Canucks Snap Detroit's Home Winning Streak With Shootout Win

Rarely does a game with so much hype live up to it's billing. This wasn't one of those games.

The Vancouver Canucks and Detroit Red Wings put on an amazing show Thursday night in a 4-3 Canucks shootout win in front of a packed house at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit. It was so good in fact, that I forgot to PVR tonight's episode of Jersey Shore.

Not only did Vancouver pull within one point of the Wings for the Conference and NHL lead, but they also snapped Detroit's streak of 23 straight wins on home ice.

Alex Burrows scored the lone shootout goal in the win. In classic Burrows fashion, he faked to snap his stick over his leg as if to say " the streak is snapped."

This is exactly why Canucks fans love #14, and probably exactly why others hate him.

Daniel Sedin scored his 27th and 28th goals of the year, including the game-tying goal with only 16 seconds remaining. Cody Hodgson also scored for Vancouver.

Darren Helm, Kyle Quincey and Justin Abdelkader scored for Detroit who were without their all-star center Pavel Datsyuk.

The Canucks dominated the Wings in the first period and probably deserved a better fate at the intermission in which they were down 1-0. Darren Helm flubbed a shot from the slot that fooled Roberto Luongo blocker side to give the home team the lead.

Daniel Sedin scored his first of the game midway through the second period to tie the game up heading into the third stanza.

Kyle Quincey - acquired yesterday in a deal that sent Detroit's first round pick to Tampa Bay - scored six minutes into the third frame to give Detroit a 2-1 lead. Seven minutes later, good-looking Canucks rookie Cody Hodgson scored his 16th goal of the year to once again tie the game up.

The tie didn't last long, however, as Justin Abdelkader banged home a loose puck a mere 20 seconds later to give Detroit their third lead of the game.

The Wings looked to have the game under wraps and looked to extend their NHL record home winning streak to 24 until Daniel scored his second of the night with only 16 seconds left as Vancouver had the extra man with Luongo on the bench.

Overtimed proved nothing, except for that these teams are as evenly-matched as any two in the league.

Roberto Luongo was spectacular as usual, stopping 33 shots, along with stopping all three of Detroit's shootout attempts. Jimmy Howard was equally magnificent stopping 40 shots in regualtion and overtime.

Howard make a ludicrous save on David Booth with a minute left in regulation as Booth sped through and split the Detroit defense and came in on a breakaway. Booth, playing in his home state for the first time as a pro, deked forehand only to have Howard stick out his right pad and make the incredible stop.

With the two points, Vancouver now sits only one point back of Detroit in the NHL and Western Conference standings. Detroit earned a single point with the shootout loss.

Vancouver continues their hellish road trip tomorrow evening in New Jersey, then an afternoon affair with the Stars in Dallas on Sunday before finishing up with a date with the Coyotes in Phoenix on Tuesday.

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Worth The Wait; Canuck City is back!

Okay folks, after a lengthy hiatus I have decided to fire up the ole' blog once again. Let's talk some Canucks!

As it stands, Vancouver is in position to once again make a deep playoff run. They have it all, starting with great goaltending.

Roberto Luongo has arguably been the best goalie in hockey since December. After a notoriously (and all too common) slow start, he has bounced back and has been a cement wall for the Canucks in the last few months. Familiar story right? He was on the same path last season and we all know how that ended. Cory Schneider has proven himself as an NHL goalie, and has provided Vancouver with impeccable goaltending when needed. When Bobby Lou needs a rest, or gets injured, Canuck fans know that their net will be in good hands, or umm pads.

The defense has been solid. Alex Edler has stepped up his offense in the absence of Christian Ehrhoff and currently sits third in scoring by a defenseman in the NHL. Kevin Bieksa and Dan Hamhuis have become one of the top shut-down units in the whole league, a far-cry from where Bieksa was just a few seasons ago (check the archives). Aside from missing a few weeks thanks to a Brad Marchand cheapshot, Sami Salo has generally been injury-free this year (knock on wood), and when he's healthy, he's as solid as they come. Keith Ballard has been better than last year, but still fails to get the respect due to his high salary. This is where the good news ends on the backend, however. Andrew Alberts has been decent, but isn't a guy I feel too confident about playing regular minutes in the playoffs. Aaron Rome, whom for some reason seems to be coach Alain Vigneault's favourite player, is just plain awful. He often seems lost in his own zone, he brings nothing to the table offensively, and in my opinion, he should be abolished to the AHL and only be used in case the Canucks face some serious injury troubles to their rearguards. Chris Tanev has played a handful of games and seems to be the best option as our sixth d-man. He quietly makes great outlet passes and rarely makes mistakes in his own zone. You can't ask for much more from your sixth man. Hopefully AV figures this out sooner than later.

