Yotes vs. Nucks G18 notes, prediction & tweets!
(Translation: The Mysterious Voyage of Lu)
Safe to say every Canucks player took a long cold shower Sunday night after being shellacked 8-3 by the Detroit Red Wings.
Ugliest game of the year hands down and perhaps the most shocking. The wheels usually come off on the last game of a road trip but not like that.
Roberto Luongo gave up eight goals for the first time since the some 2011 game against Boston and now the city is panicking that the trade shine is gone because apparently most GMs have the memory of a goldfish.
So, home to Van city where the Coyotes would love to exploit the traditional trap game that usually occurs when a team plays their first game back at home. Ready the panic button.
Matchup: Vancouver Canucks (10 – 4 – 4) v Phoenix Coyotes (8 – 7–3)
Venue: Rogers Arena
Time: 7:00 pm PT
TV/Radio: Sportsnet, Team 1040
Game Notes
It’s the first meeting of the year for the Canucks and Coyotes, an ongoing trend this week where you realize the Canucks really haven’t played a whole lot of teams in the West yet.
The Canucks will also spend the game making awkward eye contact with Raffi Torres, who was once a Canuck, and agreeing that hurting Marian Hossa is totally a legit thing to do.
What to Watch: Phoenix
It’s a middling season for the Coyotes, who are stuck in what’s looking to be a very tough Pacific Division. As always, the Coyotes are lacking in star power, led in points by the injured Radim Vrbata and the young stud Oliver Ekman-Larsson.
Still, Dave Tippett has been and still is the MVP of the team, a coach that can get water from stone.
Shane Doan will play his first game in Vancouver since almost signing with the Canucks last summer. Doan was trepid about the ownership situation but was eventually convinced to stay.
He can’t be happy that the situation hasn’t resolved itself almost a year later.
Well, there’s always the trade deadline buddy.
The Canucks defence looked atrocious without Kevin Bieksa
Line-up
- Mikkel Boedker-Antoine Vermette-Shane Doan
- Steve Sullivan-Matthew Lombardi-Lauri Korpikoski
- Raffi Torres-Boyd Gordon-David Moss
- Nick Johnson-Kyle Chipchura-Paul Bissonnette
- Oliver Ekman-Larsson-Zbynek Michalek
- Keith Yandle-Rostislav Klesla
- Michael Stone-Chris Summers
- Mike Smith
What to Watch: Vancouver
Sunday was not pretty and the trick for the Canucks is to pick up the pieces and move on and hope it was nothing more than a blemish.
They’ll be doing with some yoga and probably not Kevin Bieksa who will most likely miss another game with his groin injury.
The Canucks defence looked atrocious without him, but again sample size.
This is the Canucks last game of February as they have a three day break before the Kings are in town on Saturday. They better enjoy those three days because it’s their longest until the end of the year.
Line-up
- Daniel Sedin-Henrik Sedin-Alexandre Burrows
- Chris Higgins-Ryan Kesler-Jannik Hansen
- Mason Raymond-Jordan Schroeder-Zack Kassian
- Dale Weise-Maxim Lapierre-Aaron Volpatti
- Dan Hamhuis-Chris Tanev
- Alex Edler-Jason Garrison
- Andrew Alberts-Keith Ballard
- Cory Schneider
Injuries
Bit of a list for the Coyotes as Radim Vrbata, Martin Hanzal, Derek Morris and David Schlemko are all out.
For the Canucks, Kevin Bieksa is battling his groin while David Booth is sick. Both probably won’t play.
Prediction
First game home back is always a loss, right? So let’s go with that and be pleasantly surprised if it isn’t.
Game Day Tweets
#Coyotes in Van tonight to play the #Canucks. Matchup/Stats Insight nwsb.co/dc7co + #NWSB Gameday Preview nwsb.co/9gsxz
— Q Smith (@NWSBQ) February 27, 2013
#Canucks G Cory Schneider has stopped 56 of 57 shots in two career games against Phoenix.
— Q Smith (@NWSBQ) February 27, 2013
AV: “We’ve moved passed Sunday. Our most important game is tonight. We have our hands full with the Coyotes.” #Canucks
— Vancouver Canucks (@VanCanucks) February 26, 2013
#canucks pre 6PST: Kassian jumps Tootoo, Torres talks reform. On bench w/D.Sedin+Lombardi. @snjohngarrett @gvalksportsnet Shorty and Taylor
— Dan Murphy (@sportsnetmurph) February 26, 2013
Cory Schneider starts tonight against Phoenix – #Canucks
— Sportsnet Pacific (@SNETPacific) February 26, 2013
Bieksa’s out, Booth is back and Schneider gets the start. Game Day Preview: v.canucks.com/V6oxmA #Canucks
— Vancouver Canucks (@VanCanucks) February 26, 2013
#Canucks captain Henrik Sedin is playing in his 600th consecutive game tonight against Phoenix. 671 including playoff games.
— Sportsnet Pacific (@SNETPacific) February 26, 2013
Vs. Detroit Luongo’s goals-against average rose from 1.45 to 2.11 while his save percentage dipped from an impressive .941 to .916. #Canucks
— Q Smith (@NWSBQ) February 27, 2013
AV: Alberts, Garrison and Tavev will play together tonight. #Canucks
— Vancouver Canucks (@VanCanucks) February 26, 2013
New Post Up! Canucks vs Detroit Red Wings…yeesh that was ugly – #RedWings #Vancouver #Canucks #NHL nwsb.co/cp-gb
— Northwest SportsBeat (@NWSportsBeat) February 25, 2013
CLICK HERE CHECK OUT THE VANCOUVER CANUCKS CLUBHOUSE TODAY ON NWSB!
About Richard Hodges
