Canucks Canucks NHL Enterprises, L.P. (c) 2009 NHL. All Rights Reserved Sat, 07 Nov 2009 03:22:11 EST 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=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=504931&cmpid=rss-News in English Former Vancouver Canuck and Alumni member Moe Lemay was on hand at GM Place on October 24, 2009 to sign autographs for fans. Lemay is a Saskatoon native who played a total of 6 seasons for the Vancouver Canucks after being drafted by them in 1981. He was a part of the Edmonton Oilers team who won the Stanley Cup in 1987 and finished off his professional hockey career playing overseas in Europe for 13 seasons. Lemay played a total of 317 games in the NHL with the Boston Bruins, Edmonton Oilers, Winnipeg Jets and the Canucks. Fans were able to reminisce with Lemay about the 1982 to 1986 Canucks team as he shared some insider details about his times in the old Pacific Coliseum. Lemay also went on suite visits during the first intermission and was interviewed by Vancouver Canuck’s Kristin Reid for a second intermission feature. Story by Leah Peden, Canucks Centre Student Associate   Vancouver Canucks Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:34:00 EDT http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=504931 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 http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=503279&cmpid=rss-News in English Take a deep breath and relax, I’ve got some startling news. Despite what you’ve previously been taught, the hokey pokey is not what it’s all about. It’s all about beating the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Maple Leafs and their devoted (delusional) followers invade GM Place on Saturday for what promises to be a bonanza of trash talk, fights and uber celebration – and that’s just in the crowd. A game will be played and I can confirm that the Canucks, winners of four of their last six games, will host the Leafs, the only winless team remaining in the NHL, AHL, WHL, QMJHL, BCHL…you get the picture. What we don’t know yet is what percentage of the crowd will be pro-Vancouver and what percentage will pro-Toronto. Despite some local fans already turning their backs on the Canucks this season, Vancouver will be well represented. Yet for some reason I’ve got an uneasy feeling (the kind Roberto DeNiro’s agent had when he approached his client with the script for Captain Shakespeare, in which DeNiro would play the role of a flamboyant space pirate) that no matter how many Vancouver fans are in the house, the Torontonians will be overwhelmingly loud and proud. How do we as Canucks Optimists battle these hated rivals? I sent my media spy into the Vancouver dressing room this morning to ask that very question. Former Maple Leafs Kyle Wellwood and Andrew Raycroft advised that treating them like teeth is the best course of action (ignore them and they’ll go away…anyone? No?) Alex Burrows offered up the best piece of advice: “Don’t even worry about them because we’ll take care of things on the ice and they’ll have nothing to talk about.” Feel confident that our team understands what will be going on in the game within the game on Saturday and they all seem pretty jacked up to put the Leafs in their place. If the score gets as ugly as Zdeno Chara posing nude in the latest issue of ESPN Magazine in Vancouver’s favour, those representing T.O. will undoubtedly continue their rude ways and then some. Try reminding them they’re winless on the season and have as good an outlook on the season as Tooth Fairy does at the box office. The funny thing is that Derek Thompson, aka Tooth Fairy, would actually be a first line winger with the team; the Leafs are truly that bad. If the winless bit doesn’t work, maybe hit them up with a nice comment on how even a triangle has three points. If you’re not feeling that, bringing up a good query about animals may do the trick. Why don’t the Leafs change their names to Possums? All they do is play dead at home and get killed on the road. I’m optimistic that with the right amount of preparation, every Canucks fan will be a full-fledged taunting barista, serving up a little of everything. No being cocky though, even if we win there’s no Stanley Cup/Hayden Panettiere combo after the game. Not yet anyways. We can walk out with a sound victory and our heads held high for the second straight game and despite all the talking, that would send the biggest message to those loveable losers since ’67. That’s what it’s all about! Who is Optimist Prime? He's an eternal Canucks believer whose glass is always half full, even when it's empty. Throughout the 2009-10 season, Optimist will take a lighthearted look at the Canucks while never losing the faith. It's Cup time baby! Canucks on Facebook Vancouver Canucks Fri, 23 Oct 2009 19:08:00 EDT http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=503279 http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=503272&cmpid=rss-phillips Following an offseason of change, perhaps it should be no surprise that the Northwest Division is full of surprises. After all, four of the five teams have new coaches, future Hall-of-Famer Joe Sakic retired as the Avalanche allegedly entered a full-fledged rebuilding mode, and big-time talents like Jay Bouwmeester (Calgary) and Nikolai Khabibulin (Edmonton) led a migration of new talent to teams around the Northwest. But no one could have predicted how the standings would look nearly one month in. The Avalanche -- last in the Western Conference last season -- are vying for conference supremacy early this season. In fact, the Avalanche have the most points of any team in the West thus far. Canucks Extras This week on Canucks.com Canucks report Canucks TV Meanwhile, the defending division champion Canucks have stumbled out of the gate, and the Wild -- who narrowly missed the playoffs -- are off to an even worse start. Battered by injuries and limping home from an 0-5 road trip, the Wild have made a couple of moves to try to point things in the right direction. They added winger Chuck Kobasew in a trade with Boston for a couple prospects, and just as notably, the Wild now officially has a full-time captain for the first time in franchise history. During the Jacques Lemaire era, the captaincy was rotated through the course of the season. But this week, new General Manager Chuck Fletcher and first-year coach Todd Richards announced that 26-year-old center Mikko Koivu has earned the position permanently. "We gave him the 'C' because of the kind of player he is, and what he represents as a person," Richards told the St. Paul Pioneer Press. Koivu told the newspaper he accepted the role upon learning that older players on the team supported the move. "That was the biggest thing for me," he said, "knowing they would back me and support me." Only time will tell whether the additions of Kobasew and the ascension of Koivu will help turn around the Wild. "It's frustrating," Richards told the Minneapolis Star Tribune. "It's disappointing. You feel all those emotions, but there's only one way you can get out -- and that's through hard work. When you're winning, it's easy to come to the rink. But I learn a lot when things aren't going well; it gets me to look at myself, the job I'm doing, what I can be better at. Hopefully, the players are doing the same thing." Koivu proved himself worthy in his debut as full-time captain Wednesday. He had a goal and an assist during regulation, then scored the only goal of the shootout in a 3-2 victory against the visiting Avalanche. Early Road Woes -- The Canucks finally won a road game Wednesday night, improving to 1-4 away from GM Place with a 3-2 comeback victory at Chicago. It's imperative that the Canucks learn to win regularly on the road. They face a 14-game road trip later in the season because the Winter Olympics will be taking over Vancouver in early 2010. The Canucks' early road woes were epitomized by the ending in a recent loss at Edmonton. They had 40 shots on goal in the 2-1 defeat. The game ended with Kyle Wellwood netting what would have been the tying goal if only he had scored it a split second earlier, before the final buzzer sounded. Injuries to Daniel Sedin and Pavol Demitra have been part of the Canucks' problem, but in reality, they got what they deserved against Edmonton. Teams have to work for their wins in the NHL, especially on the road, and the Canucks' effort has been inconsistent.            "I don't think that team worked that hard tonight," Ryan Kesler told the Vancouver Province, referring to loss to the Oilers. "And we got out-worked. ... We need to start out-working teams. There was just way too much of that game where we got out-worked. "We still have scoring, even though we are missing some key guys. We have to get more than one goal a game. We have to find the back of the net." Just when it seemed the Canucks were headed to another road loss Wednesday in Chicago, the offense awoke. Austrian rookie winger Michael Grabner scored his first NHL goal, tying the score on a power play with 7:44 remaining. Offseason addition Mikael Samuelsson then scored his fifth goal, with 4:42 left, to give the Canucks an important victory. Slick Oilers -- The biggest story of the summer in the NHL was the Dany Heatley saga. The talented winger asked Ottawa to trade him, then rejected a deal to the Oilers for Dustin Penner, Andrew Cogliano and Ladislav Smid. The Senators ultimately traded Heatley to the Sharks. It will be an interesting night when San Jose visits Edmonton next month. But the Oilers are doing just fine without Heatley, and the three players who remained when he rejected the trade to Edmonton have been contributing. Penner, in particular, has been thriving, which is great news for the Oilers given his struggles in his first two seasons in Edmonton after the Oilers paid him a boatload of money to pry him away from Anaheim. Last season, Penner was the target of frequent criticism by former coach Craig MacTavish, much of it relating to alleged inadequate conditioning. This season, Penner had 5 goals in the first eight games and admits he has improved this year. "It's my fourth year in the league," Penner, 27, told reporters recently. "So it's maybe time to start improving." It was just last season that, according to the Edmonton Journal, MacTavish said of Penner, "He's never been fit enough to help us. I can't watch it." Penner says he's feeling more confident this year, and also said he has grown up. "I think maybe experience, overall maturity," he told the Journal when asked to explain his progress this season. "When you want the puck on our stick and you're not afraid to make mistakes, it's a fun game." Clearly, Penner wearied of MacTavish's criticisms. He's feeling much more relaxed playing for new coach Pat Quinn. "You make a mistake, but the way (Quinn) coaches here is, 'I'll give you the leeway to make those mistakes, but you've got to be the guy who comes back and makes up for it,' " Penner told the Journal. "Maybe (it's) the coaching, maybe my overall maturity. Just a better understanding of the game. Sometimes the learning curve takes a little longer, depending on the situation." Sticking around -- The Avalanche have been the most positive surprise in the NHL in the early weeks of the season. Part of the reason has been the play of 18-year-old rookie centers Matt Duchene and Ryan O'Reilly. This week, the Avalanche made it official: The two kids will be with the team through the season's 10th game and that means they no longer will be eligible to be returned to junior hockey. Duchene scored the first goal of his NHL career in a shootout win last weekend in Detroit. It was the Avalanche's fourth consecutive win, all on the road, all against members of the Original Six. "It's nice to get the monkey off my back there," Duchene told the Denver Post after scoring the goal. "The most important thing was we won that game. It wouldn't