Offensively, the Canucks are as deep as any team in the league. As usual, the Sedin twins are leading the way. They are both in top 10 in league scoring, and rarely is there a night that they don't hit the scoresheet. Alex Burrows, a mainstay on the twins' wing, is once again putting up points and has proven himself to be a top line winger. Mid-season acquisition David Booth is finally looking comfortable on the West Coast, pairing with countryman Ryan Kesler to give the Canucks some secondary scoring. The third and fourth lines can also provide some scoring, while most importantly playing solid defense, winning the majority of their faceoffs, forechecking hard and playing a physical style.

What do the Canucks need most as the trade deadline looms?

1. No question, this team needs another defenseman. A guy who can slot in on the bottom pairing and play some valuable minutes in the post-season. I'd like to see a defense-first type guy who can kill penalties and play a physical game.

Ideal Pickup: Mark Fistric

2. Depth up front. Last year Vancouver acquired Chris Higgins and Maxime Lapierre at the deadline. Both moves were considered small, under-the-radar type moves. However, both players proved very valuable in the long playoff run and both were rewarded with new deals and are still key members of this year's team. Another bottom six player like these guys would be an important move for the Canucks as depth is always important heading into the playoffs. A physical player who could drop the gloves and stick up for teammates when needed would be great.

Ideal Pickup: Travis Moen

Many fans/pundits expect the Canucks to play that Ace up their sleeve and trade backup goalie Cory Schneider at the deadline to acquire the spare parts the Canucks need to finally win a Cup. I don't think they should, and I don't think they will for two reasons.

Firstly, despite having another spectacular season, questions still remain if Roberto Luongo can be the goalie that brings the Stanley Cup to Vancouver. He laid a few eggs in some of the most important games last post-season and looked to be mentally fragile at times. Having a goalie like Schneider that can be used as a replacement if need be is a HUGE accessory to have, and if the Canucks trade him you can assure they won't get a goalie of Schneider's caliber in return.

Secondly, Vancouver simply won't get a fair return for 'Schneids' at the deadline as they should in the off-season. Schneider is a Restricted Free Agent. Any team can send him an offer sheet, and based on his play the past two seasons, Schneider would likely demand a decent contract. As an RFA, teams who offer him a contract would have to send some high draft picks to Vancouver in return. The Canucks will likely shop Schneider in the off-season and if they can't get a package to their liking, they will probably accept the picks in return. Those picks will be higher than any team will pay at the deadline this year.

The trade deadline is Monday. Stay tuned to Canuck City for all the latest deals and my thoughts on how the deals will work out for our team.

Meet Your 2011 Vancouver Canucks

Bring On The Hawks

Another year, another showdown with the Hawks.

For a third consecutive post-season, the two Western Conference rivals will have to battle each other in order to move on in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The difference this year, however, is that they are meeting in the first round, as opposed to the second round like in years past. Different round, same goal. But will this year be any different?

Sure, the Canucks are a much different team than they have been the last two seasons, but are the Blackhawks still in their heads? Can they overcome the haunting memories of how immature and inferior Chicago made them look last year? Are proven playoff warriors like Jonathan Toews and Duncan Keith going to step it up in the second season like they have in the past and prove too much to handle for Vancouver?

These are all valid questions.

On the other hand, Chicago has obviously lost a lot of depth this year and don't have the likes of Canuck killer Dustin Byfuglien and Ryan Kesler's key agitator Andrew Ladd in their lineup. They squeaked into the playoffs on the last game of the season (with help) and aren't necessarily playing their best hockey of the season right now.

Or, will the fact that the Hawks have been essentially playing playoff hockey for the last two weeks while the Canucks have been coasting to a seemingly easy President's Trophy mean that Chicago will be more prepared for the war that ensues?

I can't answer these questions, only time can.

I can tell you this, though. This year's version of the Vancouver Canucks seem to be a much different, better team. Despite suffering massive injuries to almost every key defensemen throughout the year, the Canucks managed to allow the fewest goals against this season. They dressed 13 defensemen this year - far more than any other team had to - and they used many of them for long periods of time. Vancouver's game on Saturday against the Calgary Flames (a 3-2 OT win in case any of you Flames fans out there forgot) marked the first game all season that the Canucks had their top six defensemen in the lineup. When healthy, the Vancouver defense is better than any other defensive corps in the league on paper. Regardless of which pairing is on the ice, you can feel comfortable knowing that there will always be two steady, veteran defensemen out there.

Edler Ehrhoff
Hamhuis Bieksa
Ballard Salo


Not only did they lead the league in goals against, they also led the NHL in goals for and have three of the most lethal players in the league in the Sedins and Kesler. These are the guys that need to prove themselves in the playoffs though, as their past performances have left something to be desired. If they can continue to produce the way they did in the regular season, and they can get some secondary scoring throughout the bottom six, the Canucks should have no problem scoring goals.

And maybe the biggest difference between last year's team and this year's team is the play of Vezina candidate Roberto Luongo. Luongo has been a different goalie this year and with help from goalie coach Rollie Melanson and the erased pressure of being the captain, he should most certainly be better this time around. Heck, he doesn't have to deal with big Dustin Bufflin' this year either.

