The Vancouver Canucks have a three game road trip coming up, and lord knows it won't be an easy one.
First up are the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday. The Sharks are currently 8 - 7 - 2, but more importantly they are 4 - 1 - 1 at home. Their one home regulation loss came courtesy of the Minnesota Wild back on November 5, and they lost in a shootout to the Dallas Stars this past Saturday. Teams they have beaten at home include the surprisingly good Nashville Predators, the slow to heat up Calgary Flames, the abysmal Chicago Blackhawks and the equally terrible Columbus Blue Jackets.
The Canucks recently suffered through a three game losing skid, which ended with their win over the league leading Detroit Red Wings on Sunday. Todd Bertuzzi scored a hat trick, and Anson Carter added a goal to make the final score 4 - 1. Pavel Datsyuk was credited with the only goal for the Red Wings, a flukey bounce off of Canucks defenseman Sami Salo.
The Canucks are going to have to show that they learned from their mistakes in order to win this next game. Another flat start could spell disaster, even against a team that is currently sitting at the bottom of the Pacific division along with the Ducks. The Sharks have lost their past three games and will be looking to end that streak. So far they have been decent at home, while the Canucks have struggled on the road, winning only three of their nine road games to date.
The good news is that Canucks netminder Dan Cloutier is back and playing quite well after a few games off due to a concussion suffered in the October 27 loss to the Colorado Avalanche. Todd Bertuzzi has apparently shaken the rust off and found some confidence. The bad news is that the defense still has quite a few holes, which management currently seems unable to fill.
Nolan Baumgartner has played as well as can be expected from a 30 year old AHL regular. Steve McCarthy, who hasn't impressed either, is still out with a groin pull that has seen Wade Brookbank back in the line-up on defense. Brookbank's limited ability and ice time has meant the top four defensemen taking on more minutes than they can probably handle for an extended amount of time. Sami Salo is reportedly complaining about feeling burnt out already. Another injury to this team, especially on defense, can be nothing but trouble.
Word on the various message boards is that the Canucks are quietly shopping for another defenseman, an interesting notion given their cap constraints. Canucks scouts were spotted at a Leafs vs. Capitals game last week, but who knows if that will amount to anything. Could a trade be in the cards?
There may be some other light at the end of that tunnel. Kevin Bieksa, a Manitoba Moose defenseman who has been out with an ankle sprain for the past nine weeks or so, recently started skating again and would be a good choice for a call-up. Many expected Bieksa to land a job with the big club before his injury. Here's hoping.
Up Next: The Origins of Towel Power (aka A Lesson In Asking Questions)
First up are the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday. The Sharks are currently 8 - 7 - 2, but more importantly they are 4 - 1 - 1 at home. Their one home regulation loss came courtesy of the Minnesota Wild back on November 5, and they lost in a shootout to the Dallas Stars this past Saturday. Teams they have beaten at home include the surprisingly good Nashville Predators, the slow to heat up Calgary Flames, the abysmal Chicago Blackhawks and the equally terrible Columbus Blue Jackets.
The Canucks recently suffered through a three game losing skid, which ended with their win over the league leading Detroit Red Wings on Sunday. Todd Bertuzzi scored a hat trick, and Anson Carter added a goal to make the final score 4 - 1. Pavel Datsyuk was credited with the only goal for the Red Wings, a flukey bounce off of Canucks defenseman Sami Salo.
The Canucks are going to have to show that they learned from their mistakes in order to win this next game. Another flat start could spell disaster, even against a team that is currently sitting at the bottom of the Pacific division along with the Ducks. The Sharks have lost their past three games and will be looking to end that streak. So far they have been decent at home, while the Canucks have struggled on the road, winning only three of their nine road games to date.
The good news is that Canucks netminder Dan Cloutier is back and playing quite well after a few games off due to a concussion suffered in the October 27 loss to the Colorado Avalanche. Todd Bertuzzi has apparently shaken the rust off and found some confidence. The bad news is that the defense still has quite a few holes, which management currently seems unable to fill.
Nolan Baumgartner has played as well as can be expected from a 30 year old AHL regular. Steve McCarthy, who hasn't impressed either, is still out with a groin pull that has seen Wade Brookbank back in the line-up on defense. Brookbank's limited ability and ice time has meant the top four defensemen taking on more minutes than they can probably handle for an extended amount of time. Sami Salo is reportedly complaining about feeling burnt out already. Another injury to this team, especially on defense, can be nothing but trouble.
Word on the various message boards is that the Canucks are quietly shopping for another defenseman, an interesting notion given their cap constraints. Canucks scouts were spotted at a Leafs vs. Capitals game last week, but who knows if that will amount to anything. Could a trade be in the cards?
There may be some other light at the end of that tunnel. Kevin Bieksa, a Manitoba Moose defenseman who has been out with an ankle sprain for the past nine weeks or so, recently started skating again and would be a good choice for a call-up. Many expected Bieksa to land a job with the big club before his injury. Here's hoping.
Up Next: The Origins of Towel Power (aka A Lesson In Asking Questions)
posted by moreawesomethanyourlife at 9:32 AM
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