5 posts tagged “canucks vs predators”
You know, sometimes I wonder what this team is really capable of in terms of offense. Most nights they play defensively and cautiously, and we don't see them apply good speed on the forecheck, and they can't score goals. You wonder whether they're just a slow team, but then they play these types of games and they show that they can play with speed, shoot the puck like there's no tomorrow, and just plain dominate offensively.
Of course that shorthanded goal by Alex Burrows at the first minute (?), I think, helped their confidence early on. After scoring two goals, the other one by Alexander Edler, although they gave up one short handed right after, they weren't playing cautiously and just blasted through the offensive zone, had some good forecheck, maintained possession of the puck and shot it. Lots.
44, actually.
Maybe they read Ovie's quotes about shoot shoot shoot shoot shoot the puck, you can't score if you don't shoot?
Anyway, that was highly entertaining. So much speed, pretty goals, good transition game in the neutral zone, great saves by Roberto Luongo...
Mason Raymond definitely made a case as to why he should never. be scratched. EVER. AGAIN. Scored a goal, but he could have easily scored 2 more. Just showed some really good skill out there, both in playmaking and goalscoring. And for a small guy, he's really good at winning the puck battles by the boards.
Alexander Edler and Luc Bourdon had pretty good nights. Both young defencemen played solid games and really stepped up to the plate with the absence of Mattias Ohlund. Alexander Edler even contributed a goal in the powerplay, which is Ohllie's forte, so it was great.
Kevin Bieksa was a total badass in tonight's game.
First he was a badass because of that bad pass to Markus Naslund in the first goal against (though Nazzy should have had that and then bad defensive coverage after the turnover). Then he scored a badass goal to make it 4-2. And in the 3rd period, he shot the puck at Fiddler (who apparently shot the puck towards him first) then fought deVries. Nailed him first, but then he himself got nailed pretty good...
What else?
Markus Naslund and Roberto Luongo both had pretty bad starts to the game... Nazzy with those two awful giveaways which both led to goals... and Luongo should have saved the 2nd one. The good thing was, they both bounced back and played a solid game afterwards.
Nazzy didn't have a lot of ice time tonight though. There were a lot of penalties in the game for Vancouver, so he obviously does not kill penalties, and during the powerplay, the Sedins and their unit usually keep the puck in the offensive zone for 1.5 minutes, that the second unit does not have any chance to go on.
Speaking of the Sedins, they are seriously cursed right now or something. They got their chances. Good ones. It's just not going in.
MATT PETTINGER!! scored his first as a Canuck. :P It's the type of goal I hate seeing being scored on us, but good on him to give that extra effort and push the puck/glove in. :PPPP
... I had more things to say, but I can't remember right now...
Nevertheless, it was a very entertaining game. Lots of GOALZ from 6 different players. :)
Good job Nuckies!
ANNNNNNNND Canucks win in the SO.
Roberto Luongo was very god-like against a Nashville team that dominated us in all three periods. He made 49 saves out of 51 total shots, and shut out everyone in the shootout.
Mason Raymond also had a very highlight reel goal, outwaiting everyone and just waltzing in to the side of the net where he just lift the puck up over the goalie for the first goal of the game. He then had an assist on the Canucks' second goal then scored the game's shootout winner.
Sedin-Nazzy line weren't that great tonight, especially the Twins when they took 3 (?) penalties. Their powerplay unit couldn't get set up properly as well, compared to the Pyatt-Kesler-Shannon-Raymond-Edler combination which scored the Canucks' 2nd goal.
Kevin Bieksa and Taylor Pyatt are back from their respective injuries. Obviously Bieksa was the one with the bigger comeback against Nashville, the team that injured him back in November (? October?).
It was really strange and surreal to see most of our Top 6 defencemen back in the lineup. Although Kevin Bieksa did not have a good start to the year, I'm still very glad to have him back. We really missed his toughness and the offensive chances he creates.
As for Taylor Pyatt, although he was on the 4th line, he definitely created a lot of offensive chances, or tried to capitalize on a few of them. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to connect, but he's still crashing the net and finally making his presence felt one way or another. He's just a bit unlucky right now, but he's still trying.
Yeah.. other than that... Not a good game, just happy we still squeaked out with a win. It's been a long time since Luongo really stole a game for the Canucks.
- The first period was painful to watch. Thank God for Curtis Sanford, keeping the game 1-2 Preds by the end of the first period. After letting in that weak first goal, he was pretty much rock solid throughout the game, especially when the Canucks gave away so many quality scoring chances.
- Markus Naslund is still the Canucks Points Leader! Linden tried, but failed. That or NHL.com decided they like Nazzy too much, so they took away Linden's assist on Alex Burrows' goal. That and Naslund scored 2 assists, too. :) Trev tried again though, and got the empty-net goal.
- Taylor Pyatt scored a goal.. after 938423432 games of not having one... Okay kidding. He's been hot lately. His game. Not his mug, which is all facial-hairy. Kidding. Anyway. 4 points in the last 3 games. Tonight's goal was on the powerplay. A tip-in goal from a beautiful pass by Brendan Morrison. He's been shooting a lot more since being placed on Morrison's line, and it's probably because he's playing his natural wing in the right, which he said he was more comfortable playing in as he has more options when it comes to shooting and passing.
Time to do work! And sleep! I hate finals week!
And not cause of the way the Canucks are playing right now (though I should be :P), but because everytime I hear or read about Kevin Bieksa's injury... I get queasy.
Thinking about it now just ugh... I want to barf.
ajdshfkajds I can almost feel the pain on my own leg. Ah ah ah!
I am so weak!!
I can't really comment on the game since I was still in a midterm when it started and I couldn't watch.
They lost 3-0 against the Preds tho. Sucks, but I'd rather them lose now than in the latter half of the season where I hope they will put their act together ...
They need another "Vote for Rory" type of thing... team bonding exercises or something.
Another top team in the NHL, and another convincing win. The Canucks showed up and followed their game plan, while the Predators did not. It's as simple as that. The Canucks played a good game defensively as they did not let the Preds get that many shots on net, and the few shots that did go through, not a lot were quality scoring chances.
Because of the good defensive work by the Canucks skaters, Roberto Luongo did his part and was awarded his 4th shutout of the season. A picture perfect shutout at that, as a Nashville player shot the puck towards the net as the horn sounded and it went in. They had to review the video to see whether it's in before time expired or not, and was eventually reviewed "no goal".
- Good game for Markus Naslund. Other than his assist on Jan Bulis' game winning goal, he went in front of the net much more often than he has in the past. I hope he keeps doing this as that is exactly what he needs to get those goals again.
- Tommi Santala scored his first goal of the season. Good play by Alex Edler in pinching in and keeping the puck in the offensive zone, and Trevor Linden also assisted on that goal.
- Lukas Krajicek has been noticeably better on defense since he scored that goal in Detroit. Coincidentally, his good play also started when he contacted the flu... What is it with Canucks players who play better when they're sick? (Luongo in Montreal, Pyatt with broken thumb, Krajicek with flu..... etc)
Canucks won't play another game until Sunday to face the Colorado Avalanche. Hopefully by then, Willie Mitchell and Sami Salo get better by then. A big sign of the huge improvement of the Canucks is their current record without Mitchell and Salo in the lineup. In the beginning of the season, we were hovering around .500 with both of them out. Recently, I don't think we've lost a game yet.
