Monday, January 09, 2006
Canucks 4 Flames 3 (OT)
Two in a row. After a rough stretch where they lost eight out of nine games, the Vancouver Canucks are in the midst of a win streak. They beat the Calgary Flames 4-3 (OT) on Saturday night to improve their home record to 15-3-3 and creep past the Edmonton Oilers for second place in the Northwest Division and sixth place in the Western Conference. If the playoffs started today, the Canucks would play those same Calgary Flames.
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Comments/Questions: Feel free to post in the comments section or email me at gocanucksgo10 (at) hotmail (dot) com.
Technorati Tags: NHL, hockey, Vancouver, Canucks, Calgary+Flames, Mikka+Kiprusoff, Kevin+Bieksa
Game Recaps: canucks. com . ESPNMy notes from the game:
Statistics: Score Sheet . Stat Sheet
- That was about as much emotion as I've seen the Canucks play in a long time. They battled with the Flames most of the night and even won some of those battles.
- The Canucks didn't have as many defensive breakdowns and turnovers as in previous games; however, when they did, it cost them. The Flames' second goal came on the powerplay when Baumgartner was pressured to clear the puck, but cleared it into the stands for a delay of game penalty; the third goal was on a horrible turnover courtesy of Markus Naslund and Mattias Ohlund.
- Mikka Kiprusoff was unbelievable (again) tonight. The Canucks couldn't beat Kiprusoff all night - and the Canucks had some outstanding chances - and needed to connect on four out of ten powerplay opportunities to beat the Flames. If he doesn't win the Vezina this season, I'd be surprised.
- The Canucks threw 36 shots on Kiprusoff, only the second time in the last 13 games that they've outshot their opponents.
- Alex Auld also deserves some credit for keeping up save-for-save with Kiprusoff. Auld ended with 27 saves on 30 Calgary shots.
- The entire team was flying, but the Alexandre Burrows - Ryan Kesler - Jarkko Ruutu line was by far the most active. This has turned out to be a nice energy line for the Canucks the past few games.
- For the first time this season, Richard Park was a healthy scratch.
- I know they won, but how long can the Canucks afford to give Nolan Baumgartner 20:43 minutes of ice-time? He made some nice plays on the powerplay - I loved the fake to set up Salo for the tying goal - but as the game wore on, I thought he looked tired and the Calgary forecheckers more easily pressured him to give up the puck.
- Kevin Bieksa has improved steadily in the ten games he's played. He's also added a nice, physical element that the Canucks have been missing on defense. With Ed Jovanovski close to returning from his groin injury and Steve McCarthy struggling, the Canucks face an interesting decision.
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Comments/Questions: Feel free to post in the comments section or email me at gocanucksgo10 (at) hotmail (dot) com.
Technorati Tags: NHL, hockey, Vancouver, Canucks, Calgary+Flames, Mikka+Kiprusoff, Kevin+Bieksa
2 Comments:
Agreed about the energy on display in this game. If they played like that more often (especially the physical intensity, with Ruutu and Cooke flinging their bodies with abandon) I wouldn't be as scared of them meeting the Flames in the playoffs.
At least one of those calls against Calgary near the end of the game was pretty weak, but kudos to the 'nucks for taking advantage of them.
Great summary, like usual...
There were some cheezy calls on both sides. Not much of a consolation for Flames fans, but at least the officiating was consistently inconsistent.
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