have felt nearly as good if we lost." After learning he and O'Reilly would be sticking around, Duchene said, "Accomplishing your dream is just unbelievable. Ryan and I were talking, saying, 'Everything we set out to do, we've accomplished.' " Duchene has moved in with veteran defenseman Adam Foote, who is keeping a watchful eye on the youngster. "Footer has two little guys, 8 and 10, and they're a lot of fun," Duchene told the Post. "We played mini-sticks all night (Monday). Had some pretty intense games. I was sweating buckets." Re-ignited Flame -- Enforcer Brandon Prust spent part of last season with the Flames, but it was a tough year physically and logistically. He suffered a broken jaw from an elbow by the Blues' Cam Janssen, causing him to miss 30 games, and he later was traded to the Coyotes. But on draft day, Prust was traded back to the Flames, and he's been a regular combatant in the early weeks of the season. "I'm not surprised at all," teammate Eric Nystrom told the Calgary Herald. "I played with him in the minors, and he gets in 35 to 40 fights a year. That's an insane amount of fights." On top of the fighting, the 25-year-old Prust has been contributing on the score sheet, even though his ice time has been very limited. "We know we're not going to be given 15 to 20 minutes of ice a night," Prust told the Herald. "Anytime that we do get it, we have a lot of responsibility out there. So we just make sure we do our jobs." The 6-foot, 190-pound Prust is not the most physically imposing enforcer in the League. But he has endeared himself to first-year coach Brent Sutter not only with his willingness to drop the gloves but with his physical play. "He's done a great job," Sutter told the Herald. "His biggest thing is keeping his focus where it needs it to be and bringing it to the rink every day in a workmanlike fashion. He's been very good at that. And he's been rewarded in game situations because of that." If Prust can stay healthy this year -- and if he can avoid being traded yet again -- he could provide a physical element that was lacking in the playoffs last year. Veteran Craig Conroy told the Herald, "He brings so much toughness to the team that maybe we didn't have in the playoffs in the first round." Roger Phillips Fri, 23 Oct 2009 17:52:00 EDT http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=503272 http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=503231&cmpid=rss-jory The Canucks spared no expense in upgrading their dressing room. It's a cornucopia of wow. Whatever you do, don’t push the big red button. It’s been said on TV and in movies for as long as both have been around. Nothing good comes from pushing the big red button. The Vancouver Canucks apparently don’t turn on the tube or frequent the cinema that often - their new lavish, futuristic, state-of-the-art, envy-of-every-NHL-team dressing room is proof of that. Standing in front of the entrance, two massive glass sliding doors that feature the Canucks logo seemingly entrapped in ice, one is humbled. Already questioning whether this is a place mere mortals can enter, the only way in is to push a big red button on the wall. Oh, the irony. Push the button and the glass doors slide apart like an elevator, but there’s no going up, although a lot of Canucks players and staff floated in the first time they saw their new digs, which underwent a mammoth multi-million dollar upgrade/renovation this summer. “They were like little kids when they came back the first day and they were walking around like when you buy a new house and you go exploring and look at all the features,” laughed Harvey Jones, vice president and general manager of arena operations for the Canucks and the man with the master plan behind the new dressing room. Night and day is the best way to describe the changes that the dressing room went through this summer. It looks nothing like it did last season, except for the 680 square foot player’s lounge which was renovated a summer before when Mike Gillis came on board as general manager and gave this project the green light. Canucks Extras This week on Canucks.com Dressing room tour To the untrained eye there was nothing wrong with the old dressing room that had been in place since General Motors Place opened in 1995. Times have changed since then though, as have the needs of the players and staff, especially equipment manager Pat O’Neill and his crew. Working with team staff, management and owners, Jones laid out numerous objectives for the new dressing room before pencil was ever put to paper to draw up plans. -They wanted a large, grand entrance to make it clear that this is a special place. -Coaches wanted a more intimate dressing room, one free of players trapped in corners, like Kyle Wellwood was last season. -Video capability and other technology in the room had to be brought up to date, including TVs. -The flow of the room had to improve. It made no sense for the player’s lockers and showers to be at opposite ends of the dressing room, for example. -The players walkway to the ice could be improved to be more dramatic, instead of the short hop, skip and step it was. -The lounge needed to become more of a focal point, giving players a chance to relax and eat as a family away from everything else. -Plunge tubs, both hot and cold, that could accommodate more than one player simply made more sense than the one-seater metal contraptions that the players previously soaked in. -The way equipment used to be dried, by fans and heaters, was stone age, so a new automatic heating mechanism needed to be worked into the room, one that would flow through every locker. -Vancouver’s coaching staff wanted to give the players some privacy and have some of their own, so having a space of their own was a must. To accomplish this the Canucks approached Michael Cox, principal architect with Gateway Architecture Inc., a Vancouver based company with a working knowledge of GM Place from previous projects. Cox and his team, composed of Kelly Suffron and James Skinnider, had previously done the Nortel Champions Club and the Captains Club (formally Sterling’s Vineyards Room), but make no mistake about it, this is the biggest and best project Cox has been a part of in GM Place. “We had done a lot of work in the building before, but we were really excited to do the dressing room, it was like the crowning project in the building for us,” said Cox, a lifelong Canucks fan who had a vision right off the hop of what how he thought the room should look and flow. “After speaking with ownership, management and trainers, the focus became how to turn all those practical requirements into something that was really stunning, that was going to be perceived as different from what the normal dressing room is. “We really decided early on that we should go in a contemporary direction rather than the traditional heavy wood type of thing and that’s why we’ve got with clean, revealing lines, a lot of stainless steel. We just felt that with the age group of the players being in the 20s and 30s, that the old boys look is not the traditional look we should be going for.” When Cox first took a seat in the old dressing room to get a feel for what needed to change, he ran into Trevor Linden, who offered up a little advice. If you’re going to do it, do it right. The cornucopia of beauty that is now home to the Canucks is proof that the upgrade was done right, so much so that the organization has been drawing a lot of attention from other teams, according to Jones. “We had a call from a guy in Ottawa saying ‘what the heck did you do, my boss just came in here and said to find out what the guys in Vancouver did because all the players are talking about wonderful things you’re doing for the players and the new dressing room.’ Word is getting out all over.” Word will spread even more in four months when the 2010 Olympics take over GM Place and Team Canada, as the top ranked team, will get its pick of dressing room, inevitably choosing that of the Canucks. “The 23 top Canadian players are going to be in there enjoying the benefits of it and that’s a feather in our cap. “The Sedins and everybody, they’ll have to go down to one of those crummy dressing rooms down the hall.” The highlight of the 850 square foot dressing room (total size of the area, including dressing room, medical and equipment rooms, lounge and coaches office is 8,205 square feet) is the oval shaped seating area where the players dress and prepare to do battle. “The oval is inclusive, so everyone can see everyone else and it really gives the room a feeling of unity,” said Cox. The massive Canucks logo on the floor also catches the eye and Cox was quick to point out that it’s all one piece and carved out to give it a little extra punch. Just one of the small details that went into the dressing room fit for kings, which was clearly done right.   Derek Jory Fri, 23 Oct 2009 13:50:00 EDT http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=503231 http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=503385&cmpid=rss-News in English The 2009 Larry Ashley Scholarship winners are Lucas Fletcher, of Surrey and Brooke Lemire of Delta. Larry Ashley was an athletic trainer of the Vancouver Canucks from 1981 until September 1995 when he passed away from cancer. As a leader in his field, Ashley continuously demonstrated his passion and dedication towards the fields of sport medicine and athletic training. Initiated in 1996, his scholarship program provides students financial assistance to assist them in achieving their own educational goals. To qualify candidates must be a BC resident, under the age of 25 and be studying sports medicine, athletic training or a related field for up to four years at a recognized tertiary educational institution in North America. This year’s Larry Ashley Scholarship winners are Lucas Fletcher and Brooke Lemire. Lucas Fletcher, 18, is a recent graduate of Sullivan Heights Secondary school in Surrey. Lucas is currently enrolled in Douglas College in the Bachelor of Physical Education and Coaching Program. His future goal is to become an athletic trainer for a professional sports team. While maintaining a high academic average, Lucas has also managed to be involved in sports teams, volunteer environmental groups, community fundraising organizations and in his schools PE department at a teacher’s assistant. Lucas’s hard work and perseverance in athletics, training and community fields has made him a perfect recipient for the Larry Ashley Scholarship. Brooke Lemire, 19, is a Delta Secondary Graduate who is currently in the Sport Science Diploma Program with plans to major in Human Kinetics. With a lifelong interest in sports and nutrition, she is looking to pursue a career in this academic area. Brooke has been heavily involved in her schools team sports including soccer, volleyball and basketball and also competes in her city’s soccer and fast pitch leagues. Brooke has managed to continually excel in balancing her work, sports and education. Brooke’s academic achievements include obtaining Honor Roll and Principles list as well as yearly Academic Certificate Awards for her entire high school education. A coach’s dream, and role model to her fellow soccer teammates, Brooke will be representing Douglas College as a part of the Douglas Royals Women’s soccer team. We know Brooke will continue to excel in her education and athletics pursuits and therefore have chosen her as a recipient of this year’s Larry Ashley Scholarship. Story by Leah Peden, Canucks Centre Student Associate   Vancouver Canucks Thu, 22 Oct 2009 18:41:00 EDT http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=503385 http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=503122&cmpid=rss-jory Cancer affects everyone, even NHL superstars. Ryan Kesler and Sami Salo are feared on the ice, one for his tenacious, aggressive play and offensive prowess, the other for his blanketing defence