round out an impressive special teams effort. Derek Jory Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:34:00 EST http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=504989 http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=504931&cmpid=rss-News in English Former Canuck and BC boy Darcy Rota was at GM Place on Tuesday, November 3 to meet fans before the Canucks took on the NY Rangers. Rota who currently sits 18th in all-time Canucks scoring showed why he was a fan favorite as he engaged young and old fans alike in conversation. Fans were eager to share their memories of his time with the Canucks. The charismatic Rota was also able to visit appreciative suite holders and challenge them to some ’82 Canucks trivia. Clearly still passionate about his old team, he made it evident that he was proud to be a Canucks Alumni member. Rota also made an appearance on the jumbo-tron during an interview in the second intermission with Canucks reporter Kristen Reid. Drafted 13th overall by Chicago in 1973, Rota spent 11 years in the NHL before retiring because of a neck injury in 1984 after 4 years with the Canucks. His record for team goals and points (41, 86) by a left winger set in 1983 wasn’t broken until Markus Naslund’s stint with the Canucks. Since retiring Rota has worked for the Vancouver Canucks Office, the NHL, as an announcer alongside Jim Robson and currently for the Burnaby Express BCHL Team where he serves as President. Story by Leah Peden, Canucks Centre Student Associate   Vancouver Canucks Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:34:00 EST http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=504931 http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=504712&cmpid=rss-jory You want to know what happened in the Canucks game and you want to know now. We get it. Here’s the bare bones recap of Vancouver’s 4-1 win over New York. …Michael Samuelsson scored his second goal of the game, this time on the power play, with 5:47 remaining in the final frame to give the Canucks a commanding 3-1 lead over the Rangers. Samuelsson opened the scoring in the first period by converting a fat rebound off a Ryan Kesler shot and the Canucks carried that lead into the third period. It stood as the game-winner until the Rangers were awarded a power play following a bizarre melee in front of the New York bench involving roughly 15 players. Five misconducts were handed out as well as one minor penalty; on the man advantage the Rangers pulled even at 1-1. Two-minutes and 24 seconds after Chris Higgins put the Rangers on the board, Rick Rypien snapped a nice goal up and over Henrik Lundqvist; this game-winner was so pretty that Samuelsson told Rypien afterwards he thought only six players in the league were skilled enough to score it. Leading 3-1 late in the third, Henrik Sedin scored an empty netter to secure Vancouver’s seventh win in its past eight home games. Ryan Kesler was both a playmaker and a troublemaker on this night as the feisty forward picked up three assists and was also in the middle of the line brawl that played out early in the third period. Kesler’s best helper was a heads up cross-ice pass he sent to Rick Rypien, who had floated in from the point during a line change. A quick shot later and the Canucks led 2-1. Kesler was second to only Mason Raymond in ice time at 20:27 and he did a lot of damage during that time as in addition to his three assists, Kesler was a plus-1 alongside one minor penalty, two shots, one hit, one blocked shot and a 14-for-23 performance at the dot. Calm, poised and confident, the real Andrew Raycroft appears to have stood up. Following an up and down play over his last two starts, Raycroft was dominant once against holding the Rangers to one goal on 23 shots. He saw the puck well, played his angles right and didn’t give out many rebounds. Raycroft has now won three of four starts and is sporting a godly 1.52 goals against average and an equally stunning .937 save percentage – and those numbers include him giving up four goals on 22 shots in Anaheim last week. Kevin Bieksa led all Canucks in shots on goal against New York with four, but not as a defenceman, as a forward. Strutting his stuff up front for the first time since he was 15-years-old, Bieksa showed flashes of sniper in his debut as a forward. Despite not collecting any points, Bieksa received great praise from his teammates, who were not only impressed with his offensive skills, but also that he still dished out three hits, proving that he didn’t overlook getting to the body. Ryan Kesler and Andrew Raycroft on their different vantage points of the crazy scrum that had both teams at each other’s throat in the third period: “All I saw was right crosses and uppercuts. I have no idea what happened, I got jumped and somehow we were on the penalty kill.” - Kesler “Honest to God I missed how all of it started, I just saw 30 guys on the ice and it looked like the 1970s out there at one point. I don’t know what happened, I didn’t talk to any of the guys out there, not that they’d be telling exactly the right stories anyways.” - Raycroft A pair of impressive home wins and Vancouver skedaddles out of town to try its hand on the road once again. Playing away from GM Place hasn’t been a nightmare for the Canucks this season as the team sports a 2-5-0 record as the visiting team, but things could certainly be going better. Vancouver is in Minnesota Thursday before visiting Dallas on Friday to close out the week. NUMBERS 2 – Goals for Mikael Samuelsson, he has a team-high eight on the season. 3 – Assists for Ryan Kesler, he's now at 11. 3 – Wins for the Canucks this season versus the Eastern Conference (3-0-0). 22 – Saves by Andrew Raycroft in this third win of the year. 82 – Man-games lost for Vancouver through 16 games. QUOTABLE "He crosschecked me so I gave him a little shot and next thing you know I’ve got six guys on top of me. " -Ryan Kesler "It’s a battle each night right now but it is what it is right now and it’s a strong group and we have to play our best to win every game and that’s what we do." -Mikael Samuelsson "Forwards a lot easiser to play than defence, we all know that. I kept it pretty simple out there, Tanner set me up with a few nice passes for good chances and it was fun." -Kevin Bieksa OFFENCE Something is clicking for the Canucks on offence right now as unlike a week ago when scoring that soul-crushing third goal proved too tough a task, Vancouver has padded its lead in two straight games. The Canucks outshot the Rangers 30-23, led by unlikely forward Kevin Bieksa, who made his debut up front leaving the blueline for the first time since he was 15-years-old. DEFENCE The Canucks talked about taking away time and space from the Rangers prior to the game and they accomplished just that.  New York didn't have many scoring chances thanks to sound defensive positioning and communication by Vancouver, and even when the Rangers had a chance to score, Andrew Raycroft shut the door. He had 22 saves. SPECIAL TEAMS Vancouver was effective both on the man advantage and on the penalty kill. Mikael Samuelsson scored his second goal of the game on the power play to help the Canucks finish 1-for-6, while New York was stumped at 0-for-6. Derek Jory Tue, 03 Nov 2009 22:58:00 EST http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=504712 http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=504668&cmpid=rss-jory All the injuries in Vancouver have made choosing a Canucks Fantasy Hockey team a tall task There must be something in the water. How else can you explain all the injuries the Canucks have been suffering of late? It’s uncanny and it’s making life as a Canucks Fantasy Hockey player miserable. There’s no quick fix to the problem, we just have to wait out all the breaks, fractures and sprains and try to piece together a decent fantasy team in the time being. Easier said than done, I know. Is it safe to pick Kyle Wellwood or Sami Salo yet? Are Aaron Rome or Tanner Glass viable options? Who is Mario Bliznak and can he or Matt Pettinger do any good to a fantasy roster? In short, yes and no. As you’ll see from the week that was, fantasy scoring is varying as much from game to game to make one sick. Try not to heave, I’m here to help. THE WEEK THAT WAS Four games, two wins, two losses, three different fantasy leaders. Pegging exactly who would lead the Canucks in fantasy points during this past week was next to impossible, the revolving door line-up changed lines, ice times and roles. Not surprisingly, some flourished in thier new roles, while others didn’t. Canucks Extras This week on Canucks.com Canucks Fantasy Hockey In Vancouver’s 5-4 loss to Detroit it was Kevin Bieksa paving the way with a 35 point performance backed by three assists and a plus-2 rating, while Henrik Sedin also picked up three points via two goals and a helper, and he also earned a game star which boosted his output to 34 points. Two nights later Bieksa and Sedin were nowhere to be found, replaced by Andrew Raycroft and Ryan Kesler, who secured 34 and 31 fantasy points. Both players received a game star for their efforts in the Canucks’ 2-1 win over the Kings. If you went with Raycroft again a night later in Anaheim, you likely didn’t come out on top. Raycroft, in just his second start of the season, allowed four goals on 22 shots to finish with 0 points. Yikes. Steve Bernier and Willie Mitchell had 13 each in a forgettable 7-2 loss to the Ducks. If, for some bizarre reason, you rebounded and went with Raycroft on Sunday versus Colorado, you were once again rewarded. Two-face put up a brick wall the Avalanche couldn’t knock down in a 2-0 Canucks win, he earned 39 fantasy points for his seventh career shutout, including game star honours. Kesler (36) and Raymond (34) each scored, had an assist and received a game star. WE HAVE A WINNER Halloween meant more than just jujubes from strangers this year, the scariest night of the year marked the end of the first month of Canucks Fantasy Hockey leaving us with our first monthly winner. The man of the month was Cam W (go canucks), he put up the highest average points (minimum 10 games played) with 99.18. For his efforts Cam W (go canucks) picks up a TELUS BlackBerry Tour 9630 and two tickets to the Nov. 3rd game against the NY Rangers. chewy123 was another big winner this past week as the 134 points put up in the Canucks/Red Wings game had them in top spot, one point better than 6o4_dc. chewy123 and 6o4_dc had four players the same, but chewy123 opted for Samuelsson and Hordichuk over Raymond, Grabner and Glass and that one point decision results in a pair of tickets to the Nov.20th game against the Avalanche as this was the TELUS Game of the Week. Nice. jmacpher rode Kesler and Raycroft to a victory with 116 points against Los Angeles; Juniorc scrapped just enough goodness together in Anaheim with Bernier, Sedin, Raymond and Rome to amass 65 points. Tarzan closed out the week with a breathtaking 178 point performance on the tales of Raycroft, Kesler and Raymond, who all put up more than 30 points. tarzan is currently the season leader with 1478 points through 15 games. Click here to check out the leaderboard, it's a jumble of 4,854 fantasy fanatics. THE WEEK AHEAD After playing six games in nine nights, the Canucks face three in four before the schedule hits a snail’s pace with four games over an 11-day span. Enjoy the flurry of games while they’re here. Vancouver hosts New York on Tuesday before ending the week with back-to-back games in Minnesota and Dallas on Thursday and Friday. The team then has three days off before their five-game road trip continues in St. Louis, Detroit and Colorado. FRESH PICKS There used to be some method to this madness, lately there has been none. As I said before, it’s next to impossible to predict who is going to emerge as Vancouver’s top performer on any given night, so I’ve come up with a pre-selected team system to help you out incase you're stumped. Below are three sets of players, you can either afford to buy A, B or C for any given game. It’s kind of like having three sets of lottery numbers and going with your gut as to which ones are the winner. A – Hot shots Bieksa - $3 mill, Salo - $3 mill, Raymond - $2 mill, Sedin - $5 mill, Kesler - $4 mill, Bernier - $3 mill. B – All hands on deck Ehrhoff - $3 mill, Schneider - $2 mill, Burrows - $3 mill, Samuelsson - $4 mill, Raycroft - $4 mill, Rypien - $1 mill, Wellwood - $1 mill, Rome - $1 mill, Hordichuk- $1 mil. C – A little O, a little D Mitchell - $3 mill, Edler - $2 mill, Bernier - $3 mill, Kesler - $4 mill, Raycroft - $4 mill, Burrows - $3 mill, Rypien - $1 mil. All three of these squads have their strengths and weaknesses, but I’m willing to wager that over the next three games, each comes out on top once. INJURY UPDATE C Alex Bolduc (shoulder), G Roberto Luongo (ribs), C Ryan Johnson (neck/concussion), LW Daniel Sedin (broken foot), RW Jannik Hansen (broken hand) and RW Pavol Demitra (shoulder) are all on injured reserve, while RW Michael Grabner is out indefinitely after injuring his ankle prior to Vancouver’s game versus Colorado. DISCLAIMER While I claim to be the Canucks Fantasy Hockey swami, the man with all the answers and a crystal ball as clear as they come, this is very self-described. Most of my picks are backed by stats, while others come from the gut. Use with caution!   