There just seems to be this air of maturity and confidence in this team that we haven't seen in the past. The consistency of their play all year and how they never seemed to take the pedal off the gas (save for the little hiccups with the Oilers last week)proves that they are a more determined bunch this season. In year's past, we would have lost some of those meaningless games towards the end of the season while this year, they are just straight business.

Could this be the year?

But let's not forget, the Blackhawks are still a very dangerous team. They know how to win and what it takes to endure a deep playoff run. This is not a team to take lightly. Their top 6 forwards and defense are as good as anyone's and Corey Crawford has been solid between the pipes all season long. Despite some significant losses from last year's roster, they still have Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Patrick Sharp and Marian Hossa. All of these guys are seriously lethal and they all have good playoff resumes. Throw in a solid defense led by Keith, Brent Seabrook and Brian Campbell and Chicago's lineup is still in the upper echelon of the league. An underachieving team making the playoffs on the last day of the season can be a dangerous matchup for anyone, just see the Philadelphia Flyers of last year.

Will the Blackhawks be this year's version of that Philly team?

Expect some fireworks people, and getcha' popcorn ready. I'll have your answers within the next two weeks.

Canucks trade Darcy Hordichuk to Florida

As promised, Mike Gillis tried - and was successful in finding Darcy Hordichuk a place to play in the NHL. On Wednesday, the Canucks announced they traded the veteran winger to the Florida Panthers in exchange for Andrew Peters.

Peters, a legit NHL enforcer, had already cleared waivers in Florida, so he can be assigned to the minors without clearing waivers again. This means he has already been assigned to Manitoba, and will not be on the Canucks opening night roster.

The addition of Peters gives Vancouver a legit heavyweight enforcer who can be recalled from Manitoba without having to go on re-entry waivers. Peters is on a 2-way contract in which his NHL salary is the league minimum $500,000. Because he already cleared waivers this year, he can be sent up and down at will, without going back on waivers. This allows the Canucks to call him up if they feel the need to dress an enforcer for a game, and can send him down againt right after.

All the latest Canuck news....

Shane O'Brien cleared waivers, but General Manager Mike Gills was able to trade him, along with prospect Dan Gendur to the Nashville Predators, for young defenseman Ryan Parent, and 29 year old journeyman forward Jonas Anderson.

Vancouver then instantly placed Parent on waivers in order to clear a roster spot in which the Canucks are expected to sign Peter Schaefer.

Parent, a former 1st round pick of the Predators in 2005, played much of last year with the Philadelphia Flyers, including 17 playoff games in last year's epic Stanley Cup Finals run. He is considered a work in progress, but could be a serviceable defenseman in the near future.

Anderson, 29, played last year in the KHL (Russia's pro league) where he registered 20 points in 30 games.

Brendan Morrison signed a one year deal with the Calgary Flames Monday after the former Canuck was released from his tryout with Vancouver after the two sides couldn't agree on a contract.

Darcy Hordichuk also cleared waivers but is not expected to report to Manitoba, and Mike Gillis has mentioned that he is trying to work out a deal that would keep the long-time NHL vet in the big leagues. It could be a tough task considering Hordichuk doesn't bring much to the table these days.

Canucks put Shane O'Brien and Darcy Hordichuk on waivers

With the Canucks preseason officially over, GM Mike Gillis began his quest of forming his team's opening night roster; a roster which likely won't include both Shane O'Brien and Darcy Hordichuk. The two veterans were placed on waivers early Saturday morning, meaning all other 29 teams will have a chance to claim either player within 48 hours.

If they get claimed, the team that claims them will take on their contract outright, and if they don't get claimed, they will get assigned to Vancouver's AHL affiliate in Manitoba. If they go unclaimed and get sent to Manitoba, the Canucks will have to pay them their full salary, but their salary will not go towards Vancouver's salary cap.

O'Brien, I would imagine, has a good chance of getting claimed as many NHL teams are looking for depth on defense. He has the tools to be an effective NHL defenseman, but his off-ice antics (apparently he enjoys his booze), and his questionable attitude (has publically called out his coach and GM), along with his very average preseason play have made him the odd man out in Vancouver.

His inevitable departure means the Canucks will keep both Andrew Alberts and Aaron Rome as the team's 6th and 7th defenseman heading into the regular season.

Hordichuk will likely go unclaimed, unless there's a team out there looking for a below-average enforcer with zero puck skills. He will most likely get assigned to Manitoba, or loaned to Europe or another league.

The Canucks still have a number of roster decisions to make, including whether to keep Cody Hodgson on the roster or send him to Manitoba to get some seasoning.

Brendan Morrison and Peter Schaefer are both on tryouts, and a decision will have to be made whether to sign them or let them walk as free agents.

Also, Jeff Tambellini, Victor Oreskovich, Guillaume Desbiens, Alexander Bolduc and Joel Perrault are all still in the mix fighting for one or two spots on the 4th line. Expect Vancouver to announce their decisions in the coming days.

The Canucks don't start their regular season until next Saturday (Oct.9th), but will likely name their opening night roster sooner than later.

Stay tuned to Canuck City for all the latest news and roster decisions.