and booming slap shot that has been known to break the sound barrier. Both warriors in their own way, Kesler and Salo are just as human as anyone else when it comes to dealing with cancer, one of the most devastating diseases mankind has ever faced. In 2007, Kesler’s father Mike was diagnosed with carcinoid cancer, a type of neuroendocrine tumour that attacks the small intestines. Fortunately for the Kesler family, the cancer was treatable. After having surgery, Kesler’s father made a full recovery and has had a clean bill of health since. “To hear the word cancer, it really doesn’t hit home until it affects somebody you know,” said Kesler. “You really have no control of it. It happens to good people. My dad didn’t ask for it and it just kind of happened. “It scares you. You don’t know if you’ll ever see him again,” said Kesler, adding that since the surgery to combat his cancer, Mike has done more than survive. He’s thrived. “He was a heavier-set guy, and now he’s into eating healthy. He walks everyday and he’s being more active. I think it helps him to have a new outlook on life. He used to be a really high-strung guy and now he’s a bit more relaxed. He looks at the big picture now.” Touched by his family’s close-call with cancer, Kesler has taken a proactive approach against the disease and has been involved in helping a number of charitable events that raise funds for cancer research and has gone on numerous hospital visits to spend time with children with the disease. Canucks Extras This week on Canucks.com Hockey Fights Cancer “I think it’s really important [to raise awareness],” said Kesler. “It’s a small world. Cancer affects everybody.” That’s the premise behind Hockey Fights Cancer, an initiative run by the National Hockey League and the National Hockey League Players' Association to raise money and awareness to support national and local cancer research institutions, children’s hospitals, player charities and local cancer organizations. On Sunday, October 25 when Vancouver hosts Edmonton, the Canucks will do their part to support this worthy cause by hosting Hockey Fights Cancer Awareness Night as part of Hockey Fights Cancer Awareness Month. On the ice the Canucks will continue to sport the Hockey Fights Cancer decal on their helmets that has been there throughout the month, while the coaching staff and broadcasters will wear lavender ties. Lavender represents awareness for all cancers and is the designated color for this year’s initiative. Three different cancer agencies will be in attendance at GM Place that evening, including Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, outside section 111, Canadian Cancer Society, outside section 102 and Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, outside section 326. Several children from the BC Children's Hospital’s Oncology unit will also be on hand as special guests who get to watch the game from Lui’s Crease Club. Fans interested in learning more on how they can help fight cancer can log on to hockeyfightscancer.com, or stop by the Canucks team store and pick up a special 2009-10 draft day hat, which features the Hockey Fights Cancer logo embroidered on the side. Ten per cent of profits from the caps go to Hockey Fights Cancer. To date, Hockey Fights Cancer has raised more than $10.5 million, money that is given directly to national and local organizations involved in cancer care and research. A cure for cancer has yet to be found, but together we are making a difference and with that comes the hope that someday people won’t have to suffer at the hands of this destructive disease. When Sami Salo was 18-years-old, his father Topi was diagnosed with stomach cancer. “It took me two to three weeks to really understand what was actually happening,” Salo recalled. “My mom and older brother were really involved with the process and had a lot of help from programs at the hospital.” After only four months, Salo’s father passed away. “Helping out charities that raise funds for cancer research is something I always try to do. Cancer takes so many lives and it’s important to raise funds for research to help find a cure.” Another member of the Canucks family, equipment assistant Brian Hamilton, has also witnessed the devastation of cancer first hand. Hannah Hatlen, Hamilton’s niece, was diagnosed with a terminal brain tumour at the age of four and passed away at the age of five. A good portion of Hannah’s life was spent at Children’s Hospital. “I can talk forever about how great Children's Hospital is in spite of one of the worst events of my life occurring there,” said Hamilton. “The nurses were amazing and the entertainment and activities helped everyone cope with the situation. They knew what Hannah's restrictions were and all the crafts and games they brought in, she was able to do and play no problem. It was amazing and I will always remember the smiles when I went to see her. They were also amazing to my family and gave us so many resources to deal with the situation.” Hannah was a girl full of life and brought so much joy to everyone she touched. With the efforts of family and friends, Hannah has continued to inspire and bring happiness to many lives. Hannah was the inspiration for The Hannah’s Heroes Foundation. The foundation was established in September of 2007 for the purpose of raising awareness and funds into treating pediatric brain cancer. There are few treatments available for children with this type of cancer and very little research goes into this. Their wish is to change that. “Being involved with Hannah's Heroes helps me deal with the loss of Hannah,” said Hamilton. “I also want to be part of something that one day finds a cure for this disease. I feel proud to have been her uncle and I want her name to live on.” To find out more about the foundation and Hannah’s story, please visit hannahsheroes.com. The Vancouver Canucks and the National Hockey League would like to thank you for supporting Hockey Fights Cancer. Special thanks to Stephanie Maniago.   Derek Jory Thu, 22 Oct 2009 17:16:00 EDT http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=503122 http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=503012&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 3-2 win over Chicago. ...the Canucks scored a pair of goals just over three minutes apart with less than eight minutes to play in the third period. Michael Grabner tied the game up with his first career NHL goal before Mikael Samuelsson beat Antti Niemi to give Vancouver its first lead of the game, one the visitors wouldn’t relinquish. The Canucks improve to 1-4-0 on the road with the win and even though the players may not admit it, this W is even sweeter because it came against the Blackhawks. In signing Mikael Samuelsson as a free agent this past summer, the Canucks thought they were adding secondary scoring to the team. Little did they know that Samuelsson was hungry for more. The 32-year-old Swedish forward, who has skated on the first and second lines this season, has been part of the top threesome since Daniel Sedin went down and he has yet to disappoint. Samuelsson’s game-winner against Chicago, which came on a play when he picked off a poor passing play in the Blackhawks zone before finding a hole in Niemi, was his second game-winner in the past three outings. Samuelsson also assisted on the game’s first goal by Steve Bernier; he now sits second in team scoring with nine points (5-4-9) in nine games. Michael Grabner chose a perfect time to score his first NHL goal. In just his fourth game with the Canucks Grabner got the monkey off his back by snapping a shot past Niemi blocker side on the power play with 7:44 to play in the third period. Scoring the first goal of your career is special anytime, but Grabner had a big crowd of supporters on hand as the Manitoba Moose were in town preparing to face the Chicago Wolves on Friday and they managed to catch the game. One hit dished out in this contest will be talked about for the rest of the season. Willie Mitchell was the KA and Jonathan Toews was the BOOM as Mitchell caught the youngster with his head down breezing through centre ice. Mitchell lowered his right shoulder and introduced Toews to the Blackhawks logo on the ice below. Toews, rattled to his core, got up and skated a few feet before falling to the ice again. He had to be helped to the bench and eventually the dressing room. He did not return to the game. Mikael Samuelsson, on Vancouver's first road win of the season and the play that led to his game-winning goal. "It means a lot to the group, everybody knows we hadn’t won on the road and this was a good win. We struggled a little bit but once again we came back from their lead, so that was huge. "Somebody missed a dropped pass there and I got it and just took a whack at it and I got a bit lucky there, I got it on my skate. This ice wasn’t the best so you’ve got to be sharp with the puck and work for it all the time because you never know when it might jump onto your stick. Things like that happen." This was Vancouver’s first road win of the season and it came with the team putting forth another win-worthy effort. For the third time in as many games the Canucks outplayed their opposition, only on this night they got the bounces, which included the scramble that led to Bernier’s third goal of the season and the puck luck that came with the Blackhawks narrowly missing the net on a scoring chance in the dying seconds of the game. The Canucks are now 4-5-0 on the season. Who better to help extend Vancouver’s winning streak to two games than the winless Toronto Maple Leafs? The NHL’s only winless squad invades GM Place Saturday afternoon during a special 4 p.m. start and along with the performers will come the circus. The East will be well represented when the Canucks and Leafs faceoff; last year Vancouver fans were arguably out cheered by those in blue and white. NUMBERS 1 – Road win for the Canucks in five attempts this season. 1 – Career NHL goal for Michael Grabner. 2 – Points for Mikael Samuelsson on the night, he assisted on Steve Bernier's third goal of the season before scoring the game-winner in the third. 13 – Career game-winners for Samuelsson; two with Vancouver. 