Derek Jory Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:55:00 EST http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=504668 http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=504435&cmpid=rss-jory You want to know what happened in the Canucks game and you want to know now. We get it. Here’s the bare bones recap of Vancouver’s 3-0 win over Colorado. …Tanner Glass scored his first goal as a Canuck midway through the third period. The Canucks got goals from Mason Raymond and Ryan Kesler to lead 2-0 through 40 minutes of play, but everyone in GM Place was anxious for an insurance marker with Vancouver having just blown a 2-0 lead Friday night in a 7-2 loss in Anaheim. Glass was more than happy to provide the score. He broke into the Colorado zone with a burst of speed and despite having Kyle Wellwood along on a 2-on-1 against Scott Hannan, it was evident he was thinking shot all the way. Craig Anderson made the initial save on the wrister, but the rebound hit the skate of Hannan and deflected into the empty cage. It’s been a tale of two Andrew Raycrofts so far as the Canucks netminder, who made his third straight start in place of Roberto Luongo, was fantastic on this night, just forty-eight hours after giving up four goals on 22 shots to the Ducks. A night earlier Raycroft handed out saves as candy in a 2-1 shootout win over the Los Angeles Kings. Raycroft is now 2-1-0 after a stellar 18-save performance against the Northwest Division leading Avalanche; the shutout was his first since November 9, 2007, as a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs when he turned aside 30 shots in a 3-0 win over the Buffalo Sabres. The former Colorado puck stopper now has seven career shutouts. For the second time in as many games two Canucks stepped to the forefront to earn this honour and for the second time in as many games Mason Raymond happens to be one of them. Raymond scored the first goal of the contest, which stood as his second game-winner of the season, and he added the second assist to Vancouver’s second goal, scored by Ryan Kesler, this game’s other Unsung Hero. After going pointless on Vancouver’s West Coast swing, Kesler was back on the scoresheet with a goal and an assist on this night, he is now only three points behind Henrik Sedin in team scoring. Both Raymond and Kesler were a plus-2 against the Avalanche. Alex Edler just hasn’t been himself this season and his team-worst minus-8 rating coming into the Colorado game was proof of that. The Swedish defenceman, who is still looking for his first goal of the season, played more like the Edler Canucks fans are accustomed to as he assisted on the Raymond goal and finished the game with a plus-2 rating. Edler is one of 13 Canucks still in the minus this season. Goaltender Andrew Raycroft on the win, his second of the season, and the shutout, the seventh of his career: ”That was a big win for us, we didn’t play our best the other night and three in four nights and travel and everything else, to come in and play well tonight at home against the best team in the league, we shut them down so it’s good. ”I felt good the other night I just kind of lost focus on a couple but tonight I stayed focused all night. We killed that 5-on-3 in the first and that was most of the offensive chances that they had all night; we shut them down pretty good.” Say what you want about how the Canucks have started the season, but in beating Colorado, Vancouver improved to 8-7-0 this year, good for second place in the Northwest Division behind the Avalanche. Calgary and Edmonton both have games in hand on Vancouver, true, yet the fact that the Canucks are keeping their heads above water with player after player getting bitten by the injury bug is impressive. The Canucks will practice on Monday to prepare for the New York Rangers, who visit GM Place on Tuesday. It’s okay if the thought of the Rangers still makes you shudder, the 1994 Stanley Cup Finals may be long gone, but that 3-2 loss in Game 7 still stings. I will forever hold a grudge towards the Rangers organization and I don’t blame you if you do as well. NUMBERS 1 – Goal by Tanner Glass, his first with the Canucks and second career NHL marker. 2 – Points apiece for Mason Raymond and Ryan Kesler. 3 – Wins this season for the Canucks against teams from the Northwest Division (3-4-0). 5 – Wins this year when not allowing a power play goal against (5-1-0). 18 – Saves by Andrew Raycroft in his seventh career shutout. QUOTABLE "When we had the puck we tried to get in front of him and make his job hard tonight. He’s human back there and we got to him early on." -Ryan Kesler "I actually thought about putting it over to [Wellwood], but we haven’t been scoring a lot of goals and myself personally so it was nice to get that." -Tanner Glass "I thought our guys battled hard at both ends of the rink; there wasn’t a lot of room. We were able to capitalize on a few of our chances 5-on-5 and did what we needed to do to win this game." -Alain Vigneault OFFENCE The Canucks only hit Avalanche netminder Andrew Raycroft with 20 shots, but they made them count. Vancouver led 2-0 after throwing just eight shots on goal. The key factor in this win was that the Canucks managed the all-important third goal that sealed this win for the home team. Steve Bernier had a team-high three shots. DEFENCE Andrew Raycroft gets the most praise for this shutout, but the defence deserves its fair share. The Canucks held the Avalanche to only 18 shots and maybe a handful of those were dangerous. Alex Edler was visible on this night for all the right reasons as he picked up an assist and was a plus-2. SPECIAL TEAMS Both teams put up donuts on the power play with the Canucks going 0-for-4 and the Avs finishing 0-for-2. Derek Jory Sun, 01 Nov 2009 22:26:00 EST http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=504435 http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=504215&cmpid=rss-maniago The night Jacques Plante made goaltending history At approximately 7:10 p.m. on Nov. 1, 1959, 'just another game' turned into one of the landmark moments in NHL history. The streaking, first-place Montreal Canadiens (8-2-3) were playing the struggling New York Rangers (2-7-2) at Madison Square Garden when at 3:06 in the first, a series of historic events unfolded. Stan Fischler, who was covering the contest for The Hockey News and The New York Journal-American, vividly recounted the play: "A Montreal attack was blunted and the Rangers counter-attacked. Andy Bathgate, the Rangers’ hardest-shooting forward, got the puck in the Canadiens' zone. Andy had been notorious among NHL goalies for his slapshot, but this time Bathgate went to his backhand, using a screen. Like Rocket Richard, who was playing for the Habs, Bathgate had a menacing backhander and this one caught Plante square in the mug. Since the old MSG press box hung from the mezzanine, my seat was practically on top of the ice. Canucks Extras This week on Canucks.com Changing History Olympic influence Canucks mask gallery "I watched Plante crumble to the ice in a pool of blood. It was obvious that this was serious stuff and the Canadiens’ trainer skidded out to the crease,” Fischler added. “With a trail of blood behind him, the goalie was escorted to the Montreal dressing room.” Red Fisher of the Montreal Gazette, who has covered the NHL for more than 50 years, describes the scene after Plante was struck. “He had been struck in the face and it opened up a cut from the corner of his mouth all the way up through his nostril,” the dean of NHL writers said. “Try and imagine that – the pain that he was going through. “I rushed down to the dressing room and there was Plante, looking in the mirror and separating the cut and looking at it. ‘Pretty ugly,’ he said to me. I said ‘Yeah, well you had a good start Jacques.’ “Then he laid down on the table and was stitched by the doctor.” After a 21-minute delay, Plante returned to the Canadiens’ bench. Hall of Fame center Jean Beliveau recalled the players’ reaction when Plante spoke to Coach Toe Blake. "Jacques came back to the bench and told Toe, 'I'm ready to go back in but I have to wear my mask,' " Beliveau said. "[Plante] had worn it in practice but Toe never liked the mask until this incident in New York." “When [Plante] came out with the mask, you could feel and hear the buzz of the crowd,” Fischer recalled. That November night saw the Canadiens prevail 3-1 over the Rangers, and a goalie change the face of the game forever. THE MAKING OF THE MASK With Jacques Plante suffering from asthma attacks, the Canadiens decided to call up a back-up goaltender: Canucks alumnus Cesare Maniago, who had been playing with Spokane. “When I arrived in Montreal Jacques told me that he was going to have a mask made and asked if I wanted to get one too,” recalls Maniago. “I said yes and we both went to the Montreal General Hospital where they made molds of our faces.” The masks arrived and both Plante and Maniago first donned the new equipment during a practice. Following the warm up skate, Maniago pulled his mask over his head in preparation for the first shot he was about to face. “[ Head Coach] Toe Blake skated up to me and asked what I was wearing,” said Maniago. “After a short conversation he told me ‘If I were you I wouldn’t wear that.” Trying to break into the League, the young keeper decided to put away his mask, at least for his time being with the Canadiens. But Plante stood his ground and continued to wear his mask. THE TURNING POINT After his days with the Montreal organization, Maniago brought his mask out of retirement. After a series of losses with the piece of equipment while playing for the New York Rangers, superstition overrode safety and the mask came off, but only temporarily. It was while he was playing for the North Stars that Maniago witnessed a terrible event to his teammate, forever changing his opinion of the mask. Gary Bauman was in net when he took a Bobby Hull slapshot to the throat. Severely injured, Bauman’s airway was blocked and he began to turn blue. Knowing he would have to take to the ice, Maniago turned to one of the trainers and asked that his mask be brought to him. The trainer rushed down 15 flights of stairs and grabbed the mask for keeper. “There were times in my career that I knew if I hadn’t been wearing a mask, I probably wouldn’t be here today,” says Maniago of the slapshots he faced. From that point on, Maniago followed in the footsteps of Plante and wore his mask until the conclusion of his career with the Canucks in 1977.78. THE REACTION “It’s not manly,” “I won’t be able to see the puck clearly,” “fans won’t be able to identify who you are” were all excuses muttered in an attempt to prevent goaltenders from wearing the mask. It seems almost inconceivable today that goaltenders ever played without protecting their faces. Jacques Plante forever changed the dynamics of hockey when he made a simple yet strong statement when he chose to protect himself with a mask. He was able to resist the scrutiny and pressure to adhere to a “macho code” perhaps, in the long run, helping to save the lives of goaltenders that followed. The first of November marks the day that the ‘face of hockey’ changed forever. Stephanie Maniago Sun, 01 Nov 2009 05:13:00 EST http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=504215 http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=504192&cmpid=rss-jory You want to know what happened in the Canucks game and you want to know now. We get it. Here’s the bare bones recap of Vancouver’s 7-2 loss to Anaheim. ...the Anaheim Ducks scored seven unanswered goals to hand the Canucks their fifth loss in the last seven road games. Vancouver led 1-0 just 66 seconds into the first period off Steve Bernier’s fourth goal of the season and 2-0 less than five minutes into the frame off Mason Raymond’s fourth goal, but that lead was short-lived. The Ducks cut the lead in half before the end of the first and added three goals in both the second and third periods. It was just one of those nights for the Canucks, proof of that came in Anaheim’s seventh goal, a dump-in that hit the glass and bounced past Cory Schneider. To add insult to injury, former Canucks forward Mike Brown