Sunday, December 31, 2006
Canucks 6 Oilers 2
Something funny happened to our Vancouver Canucks since the Christmas break. In the three games they've played since then, they have scored 15 goals and beat three Northwest Division foes in the process. Last night, they put six pucks behind Oilers' backup Jussi Markannen en route to a 6-2 victory.
The Canucks did all the little things right. They countered the Oilers' speed with good positioning, and in the physical department, they didn't back down. Jeff Cowan joined the lineup and fought JF Jacques in the first period; quiet Taylor Pyatt also dropped the gloves against Steve Staios after taking exception to Staios' hit. On the other end of the ice, the Canucks forced turnovers and took advantage of Edmonton's defensive breakdowns. The Canucks were full value for the 25 shots they took and even All-Star hopeful Rory Fitzpatrick recorded his first point of the season.
In fact, the game favored the Oilers statistically - the Canucks were outshot 37-25, outhit 16-13, outdrawn 59%-41% - with the exception, of course, of the final score. I must say it feels good to be on the winning side of these games.
More from the Mainstream
A Tuesday night game in Calgary, the Canucks' third game against the Flames in a week.
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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, Edmonton+Oilers
The Canucks did all the little things right. They countered the Oilers' speed with good positioning, and in the physical department, they didn't back down. Jeff Cowan joined the lineup and fought JF Jacques in the first period; quiet Taylor Pyatt also dropped the gloves against Steve Staios after taking exception to Staios' hit. On the other end of the ice, the Canucks forced turnovers and took advantage of Edmonton's defensive breakdowns. The Canucks were full value for the 25 shots they took and even All-Star hopeful Rory Fitzpatrick recorded his first point of the season.
In fact, the game favored the Oilers statistically - the Canucks were outshot 37-25, outhit 16-13, outdrawn 59%-41% - with the exception, of course, of the final score. I must say it feels good to be on the winning side of these games.
More from the Mainstream
- The Sedins are hot - both have combined for 13 points (6G-7A) and a +5 rating in the last three games - but it seems Vancouver fans are still slow to warm up to them (Jason Botchford, Vancouver Province). I'd like to take this opportunity to remind all Canucks fans that these twins are much, much better now than they were in 2001. Now go out and buy their stuff.
- Markus Naslund didn't score a goal last night, but chipped in with plenty of good plays and two assists on the scoresheet. Is he feeling the pressure of not scoring a goal in nearly a month? Apparently not.
- Jim Matheson (Edmonton Journal) also chimes in with a piece on the struggling Canucks captain.
- Two days of All-Star voting left and ten reasons why you should Vote For Rory.
My 3 Stars of the Game
- Daniel Sedin (VAN): Second consecutive three-point effort.
- Mattias Ohlund (VAN): Two goals and some solid defensive work on Ryan Smyth's line.
- Markus Naslund (VAN): Two assists and leadership by example.
Official Statistics
Next GameA Tuesday night game in Calgary, the Canucks' third game against the Flames in a week.
______________
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, Edmonton+Oilers
1 Comments:
Whatever they ate on Christmas, I hope they stocked up on it for New Year's as well...
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