18 – Saves for Roberto Luongo in his return to Chicago. OFFENCE The Canucks have played with a lot more spunk these past few games and it all startes with a productive opening period. Although Vancouver had only six shots in the first, a few were solid scoring chances and the Canucks rallied from that momentum. Overall the Canucks outshot the Blackhawks 31-20 and once again were dangerous on offence with the first three lines producing numerous scoring chances. DEFENCE Roberto Luongo was screened on the first Chicago goal, the second was a weaselly redirect from the side of the goal. Other than that the last line of defence was bulletproof making 18 saves. Willie Mitchell gets another mention for his incredible hit on Jonathan Toews that bolted some life into the Canucks. SPECIAL TEAMS Vancouver's first and second goals were both scored on the power play; the Bernier goal ended a streak of 10 straight man advantages without a score for the Canucks. The Canucks blanked the Blackhawks on the kill going 4-for-4. Derek Jory Wed, 21 Oct 2009 21:00:00 EDT http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=503012 http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=502852&cmpid=rss-jory Driven to help others, a blind hockey player inline skates across Canada For being legally blind, Mark DeMontis has incredible vision. Five years ago at the age of 17, DeMontis was entering his final year of high school in his hometown of Toronto, Ont. The strapping scholar was the envy of many, being athletically gifted with brains and personality to match. In the blink of an eye, his world was turned upside down. In August 2004 DeMontis was diagnosed with Leber's Optic Neuropathy, a degeneration of retinal ganglion cells which left him legally blind with no central sight. His peripheral vision was gone, all that remained was a partial ability to capture details, such as shapes and shadows. A budding hockey player with an NCAA career on the horizon was suddenly thrust into a world of almost total darkness. Being a teenager can be difficult enough without a life changing experience to boot. “It was devastating for him, he was thinking of letting go of his presidency of student council and he was depressed, for a number of years actually,” said Paolo Abate, a lifelong friend of DeMontis. “What was more devastating for him other than losing his eye sight was that he couldn’t figure out how he was going to play hockey and that was such a big part of his life.” DeMontis’ love for the game he grew up playing helped him turn the corner from feeling sorry for himself to wanting to help others. Inspired by Chris Delaney, a promising football player who was also diagnosed with Leber's Optic Neuropathy but used the disability as a vehicle to raise money and awareness for eye research by biking across Canada, DeMontis set out to accomplish a similar goal. Canucks Extras This week on Canucks.com Courage Canada “When I was going through a tough time that inspired me to bring my spirits back up and get back into my passion, which is obviously the game of hockey,” said the 22-year-old media student from the University of Western Ontario. “I decided I was going to go across Canada to make a difference for blind youth to play the game.” This past June DeMontis strapped on his inline skates, grabbed a helmet, some gloves, a jersey and a stick, and set out on a trek of over 5,000 kilometers that would lead him through five provinces ending in Vancouver. On Friday, October 16 DeMontis arrived at the Riley Park Community Centre in Vancouver, his journey complete in just 111 days. “It was very demanding. Every day having to put in 50 to 70 kilometers on the skates, which was roughly seven to eight hours, mentally having to get up every day and lace up your skates and just take in each hill, each incline and decline, it was tough. “All that considered, I’m very proud that I made it to Vancouver and I’m proud I got through everything.” The expedition was long as it was hard and some days DeMontis didn’t think he could go on. Luckily he had Skippy peanut butter and The Tragically Hip by his side, one for protein, the other for motivation. DeMontis was recognized by the Canucks on Oct. 17 and he even got to share his adventures with numerous Canucks, including Ryan Johnson, Roberto Luongo, Willie Mitchell, Alex Burrows and Steve Bernier. Burrows and Bernier, both Quebec products, have driven through Ontario before so while they were taken aback by DeMontis’ accomplishment, they were more stunned that he was able to navigate his way across the horrible highways leading into Manitoba. As amazing as DeMontis’ achievement is, it’s only phase one of his mission. Phase two is where he truly plans on making a difference in the lives of the visually impaired. Last year DeMontis founded Courage Canada, a national non-profit organization trying to introduce the game of blind hockey to blind youth across Canada. It’s a lofty mission but thanks to the support of numerous parties, including Eugene Melnyk, owner of the Ottawa Senators, it’s one that DeMontis can envision being fulfilled. Each journey starts with a single step and DeMontis is hoping his Quest to the West across Canada will help inspire others, with or without disabilities, to strive for their goals. “I think it would be tough for someone to go across Canada normally, so being legally blind made it a completely different story. “The biggest thing is that whether you have a disability or not, whether you’re with or without sight, whether you’re a boy or a girl, whoever you are and wherever you’re from around this world, you just need to do everything in your power to fulfill your passion, whatever that may be. Whether you’ve got a disability or not, you go out there and you follow your hopes and dreams because they will come true.” Click here to read more about DeMontis and his journey across our home and native land, and for information about his mission of bringing blind hockey to Canada.   Derek Jory Tue, 20 Oct 2009 15:52:00 EDT http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=502852 http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=502750&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 Edmonton. Sam Gagner converted a loose puck in the Vancouver crease into the go-ahead goal that secured a 2-1 win for Edmonton. Gagner’s third goal of the season was a heartbreaker as it came an Oilers rush after the Canucks had flown down the ice and nearly scored. Mason Raymond ripped a shot on goal and Ryan Kesler was able to get a dangerous tip on it, but the puck sailed just wide. After battling through the first six games of the season, predominantly because he was under the weather, Kyle Wellwood was Vancouver’s biggest offensive threat on this night. On the lone Canucks goal he picked the pocket of Denis Grebeshkov as he attempted to clear the Oilers zone before sending a hard shot on goal. Steve Bernier found the rebound and potted his second goal of the season; the assist went to Wellwood for his first point of the year. Wellwood also scored, albeit it a hair too late, as he beat Nikolai Khabibulin with a wrist shot to tie the game just after time expired. Similar to the team as a whole, Roberto Luongo also played his best road game of the season allowing only two goals on 29 shots. Luongo was well positioned all game as he cut down the angles on shooters and controlled rebounds well. After struggling last Friday in Calgary, Luongo seems to be getting into a bit of a groove with only three goals against over the last two outings. What is going on with Vancouver’s power play? After going 7-for-14 on the man advantage over three games against Montreal, Dallas and Calgary, the Canucks have now squandered 10 straight power plays. The Canucks went 0-for-5 against the Oilers with only a pair of shots on goal. Christian Ehrhoff on the game and what Vancouver needs to carry into its next contest: “That was our best road performance and unfortunately we couldn’t put the puck in the net. “We played a simpler game and we didn’t play as much in our own end as we did in our previous road games and we’ve got to keep doing that. We had a lot of scoring chances and we’ve just got to keep going and bury those.” This tough loss, in which Vancouver out shot and out chanced Edmonton, means the Canucks remain winless on the road through four games. The good news for the road warriors is that following Wednesday’s game in Chicago, Vancouver is home for five of its next seven matches. When the Canucks face the Blackhawks Wednesday night in Chicago, it’ll mark the first time since the 2009 playoffs the teams have met. Vancouver was rudely escorted out of Chicago on its last visit as the Hawks scored three consecutive goals in the last seven minutes of Game 6 of the Western Conference Semifinal to down the Canucks 7-5 and advance to the Western Conference finals for the first time since 1995. NUMBERS 0 – Road wins for the Cnaucks through four games away from GM Place. 1 – Point this season for Kyle Wellwood. He picked up an assist on Vancouver's lone goal by Steve Bernier. 2 – Shots for the Canucks on five power play opportunities. Vancouver is now eighth in the league on the man advantage. 6 – Punches thrown by Rick Rypien before Zack Stortini realized he the Tasmanian Devil was having his way with him. 27 – Saves by Roberto Luongo in his second consecutive solid outing. He's allowed only three goals in his last two games. OFFENCE The Canucks outshot and outchanced their opposition, only to fall short in the end - stop me if you've heard this one.  Vancouver was aggressive on offence hitting Nikolai Khabibulin with 40 shots, but only the one caught the back of the net. Good on the Canucks for not giving up late in the game as they had 16 shots in the final frame, which doesn't include Wellwood's one-second-too-late goal. DEFENCE Although the Canucks had a few lapses on defence, most notably on the Oilers go-ahead goal when a tired group was scrambling for position, overall this was a good game on the backend.  Kudos to Alex Edler for diving out to rob Ales Hemsky of an open net goal with time winding down. Although Edmonton won the war, Vancouver won the battle. SPECIAL TEAMS Vancouver had only two shots on goal on five power plays, which just isn't going to cut it. The Canucks were getting shots off from the point, they simply refused to find their way through traffic and at the net. On the flip side, Vancouver held Edmonton to 0-for-3 on the man advantage. Derek Jory Mon, 19 Oct 2009 18:54:00 EDT http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=502750 http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=502737&cmpid=rss-jory Is Ryan Kesler worth $4 million in Canucks Fantasy Hockey? Looking at the immediate picture, this past week wasn’t a friendly one to the Vancouver Canucks. Looking at the big picture, it was a great week. The Canucks were in action twice over the past seven days, finishing 1-1 in those contests. Vancouver went into Calgary and was waxed through two periods trailing 5-0 before showing a lot of heart to fight back with three straight goals. Twenty-four hours later the Canucks played a full 60 minutes for the first time this season handing the Minnesota Wild a 2-1 loss. It’s been a slow start for this locomotive, but it finally appears to be eyeing top speed. THE WEEK THAT WAS If it felt like there wasn’t much hockey this past week, again, it’s because there wasn’t. Vancouver began the week with four non-game days before heading to Calgary to face the Flames on Friday and returning home to host the Minnesota Wild on Saturday. In terms of fantasy hockey production, the game against the Flames had the makings of a horror movie before the Canucks rallied with three goals in the third period. Rick Rypien and Christian Ehrhoff were two of the goal scorers and they finished first and third in fantasy points with 19 and 15. Henrik Sedin had two assists to finish second in fantasy points with 18. Canucks Extras This week on Canucks.com Canucks Fantasy Hockey Despite only scoring twice on Minnesota a night later, Vancouver produced six players with 15 fantasy points or more, including Ryan Kesler who led the team with 36 thanks to a goal, a game star and a gaggle of other stats. Kevin Bieksa (24), Mikael Samuelsson (19), Roberto Luongo (17), Mason Raymond (15) and Alex Burrows (15) were other players who put up big points. WE HAVE A WINNER It seems ties aren’t just good father’s day gifts anymore as for the second time in the first six games of the season, there was a logjam atop the leader board. Victory916, timbo76, billkambc and Kesssy17 all rode the Rypien, Sedin, Ehrhoff express to success, finishing with 115 points apiece. There was more than bragging rights up for grabs during Saturday’s TELUS Game of the Week and some savvy picking from crosby87 ensured that there was one winner and only one winner. crosby87 had 128 points, two better than gurps at 126. The difference? crosby87 bought Henrik Sedin and Ryan Johnson, who combined for 19 points, while gurps spent that $5 million on Roberto Luongo, who had 17 points. This isn’t the first time this season buying Luongo has lead to heartache as the Canucks netminder has only been on one of seven teams that have finished first overall thus far. Kesssy17 is currently the season leader with 807 points through seven games. Click here to check out the leaderboard, it's a jumble of 4,158 fantasy fanatics. THE WEEK AHEAD It’s a busy seven days for the Canucks as they play four games in a week for the first time this season. The action gets going Monday with Vancouver in Edmonton, the Canucks then travel