scored the game-winning goal, even worse is that it was shorthanded. Steve Bernier and Mason Raymond share the honour, although not many other Canucks were in the running. Despite the Canucks not playing like a team, Bernier and Raymond stepped up their games and were both dangerous all night. They each scored and had three shots on goal, Bernier added two blocked shots to his totals, while Raymond dished out one hit. In seven career games versus Anaheim, Raymond now has four goals and three helpers; he also scored his first NHL goal at the Honda Center. Oddly enough, Bernier also thrives against the Ducks with seven goals against Anaheim, more than his total against any other team. Aaron Rome continues to prove his versatility as the defenceman turned forward thrived up front for the second straight game for the Canucks. With injuries wreaking havoc on Vancouver, Rome was moved up to a forward two games ago; on this night he skated alongside Mario Bliznak and Steve Bernier and was one of only seven players to not end up with a minus-rating. Rome also threw three shots on goal, had two hits and two blocked shots. A silver lining in Vancouver’s loss was that the Canucks managed to score on the power play for the ninth time in 14 games in October. Mason Raymond’s power play strike ensured the Canucks remained in the top-5 in the NHL in power play percentage at 27.9 per cent. Vancouver has scored at least one power play goal in four of its last five games and of the team’s seven wins, five have come with the Canucks recording at least one power play marker. After putting up a brick wall with 30 saves in his first start of the season Thursday night in Los Angeles, Andrew Raycroft was chased from the Vancouver net on this night. Raycroft stopped 18 of 22 shots through two periods before making way for Cory Schneider. He didn’t tend much better allowing three goals on 15 shots in his first action of the year. The Canucks begin November with a home game against the Northwest Division leading Colorado Avalanche. Contrary to logic, the Avalanche have started the season with a record of 10-2-2, 10 wins more than everyone predicted they’d finish the season with. The Canucks lost to the Avs 3-0 in the second game of the season. NUMBERS 2 – Ducks who scored their first goals of the season against the Canucks (Parros & Brown). 4 – Goals apiece for Steve Bernier and Mason Raymond this season. 7 – Unanswered goals given up by the Canucks in Anaheim. 8 – Defencemen dressed for Vancouver, Aaron Rome and Mathieu Schneider played up front. 14 – Points for the Canucks in October after finishing with a 7-7-0 record. OFFENCE Vancouver scored early, just not often enough to keep pace with Anaheim.  After going up 2-0 less than five minutes into the first period, the Canucks had a difficult time getting pucks at the net with the Ducks controlling the play. The Canucks finished with an impressive 38 shots, but 22 of them came in the third period with the visitors simply throwing anything on net. DEFENCE Eight defenceman dressed for the Canucks so the team had plenty of bodies on the backend, ironic this was the night they gave up seven goals. Aaron Rome and Mathieu Schneider played up front, Rome made a positive impact, while Schneider was a minus-3 with one shot on goal. SPECIAL TEAMS The Canucks were 1-for-4 on the power play, while the Ducks finished 2-for-2. Derek Jory Fri, 30 Oct 2009 22:12:00 EDT http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=504192 http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=504569&cmpid=rss-News in English Canucks First Strides program kicks off at Gm Place with Sami Salo and Andrew Raycroft making guest appearances to the delight of 72 minor hockey players and their parents from across British Columbia. General Motors Place was host on Monday to 72 BC minor hockey players from across British Columbia. The Canuck Centre’s First Strides Program, sponsored by Bayer Contour and in partnership with BC Hockey kicked off its first event of the year to much success. Five to eight year old future hockey stars were able to showcase and improve their skills on the NHL size rink as they received instruction from local minor hockey coaches and BC Hockey course conductors. To the delight of the participants, the Vancouver Canucks own Sami Salo and Andrew Raycroft were the special guests of the evening. Salo and Raycroft took part in drills with the participants and joined the teams for a scrimmage at the end of the ice time. Raycroft lent his expertise to the young goalies that spent the full event doing on-ice workshops. A program high of 24 eager girls were amongst the participants, who all had no troubles keeping up with the energetic boys in their groups. It was evident that Fin had been working on his stick handling and shooting as he looked to trade in his drum in favor of being the next Canuck call up. His chances seemed to disappear when he got a little too rough with future teammate Salo during an on-ice drill. BC Hockey Safety and Risk Management Coordinator Anne Deitch provided a parent seminar which ran alongside the kids off-ice workshops. Parents were able to get a perspective on their role in their child’s hockey involvement, and how they can provide positive support and feedback for them. Along with the on-ice workshops, kids also received an off-ice workshop which included a motivational video that featured key points of sportsmanship, fair and safe play. Bayer Contour generously sponsored 10 initiation/novice players from around BC who are affected by Juvenile Diabetes. Canucks Centre would like to thank BC Hockey Course Conductors and local minor hockey coaches who came out and volunteered their time and hockey expertise with the on and off-ice workshops. Without their support the event wouldn’t have been possible. This season’s First Strides was a huge success and we look forward to a second event to be held at GM Place on January 22, 2009. For more information on these and other programs visit the Canucks Centre’s website. Click here to view the photo gallery Story by Leah Peden, Canucks Centre Student Associate   Vancouver Canucks Fri, 30 Oct 2009 18:59:00 EDT http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=504569 http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=504547&cmpid=rss-garrett The Canucks are winning tight games with a slim line-up, what's wrong with that? The Vancouver Canucks have won three of their last four and have turned an 0 and 3 start into a 7 and 6 record. They have become much more disciplined and have played a tightly structured game. You would think this would make the fans and the pundits happy but there has been an undo amount of criticism about how they are winning. Last Saturday they beat the desperate Toronto Maple Leafs 3-1 with the third goal being scored into an empty net. People on the talk shows were saying anybody can beat the Leafs and you should be able to pile up the score. On Sunday it was the flu ravaged Edmonton Oilers who were beaten 2-0 and once again the team was taken to task for not going on the offensive in the third period and filling the net. The Detroit game was entertaining, but ended in a 5-4 loss. The Canucks fired only fifteen shots on goal in Los Angeles but it was enough to come away with a 2-1 shootout win. More from Garrett John Garrett is a former Canuck and currently the colour commentator for Sportsnet. More John Garrett articles This week on Canucks.com Here it goes Why so serious? Draft position No coincidence So what is the problem? Expectations for this team in September were unbelievably high. They looked good on paper and the moves they made in the summer gave them depth that very few teams had. They had one of the best goaltenders in the league, six legitimate NHL defencemen and four lines that could contribute on a nightly basis. That was back in September. The coach has to work with the talent he has available. You cannot have the same strategy if you have a lineup that does not have Daniel Sedin, Pavol Demitra, Kyle Wellwood, Sami Salo, Ryan Johnson, Rick Rypien and especially Roberto Luongo. If you have players who are trying to adjust to playing in the NHL like Sergei Shirokov and Michael Grabner, and Aaron Rome playing forward and your backup goalie making his first starts of the season, you are not going for style points. Alain Vigneault has his team playing in shutdown mode. He has to. This lineup does not enable him to play a high pressure aggressive game. They have to play defence and hope they can win 2-1. You go with what you got.   John Garrett Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:53:00 EDT http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=504547 http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=504161&cmpid=rss-paterson In this day and age of the many worthy causes around the world that require support and attention, I ask you to take a moment out of your hectic schedules to reflect on the plight of your poor radio post-game show host. There he is with hours of programming to fill trying desperately to get creative when talking about nights like last night. (Art Gallery steps anyone? 3pm. You bring the signs, I’ll bring a drum. Rally For The Radio Guy?) Look, I get paid to watch hockey, so I’m not really expecting a whole lot of sympathy, but let’s be honest here – there wasn’t a whole lot to be said after Thursday’s 2-1 Canucks shootout victory in Los Angeles. And yet the nature of the job is to talk and talk and talk about all-things Canuck. And last night, all that needed to be said is that the Canucks got away with one at the Staples Center. A masterpiece it most certainly was not. But the two points in the standings this morning look the same in print as the points gained in that 7-1 whitewash of the Montreal Canadiens earlier in the month. The bottom line is the Canucks found a way to win Thursday night and quite remarkably with the rash of injuries they’ve been dealt in the first month of the season, this a hockey team that has now won seven of its last 10 outings. More from PATERSON Jeff Paterson is a Team 1040 broadcaster and a regular contributor to the Georgia Straight. More Jeff Paterson articles This week on Canucks.com What does preseason mean? Changes on the horizon Draft wrap 2009 Stealing Schroeder Think about that for a moment – at times minus some or all of Daniel Sedin, Sami Salo, Kyle Wellwood, Pavol Demitra, Mathieu Schneider, Rick Rypien, Roberto Luongo, Ryan Johnson (and now it looks like Alex Bolduc has been added to the list), the Vancouver Canucks have managed to win more than their share of hockey games. There was a night recently where the Canucks had more than 2400 games of National Hockey League regular season experience out of their line-up replaced by guys who had combined to play 100 games in the show. So it can’t be a surprise that something has to give – and on many nights recently, it’s the entertainment value that has taken a hit. But really what are the alternatives? Exactly. With the limited selection of healthy bodies they’ve got at their disposal, the Canucks have no choice but to take a defence-first approach. Thursday in LA, they were outshot 31-15, but as Andrew Raycroft, who made his first Canuck start of the season and picked up his first NHL win since February 20th said after the game, he was forced to make a handful of tough stops but faced very few second chance opportunities. And when the final shootout shot was taken, the end had justified the means. The danger in the style the Canucks employed against the Kings is that it can work in the short-term, but it’s hard to imagine the team having sustained success sitting back and playing for overtime every night. In the first and third periods, when the Canucks had four and two shots respectively, they also had no power play chances. When you hang back as much as the Canucks did at times against the Kings, you’re not doing the things necessary to draw penalties. With all the injuries the Canucks are dealing with, they still have one of the best power plays in the NHL and that’s where they have to do some damage. But in order to score power play goals you have to have – wait for it – power plays. Of the injuries the Canucks are dealing with Daniel Sedin is the only top six forward currently out of the line-up. That leaves Henrik Sedin, Michael Samuelsson, Alex Burrows, Ryan Kesler, Mason Raymond and Michael Grabner. There is certainly enough speed and skill in that group to generate chances and attack the other team’s net on occasion while still being mindful of defensive responsibilities. Rather than simply getting to centre, dumping the puck in and peeling off for a change, the skill players have to look for opportunities to make some things happen in the offensive zone and either create scoring chances or force the other team into penalties. A full-on blueline blockade worked for one night, but it won’t be the answer in the long-term. However, until a few more bodies return to the line-up, it’s a strategy that will likely be employed. At 7-6 on the season, the Canucks have the identical record they had after 13 games a year ago when they went on to win the Northwest Division. Certainly they’ve got their work cut out for them if they’re going to defend their crown, but to be a game over .500 given all they’ve been through in the early going is a credit to the group that is finding a way to get the job done. It’s not always pretty and it’s not always a ton of fun to watch, but pro hockey is a results-oriented business and for those of us whose job it is to talk about the hockey team, it’s sometimes difficult to go on at length about the way the Canucks are going about their business. But right now, the one thing that can be said and should be said is it’s hard to argue with the Canucks results. And at the end of the day, that’s all that really matters.   