Sedins Heating Up For Stretch Run
The Vancouver Canucks continued their dominance over Canadian competition, beating the Oilers 5-2 in another comfortable victory on Sunday.
The Sedins put home a pair of goals and Chris Higgins found the score sheet for the first time since returning from his health complications as Cory Schneider backstopped the Canucks to his sixth straight win.
The Hat Trick
Sedins
Henrik and Daniel Sedin jumped the Oilers with a goal in the first minute of both the first and third periods on Sunday, beating both Nikolai Khabibulin and Devan Dubnyk in a dominating night at Rexall Place.
Henrik Sedin also tallied an assist on Sami Salo’s 8th of the season after the Oilers tempted fate giving up an early 5-on-3 to the NHL’s top power play.
The twins now have totalled 12 points over their last two games with wins over the Leafs and Oilers.
Slammin’ Sami
Sami Salo scored in his second straight game to notch his 300th career point against the Oilers with a first period blast on the power play. Salo was the beneficiary of a brutal opening few minutes for the Oilers, who allowed the Canucks an early opportunity to extend their lead after Ben Eager and Ladislav Smid took first period penalties only seconds apart.
Salo had four shots and earned over four minutes of power play time against the Oilers on Sunday.
Triple H
The Triple-H line of Chris Higgins, Jannik Hansen and Cody Hodgson was effective in Edmonton, earning Higgins his first goal since returning to the lineup following health issues related to antibiotics he was taking to fight a staph infection earlier this season.
Higgins lost over ten pounds during his time out of the lineup but battled back to bury his 11thgoal of the season Sunday against the Oilers.
It was just that kind of night. - (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, John Ulan)
V’s Thoughts
The Sedin twins thrived in open space and took advantage of their opposition again on Sunday, breaking out for another big win against a Canadian rival.
After Henrik Sedin scored in the first minute of the hockey game the Canucks cruised to the three-goal comfortably taking advantage of a myriad of mistakes by the Oilers.
While the Canucks still may wish to add the finishing touches to the team at the trade deadline, the difference between elite level NHL talent and teams battling for playoff position was clear this weekend.
Quote
“A lot of the credit goes to my teammates, because I don’t think the game was every really in doubt, every time they got one we got one right back,” Cory Schneider earned his sixth straight win in another comfortable game against a Canadian rival.
Three Stars
1st. Daniel Sedin - GOALS: 1| PTS: 2| ASST: 1 SOG: 2| PLUS/MINUS: 1
2nd. Henrik Sedin - GOALS: 1| PTS: 2| ASST: 1 SOG: 2| PLUS/MINUS: 2
3rd. Magnus Paajarvi - GOALS: 1| PTS: 1| ASST: 0 SOG: 4| PLUS/MINUS: 1
Recaps
BOXSCORE | Q’s POST GAME RECAP
Vancouver 5, Edmonton 2
When: 9:00 PM ET, Sunday, February 19, 2012
Where: Rexall Place, Edmonton, Alberta
Referees: Chris Lee, Brad Meier
Linesmen: Derek Nansen, Mike Cvik
Attendance: 16839
About Kevin Vanstone