to Chicago prior to returning home to face Toronto and Edmonton back-to-back over the weekend. FRESH PICKS Instead of going game-by-game, here are five players that can do you no wrong for fantasy production so far this year. Feel free to buy any or all of them for Vancouver’s next four games, if you can afford to. These are the only four players over 100 fantasy points through seven games. Henrik Sedin, $4 million – Hank’s production has remained consistent since losing brother Daniel as a linemate, so much so that he’s on a five game point streak with three goals and seven assists in that time. He leads the Canucks in points with 11 and in fantasy points with 147. He’s expensive, but clearly worth it. Mikael Samuelsson, $ 2 million – Easily the best bang for your buck in Canucks Fantasy Hockey, Samuelsson is tied with Ryan Kesler for second in team scoring with seven points and he is also on a five-game point streak with three goals and three assists. Samuelsson has 103 fantasy points to sit fourth on the team. Willie Mitchell, $3 million – On some nights, Mitchell is the only defenceman worth owning because thus far he’s been lights out on defence and has been contributing offensively with two goals and two assists. That has translated into 115 fantasy points, an average of just over 16 a game. That’s what I’m talking about. Ryan Kesler, $4 million – Three games into the season Kesler was struggling offensively with only one assist and a minus-3 rating. Since then he’s been red-hot with three goals and three assists in four games to sit second in team scoring with Samuelsson with seven points, he's also great for fantasy points with 115. INJURY UPDATE LW Daniel Sedin (foot) missed Vancouver’s last game and is expected to be sidelined a few weeks. RW Guillaume Desbiens was called up to fill the void, although he was sent back to Manitoba after one game. D Sami Salo is currently sidelined with pain in his right knee. A timetable for his return hasn’t been set. RW Jannik Hansen (broken hand), RW Pavol Demitra (shoulder) and D Mathieu Schneider (shoulder) are on the injured reserve list. 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, 19 Oct 2009 17:44:00 EDT http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=502737 http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=502682&cmpid=rss-jory A new hockey program gives at-risk youth the chance to experience hockey. For as long as there has been hockey, there has been opportunity. Canada’s game is more than just goals, assists and saves, it’s a chance to laugh and learn and experience something that unites us all. To a special group of kids in Vancouver, hockey already means even more than that and they’ve only been on the ice once in their lives. A new hockey program that gives at-risk youth their first chance to experience hockey official kicked off last week. Developed with the Canucks Alumni, National Hockey League Players Association Goals & Dreams program, Graham Lee of RG Properties and Scotia Capital, this partnership addresses the reality that the joy of hockey remains out of reach for at-risk kids because of circumstances beyond their control. This exceptional venture changes all of that and is giving members of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Vancouver the opportunity of a lifetime. Every Friday afternoon 25 kids, ranging in age from 8 to 10-years-old, gather at Planet Ice in Coquitlam to learn the fundamentals of hockey and engage in a sport otherwise off limits in everyday life. “One of the things with families, and especially in the lower mainland, because it’s such an expensive place to live, there are a lot of working poor families,” explained Carolyn Tuckwell, president and CEO of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Vancouver. “They don’t necessarily have extra money to buy hockey equipment and they also don’t necessarily have the ability to leave the office to take their kids to hockey.” Canucks Extras This week on Canucks.com Canucks Alumni Grassroots Hockey Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Vancouver This program gives these children a chance to experience something every Canadian has the right to enjoy and the benefits go far beyond simply learning how to skate and stickhandle. “This really levels the playing field for them because these kids go to school the next week and they get to talk hockey with the other kids who play all the time,” said Tuckwell. “Any place where kids are disadvantaged in that way sets them apart, so this helps with inclusion and it helps with self confidence.” The on-ice sessions are coached by members of the Canucks Alumni, including former stay-at-home defenceman Bob Murray, who was with the Canucks from 1974-77. Murray and his team of former Canucks are more than willing to donate their time and energy to such a worthy cause knowing first hand how important hockey was for them at a young age. “We had a rink in our backyard in Peterborough, Ontario so we literally came home after school and we were on the rink,” said Murray, a longtime supporter of the Boys and Girls Club. “My dad and grandfather had floodlights from the house onto the rink so we could play well into the dark and then we played all weekend, so it literally all we did in the winter was play hockey in the backyard. “These kids finally have a chance to experience the game and you can’t say enough about that.” In the short term this program gives kids something to look forward to at the end of every week, but it also provides a vehicle to get started in minor hockey for those who really take to the sport. For some kids this is their first time on skates, others began skating in the spring. Either way, Murray said there is an electric feeling come Friday afternoon. Simply handing out the equipment this initiative was able to secure through the National Hockey League Players Association Goals & Dreams program was quite the experience. “It was like Christmas and they really wanted to get going. We had to put the wraps on them because they had the sticks out and they wanted to get going and unfortunately we weren’t going to be skating until the following Friday,” laughed Murray. Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Vancouver, founded in 1936, is a leading provider of programs that support the healthy physical, educational and social development of 4,000 young people and their families in the community. As Tockwell explained, Boys and Girls strives to be a home away from home for children in need, many of whom don’t have the ability to breakthrough the barriers they are faced with. Overcoming this obstacle is personal for Tockwell and the sheer pride she feels when discussing the hockey program is evident. “Anytime we can give kids a chance to pursue their dreams, we’re successful. We don’t know looking at 100 kids who is going to be Wayne Gretzky or a Roberto Luongo, we just don’t know. But without the chance to even try, they won’t get to be. This is really that chance for them.” Click here for more information on the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Vancouver.   Derek Jory Mon, 19 Oct 2009 13:47:00 EDT http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=502682 http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=502531&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 win over Minnesota. Mikael Samuelsson played garbage man and cleaned up a loose puck outside the Minnesota goal with a snap shot that gave the Canucks a 2-1 lead. Samuelsson’s team-leading fourth goal of the season came at the 3:49 mark of the third period after Alex Burrows collected the puck in front of the Wild net, but lost it before he could make a move. The puck squirted to Samuelsson, who is now on a five game point streak, and he wristed it past the outstretched arms of a diving Niklas Backstrom. Vancouver’s second line needed a catalyst to get things going offensively and Ryan Kesler filled that role against Minnesota. The rugged centreman slotted in between Mason Raymond and Michael Grabner and he elevated the play of both in the Minnesota zone using his speed and aggression. Kesler filled the back of the goal 4:23 into the second period to even the game up at 1-1 on an ugly goal where he simply got the puck on net and it found its way through Backstrom. From everyone’s whipping boy to the unsung hero, it’s been a wacky 24 hours for Roberto Luongo. The night didn’t start well for Luongo as he was beat on just the second Minnesota shot on goal via a weird deflection courtesy of Kyle Wellwood, but he recovered stopping the next 16 shots for his third win of the season. Luongo came up especially huge in the dying minutes of the third period with the Wild on the power play pressing for the equalizer. Brent Burns will be having nightmares for a night or two after being stoned from point-blank range with 1:36 left in the game. The trio of Raymond, Kesler and Grabner combined for a whopping 17 shots, 43 per cent of Vancouver’s total output of 39. Kesler led the charge testing Backstrom eight times, while Raymond had six shots and Grabner, who was noticeably better in his second game since being recalled, chipped in two three. Don’t expect this line to be broken up anytime soon. Luongo on Vancouver’s 2-1 win over Minnesota: “This was by far our best game of the year. We set a tempo right off the hop and we sustained it for 60 minutes. This is the effort we need on a nightly basis, we’re not going to win every game but if we like we did tonight we’ll win most of them. “ Vancouver outshot Minnesota 39-18 on the night marking the sixth time in seven games the Canucks have gotten more pucks on net than their opposition. Samuelsson leads the Canucks in shots with 33, Burrows and Raymond aren’t far back with 28 and 23 each, while Daniel Sedin and Ryan Kesler round out the top five at 19 and 17. Ryan Johnson, Darcy Hordichuk and Alex Bolduc are the only players on Vancouver’s active roster without a shot on goal this season. After back-to-back games the Canucks have a welcomed day off on Sunday before traveling to Edmonton to face the Oilers on Monday. The Canucks remain on the road following a stop in Alberta as they head to Chicago to play the Blackhawks Wednesday night. Vancouver then returns home and will face their hated cross-country rivals, the winless Toronto Maple Leafs, next Saturday. NUMBERS 1 – Goal allowed by Roberto Luongo, matching the season low he established in a 7-1 win over Montreal. 3 – Blown breakaways by the Canucks. Mason Raymond, Steve Bernier and Ryan Kesler all failed to score in alone on Backstrom. 3 – Rank of the Canucks on the power play. Vancouver has cashed in on 31 per cent of its opportunities going 9-for-29. 8 – Shots for Minnesota after two periods of play. The Wild finished with 18. 17 – Shots for the line of Grabner, Kesler and Raymond. QUOTABLE "I think as a group we played well and as a line we had a pretty good result too. As a whole that was our best 60 minute effort that we’ve put together all season." -Mason Raymond "We wanted to bounce back, we wanted to play well and I think we still have a few things to improve but overall this was a pretty big effort by everyone." -Alex Burrows "Our most efficient line was Ryan Kesler’s line with Mason and Michael Grabner. I thought those guys had good puck movement and generated a lot of opportunities." -Alain Vigneault OFFENCE The Canucks got just enough offence on this night and that's all that matters. That being said, this game could have easily been a 5-1 final if Vancouver had better finish in and around the goal.  