Jeff Paterson Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:36:00 EDT http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=504161 http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=504158&cmpid=rss-phillips The early struggles of the perennially contending Detroit Red Wings have largely been attributed to the departure of Marian Hossa, a slow start by Pavel Datsyuk and an injury to Johan Franzen. But the Red Wings got a reminder Tuesday night of something else they've been missing when they visited the Vancouver Canucks. Skating for the Canucks was former Red Wings right wing Mikael Samuelsson, who last year had 19 goals and 40 points for Detroit. Samuelsson, who joined the Canucks as a free agent, is off to a hot start for Vancouver. In Tuesday's 5-4 loss to Detroit, Samuelsson picked up an assist, giving him 11 points in 12 games. Canucks Extras This week on Canucks.com Canucks report Canucks TV "I learned a ton of things in Detroit from the coach, but from the other players as well," Samuelsson told the Globe and Mail. "I don't know where to start, but it's the environment they bring you into and the small things they do." Samuelsson and defenseman Mathieu Schneider are the only Canucks who have played for Stanley Cup winners. Early this season, Samuelsson is among the League leaders in shots on goal. Samuelsson, a former Sharks prospect, still has fond memories of playing for the Wings. "It's pretty impressive," he told the Globe and Mail. "The organization takes its time developing young players down on the farm. They don't have to rush players because they've got a great team. When you get that wheel spinning, it's easier for young players when they come up because for one thing, they're ready to come up and because they're playing with good players." Samuelsson's selflessness attracted the Canucks when they went free-agent shopping during the summer. "He's an experienced guy who has been through some pressure moments in his career and he's been able to respond," coach Alain Vigneault told the Vancouver Province. "Since we moved him (on the same line) with Henrik (Sedin) and Alex Burrows, he's done real well for us." H1N1 virus hits Oilers --  The Oilers have been struck with the H1N1 virus. The problem is, defenseman Ladislav Smid had it for two weeks before he realized it, and may have passed it on to teammates. There's concern fellow defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky also may have the illness. He left Tuesday's 3-0 loss to Colorado in the third period, exhausted after playing only 16 minutes. "This is scary," Smid told the Edmonton Journal. "I've read lots about it and I feel bad for Lubo. He may have gotten it from me." Other Oilers also have been battling illness, including forwards Mike Comrie, Gilbert Brule and J.F. Jacques. The Calgary Herald reported that Canadian Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq and Chief Public Health Officer David Butler-Jones attended the Oilers' loss at Calgary over the weekend. They were in town to urge fans to get immunized for the seasonal flu virus and H1N1. But Oilers Coach Pat Quinn told the Edmonton Journal that none of his players has received the H1N1 vaccine. Under seige --  You wouldn't know it from their sparkling and stunning won-lost record, but the Avalanche have been allowing way too many shots on goal most of the time this season. Through the season's first 11 games, the Avalanche had allowed a League-high 374 shots, an average of 34 a game. Fortunately for Colorado, goalie Craig Anderson stopped all but 26 of them for a save percentage of .936. "We've got to cut down on the shots against," defenseman Brett Clark told the Denver Post. "We've got to get a lot more shots for us. We've got to cut down on some turnovers and just keep things simple and keep the shots to the outside." Coach Joe Sacco told the newspaper that the statistic is somewhat misleading because many of the shots have been from long range. "(We'd) like to cut down on the number of shots, and as a coach you're always looking for areas to improve," Sacco told the Post. "But if Andy sees the shots from the outside, he's going to stop them. A lot of this is managing the puck and making good decisions through the neutral zone with the puck. If we get it deep and not turn it over, we'll spend more time in their zone and increase our shot total and decrease our shots against." Where the Avalanche must improve is in breaking out of its own zone more effectively, a problem that plagued the team last season, when Colorado finished with the fewest points in the Western Conference. The Avalanche showed improvement in the shots against category Tuesday, continuing their winning ways when they allowed 25 shots in a 3-0 victory at Edmonton. Twenty-four hours later, the Avalanche allowed 32 shots in yet another victory, 3-2 at Calgary. Colorado visits the Sharks on Friday and completes its four-game trip Sunday at Vancouver. Penalty prone -- While the Avalanche has been trying to tighten up defensively, the Flames are trying to be more disciplined. Coach Brent Sutter is frustrated that his team has been spending too much time in the penalty box. "Where we've gotten ourselves into trouble is when we've taken too many penalties," Sutter told the Calgary Herald. "When you're getting seven, eight, nine minors a night, it's a tough night for your penalty kill. When you're shooting yourself in the foot, when you're putting yourself down two men, it makes it tough." In fact, the Flames are far from being the most penalty prone team in the NHL. They were shorthanded 42 times in their first 10 games, but killed only about three-quarters of those. The Flames lose out on the services of star Jarome Iginla when they are shorthanded because he doesn't kill penalties. Recently, the Flames were shorthanded 15 times in a two-game span. "You'll get away with it for a short period of time, but you can't continue to do so," Sutter told the Herald. Craig Conroy added, "The only thing we need to get going now is the penalty kill. We've got to change the stat on it. It's tough, because it's a momentum killer for us -- it helps the other team. "We've got to have a killer instinct early and stay out of the penalty box. That's the only thing that's really been shooting us in the foot." Wednesday, the Flames were 3-2 losers to Colorado but penalties were not a factor. They successfully killed both Avalanche power plays. Rocky road for Wild -- The good news for the Minnesota Wild is that they've already knocked off about 20 percent of their road schedule. The bad news is that they don't have a single point to show for their first eight games away from home. They have been two different teams thus far this season. At home, they are 3-1 following Wednesday night's 4-3 loss to the Predators. The Wild, who have yet to win a game in regulation this season, fell to 0-8 on the road with a 3-1 loss at Chicago on Monday, a fairly typical representation of how things have gone for Minnesota away from home. The Wild have scored more than two goals in only one of the eight road games and has been held to one goal four times and two goals the other three games. Frustration seems to be setting in. "I don't have any answers right now," defenseman Greg Zanon told the St. Paul Pioneer Press. "I don't really have any comments on what we can do, so I'm pretty much at a blank." Coach Todd Richards added, "I believe we're working hard. But we aren't always competing hard." The Wild better find some answers soon. They visit the defending Stanley Cup-champion Penguins on Saturday and start a four-game road trip Nov. 10 in Toronto. Friday could be an interesting night in Minnesota. The Rangers are visiting, which may mean the return of red-hot Marian Gaborik, depending on his health. If you want to know why the Wild offense is struggling, the big reason is that the high-scoring Gaborik is playing on Broadway this year. On the other hand, though, after scoring two goals Monday for the Rangers in a win against Phoenix, Gaborik limped off. The biggest issue with Gaborik always has been his ability to stay healthy, and it's questionable whether he'll play Friday. A variety of lower-abdominal injuries caused him to miss numerous games his last few years in Minnesota. His latest injury reportedly is to his knee. Roger Phillips Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:07:00 EDT http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=504158 http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=504098&cmpid=rss-jory You want to know what happened in the Canucks game and you want to know now. We get it. Here’s the bare bones recap of Vancouver’s 2-1 shootout win over Los Angeles. Mikael Samuelsson, the third Vancouver shooter and sixth overall, scored in the shootout to lift the Canucks to a 2-1 win. After overtime solved nothing, Los Angeles sent Michal Handzus out as the first shooter; he proceeded to put his shot high and over the net. Ryan Kesler and Jack Johnson traded goals as the next two shooters before Mason Raymond and Ryan Smyth were both stopped. That set the stage for Samuelsson, who roofed a backhand shot over the blocker of Jonathan Quick. The boxscore reads Vancouver 2, Los Angeles 1, but it would be more accurate at Samuelsson 2, LA 1 as the clutch off-season addition also scored in regulation to tie the game at 1-1 in the first period. The number of times Mikael Samuelsson has been listed as Clutch Canuck this season is getting ridiculous. Samuelsson has been the most consistent producer for Vancouver this season, he’s picked up at least a single point in 10 of the team’s 13 games, including two game-winning goals and now a shootout game-winner. The 6-foot-2, 218-pound Swede is second in Canucks scoring with 12 points (6-6-12), four behind Henrik Sedin’s 16. Down goes Roberto Luongo, in steps Andrew Raycroft. It wasn’t supposed to be that easy, but on this night it was as Dandy Andy stepped up and stopped 30 shots in his first win of the season - in his first start of the season. Although shootout stats don’t count, Raycroft also stopped two of three shots in the one-on-one battle to give Samuelsson the chance to play hero. Because Raycroft has only started one game this season he doesn’t meet the minimal requirements by the NHL to have his stats count, if he did he’d be leading all netminders with a 1.03 goals against average and a .958 save percentage. The Canucks only hit netminder Jonathan Quick with 15 shots in this contest and two come off the stick of Mikael Samuelsson. One found the back of the net, on the other Quick made a nice save. Samuelsson’s two shots was second on the team to Ryan Kesler’s three, but more importantly they pushed his overall total this season to a team-high 50. That places Samuelsson in a tie with Sidney Crosby for fourth overall in the NHL, one behind second spot and 28 behind Alex Ovechkin in first. Andrew Raycroft on how he felt during his first career start with the Canucks and how Vancouver handled being outshot 31-15. “The more I play the better, the better you feel out there, the more comfortable you feel and even as the game went on tonight you feel better. Tomorrow I’ll feel a little better going into and hopefully we’ll have the same outcome. “We did a pretty good on their shots, they were throwing a lot on net but we didn’t give up any odd man rushes.” The Canucks finish up October with their third back-to-back set of the month. After beating LA, Vancouver zipped over to Anaheim to prepare to do battle Friday night. Although the Ducks are currently in last place in the Pacific Division and second last in the Western Conference, let’s not underestimate their quack. Spin back to last October 31 and the Ducks overcame a three-goal second period Canucks lead to force a wild shootout in which 25 shooters took aim before Mattias Ohlund scored the game-winner. NUMBERS 2 – Consecutive road wins for the Canucks. 