Canucks - Stars, 7:00 PM, PPV

[dr.dork]

Fan appreciation night. PPV. WTF ??

To PPV or not to PPV, that is the question. Do you throw away $15 on an HD PPV or listen to the radio ? Or spend the $15 on beer ? Or watch it on the net if you can find it ?

Dallas is coming off a loss to Edmonton (last night). Vancouver is coming off a shootout loss on friday. Dallas has played better lately, and Vancouver is plugging along at a 1 loss, 1 win alternating clip. Both teams are injured.

This one is a crap shoot, but I am going to give the home town boys the advantage, and in true Stars-Nucks fashion I will call for a 2-1 'nuck win. Goals by D.Sedin and Kesler ('cause it is about time he started scoring again).

[Cookie La Rue]

I'll go for it on the net even though i have to work again tomorrow, shit, holiday season is over for me.

I'm questioning myself if Sundin is part of a secret plan tonight. Everybody says he's playing at the earliest on wednesday or friday but i'm not sure if they'll surprise us all tonight, hey it's fan appreciation.

Go Canucks Go

[Cornuck]

Yep - we need a win tonight. Ohlund will be in the lineup. Sanford will be taking full practices tomorrow and join the team on the upcoming road trip.

A good effort PLEASE! and some finish would be nice.


GO CANUCKS GO!

[Cannie]

This could be one of those games that make a real difference in whether we finish with a Top 4/Division Champ record this season, or are once again looking at a first round matchup vs. San Jose or Detroit. It's gut check time, and I hope the home cooking and two days of practice will pay dividends tonight. I have a feeling Dallas will come out strong and spirited tonight.

After the Sundin press conference last week, Garry Valk on Sportsnet Pacific brought up a great point. Why NOT play Sundin tonight, even if it is for 10 minutes, power play, etc? It is not like he is coming off an injury of any sort, a la Luongo, and there is nothing better than a GAME to get into GAME SHAPE. Geez. I think dumping Jaffray tonight for Sundin and playing him with Raymond, Bernier, or Hansen for 4 shifts a period and 2nd unit power play time is reasonable.

Besides, we're paying the big Clydesdale 125 000 per game anyhow, might as well throw him into an important Conference game. We need every point we can muster, these days.

Anyhow, great to see Ohlund draft back into the lineup.

4-2 Dallas. Here's hoping I'm wrong.

Cannie

[Cookie La Rue]

4-2 Dallas. Here's hoping I'm wrong.

Not only you, 2-2 after 2 periods...again 2 dumb penalties and Dallas scored...

At least the Canucks are leading in too many men on the ice now.

[Broda]

wow.... Jason La'Robya

[Cornuck]

wow.... Jason La'Robya

Yeah! No goal and I can't wait to see it! (damned slow internet)

[Cannie]

That save has absolutely pumped up the bench, look at the intensity, wow.

[Broda]

ah thats too bad they couldn't pull that out in the shoot out. But atleast we got a point plus calgary lost. And i think we are looking okay with La'Robya holding the fort. Pretty good exciting hockey game though. Wellwood looked great. I'm kinda suprised that Edler got the chance to go. He didn't have a great night. I think i can remember him falling down atleast three times tonight... errr.. get your skates checked? Although i wish Shorty would get off him for not... "shooting quick enough" he obviously had the puck in an awkward spot not allowing him to shoot properly. Would have been nice to win that. Oh well... Hopefully the get Mats will suit up next game.

[randymeeks]

Blowing shootouts the way they have been blowing shootouts will cost this team. It is just a question of whether or not they blow first place in the division or a playoff spot.

They had two chances to finish the Stars off tonight in the shootout and failed both times. Absolutely pitiful to watch considering just how horrible they have been in shootouts in the past two seasons. This team has to come up big in the clutch if they want to go deep in the playoffs. I am not seeing much of that in this group of players so far this season.

[Broda]

thing is possibly if they don't take that bench minor fallowed up by kesler's pointless im tougher than you penalty we might have walked away with the two points. But we can't really live in the what if world. Hopefully they will get the next one. I was reading elsewhere that Labarbera is pretty brutal at shootouts.. so far he hasn't quite shown otherwise

[Cornuck]

I was reading elsewhere that LaBarbera is pretty brutal at shootouts.. so far he hasn't quite shown otherwise

Yep - you're right on that (and these stats don't count tonight) : Shootout save %

Maybe we should trade for Holmqvist and put him in for the last 4 seconds of game when they're be a shootout.


So far we've lost 7 points in shootouts with only one 1 win. Hopefully Sundin will help with that and of course Luongo when we get him back.

[Bret H]

Interesting stats...

I liked the fact that the swedish goaltenders are at the top (1, 5, 6 and 14) while the finnish can all be found at the bottom (from 27 and down). Being from Sweden, there's nothing like mocking the finns! Too bad the Canucks netminders were all down there among the finns...

[Broda]

maybe its somethign to do with our mascot???

[Mozy]

LaBarbera, who owes nothing to this team has stood on his head for the last two games and deserved to win those games. The 'Nucks D let him down against Atlanta, and last night the team gave up on him again.

They continue to sit back when they have a lead, then hang on and hope to pull it out in the shootout which just doesn't work for them. At first I used to blame AV for picking the wrong people but after the last couple shootouts his picks have satisfied me enough to make me start looking for a different reason why we just can't win games.