Once again the Canucks outshot their opposition, a great habit that will lead to a lot of wins as the season progresses. DEFENCE Vancouver played a much tighter game against Minnesota and it showed early on. The Wild were held to four shots in each of the first two periods and they didn't hit the 10 shot mark until four minutes into the third. After giving up five goals in Calgary Friday night, Roberto Luongo gave up only one and was impenetrable when Vancouver needed him to be late in the game. SPECIAL TEAMS The lone blemish on Vancouver's well-rounded performance was an 0-for-5 mark on the power play. Coming into the game the Canucks were first overall in the NHL at 37.5 per cent. They now sit third at 31 per cent. The Canucks blanked the Wild power play holding them goalless on four attempts. Derek Jory Sat, 17 Oct 2009 20:48:00 EDT http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=502531 http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=502429&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 5-3 loss to Calgary. Dustin Boyd scored his second goal of the season 9:16 into the second period to put the already lifeless Canucks into a black hole. Vancouver trailed 4-0 at that point and the Calgary lead swelled to 5-0 before the Canucks woke up and mounted a decent rally scoring three straight goals in the third period. Rick Rypien, Mikael Samuelsson and Christian Ehrhoff scored for the Canucks, the latter two netted power play goals 41 seconds part with less than three minutes left in the third. Rick Rypien and Brandon Prust have really got something going. For the second straight season Rypien and Prust engaged in an epic battle of fists, the scrap played out 2:33 into the second period with the Canucks looking for a jolt. Rypien won this bout thanks to a mélange of rights, lefts and blocks, but the victory didn’t spark Vancouver as Calgary replied with three more goals before the period let out. Rypien also netted Vancouver’s first goal beating Miikka Kiprusoff with an off-angle shot in the third. He finished one assist shy of the coveted Gordie Howe hat trick. Vancouver struggled in every facet of its game, the offence didn’t apply enough pressure, the defence couldn’t contain pressure and Roberto Luongo wasn’t Roberto Luongo. That being said there were a few bright spots and Mikael Samuelsson was one of them. The Swedish veteran collected one goal and led the Canucks with seven shots in 18:10 of ice time. Samuelsson is now second in team scoring with six points in as many games; his point streak is now up to four games with 2 goals and three assists over that stretch. Roberto Luongo allowed five goals on 19 shots and was pulled for the second time in four games. Captain Luongo lasted only 40 minutes and although the Canucks didn’t give him much help on this night, he didn’t help the team much out either. Luongo has allowed 10 goals in five periods to the Flames this season. Andrew Raycroft filled in admirably for Luongo with five saves; he’s only allowed one goal in 42:34 of action this season. Checking the standings six games into the season is ludicrous, but trailing the Northwest Division leading Flames by nine points this early is worrisome. Last season the Canucks proved miracle comebacks can happen as they erased a hefty deficit to claim the division title. Just because they did it once, doesn’t mean they can do it again. It’s too early to panic, much too early to panic, but a massive gap in the standings isn’t good for anything right now. After playing just two games over 10 days, the Canucks have three contests in four nights over the weekend and into next week. The madness started against the Flames, continues Saturday night at home versus the Minnesota Wild before Vancouver travels to Edmonton to play the Oilers on Monday. Vancouver and Minnesota met six times last year with the Canucks picking up five wins and amassing at least a point in each contest. The Wild were outscored 16-9 by the Canucks, but they managed to steal one game upending Vancouver 4-3 in overtime on January 31. NUMBERS 2 – Number of times Roberto Luongo has been pulled in the last four games. 2 – Assists for Henrik Sedin. 3 – Fighting majors handed out to the Canucks. Rick Rypien, Darcy Hordichuk and Tanner Glass all dropped the mitts. 9 – Points the Canucks trail the Flames in the standings. 41 – Seconds between late third period goals by Mikael Samuelsson and Christian Ehrhoff. OFFENCE The Canucks outshot their opposition, again, but again it wasn't a matter of getting pucks on goal because they couldn't beat Kipper early on.  Mikael Samuelsson was Vancouver's best forward, he buzzed all game, even when the Canucks struggled to leave their own end. DEFENCE The last line of defence, Roberto Luongo, will take his share of blame for this loss and he deserves it, but the defence as a whole was off its game.  On the bright side, the top pairing of Kevin Bieksa and Willie Mitchell lived up to expectations in holding Jarome Iginla off the scoresheet. SPECIAL TEAMS Vancouver only gave up one power play goal to hold Calgary to 1-for-6, but the Flames scored a shorthanded marker that really stung. The Canucks were 2-for-5 on the power play scoring a pair of goals late on a 5-on-3 then a 5-on-4. Derek Jory Fri, 16 Oct 2009 19:01:00 EDT http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=502429 http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=502382&cmpid=rss-News in English Breaks can be good and breaks can be bad. Coffee breaks, good. Commercial breaks, bad. Break dancing, good. Break and enter, bad. Tax breaks, good. Lengthy breaks for the Vancouver Canucks, bad. Do the NHL schedule makers not know that only penciling in one Canucks game over a seven-day stretch makes one weak? From the last Optimist Prime check in until now, Vancouver has only faced off once, beating the Dallas Stars 4-3 in a shootout last Sunday night. By the time the Canucks trample the Calgary Flames on Friday, four whole nights will have passed without a peep from the lifeblood of British Columbia. Like the “new” Jay Leno without his desk, it just hasn’t felt right. That’s kind of the theme of this season though, as the Canucks are playing one of the zaniest schedules ever. Two games in eight days, check. Five in seven days, check. One in seven days, check. This year has a little of everything, capped off by 14 consecutive road games between January 30 and March 13. Don’t worry, I’m not about to optimize the longest road trip in NHL history, not even a Dalai Lama/Forrest Gump love child could do that. Although after some reflection my view of this sporadic schedule, long breaks included, is sunny side up, surprise, surprise. Lengthy breaks, like what we just endured and the one during the third week of November, are good for two reasons: rest and relaxation and highs and lows. These days off give Daniel Sedin, Sami Salo, Pavol Demitra, Mathieu Schneider and Jannik Hansen a chance to rest up without missing any action. Right now they’re all like foosball players without legs, so time off is good. The flip side of the schedule is that long breaks means more games packed into tighter time frames. While the NHL deserves kudos for not increasing the amount of back-to-back games this season, the Canucks still have a few stretches that aren’t pretty. Vancouver’s schedule doesn’t quite rival that of an MLB squad, but throughout December and March it will feel like there’s a game every day. This will definitely play in our favour as more games means less time to get too high or too low and an even-keeled Canucks team is like the straight piece in Tetris, good in any situation. Wacky Standings Have you seen which team is on top in the Northwest Division? The Colorado Avalanche have somehow jumped out to a 5-1-1 start – shocking, I know. And no, Joe Sakic, Peter Forsberg, Ray Bourque and Patrick Roy aren’t still with the team. No need to fret. Like college newbies who show up to a shindig ready to party like it’s 1999, drink everything in sight in the first 45 minutes and then pass out for the rest of the night, the Avalanche will be zonked before long. (And hopefully covered in marker) Over in the East the Toronto Maple Leafs are doing as much as Vanna White since Wheel of Fortune invested in letters that don’t need to be turned, aka nothing. The Leafs are falling and not just because of a change in seasons, that team in straight up Jonas Brothers bad. If they lose on Saturday to the New York Rangers, their next chance to collect win numbero uno on the season will be next weekend in Vancouver. My spidey senses are already telling me that in that game the Canucks will take the Leafs down to Know Your Role Boulevard, which is on the corner of Jabroni Drive, and check them directly into the Smackdown Hotel. Nuff said. Who is Optimist Prime? He's an eternal Canucks believer whose glass is always half full, even when it's empty. Throughout the 2009-10 season, Optimist will take a lighthearted look at the Canucks while never losing the faith. It's Cup time baby! Canucks on Facebook Vancouver Canucks Fri, 16 Oct 2009 15:10:00 EDT http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=502382 http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=502372&cmpid=rss-phillips Expect Oilers' Deslauriers to play big role -- The big acquisition for the Edmonton Oilers this off-season was goalie Nikolai Khabibulin, the veteran brought in to stabilize a position that was erratic at best last season.    The Oilers hope Khabibulin will pay big dividends if Edmonton can sneak into the playoffs. But between now and then, Edmonton has to win enough games to get there, and Khabibulin cannot do it alone. Khabibulin broke into the NHL in 1994-95 with the Winnipeg Jets. He played 72 games two years later with the relocated Phoenix Coyotes, plus another 70 games the following season. But he's 36 now, and he hasn't appeared in more than 60 games in a season since 2002-03 with Tampa Bay. So a crucial player as the Oilers try to reach the postseason will be backup goalie Jeff Deslauriers. Canucks Extras This week on Canucks.com Canucks report Canucks TV In a 6-1 victory against Nashville on Monday, Deslauriers made his first start of the season. Never mind the lopsided score; Deslauriers was a major factor in the victory, stopping 39 of the 40 shots he faced. Look for Deslauriers to get the opportunity to contribute this season for new coach Pat Quinn that he didn't get under former coach Craig MacTavish. "That's what I want -- every goalie wants to have a big role on the team," Deslauriers told the Edmonton Sun. "Every year you have a different role on the team. Sometimes it's not the role you want, but you have to do it 100 percent. I know what to expect. It's hard to win games in the NHL. I won last year, so I can do it this year, too." Deslauriers was 4-3-0 with a 3.33 goals-against average last season. This season, he might appear in as many as 25 games, meaning the Oilers are planning on placing a lot of trust on his 25-year-old shoulders. "We're not playing him for any other reason than we think he can come in and give us good games," Quinn told the Sun. "We can't afford to have someone that our team can't feel the same way about. There's 40 points at least -- if he does play 20 -- that we're dealing with. We're not just throwing them away." Surprise start -- Despite dire predictions, the Avalanche are off to a quick start. They skated into Boston on Monday night and knocked off the Bruins, 4-3. The following night, they routed the Maple Leafs in Toronto, improving to 4-1-1. It's a long way between now and April, when playoff spots will be doled out, but at least the Avalanche can dream. And a big part of the early success has been special teams, which were a big problem in 2008-09, when the Avalanche finished with the fewest points in the Western Conference. Last season, the Avalanche was 25th in the League on the power play at 15.7 percent, and 21st in penalty killing at 79.9 percent. Through the first six games this season, the Avalanche are 10-for-26, a 38.5-percent success rate. And the penalty killers have allowed only three goals in the first 24 shorthanded situations they've faced (87.5 percent). The penalty killing stuck the final dagger into the Bruins on Monday, when