6 – Hits for Tanner Glass, a team-high. 6 – Goals this season for Mikael Samuelsson; he's tied with Henrik Sedin for the team lead. 30 – Saves for Andrew Raycroft in his first start of the season. 39 – American dollars for a ticket to the Canucks/Kings game and a ticket to the Tragically Hip concert afterwards on Canadian Night at the Staples Center. Wowzers. OFFENCE The Canucks were lucky to score in the first period as they only threw four shots at Jonathan Quick. Vancouver mustered eight more shots before the end of regulation and three in overtime. Mikael Samuelsson and Ryan Kesler were Vancouver's best weapons on O. DEFENCE Vancouver did more than just hold Los Angeles to only a single goal, the Canucks held Kings leading scorer and the second leading scorer in the NHL, Anze Kopitar, off the scoresheet. The Slovenian forward took 10 shots, but only two hit the net as the Canucks blocked five and missed the net three times. SPECIAL TEAMS Special teams played no part in Vancouver's win as the Canucks were 0-for-2, while the City of Angels went 0-for-3.  Derek Jory Thu, 29 Oct 2009 22:18:00 EDT http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=504098 http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=503747&cmpid=rss-jory Thieves target Canucks memorabilia in home robbery It’s tough to blame a puppy for what went down at the Scott residence on September 30, but if Cooper’s bite matched his bark, none of this may have happened. Cooper, a young Norfolk terrier, was gated off in the kitchen when thieves broke into the Scott home in Surrey nearly a month ago. The goal of the intruders was clear: steal as much Canucks memorabilia as possible. With each family member at work and Cooper unable to mount a defence, they accomplished just that. “They went into every single closet in every room, looking for jerseys I presume, and walked past a lot of other expensive stuff,” said Sandy Scott, an avid Canucks fan and collector who, alongside her husband and son, had put together quite an assortment of memorabilia. When Sandy’s daughter-in-law Jenica stopped by the house for lunch that day she got a creepy feeling and as soon as she saw a hall light on, she knew something was wrong. Sandy is a self-proclaimed ‘light-nazi’ who conserves as much energy as possible. Ironically enough that’s what Cooper was lacking after barking himself into a frenzy trying to intimidate the intruders. Nine jerseys were swiped in total, including autographed Roberto Luongo, Markus Naslund, Brendan Morrison and Trevor Linden sweaters, alongside other collector’s items such as signed player photos. Crime isn’t new to anyone, but burglars targeting only Canucks stuff certainly is. “I just can’t get over the fact that somebody would break into the house and take things that are sort of useless to anyone else, like the autographed picture of Todd Bertuzzi that is personalized to my son Jeff,” she said. While Sandy, an employee with Special Olympics BC, will miss her autographed Naslund keepsakes the most, Jeff can’t single out one thing he wishes would be returned. He wants it all back and the worst part is that he’s partially blaming himself for the loss of his Canucks gear. “He was really kicking himself because he just bought a condo and he loaded up the car two days before the robbery to take a load over and thought that he should take all his Canucks stuff,” said Sandy. Jeff decided against it and that’s just the way things happen sometimes. While frustrated, Sandy is confident the culprits will get theirs. “I’m a big believer in karma, what goes around, comes around, so these people will get what’s coming to them.” Sandy said the police recovered two sets of finger prints so they’re busy trying to get to the bottom of this curious case. Until then Sandy is working on a new collection and with the Canucks team-signed jersey Vancouver gave her to get started, she’s well on her way. Anyone with information regarding this burglary is asked to contact the Surrey RCMP at 604-599-0502.   Derek Jory Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:47:00 EDT http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=503747 http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=503634&cmpid=rss-News in English Vancouver Canuck forward Alex Burrows, 28, began his NHL career four years ago as an undrafted free agent. Last season, the 6’1” 200 lbs., Pincourt, Quebec native notched a career high 28 goals (28-23-51) in 82 games. Now in his fifth season with Vancouver, Burrows has become part of this team’s core group with his offensive and defensive capabilities. The versatile forward took some time away from the game to answer your question. How does one decide between perusing an NHL career verses obtaining a post secondary education? (Meaghann Pederson, Maple Ridge, BC) For me personally, I went both ways. I was in juniors when at school. Once I got in my twenties I wanted to be an NHL player. I tried my best and worked hard at it, and it worked out for me. I got lucky a little bit, but at the same time it’s really important for people to realize that schools important and if hockey doesn’t work at least you’ve got school to rely on. Does animosity carry forward into the next season or do you forget bad blood after games are over? (David, Vancouver, BC) No, there’s animosity for sure. It’s going to carry over. It all depends on who you’re playing against. Obviously divisional games are always big against teams like Calgary and Edmonton. Now we kind of have a rivalry with Chicago because of last year’s playoffs. I’m sure once we play St. Louis there’re going to be looking forward to play us. What do you think about playing in a hockey city like Vancouver? Does the amount of media attention or criticism bother you? And, do you get recognized on the streets (Tristian Scott, Port Coquitlam, BC) No, it doesn’t bother me at all. I think I like it a little bit. People are passionate about their team. People are passionate about the game and that’s really what you want as a player. You came into the rink everyday and you know you’re going to be playing for great fans, and that’s when we have here in Vancouver. About getting reorganized on the street, yes, I do every once in a while. 99 per cent of the people are really, really nice. They’ll just be happy to talk to you, shake your hand, and get an autograph. What are your thoughts about females playing in the NHL? (Noor, Vancouve, BC) It would be great. I think if some girls can get to the level of NHL players and am able to perform in this league; it’d be great for the game. It’d be great for women’s rights. What’s you’re best and worst memory on the ice? (Vince, Surrey, BC) My best memory is probably my first game. Being able to say that I played in the NHL, I achieved my dream. The worst was probably game six in Chicago last year the way we lost there at the end a 7-5 game. I thought we could have won that game and brought it back home for game seven. What teams do you look forward to seeing and which teams do you dread? (Taylor K, North Vancouver, BC) I like playing rivals Calgary and Edmonton. Playing in my hometown Montreal is always a big thrill because I know my family and friends back home are watching. I don’t think there’s a team I don’t like playing against. I’ll play against anyone. If you could visit any country in the world where would you go? (Emma Witwicky, Kamloops, BC) I’m thinking about the Greek islands this summer. So, that’s probably where I’d go. What’s your favorite band? And best concert you’ve seen live? (Kathy L, Vancouver, BC) I’d have to say Britney Spears in 2001 was one of the concerts I really liked going to. Yes, it was great. The best band out there I’d like to say, I really like U2. Favorite places to go in Montreal? Do you get homesick? (Mal Shahab, Surrey, BC) I don’t get home sick at all. I like going back and seeing my friends. My favorite place to go would probably be St. Laurence Street. What do you plan on doing after you finish you hockey career? (Thalia Lang, Vancouver, BC) I don’t know yet. I haven’t really thought about it. I would like to stay involved in the game and help out a team as a coach or maybe a scout. Vancouver Canucks Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:55:00 EDT http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=503634 http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=504021&cmpid=rss-rintoul In the words of Forest Gump, “me and Jenny was like peas and carrots.” What is salt without pepper? How about ? Some things just go together, and you can’t imagine one without the other, which is why it’s so odd to see Henrik Sedin playing without twin brother Daniel for the next few weeks. Fortunately for the Canucks, Henrik has developed his game to a point where he should be able to function without his identical linemate in the short term. That concept got me thinkin’… how would other famous duos survive if they were split up? BATMAN AND ROBIN Half of this is an easy answer; Batman was doing just fine before Robin came along, and he would continue to defend Gotham successfully without his sidekick. Sure he wouldn’t have anyone to swap stories with and help him pick out new tights, but he’d be ok. More from Rintoul Scott Rintoul is a host of the BMac and Rintoul show on the Team 1040 broadcaster in the mornings. More Scott Rintoul articles This week on Canucks.com Commercial Banking The Unusual Suspects Playoff Canuck-tions Hello, Hollywood Robin, on the other hand, might have a few issues. The Boy Wonder came from a circus background, and chances are he’d return to the arena he knew best. Tripping the light fantastic on the tightrope might hold his interest for a while, but eventually he would long for the days when he was a hero, not just an amusement for popcorn eaters. Without the financial support of Bruce Wayne and his gadgets, Robin would be hard-pressed to fight much more than low-level crime. Stronger, more clever thieves would thwart his attempts to disrupt their business, and his self confidence would erode after succumbing to multiple defeats. Chances are he’d wind up finding work with Cirque de Soleil in Vegas, developing a gambling habit and shacking up with a career cocktail waitress from his favorite casino. BERT AND ERNIE Seemingly so different, these puppet pals would have trouble finding anyone willing to put up with their eccentric hobbies and habits if they were ever separated. Bert is much more of a recluse, and a potential roommate or friend would have a tough time getting to know him. Tough to picture anyone accepting his affinity for collecting both paper clips and bottle caps. Most are found on the ground or in the garbage… probability of swine flu increases dramatically. Though Bert is not alone in his fascination with pigeons, his obsession with the letter “W” and his love of boring stories scream “troubled loner” to anyone that doesn’t know the guy. While Bert’s comfortable being alone, Ernie’s antics allow him to blow off steam. Were that internal frustration allowed to fester, Bert would snap and wind up in an institution. Ernie’s carefree attitude would also doom him eventually. Hey, taking bubble baths and singing to your rubber ducky is relaxing, but it doesn’t exactly pay the bills. Ernie is so wrapped up in that water fowl friend of his that he can’t even concentrate on the saxophone long enough to learn how to play it properly. A big fan of games, Ernie would be a good dude to have at parties, especially if karaoke was involved. However, mounting housing costs would result in more than a few calls from Collections. I doubt that Ernie would be happily belting out a tune when the repo man showed up for his furniture. Bert may be a wet blanket, but Ernie needs the structure provided by his cone-headed crony. FREDDIE AND EDDIE This Shreddies duo had a meteoric rise to prominence in the 1990’s when Post decided to make the pair the mascots of its whole wheat cereal. The pair was constantly involved in thirty second escapades that somehow tied into a nutritious breakfast, and they rode their collective celebrity to fame and fortune for the better part of a decade. Freddie always appeared to be the more stable of the two. Whereas Eddie would often initiate the activity in the commercial, Freddie usually provided the necessary solution to whatever quandary they found themselves in. Had the pair ever parted ways, Freddie most likely would have found himself a steady job somewhere in Shreddies’ management, earning a sufficient stable income. Chances are he would have met a nice female cartoon to settle down with and lived a sheltered yet satisfying life. Eddie was a bit more of a wild card. Without Freddie to bail him out of precarious situations, Eddie would have been susceptible to falling in with the wrong crowd. It wouldn’t be much of a surprise to learn that he had developed a sugar habit, a vice that would rule his world on a daily basis. Eddie’s youthful soul could certainly be saved in rehab, but his lack of self-control would not mix well with the spoils that came with his notoriety. Eddie would be headed for the type of roller-coaster ride that is most commonly associated with rock stars, not breakfast cereal cartoons.   