Canucks Scores
- March 23: 3-2 loss to the Oilers. Very disappointing game. Luongo did not show up to play. In fact, neither did most of the team. Tom Gilbert, Andrew Cogliano, and Robert Nilsson scored for the Oilers, while Mason Raymond and Daniel Sedin scored for the Canucks. Wellwood was the best Canuck player on the ice, making some huge offensive plays, but Jeff Deslauriers was way too good in the Oilers net.
- March 24: 4-1 win against the Ducks. Much better game. After dismal play from Luongo in Edmonton, Vigneault went ahead as planned and put Raycroft in net. This proved to be the right choice for the night, as Raycroft made 30 saves and nearly had a shutout (Saku Koivu scored 8 minutes into the 3rd period) and had his name chanted through GM Place. Christian Ehrhoff, Alex Burrows, and Daniel Sedin all scored, and Ryan Kesler potted the empty netter at the end. Quick highlight: Daniel's goal was definitely an interesting one.
News and not-news
- Samuelsson is injured. He left the Islanders game on March 16th with an upper-body injury, and hasn't returned yet.
- Demitra has taken another personal leave. He didn't make the trip to Edmonton, and he didn't play against Anaheim. The suspected reason is to be with his wife, who apparently hasn't been doing too well.
- Jordan Schroeder and Prab Rai, both prospects, have inked contracts with the Canucks this last week. The Canucks have also signed Aaron Volpatti, a hockey player at Brown University. Schroeder has already started playing in Manitoba for the Moose, and Volpatti is expected to be sent there as well. Once Rai recovers from illness, he is expected to be sent to Victoria to play with the Salmon Kings.
- Ryan Kesler has signed a 6-year contract extension with the Canucks, with an average of $5 million a year. This locks up a solid core for the Canucks: Kesler, both Sedins, Edler, Burrows and Luongo are all here through 2012.
- On the farm, the Manitoba Moose haven't been doing the best lately, splitting their 6-game homestand. They need a solid streak in order to finish in good playoff contention. Guillaume Desbiens, Moose star and Canucks prospect, has been named Manitoba's Man of the Year, and has been nominated for the similar AHL award.
- Meanwhile, in Victoria, the Salmon Kings are on a nasty losing streak, winning only 1 of their last 7 games. The most recent loss was a 5-0 scorcher by Idaho. With only 5 games left in the season (2 more in Idaho, then a 3-game homestand against Utah), there's still a chance for them to clinch a playoff spot.
- After the Canucks loss to the Oilers on Wednesday, the media decided to barge in and start analyzing the following question: Is there a goaltending controversy in Vancouver? Here's the answer: NO. This is just Luongo having a slightly rough patch, and he has time to figure this out now before the playoffs start. Raycroft's start against the Ducks was already being planned by Vigneault, to give Luongo a well-deserved night off, and the Oilers game just confirmed that this was the good plan to follow.
- Conference standings and stats leaders. Playoff races are getting mighty interesting, and lots will be happening this weekend. Ovechkin and Crosby are fighting over the goals lead, while Henrik Sedin is trying to take the points lead from Ovechkin.
What's coming up?
- March 27: Canucks visit the San Jose Sharks. This is Vancouver's first of 2 trips to the Shark Tank this season, and the prime opportunity to close the gap on the Sharks. San Jose is currently only 4 points ahead of the Canucks, and struggling to keep Phoenix from taking away the Pacific Division lead. Game starts at 7:00 pm PST on CBC.
- March 30: Canucks host the Phoenix Coyotes. Another important game for the Canucks, as Phoenix is also trying to take away a higher seed in the West. The Yotes are currently in 4th, only 1 point behind division leading Sharks, and their most recent loss halted a 9-game winning streak. These desert dogs are mighty dangerous right now. Game starts at 7:00 pm PST on RSN Pacific.
- April 1: Canucks visit the Los Angeles Kings. This game is no time for pulling April Fool's Day jokes. The Kings are a lot stronger this year, and are currently 5th in the conference. They have several teams right behind them fighting for playoff spots, so LA will be looking to keep away from all those shenanigans. This is a possible playoff matchup, depending on how everything plays out. Game starts at 7:30 pm PST on RSN Pacific.
- April 2nd: Canucks visit the Anaheim Ducks. On the tail end of back-to-back road games, the Canucks could be in a heap of trouble. There is a history of violence and crazy goal-scoring between these two teams. Anaheim is 13th in the conference right now, and is looking to play more as spoilers than playoff contenders. As was seen last night, they are a gritty team, and there is bad blood between them and the Canucks. Game starts at 7:00 pm PST on RSN Pacific.