David Jones scored a shorthanded goal on a breakaway for a 4-2 Avalanche lead in the third period. When the game was over, Massachusetts native and rookie Avalanche coach Joe Sacco had gone into Boston and recorded his first road victory. "It's nice to have a win in your hometown, for sure, and it was a good win against what we feel is one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference," Sacco told the Denver Post. "We had a great start to the game. Our guys were really skating well. We talked about not standing around, not getting planted on the ice, and we used our speed at the start to get in on the forecheck and create a couple havoc goals." Sacco got his second road win the next night in Toronto, and Jones scored once again, though this time at even strength. Damaged Daniel -- The Canucks are off to a slow start, and making matters worse, they are going to be without Daniel Sedin for at least a month. Sedin was hit by a puck last week and X-rays revealed a broken left foot. Sedin, in his ninth season, was philosophical about the injury. "It's unfortunate, but I've been lucky so far," he told reporters. "I played a lot of games over nine years so it was bound to happen." It will be a strange sight to see Henrik Sedin playing in the coming weeks without his identical twin. Henrik has assisted on numerous goals by his brother, but will be separated from him for a while. "I'm hoping I can be very effective," Henrik said. "I think it's the same thing on any team if you have two good players that play a lot together: If one gets injured the other is affected for sure -- not because we're twins but because Danny is a good player." The Canucks had plenty of time this week to adjust. After beating the Stars in a shootout Sunday, they were off until Friday night's visit to face the division-rival Flames. Truly Wild -- It's going to take some time in Minnesota. After spending their entire history constricted by coach Jacques Lemaire's defensive style, the Wild has switched under Todd Richards to a more offensive style. Certainly, it's got the potential to be more aesthetically pleasing. But the results may not be there for a while. Saturday at San Jose, the Wild unveiled its new style and were all over the Sharks at the beginning of the game. They had a 26-13 advantage in shots on goal and a 2-0 lead, but they couldn't maintain their edge for the full 60 minutes against the high-powered Sharks and wound up on the short end of a 4-2 score. Two nights earlier, the Wild were blown out in Los Angeles and Richards actually benched two of his best offensive players, Martin Havlat and Petr Sykora, for part of the night. "It's going to come down to accountability now," Richards told the Minneapolis Star Tribune. "I think we've given the guys the benefit of the doubt more times than not and now it's going to come down to holding guys accountable. It might be losing some ice time or being taken out in different roles. But we're going to get better. I know that for a fact." It's going to take a while. Installing a new system always does. No matter how dedicated the players are to learning that new style, mistakes are inevitable. "The guys, you talk with them after the game, you talk with them today, they have a tremendous amount of pride," Richards told the Star Tribune. "They know what they're doing wrong. It's just getting everybody on the same page. I know I've said that a lot. And it's going to be a little bit of the growing pains. "I'm still dealing with a lot of the same mentalities that have been here in the past years, so it's still fighting through all of that." The Wild fell to 1-4-0 Wednesday night with a 3-2 loss at Anaheim. Flame out frustrates Sutter -- In order to put into perspective what the Flames accomplished Monday night, you need a primer on Chicago Blackhawks history. The Hawks played their first NHL game 83 years ago. The Great Depression still was nearly three years away. Bobby Hull wouldn't be born for more than a dozen more years. So it was no small feat for the Flames to carve a small, unwanted niche in Blackhawks lore. They bolted to a 5-0 lead in the first period and then frittered it away, ultimately losing 6-5 in overtime. Never before in all their years had the Blackhawks rallied to win after falling behind 5-0. And first-year Flames coach Brent Sutter was not amused. "If there's one wake-up call, this is it," Sutter told the Calgary Sun. "It's stuff that we've talked about. It's stuff we've gone through. It's stuff we've shown them. It might only be six games into the season, but maybe it'll be a blessing. "I don't mean it in a positive right now because it's brutal to lose like that, but if there's something that should wake them up and they should be embarrassed about, this is it." The Flames continue to give up too many shots and to sit back when they should be putting opponents away. "We've been an erratic team in games," Sutter told the Sun. "We play some good minutes, some bad minutes, some good periods, some bad periods. It's not about physicality. They're all very well-conditioned professional athletes, so when it's not that, what is it? It's pretty easy to identify. "It is a caring group that needs to learn how to win and needs to learn how to deal with adversity." Twenty-four hours after the Blackhawks debacle the Flames were back on the ice. They allowed 33 shots and lost again, this time in regulation, falling 2-1 to the Blue Jackets in Columbus. Roger Phillips Fri, 16 Oct 2009 13:13:00 EDT http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=502372 http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=502170&cmpid=rss-jory So many prospects, so little time. Somehow Dave Gagner finds a way to watch them all. Ask Dave Gagner how many kids he has and he’ll hesitate for a moment before answering. Vancouver’s director of player development has three children of his own, including son Sam, a forward with the Edmonton Oilers, but his job entails watching over many more adolsecents than that. Like a proud father, Gagner can recite stats of the top of his head of every prospect within the Canucks organization, especially the 17 who aren’t currently playing in Vancouver, Manitoba or Victoria. Gagner isn’t required to know a lot of what he does, but it comes with the territory of helping develop players both mentally and physically. He knows them inside and out and maybe even a little better than some the guys know themselves. He’s supportive with who needs support and aggressive with anyone in need of some aggression. “It’s not always the most skilled guys that make the NHL, you have to try to get the guys to understand what they’re going to have to do in order to reach their goals,” said Gagner, a former NHLer who collected 719 points in 946 games during a superb 15-year career that included a stop in Vancouver. “It’s not always telling them what to do either, but also asking them what they think, which is really important. If they don’t develop the plan somewhat themselves, then they aren’t going to buy into it.” The majority of prospects under Gagner’s care are more than buying into the plan that has been established for their development and three players in particular have already flashed onto the radar this season. Canucks Extras This week on Canucks.com Prospects Central In The System A long way from home It’s a long year and there will be peaks and valleys for every prospect, but so far Peter Andersson, Anton Rodin and Steven Anthony deserve some early accolades for how they’ve flown out of the gates. PETER ANDERSSON Andersson was the third defenceman taken by the Canucks in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft and the second Swedish player picked. Nabbed in the fifth round, 143rd overall, Andersson was viewed by the Canucks as a big d-man who displayed a lot of poise with the puck. At 6-foot-3 and 194-pounds, he was the largest player drafted by Vancouver and Gagner and company were genuinely excited to see what he had to offer at summer conditioning camp. A scheduling conflict had Andersson arrive at camp late so he missed out on a few rounds of testing, but what the Canucks saw from the 18-year-old, they liked. That has continued since he returned to Sweden. “He sends me almost a weekly journal, it’s not too detailed but it’s something where he’s letting me know what’s going on,” said Gagner. “He got called up from his junior team to a team that would be our equivalent of the Manitoba Moose. He has also played a game for the elite league team there this year, Vastra Frolunda HC Goteborg, and he’s only 18-years-old. “Back on his minor league team he’s currently tied for the scoring lead and he’s a defenceman. To me, that’s a really positive surprise because we didn’t really know what to expect from him in terms of his role but he’s playing on the first power play unit and he’s one of the only players on the team that’s a plus as well. He’s been really a positive surprise early in the season right now.” ANTON RODIN As one of only two 18-year-olds to earn a roster spot with Brynas IF, a Swedish pro team from Gävle, Anton Rodin began turning heads before the season even started this year. The 5-foot-11, 174-pound forward was selected in the second round, 53rd overall, by the Canucks in 2009 and for good reason. Gagner said this devious Swede has one of the biggest offensive upsides of any Canucks prospects right now. Rodin isn’t really getting a chance to display his talents with Brynas though, as a spot on the fourth-line has the youngster fighting for playing time. “I don’t really see that as being something ideal for him, like if he could go play for the same team Peter is right now, they’re a team that needs some offensive help and he would get more of an opportunity to develop against men. “We’d like to see him getting pushed a little bit more. Hopefully he’ll make the World Junior team for Sweden and that would be a good step for Anton. “He’s got really good offensive instincts, he competes really hard and the physical parts of his game really lend to that because he can move laterally well so he’s very shifty.” Gagner is hoping Rodin will be ready to play in Canada in the near future, “maybe as early as next year.” STEVEN ANTHONY It’s next to impossible to plan who to draft when the seventh round comes around, so many factors come into play that getting your heart set on anyone player in particular is foolish. The Canucks weren’t sure who to select 187th overall last year, so they took a flyer on Steven Anthony and so far he’s looked more like the 18th overall pick. The 18-year-old Halifax product is off to a fantastic start with the QMJHL’s Saint John Sea Dogs; through 11 games the forward leads the team in goals and points with seven and 12. “He lost 15 pounds between the end of the season and the draft and that just showed his dedication to us and we were able to get him in the seventh round. He’s turned out to be a really solid pick so far. “For a guy who just got picked in the seventh round to be leading his team in scoring already, to me that’s a short-term success story. Again we’ve just got to keep the development going and make sure that we really support him.” Anthony is in his third season with the Sea Dogs, he amassed 48 points in 67 games last season in a breakout campaign. His first year with Saint John he scored six goals and added eight assists in 55 games. With 12 points thus far, Anthony is nine off the league lead of 21.   