Scott Rintoul Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EDT http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=504021 http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=503900&cmpid=rss-jory In his fourth season with the Saint John Sea Dogs, Yann Sauve is thriving in a bigger role The Yann Sauve bobblehead that sits on my desk is perhaps the most important stationary item I have at work. Like a magic 8-ball only capable of answering yes, mini-Sauve comes in very handy when making crucial decisions from day-to-day. Should I take a long lunch? Sauve nods yes. Is taking off early smart today? Sauve nods yes. I can’t come up with a good lead, should I talk about a bobblehead? Sauve nods yes. Twice. Even more importantly, mini-Sauve serves as a constant reminder that the Vancouver Canucks have depth on the blueline. Yann Sauve is no longer just the guy taken after Cody Hodgson in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, he’s Vancouver’s best up and coming defensive prospect. The 19-year-old Montreal product is currently in his fourth season with the QMJHL’s Saint John Sea Dogs and just when you’d expect him to be hitting full stride, he is. Canucks Extras This week on Canucks.com Prospects Central Sauve was recently named QMJHL TELUS Defensive Player of the Week for the period extending from October 19 – 25, a stretch in which the 6-foot-3, 209-pound defenceman registered one goal, four assists and a plus-8 rating in three Saint John victories. Sauve is now eighth in team scoring with 11 points (3-8-11) in 13 contests, alongside a defence-high plus-12 rating. Saint John currently sits tied with Drummondville for top spot in the QMJHL through 18 games with a sparkling record of 13-2-0-1 and 27 points, and the play of Sauve is a big reason for the team’s success. According to the gentle giant, he’s benefiting from a heavy workout plan he undertook over the summer. “Me and Dave Gagner worked together a lot during the summer, he helped me a lot on my puck skills and hands and I did a lot of vision stuff too and it’s all helped me control the puck better, which had been lacking in my game in past years,” said Sauve. Sauve’s confidence and mental game are also the best they’ve ever been and it has a lot to do with the new coaching staff Saint John put in place over the summer. The team brought in Gerard Gallant as head coach and Mike Kelly as associate coach & director of hockey operations. Gallant, former head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets who has also worked with the New York Islanders and played 11 seasons in the NHL as a member of the Detroit Red Wings and Tampa Bay Lightning, and Kelly, a former assistant coach with the Manitoba Moose and Vancouver Canucks, sat Sauve down before the start of the season. This being his fourth year with the team and seeing the progress he’s made, the coaches agreed it was time for Sauve to become an alternate captain. “They said that I needed to be a big part of the leadership this year and they named me alternate captain. That gave me a lot of confidence heading into the season. “I think I am a bit of a natural leader, so that helps too. I’m the type of guy who is always arguing my point. I was always a leader even when I was a baseball player when I was young and on my minor hockey teams I was always the one that was trying to bring the team together to go all the way.” Whether its Sauve sporting an A, the new coaching scheme Gallant and Kelly are using or just a hot start to the season, the Sea Dogs have been the team to beat in the Atlantic Division. In the midst of a five-game winning streak, Saint John has also put together streaks of four and three victories, while losing back-to-back games only twice thus far. In the 13 wins the Sea Dogs have picked up, they’re beat their opposition by an average of more than 2.5 goals. “We have really been playing as a team. We had a slump where we lost two games in a row and after we came back and had a meeting and we started thinking about playing as a team and playing hard every game and don’t let them have any momentum. That’s been working well for us.” Sauve credits Gallant and Kelly for implanting new systems that truly suit the team, especially on defence where he and fellow standout blueliners Kevin Gagne, Simon Despres and Nathan Beaulieu are now free to roam into the opposing zone. With Sauve, Gagner, Despres and Beaulieu having accounted for 30 per cent of the team’s scoring this season (55 of 186 points), that has clearly been a beneficial move. “They want us to be good defensively, but the past year the defence were not allowed to play the rush. This year me, Simon and other the guys can join the rush, we have the green light to do that. They won’t be mad if we join the rush. They always say that a great defence means a great offence and I think it’s a great way to think.” Although Sauve is the big dog on defence in Saint John, another lethal canine is leading the way offensively for the Sea Dogs, and he also happens to be a Canucks prospect. Steven Anthony, chosen 187th overall in 2009, leads the team in scoring with 17 points (9-8-17) through 16 games. “He went to the Vancouver camp and for a young player that’s always a boost of confidence,” said Sauve. “To come back and go to junior after that things are a little bit easier, but you’ve got to keep it going and Steven is doing that, he’s working hard and it’s paying off.” Hard work is paying off for both players and not surprisingly, mini-Sauve gives a nod of approval to their play thus far.   Derek Jory Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:00:00 EDT http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=503900 http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=503760&cmpid=rss-jory You want to know what happened in the Canucks game and you want to know now. We get it. Here’s the bare bones recap of Vancouver’s 5-4 loss to Detroit. Jason Williams finished off a back-door pass from Valtteri Filppula on the power play with 5:03 remaining in the third period to put the Red Wings up 5-4. Williams’ second goal of the season came with Willie Mitchell in the box for high-sticking in what was a chippy and wild third period that had Vancouver and Detroit combine for six goals. The Canucks led 2-1 heading into the third off goals from Henrik Sedin and Christian Ehrhoff, but the Red Wings were quick to respond in the final frame tying the game up at 2-2. Mathieu Schneider scored his first goal with the Canucks on the power play to put the home side up 3-2, that seemed to enrage Pavel Datsyuk as he scored back-to-back goals to pull the Wings ahead 4-3. Henrik rallied the Canucks with his second goal of the game, this time on the power play, and overtime was in the cards until Williams ended the see-saw battle. With two goals and an assists against Detroit, Henrik Sedin did just about everything possible to help the Canucks go toe-to-toe with the Red Wings. Hank had points in six of his first seven games before enduring a three-game pointless streak. He seems to have found his scoring touch once again and Henrik is now on a two-game point streak with a pair of goals and assists in Vancouvers last two outings. Just 30 seconds into the first period against the Wings Henrik was on the board with his fifth goal of the season, he followed that up with an assist on the Schneider goal before scoring late on the power play. Kevin Bieksa and the defence didn’t quite have enough in the tank to hold off the high-flying Red Wings, but he certainly gave the team hope offensively. Bieksa recorded a season-high three assists picking up the second helper on Vancouver’s first three goals. This is the fourth time in his career Bieksa has hit the three point mark in a game and first time since the Canucks downed the Anaheim Ducks 7-6 in a shootout last Halloween. Honorable mention to Mathieu Schneider, who scored his first goal with the Canucks on his first shot. What a blast. Vancouver and Detroit said the heck with defence and focused on offence in the third period, or at least it seemed, and in combining for six goals both teams undoubtedly learned a valuable lesson. The Canucks now know that trying to sit on a lead against such a high-octane team, especially on the power play, is akin to hitting your hand with a hammer. It was great to see Vancouver step up and go back and forth with Detroit, but that’s just not the game plan that will lead to success. The Red Wings waltz out of GM Place with two points, surely smiling that despite having lost three straight games coming in, their offence still has what it takes to shoot down anyone. Mathieu Schneider on Vancouver’s first loss in four games and first home loss in six contests: “They played their system to a tee and we had breakdowns. They forced us into outnumbered situations and that’s their game, they’re masters at that. We’ve got to do a better job of supporting the puck all over ice, too many times guys were left alone on an island and that’s when they were able to turn the puck around and come back at us.” In giving up a 2-1 third period lead, the Canucks lost for the first time this season after leading through 40 minutes of play. That streak would have come to an end sooner or later, but it always stings when you’ve got the Stanley Cup challengers from a season ago up against the ropes and you let them slip. Wednesday is an off-day for the Canucks, although the team is sure to hit the ice to work out a few kinks before jet setting to California for a brief two-game trip. Los Angeles is first up, the Canucks visit the Kings Wednesday night. NUMBERS :30 – Time it took the Canucks to open the scoring thanks to Henrik Sedin's fifth goal of the season. 3 – Assists for Kevin Bieksa, the fourth time he's hit that mark in a game in his career. 4 – Shots Chris Osgood faced, allowing two goals, before he was pulled in favour of Jimmy Howard. 100 – Career power play goals for Mathieu Schneider. 300 – NHL games for Alex Burrows. QUOTABLE "He’s a first class guy and everyone in this locker room loves him and he plays so hard every night and blocks shots and competes, he’s a warrior." -Shane O'Brien (on Ryan Johnson) "We gave them way too much room and took some bad penalties and they’ve got a great power play, we knew that coming in." -Henrik Sedin "It wasn’t our best game, I don’t think it was their best game either, if you give them chances then sooner or later it’s in the net." -Mikael Samuelsson OFFENCE The Canucks put forth an outstanding offensive performance on this night with four goals on 26 shots. They scored early (just 30 seconds in) and scored often (two goals in the first seven minutes and change), but it wasn't enough to take down the Red Wings. Henrik Sedin and Kevin Bieksa both collected three points each. DEFENCE Through two periods the Canucks had only given up one goal and were looking as tight as ever. Even when the Red Wings had chances, Roberto Luongo came up big with numerous saves. That all changed with a quick goal in the third period and three more after that as Detroit's offence picked on Vancouver in its own end and were able to sneak pucks past Luongo. SPECIAL TEAMS The Canucks finished 2-for-4 on the power play, but gave up two goals on three attempts to the Red Wings.  