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CANUCKS HOCKEY BLOG

Tuesday, April 01, 2008

Game Day Post: Avalanche at Canucks

The second of the Canucks' four must-win games is tonight and it comes against the Colorado Avalanche, a team they've had trouble beating recently (Jason Botchford, Vancouver Province). The last time they played the Avs, they were slaughtered 6-3 in Denver. The last time they played the Avs at GM Place, they gave up the tying goal with 15 seconds left in regulation and then lost in the shootout.

The recipe to reverse this trend should be simple. Just play like they did on Sunday.

It's funny what a win can do. Before beating the Calgary Flames, the Canucks looked like they couldn't win a game against the Quad City Flames. Afterwards, they proved that, as long as they work hard, hit hard, go into the dirty areas and win the many little battles - in other words, as long as they're willing to play playoff hockey to make the playoffs - then they can beat anyone.

Because stats at this time of year are pointless:
  • The Canucks have won four of their last five at home.
  • The Canucks have failed to gain at least a point in only one of their last twelve home games.
  • The Avalanche have lost four straight games on the road, and since beating the Canucks at GM Place on February 27th, have lost five of six road games.
  • At 18-10-2, the Avalanche have the best intra-divisional record in the Northwest Division.
  • Despite averaging only 12 minutes of ice-time, Marek Svatos has eight points (5G-3A) and a +5 rating in five games against the Canucks this season.
  • The other Canuck-killer, Milan Hejduk has four goals and six points in seven games against them.
  • Henrik Sedin and Daniel Sedin lead the Canucks in scoring against the Avs this season. They have nine (3G-6A) and eight (3G-5A) points respectively.
  • Taylor Pyatt is the only Canuck with a plus-rating (+3) against the Avs. He also has five points (2G-3A) in seven games against them.
  • Last Sunday's heroes, Markus Naslund and Trevor Linden has had a terrible time against Colorado this season. In seven games each, Naslund has three points (0G-3A) and a minus-4 rating and Linden has zero points and a minus-6 rating.
Previews from the MSM:
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Comments/Questions: Feel free to post in the comments section or email me at gocanucksgo10 (at) hotmail (dot) com.

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posted by J.J. Guerrero, 6:08 AM

1 Comments:

At August 21, 2008 8:21 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

NHL: Big battle brewing out West

The Western Conference playoff race heats up on national tv Tuesday when three of the six teams vying for the final playoff spot meet on VERSUS.

The Nashville Predators take on the St. Louis Blues at 8:30 pm ET, followed by the Colorado Avalanche and Vancouver Canucks at 10 pm ET.

Only five points separate 6th to 10th in the West and the Predators, Avalanche and Canucks have less than a week to lock up a spot in the postseason. Bet Tuesday’s huge slate of hockey action and then follow the games on television. Make sure you check the latest betting trends before making your selections at our live odds page.

Nashville Predators @ St. Louis Blues
The St. Louis Blues are out of the playoff race, but have a huge say in whether the Nashville Predators will make the postseason.
The Predators sit ninth in the Western Conference, one point behind the Vancouver Canucks. They have three games remaining and Tuesday’s game is the first in a home-and-home series that concludes in Nashville on Thursday.
The Preds have won the last three games against the Blues this season and they desperately need to sweep this series before heading to Chicago for their season finale on Friday night.
Nashville enters this game having collected seven of a possible eight points in their last four games while St. Louis has been in a nose dive the entire second half. After opening the season with a strong first two months, the Blues have won just three of their last 19 games.

Colorado Avalanche @ Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks earned a huge win over the Calgary Flames on Sunday night to move back into the eighth spot in the West, but now they face a Colorado Avalanche team they haven’t beaten in their last five attempts.
All three of those Northwest Division teams, Vancouver, Calgary and Colorado, are currently in position to make the postseason but they could all end up on the outside when the regular season ends this Sunday.
The Avs currently sit sixth in the conference with just two games left on their schedule while Vancouver is a point ahead of Nashville with three games remaining.
Colorado can clinch a postseason berth with a win over Vancouver, but with a loss they could find themselves out of the playoffs even if they win their finale against the Minnesota Wild on Sunday. The Canucks, Flames and Predators all have a game in hand on the Avs.
Following this game the Canucks host Edmonton on Thursday, also a team in the playoff hunt, before wrapping up the season on Saturday at home against Calgary.

Don’t miss out on the final week of the NHL regular season. It’s bound to be an exciting conclusion so stay tuned to Sportsbook.com for the latest odds and props all week long.

 

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