Derek Jory Wed, 14 Oct 2009 19:27:00 EDT http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=502170 http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=502060&cmpid=rss-jory Vancouver's offence came to life this past week and the points in Canucks Fantasy Hockey reflected that. Since we last spoke the Vancouver Canucks picked up their first and second wins of the season, finishing with a 2-1-0 record in the last three games. Over that stretch the Canucks compiled 13 goals spread between eight players. Assists were also evenly distrusted with 11 skaters picking up at least one helper. Twelve players found the scoresheet overall, meaning seven Canucks (six forwards and one defenceman) were left out in the cold. All this offence translated into a heap of fantasy points for all you Canuckle heads out there. If you bought Henrik Sedin, Ryan Kesler, Mikael Samuelsson, Christian Ehrhoff or Willie Mitchell, you know that I’m talking about. THE WEEK THAT WAS Led by the offensive firepower of Willie Mitchell (yes again), the Canucks beat Columbus netminder Steve Mason for three goals, but it wasn’t enough to stump the Blue Jackets as Vancouver dropped its third consecutive game, 5-3, to start the season 0-3. Seven other Canucks picked up single points, certainly nothing to get excited about. A mid-week tango with the Canadiens erased the pain, questioning and doubt surrounding the Canucks as they handed Montreal a royal thumping to the tune of 7-1. Some people felt bad for BC boy Carey Price getting chased from the net in his provincial debut, but it definitely wasn’t anyone playing fantasy hockey. Henrik Sedin was the man of the night with two goals and two assists, Daniel Sedin and Ryan Kesler were close behind with three points each and Christian Ehrhoff added two assists. Although it took a shootout to dispose of Dallas four nights later, Vancouver shot down the Stars 4-3 on Sunday and it was Henrik again leading the way with two assists, and Mikael Samuelsson also chipped in with two helpers. The Canucks now sport a 2-3-0 record through five games and as mentioned, seven players (currently on the roster) remain pointless. That list includes: Ryan Johnson, Tanner Glass, Guillaume Desbiens, Darcy Hordichuk, Rick Rypien and Kyle Wellwood up front, and Shane O’Brien on defence. Canucks Extras This week on Canucks.com Canucks Fantasy Hockey WE HAVE A WINNER Things are getting competitive, real competitive, as far as the leaderboard is concerned and this past week nine new users claimed top spot. In the TELUS Game of the Week the Canucks faced off against the Blue Jackets and it was skibum walking away with a pair of tickets to the October 11th Canucks game against the Dallas Stars, courtesy of TELUS. A game-star to Willie Mitchell pushed skibum over the edge as the squad finished with an impressive 149 points. The highest point total of the season was reached when Vancouver played Montreal as Tony-o and jonson79 both had the Sedin twins, who each picked up game-stars to finish with a combined 101 points. Wowzers. For the first time in Canucks Fantasy Hockey history, six competitors tied for top spot when Vancouver took down Dallas 4-3 in a shootout. GBBooth, johnny.v81, mikeycw, Lu99, willnkev and ChuckNorris, yes Walker, Texas Ranger himself, cracked the top six. This group finished with 139 points apiece, two better than the nine others who tied with 137. Henrik Sedin and Kyle Wellwood were the common link between winners, both players collected game stars on the night. canuck222 is currently the season leader with 596 points through five games. Click here to check out the leaderboard, it's a jumble of 3,881 fantasy fanatics. THE WEEK AHEAD The Canucks head to Calgary Friday night to face the Flames before returning home and welcoming the Minnesota Wild to GM Place Saturday night. The game against the Wild is the TELUS Game of the Week and the overall winner will walk away with a pair of tickets to the Canucks vs. Toronto Maple Leafs on Oct. 24. FRESH PICKS vs. CALGARY -Henrik Sedin, $4 million – Hank leads the Canucks in points with eight (3-5-8), including seven in the last three games. He’s hot, hot, hot right now, so much so that even the fact that brother Daniel is out of the line-up isn’t affecting him. Henrik has 38 career points in 51 career games against the Flames, that's his second highest total next to 41 points vs. Edmonton. -Rick Rypien, $1 million – Did you see him take a bite out of Hal Gill? That fight was worth the price of admission right there. He’s as cheap as players get at $1 million and for how much punch and energy this package brings, he always delivers one way or another. Against a tough Calgary team, Rypien will be throwing his body around like a tetherball. -Ryan Kesler, $4 million – Kesler has found his groove skating alongside Mason Raymond and Mikael Samuelsson and he’s now on a three-game point streak with two goals and three assists in that span. The gritty forward plays at a high-tempo and won’t back down to anything physical thrown his way in front of the net. His hard work could pay off in a greasy goal or two against the Flames. vs. MINNESOTA -Alex Edler, $4 million – The Canucks averaged just over two and a half goals in six games against the Wild last season, making defencemen the top pick for this game. Edler will help Vancouver silence the Minnesota attack, while dishing out a few hits and maybe even landing on the scoresheet. Edler has nine career points against the Wild, the most of any opponent. -Christian Ehrhoff, $2 million – Five games played, five points for Ehrhoff. Nice. Ehrhoff is off to a great start with his new team and it isn’t just on offence. In addition to leading the backend in points, Ehrhoff has been rock steady when it comes to thwarting the opposition's attack. He’s due for a game star, which is big business in fantasy points. -Roberto Luongo, $5 million – Lou was stellar against the Wild last season giving up only 1.6 goals per game with one shutout. He’s won two straight games and is looking sharp, count on him delivering against Minnesota with the nation watching on Hockey Night in Canada. INJURY UPDATE LW Daniel Sedin (foot) missed Vancouver’s last game and is expected to be sidelined a few weeks. RW Guillaume Desbiens was called up to fill the void, although he was sent back to Manitoba after one game. D Sami Salo is currently sidelined with pain in his right knee. A timetable for his return hasn’t been set. RW Jannik Hansen (broken hand), RW Pavol Demitra (shoulder) and D Mathieu Schneider (shoulder) are on the injured reserve list. 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, 13 Oct 2009 19:21:00 EDT http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=502060 http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=501875&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 4-3 shootout win over Dallas. Roberto Luongo stopped Mike Ribeiro giving the Canucks an insurmountable 2-0 lead in the shootout. Kyle Wellwood and Ryan Kesler both beat Marty Turco in the one-on-one battle after neither team could steal the win in overtime. Stars forward Jamie Benn forced the extra session when he beat Luongo with 93 seconds remaining in the third period. That erased the one-goal lead Willie Mitchell had given the Canucks after he swooped in from the point to tip in his second goal of the season. Alex Burrows and Kesler had the other two Vancouver goals, while Brad Richards and Riberio replied for Dallas. Henrik Sedin is adjusting nicely to life without his twin. Hank was a monster force for the Canucks on this night collecting two assists, none prettier than when he set up Vancouver’s second goal, a power play strike that gave the home side a 2-1 lead late in the second period. Displaying the patience of a military sniper, Henrik toyed with the puck near the hash marks to the right of Turco before jetting a cross-ice pass to Mikael Samuelsson. He in turn found Burrows posting up in front of the crease; one smooth deke later and Burrows had his third goal of the season. Henrik led all Vancouver forwards in ice time at 23:04 on 28 shifts. Mikael Samuelsson finally seems to be settling in with his new club. The Swedish forward, who skated on the second line alongside Mason Raymond and Kesler, picked up a pair of helpers and is now riding a three-game point streak with a goal and three assists over that stretch. Samuelsson is being rewarded for his fine play with increased responsibility. In addition to getting more ice time than any other game this season, he also spent time on the power play and penalty kill. The veteran responded with six shots on goal, a hit and a takeaway, in addition to his secondary scoring. Willie Mitchell is a defensive defenceman, so it’s not surprising to hear that his career-high for goals is three. He scored his second goal of the season 6:53 into the third period to give the Canucks a 3-2; the assistant captain is now on pace for a 32-goal campaign. Can anyone say Norris Trophy? Alex Burrows’ thoughts on the game, a gritty shootout win in which the Canucks twice held a one-goal lead: “I think it wasn’t the prettiest game out there but we’ll take the two points. We know we’ve been struggling, in the first three games we couldn’t get wins and now we’re getting them even if it isn’t our prettiest effort. It’s nice to get the win and now we’ve got a few days to work on some things and make sure we are going to be better next game.” Of the 45 points the Canucks have collected individually this season, 15 have come off the backend. That 33 per cent contribution from the blueline is led by Christian Ehrhoff who is averaging a point-a-game with a goal and four assists through five contests. Shane O’Brien is the lone defender still without a point this season. The Canucks have four days off before their next action, a division battle against the Calgary Flames in Alberta Friday night. Sami Salo left Sunday night’s contest with an undisclosed injury, so this time off will give him a chance to get some rest. His teammates would be wise to follow his lead as the schedule picks up with three games in four nights for the Canucks starting Friday. NUMBERS 1 – Number of times the Canucks have been outshot this season. The Stars accomplished the task outshooting the home side 35-25. 2 – One-goal leads blown by Vancouver against Dallas. 2 – Shootout goals scored by the Canucks. Kyle Wellwood and Ryan Kesler both beat Marty Turco. 4 – Hits dished out by Steve Bernier, who is finally starting to throw his weight around again. The Canucks had 25 in total, to Dallas' 18. 32 – Saves for Roberto Luongo. He allowed a weak goal early in the third, but rebounded with tough play down the stretch. QUOTABLE "[Mitchell] is looking good out there, he’s playing with confidence, he's getting his shots through, even in OT there he’s cycling the puck with Hanky and Sammy, so it’s fun to see." -Alex Burrows "Taking three penalties in the first eight minutes of the game isn’t disciplined enough for us and we’ve got to hold ourselves accountable in here and nip that in the butt." -Ryan Kesler "We’re going to face different situations throughout the year and it’s always important that when there’s points at stake that you stay with it and keep focused." -Roberto Luongo OFFENCE Less shots meant more goals for the Canucks on this night. Outshot for the first time this season, Vancouver responded with three regulation goals before scoring twice in the shootout. Daniel Sedin was definitely missed up front, but brother Henrik stepped up with a pair of assists. Mikael Samuelsson also stood out on offence collecting two assists; he's now on a three-game point streak. DEFENCE Giving up a late goal like that can't become a regular thing, yet the Canucks get bonus points for how they rebounded. More offence from the defence was welcomed as Willie Mitchell scored and Christian Ehrhoff had one assist. Roberto Luongo made 32 saves, including three in overtime. SPECIAL TEAMS The good news is that the Canucks have scored power play goals in back-to-back games, both wins. The bad is that they allowed the Stars to go 1-for-5 on the PP meaning the opposition has found the back of the net on the man advantage at least once in every game this season. Vancouver finished 2-for-4 on the power play. Derek Jory Sun, 11 Oct 2009 21:26:00 EDT http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=501875