Derek Jory Tue, 27 Oct 2009 22:30:00 EDT http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=503760 http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=503631&cmpid=rss-jory A rookie and a veteran are all the rage in Canucks Fantasy Hockey these days. Don’t look now, but Michael Grabner has become a Canucks Fantasy Hockey stud. During pre-season play Grabner was like a kid in a toy store, everything was new and shiny and he wasn’t quite sure what to do or how to act. Fast forward to the regular season and Grabner has taken the toy store hostage with his commanding play. Since being called up from the Manitoba Moose the 22-year-old Austrian forward has two goals and three assists to sit tied for seventh in team scoring, despite having played five less games than everyone above him. In conclusion, buy Grabner, buy Grabner now. At only $2 million, he’s a steal of a deal and if his stellar play continues, this will be the cheapest he is all season. THE WEEK THAT WAS With four games in seven nights, it was a busy week for the Vancouver Canucks. Luckily the team bucked up and after losing 2-1 in Edmonton last Monday night, Vancouver strung together three straight wins to end the week. The Canucks upended the Chicago Blackhawks 3-2 on Wednesday before thumping the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-1 on Saturday and enacting some revenge on the Oilers on Sunday with a 2-0 win. Canucks Extras This week on Canucks.com Canucks Fantasy Hockey The one constant between these four games, besides the overall increased effort by the Canucks, was the fantastic play of Roberto Luongo. This was definitely the week to buy Luongo as he put up 120 fantasy points powered by three wins, three game stars and a shutout. Grabner was next in line as a goal and game star against the Blackhawks gave him 27 points and he ended the week with a game-winning score and game star for 21 points versus the Oilers. WE HAVE A WINNER The game that was circled on many calendars was also the TELUS Game of the Week and when Vancouver hosted Toronto, WiDeN made all the right picks to finish atop the leaderboard. Thirty-seven points from Luongo and 35 from Mason Raymond (both had game stars) propelled WiDeN to a five point win over johnny.v81 to a pair of tickets to Vancouver’s game against Colorado on November 1. Danebond, gypsies and Canuckster tied for top spot with 104 points to start the week, each taking Luongo, Wellwood, Johnson and Bernier against the Oilers. Versus Chicago Digger put up 103 points, narrowly escaping with a one point win over the.gum.thief, Boppin Bobby and dirtbiker; Digger had a Burrows advantage over the.gum.thief and Boppin Bobby and a Luongo advantage over dirtbiker. Gibby733 spread $20 million over just seven players and it paid off in Vancouver’s second game against Edmonton in seven days. Luongo, Grabner and Henrik Sedin were the big players in this bout taking Gibby733 to 130 points, krisirving finished second at 123. canuck222 is currently the season leader with 1136 points through 11 games. Click here to check out the leaderboard, it's a jumble of 4,548 fantasy fanatics. THE WEEK AHEAD Four games in seven nights is the theme of the week for the second straight week. The Canucks are off Monday before hosting the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday in the TELUS Game of the Week. Wednesday is an off/travel day for the team as they head to California for a quick two game trip that has them in Los Angeles on Thursday and Anaheim on Friday. Vancouver returns home on Sunday to face Colorado. FRESH PICKS Roberto Luongo, $5 million – In case you’ve missed everything I’ve said about Luongo thus far, he’s worth the $5 million now more than ever in Canucks Fantasy Hockey. Although the week ahead features four games and some stiff opposition, Lui is in the zone and in the past that has translated into dominant play for quite a few games. Keep in mind that he’s started every contest so far this season and with back-to-back jacks on Thursday and Friday, Andrew Raycroft is bound to get his first start of the season. Michael Grabner, $2 million – And here everyone thought Cody Hodgson or Sergei Shirokov would be the Canucks rookies making the biggest splashes this season. Wrong! Grabner is playing with the confidence of a veteran, he’s finding holes and filling space on offence and getting pucks on goal. Buy him and reap the rewards. Alex Burrows, $3 million – Burrows has yet to find himself this season, despite scoring three goals and picking up four helpers, and his new price reflects that. Lowered from $4 million to $3 million, Burrows still walks away with enough Canucks Fantasy points to be worthy of a spot on your roster. He’s picked up a lot of points for shots on goal (39), hits (6) and blocks (8); even if Burrows isn’t collecting points at a rapid pace, he’s still a solid play. Christian Ehrhoff, $3 million – Willie Mitchell leads all defencemen in fantasy points with 139, but Ehrhoff isn’t far behind at 120. After collecting points in five of his first six games with Vancouver, Ehrhoff cooled down with zero points and a minus-3 rating over the next three games. He seems to have bumped the slump though as he collected three assists in a pair of Canucks wins over the weekend. INJURY UPDATE Rick Rypien has missed three consecutive games with a groin injury. Sami Salo (knee), Daniel Sedin (broken foot), Jannik Hansen (broken hand) and Pavol Demitra (shoulder) are all on the injured reserve list and should not be used in Canucks Fantasy Hockey. Mathieu Schneider (shoulder) came off the IR list for Sunday’s game against Edmonton and he’s now a safe play in Canucks Fantasy Hockey. DISCLAIMER While I claim to be the Canucks Fantasy Hockey swami, the man with all the answers and a crystal ball as clear as they come, this is very self-described. Most of my picks are backed by stats, while others come from the gut. Use with caution!   Derek Jory Mon, 26 Oct 2009 17:20:00 EDT http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=503631 http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=503627&cmpid=rss-kreiser Los Angeles Kings center Anze Kopitar, Montreal Canadiens left wing Mike Cammalleri and San Jose Sharks center Patrick Marleau have been named the NHL 'Three Stars' for the week ending Oct. 25. The Los Angeles Kings knew they needed more offense from center Anze Kopitar to become a playoff contender in the West. Kopitar is more than meeting the challenge. The NHL's only native of Slovenia begins the week as the League's top scorer after a 6-goal, 9-point week that helped the Kings sweep their four games. He had a goal in L.A.'s 4-1 win at Dallas, his first NHL hat trick in a 5-4 overtime win over the Stars at home, three assists in Saturday's 5-3 win at Phoenix and two more goals Sunday night in a 6-3 home victory over Columbus. Through 12 games, Kopitar leads the NHL in goals with 10 and points with 21 -- and is on pace to shatter last season's totals of 27 goals and 66 points. Not coincidentally, the Kings are off to an 8-4-0 start and lead the Pacific Division. Coach Terry Murray said recently that Kopitar had sacrificed some of his offense last season to buy into his checking system -- so he has to be happy to see that while Kopitar is piling up points, he's also plus-4, a big change from his minus-17 rating last season. Canucks Extras This week on Canucks.com Canucks report Canucks TV Kopitar, who in 2008-09 became the first Kings player since Luc Robitaille to tally at least 20 goals in each of his first three NHL seasons, is on track for career year. The 22-year-old Slovenia native leads the League in goals (10) and points (21) in 12 games. Mike Cammalleri -- Cammalleri struggled in his first few games with the Montreal Canadiens, but he's now showing why the Habs were so eager to land him. Cammalleri had an assist in Tuesday's 2-1 shootout win over Atlanta, a goal in a 5-1 win over the Islanders -- and a hat trick, including the overtime winner, plus an assist, in a 4-3 win over the New York Rangers. Cammalleri leads the Canadiens in scoring with 11 points (five goals, six assists) in 10 games. Patrick Marleau -- San Jose won three of four games last week during a 3-1-0 Eastern swing, and Marleau was a big reason for the Sharks' success. He had 3 goals and 6 assists for 9 points, including the game-winner in Saturday's 4-3 victory at Atlanta, giving him 9 goals and 16 points in 12 games. Marleau posted three multi-point games, beginning with a goal and two assists in a 7-3 victory over the Rangers Oct. 19. He recorded one assist in a 5-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning Oct. 22 and tallied two goals, including the game-winner, and one assist in a 4-3 win over the Atlanta Thrashers Oct. 24. Marleau finished the week by extending his point streak to five games with a pair of assists in a 4-1 win over the Philadelphia Flyers Oct. 25. Marleau ranks second on the Sharks in scoring with 16 points (nine goals, seven assists) in 12 games. Also hot -- Other players who are producing: Roberto Luongo -- Whatever problems Luongo had at the start of the season appear to be long gone. He went 3-0-0 last week, leading the Canucks to a 3-2 win in Chicago and 3-1 and 2-0 victories at home. Luongo has allowed just six goals in his last five games after surrendering 16 in the previous five. Antoine Vermette -- Vermette has been scoring the way the Columbus Blue Jackets hoped he would when they acquired him at the trading deadline. Vermette has a five-game points streak and was 2-4-6 for the Blue Jackets last week. Craig Anderson -- No player has mean more to his team that Anderson, who has been in goal for every minute of Colorado's stunning 8-1-2 start. He and the Avs went 2-0-1 last week, with Anderson playing perhaps the best game of any goaltender this season in a 48-save 3-1 win over Detroit on Saturday. Five down -- Five players who've struggled: Christopher Higgins -- The Rangers have high hopes for the Long Island native, an offseason acquisition from the Canadiens, but he's playing his way into coach John Tortorella's doghouse. Higgins has just 2 assists in 11 games, no points in his last nine, and was benched for the third period and overtime in his return to Montreal on Saturday. Cam Ward -- Not much has gone right for Carolina, which has shown few flashes of the form that got the 'Canes to the Eastern Conference Finals last spring. That includes Ward, who was 0-1-2 and allowed 11 goals in the three games. He's 0-3-3 in his last six starts. Shawn Horcoff -- Horcoff is getting lots of ice time, but that's not translating into production. The Edmonton center hasn't had a point in his last six games despite averaging nearly 20 minutes of ice time a night. For the season, he's just 1-1-2 in 11 games. Guillaume Latendresse -- Montreal's hot week didn't rub off on Latendresse, who continues to struggle. He has no points and is minus-4 in his last seven games and owns just one point (a goal) in the nine games he's played. Rob Blake -- San Jose relies on its captain for offense as well as defense, but Blake hasn't been putting up points. He's gone seven games without a point and is minus-3 during that span. Injuries, news and notes -- Boston went 2-0-1 this past week, but took two major hits when center Marc Savard went down with a broken foot and top-six forward Milan Lucic broke a finger. The Bruins will be without both until late next month. Out -- Colorado's Darcy Tucker (Friday vs. Carolina) and Florida's David Booth (Saturday at Philadelphia) were taken off the ice on successive nights with concussions. Both are out indefinitely. Chicago center Jonathan Toews and defenseman Brent Seabrook both misses Saturday's game with possible concussions sustained on Wednesday. Atlanta captain Ilya Kovalchuk left Saturday's game in the first period with a foot injury and didn't return. Pittsburgh lost All-Star defenseman Sergei Gonchar with a broken wrist on Tuesday; he'll miss at least a month, though he's able to skate. Vancouver center Kyle Wellwood missed Sunday's game against Edmonton with a broken toe after blocking a shot on Saturday. Rick Rypien missed the Canucks' last two games with a groin injury. San Jose forwards Devin Setoguchi and Ryan Vesce both sat out Sunday's game at Philadelphia due to leg injuries sustained on Saturday. Blues forward T.J. Oshie will miss a week or two after undergoing an appendectomy on Saturday. Forward D.J. King (hand) and defenseman Carlo Colaiacovo (lower body) both left Saturday night's game against Dallas with injuries and didn't return. New Jersey forward Jay Pandolfo left Saturday's game against Pittsburgh with a shoulder injury. Defenseman Paul Martin also went down with a broken left arm, and another blueliner, Mike Mottau, missed the game after injuring his hip on Thursday. Anaheim goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere left Saturday's game after injuring his groin while allowing the go-ahead goal in the third period. Carolina defenseman Tim Gleason missed the Hurricanes' games Friday and Saturday with an upper-body injury. Nashville captain Jason Arnott is expected miss another week with an arm injury. Buffalo defenseman Toni Lydman sat out Saturday's game at Tampa Bay with a groin problem. Returning -- Vancouver defenseman Mathieu Schneider made his season debut Sunday night against Edmonton. He hadn't played since last April and had off-season surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff. Washington hopes to have forward Alexander Semin back in the lineup on Tuesday after he missed two games with an undisclosed ailment. Dallas hopes to get defenseman Matt Niskanen back on Wednesday; he