GDT: 12/08/07 Nucks and Penguins CBC 7PM

[levelheaded]

Crosby's finally in town, and we get to strut our stuff on national television. Should be a great game. Best forward in the league versus the best goalie, a real showdown.

I say Crosby lives up to his billing and we lose a squeaker 4-3 in the shootout. Naslund, Salo and Krajicek will score for us. Sid the Kid will have at least 2 points.

GO CANUCKS GO

[B. Mackin]

After making the Maritimer (Sidney Crosby) at home with pre-faceoff some music by Maritimers (Sloan), Crosby fell down after the opening faceoff. Canuck Ryan Kesler was more Crosby than Crosby himself during the Next One's first career shift in Vancouver. He was finally noticed as the victim of Willie Mitchell's blatant high stick in the Canucks' end at the 43-second mark. Mitchell earned a double-minor after a brief, but collective "uh-oh" by fans who'd waited so long and paid such high prices to see Crosby. Crosby was survived, the Canucks killed the penalty and life went on.

[DonCherry4PM]

Wow, quiet night tonight. Going to go against my usual pessimism and predict a 3-2 win. Pyatt, Naslund and Burrows with goals and Gonchar and Crosby with opposing goals.

[B. Mackin]

Tonight's celebrities: Tom and Theo from Gob, who are flogging their new album Muertos Vivos, thus becoming the latest in a long string of punk bands to employ Spanish titles.
Baltimore Orioles' pitcher Adam Loewen helped Roger Gibson of the Tom Gaglardi-owned Shark Club present Roberto Luongo with the Molson three-stars award of November.
Loewen was a first round draft pick in 2002 and went 2-0, 3.56 ERA in six 2007 games. His season was ruined early by a stress fracture in his left elbow.

Shane Foxman is the game host. A few games ago, he was compared in this space to Ben Stiller. I must say, he is the doppleganger of Martin Short's Ed Grimley character (as seen on SNL and SCTV), sans the hair-spike.

I wonder if Shane owns a triangle?

[UpYerKilt]

Will the Canuck fans ever give their goalie a standing ovasion...I was covering the Canucks during the Cloutier years and saw half a dozen standing O's.

I guess the real fans have been priced out of the building and the Blackberry group is too busy checking email to care about how damn good the goaltending in this city is.

[UpYerKilt]

If you have a statement or question about the Canucks - fire away - I will use it for my column in Wed 24 hours paper.

Guts

[B. Mackin]

Roberto Luongo gets a standing ovation in the end of the rink from fans in the upper and lower bowls whenever he makes a play-ending save. This is the rule, not the exception. There are even fans doing the Wayne's World "I'm Not Worthy" gestures.

Even an average save receives uber-applause. It's like Canucks' fans at games never saw a Canucks' goalie before Luongo actually save a puck. Kirk McLean must be going "hey, why didn't they cheer me like that?"

Fans also give Luongo a standing ovation in the same fashion when he shifts his weight from one leg to another, tightens the straps on his pads or just sneezes.

[B. Mackin]

Taylor Pyatt is back to his old routine of being an ineffective, often ghost-like liability.
He took a well-deserved holding the stick penalty after ruining a Canucks' foray into the Penguins zone with an offside call by being 10 steps ahead of his linemates.

[B. Mackin]

The Canucks minus touch works again. Ryan Malone was assessed a goalie interference minor. But the Canucks couldn't just let the linesmen escort Malone to the box. Nosiree. Sami Salo evened things up with a delay of game minor of his own in the ensuing melee. The Canucks really needed the man advantage, because the Penguins are dominating much of the play.

[DonCherry4PM]

Good on Cooke for going after Malone on that late Burrows hit. Didn't win the fight but did stand up for his team-mate.

[B. Mackin]

Jeff Cowan wishes he was seeing bras, but he's only seeing stars after Georges Laraque's hit behind the Penguins goal. As the play (and TV cameras) went south to the Canucks' end, Cowan got back on his skates, then stumbled and fell near the faceoff circle. He left the ice with a trainer and went to the dressing room. Unlikely he'll be back tonight.

The Canucks can't put a puck in the net, but Brad Isbister found his way there, thanks to Sidney Crosby, who got his first penalty in Vancouver even before he records his first point.

[UpYerKilt]

I still remember 20 second all 18,000 fans standinfg for a cloutier glove save...never seen that yet with Luongo...maybe in spots around the net they over cheer...but I stand by my statement that the cheering fans are now priced out of the building.

[UpYerKilt]

I agree good for Cooke ... by the way I never knew Burrows was that fast. Saw him just zooming up the ice in the second. Sedin Line looks like they could score every shift the past 12 mins.

[Joe Rockhead]

Did I ever mention how much I like Keseler? YEE Hawww!!!!!!!

[B. Mackin]

Just announced. Jeff Cowan won't return due to a shoulder injury.
(No word on the concussion, but he also appeared to sustain a head injury.)