missed Saturday's game with a head injury. Minnesota got forward Cal Clutterbuck back on Saturday -- and saw him score the game-winner in OT. He had missed five games with a sprained ankle that was expected to keep him out much longer. Still out -- Los Angeles forward Justin Williams has missed three games with a lower-body injury, though he skated Sunday morning. Colorado forward Cody McLeod didn't go on the Avs' four-game road trip due to an eye injury. He hopes to be back in the lineup when Colorado returns home next week. Anaheim placed forward Ryan Carter on the injured list after he sustained a foot injury at Friday's practice. Minnesota placed defenseman Kim Johnsson (upper body) or IR; he's expected to miss a few weeks. The week ahead -- How big a holiday has Halloween become? Four teams have scheduled afternoon games that day, which may make it easier to combine hockey and trick-or-treating Tough week ahead: Colorado Avalanche -- The Avs, who just came off a seven-game trip, head right back on the road for four games, visiting the two Alberta teams, San Jose and Vancouver. After this week, they'll have played 11 of their first 15 away from the Pepsi Center. Toronto Maple Leafs -- The winless Leafs had a week off before beginning a trip with a loss Saturday in Vancouver. They start this week in Anaheim and work their way East, with stops in Dallas, Buffalo and Montreal. Vancouver Canucks -- The Canucks begin the week with a home game against Detroit before heading out for two games in Southern California and a trip to Denver. Easy week ahead: Calgary Flames -- For the second week in a row, the Flames play just twice, both at home. This time, Colorado and Detroit come to the Pengrowth Saddledome, with the Wings arriving at the end of a five-game trip. Tampa Bay Lightning -- Like the Flames, the Bolts get to spend another week at home with only two games on the schedule. The Lightning host Ottawa and New Jersey, with the game against the Devils a Halloween matinee. Los Angeles Kings -- The surprising Kings stay on the West Coast, visiting San Jose in the Sharks' first game back after a six-game trip before hosting Vancouver. John Kreiser Mon, 26 Oct 2009 16:37:00 EDT http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=503627 http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=503524&cmpid=rss-jory You want to know what happened in the Canucks game and you want to know now. We get it. Here’s the bare bones recap of Vancouver’s 2-0 win over Edmonton. Vancouver killed off a four-minute high-sticking double-minor Michael Grabner was assessed for getting the lumber up on Edmonton’s Lubomir Visnovsky 6:23 into the third period. The Canucks held the Oilers to only two shots on goal on the man advantage. Vancouver led 2-0 at that point and an Edmonton goal would have swung the momentum in the Oilers favour with plenty of game left. Michael Grabner and Henrik Sedin scored for Vancouver, while Roberto Luongo made 27 stops for his first shutout of the season. For the second consecutive game Vancouver’s best player played like it as Roberto Luongo put up a brick wall in a 27-save performance for his first shutout of the season. This donut is the 21st of his career with the Canucks, breaking Kirk McLean’s team-record of 20. The shutout was the 48th of Luongo’s career, which moves him into a tie for third overall on the all-time shutout list for active goalies. With six wins in 11 starts and three games remaining in October for the Canucks, Luongo is on pace to record his best opening month since going 7-4-1 in 2006-07. Michael Grabner gave Roberto Luongo all the cushion he needed as his first period power play goal stood as the game-winner. The 22-year-old Austrian forward seems to be gaining confidence by the minute as each shift he terrorized the Oilers compiling seven shots on goal and another three that missed the net or were blocked. With two goals in his past three games and four points over that stretch, Grabner is establishing himself as a go-to player for the Canucks offensively. What a difference a month makes as that previous sentence was laughable following training camp. Roberto Luongo’s first shutout of the season was more the result of good positioning and extra effort than it was bounces, which was more the case in Vancouver’s win over Toronto on Saturday. Lui has truly reestablished himself between the pipes after a shaky start and his numbers reflect that. A .905 save percentage is fourth among goalies who have started at least 10 games, while goals against average of 2.57 is second only to Craig Anderson for netminders with at least 10 games under their belt. Michael Grabner on the difference in his play since the pre-season and his team-high seven shots on goal: “I think I’m a lot looser, there’s not as much pressure and it’s easier to play now so I just try to show them what I can do. “The coaches told me to shoot so every time I have the puck and I have a chance to get it on net I try to hit the net and create some scrambles in front of the net and hopefully get some dirty goals." With an assist on Henrik Sedin’s fourh goal of the season, Darcy Hordichuk not only picked up his first point of the season, he also equaled Roberto Luongo for career points with the Canucks at six. Luongo has six helpers with Vancouver, while Hordichuk has found the back of the net four times and assisted on a pair of others. Hordichuk was a double threat on this night as he also dropped the gloves with Edmonton’s Zach Stortini near the end of the first period. It was a split decision, although Stortini ended up donating a lot of blood. The Canucks get Monday to rest up before they’re back at it Tuesday at home against Detroit. The Red Wings have lost three straight games and haven’t collected two points since a 5-2 win over the LA Kings on Oct. 15. This is the first of four meetings between these two teams this season. NUMBERS 1 – Point for Darcy Hordichuk, his first of the season. 4 – Points for Michael Grabner in his last three games, including the game-winning goal against Edmonton. 27 – Saves for Roberto Luongo in his first shutout of the season. 48 – Career blankings for Luongo. 21 – Career shutouts as a Canuck for Luongo, moving him one past Kirk McLean for first all-time with Vancouver. QUOTABLE "I think we are really starting to play well as a team system wise and defensively. That makes my job a lot easier." -Roberto Luongo "[Grabner] is using his strengths to his advantage, his speed and his shot and he’s dangerous from all over the ice." -Ryan Kesler "I felt great, really good, everything felt good out there, I just tried to keep it real simple and not try to do too much and this was a good game to come back in. " -Mathieu Schneider OFFENCE Michael Grabner provided all the scoring the Canucks needed on this night, while Henrik Sedin added some insurance. Vancouver's offence outshot Edmonton 29-27 forcing Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers to come up big at times to keep this game within reach. For the second straight game Grabner led the Canucks in shots, he had seven on the night. DEFENCE Vancouver's defence played its best game of the season and that helped Roberto Luongo shut the door behind them. Lui stopped 27 shots for the shutout, while the Canucks blocked another nine. Vancouver was at its best in killing a 5-on-3 in the first period and a four-minute double-minor in the third. SPECIAL TEAMS Vancouver's penalty killers held Edmonton to just two shots on goal during a potential game-changing Edmonton power play in the third; the Canucks held the Oilers to 0-for-6 overall. One power play goal was all the Canucks could muster as they finished 1-for-4. Derek Jory Sun, 25 Oct 2009 20:56:00 EDT http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=503524 http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=503378&cmpid=rss-jory You want to know what happened in the Canucks game and you want to know now. We get it. Here’s the bare bones recap of Vancouver’s 3-1 win over Toronto. Mason Raymond snapped his second goal of the game into an empty Toronto net with eight seconds to play in the third period to seal Vancouver’s 3-1 win. The Canucks led 2-0 after the first period off power play goals from Ryan Kesler and Raymond, and 2-1 following 40 minutes of play with Niklas Hagman cutting the lead in half in the second frame. The Maple Leafs, hungry for their first win of the season, poured on the pressure over the final 20 minutes outshooting the Canucks 10-4, but Roberto Luongo held his ground and the home side got some much needed puck luck. Bingo bango bongo, did Roberto Luongo ever show up to play against Toronto. The Vancouver captain stood on his head for 60 minutes and it started less than five minutes in when he robbed Viktor Stalberg with a sick toe save at the left side of the goal. Luongo is now 5-5-0 on the season with a save percentage of .894 and a goals against average of 2.85. He’s certainly not content with those numbers yet, but this perennial slow-starter is definitely getting his mojo back. It was unsung heroes on this night as both Mason Raymond and Michael Grabner were dizzying on offence leading the charge for the Canucks. Raymond netted a pair of goals for just the second time in his young career; he last accomplished the feat in a 6-3 win over Edmonton on Oct. 25, 2008. My guess is that this will become more than an annual event with how well Raymond has been playing of late. Grabner was originally credited with Vancouver’s opening goal before it was given to Raymond, but he still had an assist on the play. He added a second on Vancouver’s second goal for his first multi-point game in the NHL. Grabner led the Canucks with six shots on goal. Coming into this contest the Canucks had only six first period goals in nine games played and that includes scoring three in the opening period in a 7-1 win over Montreal. Getting off to a hot start is a must for Vancouver and with a pair of power play strikes in the first against the Maple Leafs, the Canucks were off to the races. Coach Alain Vigneault on Roberto Luongo’s 35-save performance: “I thought obviously this was one of Roberto’s best games if not his best game of the year. From start to finish he made key saves at the key time and he’s the one that permitted us to win tonight. They came out real strong, they played a real complete game and he played real well.” Last season when Toronto came to town Leafs Nation showed its support in waves heavily out cheering the Vancouver faithful. While Leafs fans had their moments on Saturday, those backing the Canucks ruled out and were a lot louder. They also came up with a lot more chants and had better signs overall. Until next season Maple Leafs fans… No rest for the wicked as the Canucks are back at it on Sunday with Vancouver hosting Edmonton in the first of three back-to-back home contests this season. Vancouver and Edmonton have met once this season on Oct. 19 with the Oilers narrowly holding on for a 2-1 win. These division rivals will meet six times this season. NUMBERS 2 – Power play goals by the Canucks, both in the first period. 2 – Points each for Mason Raymond and Michael Grabner; goals for Raymond, assists for Grabner. 4 – Face-off wins for Henrik Sedin on 15 attempts. Not a great outing at the dot for Hank. 6 – Shots for Grabner, a team-high. 35 – Saves by Roberto Luongo in his best game of the season. QUOTABLE "The important thing is we’re generating chances. We’d like to finish them a bit more of them, but we are getting chances." -Ryan Kesler "Hard game in a sense that there were a lot of bouncing pucks, a lot of slapping and a lot of running around, a bit of a fire drill for both teams." -Wllie Mitchell "We knew they were going to be a hungry team, obviously because they hadn’t won and because they were sitting at home for a week just waiting to play us. " -Roberto Luongo OFFENCE After a slow start to the game, Vancouver's offence came alive and the Canucks scored twice in the opening frame.  Vancouver struggled to finish plays the rest of the way, but chances were generated and that's a good sign. DEFENCE Roberto Luongo was almost perfect and it's safe to say he's found his form after a slow start. He made 35 saves. Vancouver's blueliners came up huge when they had to. There were numerous loose pucks that were swept away at the last second by defenders to keep the Leafs at bay. They also took a lot of shots from the point on the power play, which led to many scoring chances. SPECIAL TEAMS Vancouver went 2-for-7 on the man advantage scoring the game-winner with less than three minutes left in the first period. The Maple Leafs finished 1-for-3 on the power play. Derek Jory Sat, 24 Oct 2009 19:29:00 EDT http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=503378