GDT: Canucks @ Sharks - 9/29 - 7:30pm - SNET-P, NHLN-US

[Cornuck]

Good to see the regulars back in action. Almost odd seeing Salo start the season (and looking damned healthy!).

Time to shake of some more rust (I'm looking at you Roberto!) - and hopefully end up with a win tonight.

Sedins looked great for their first game, let's see some finish now.

Preview at CDC: LINK

Tonight's lineup: LINK

[LotusBlossom]

Yet another pre-season game I will be missing...

[dhabums]

Almost odd seeing Salo start the season (and looking damned healthy!).

Do you whisper "shutout" with 2 minutes left too?

[Cornuck]

Almost odd seeing Salo start the season (and looking damned healthy!).

Do you whisper "shutout" with 2 minutes left too?

Touché - point taken...

[Southern_Canuck]

So far...

Samuelsson with his typical high risk passing to the slot in his own zone on the break out.

Schneider looking very crisp early.

2-on-1 with Hansen and Higgins, set up by a heads up bank pass by Malhotra in the neutral zone, fails to click.

Sauve takes a cross-checking penalty on Pavelski in front of Schneider, and I actually felt good about him protecting that area.

Hodgson grabs the puck in the San Jose zone and barges to the net, but hit the side.

Canucks get a powerplay that turns into a 2 man advantage, and Samuelsson gives a couple of cross-crease passes to Jensen, but he can't put it away.

Jensen also had some nifty moves in the corner to retain possession - he's very confident for an 18 year old.

S_C

[Southern_Canuck]

Ballard trying to clear the zone, passes it right to the San Jose point man, who almost scores as Winchester crashes the net.

0-0

Samuelsson-Hodgson-Jensen line has looked pretty disjointed.

S_C

[Southern_Canuck]

Schneider with a big toe save off Thornton, rebound hits the post.

Jensen with another chance crashing the San Jose net... no dice.

Ballard takes out Couture with a classic hip check - Clowe comes over to have a word with him.

S_C

[Southern_Canuck]

Clowe has it in for Ballard now, and tries to crush him with a forechecking hit.

Volpatti just levels Demers in the San Jose zone! Clean check, Mr. Shanahan.

Alberts with a nice block on a cross ice pass on the Sharks powerplay, but San Jose regains possession, and Parent runs at Thornton behind the net who makes him look silly, passing out front to a now uncovered Pavelski, who buries it.

1-0 Sharks

S_C

[Southern_Canuck]

Now McGinn goes after Ballard and challenges him to a fight! That's what the NHL is turning into, eh - have to fight after you deliver a clean check? Anyway, Ballard wrestles the bigger McGinn to the ice, never throwing a punch.

S_C

[Southern_Canuck]

Jeesh - get Mancari off the powerplay - another 2 man advantage, and he makes bad reads and loses the puck. Welcome to Chicago.

Wow! Volpatti one punch knockout of Winchester right off of a face off. Wow.

I guess, welcome to Vancouver Volpatti.

Now Fedoruk gets in on the act against Vandermeer - fairly even punch up.

S_C

[dhabums]

Anyone else just hear Winchester's agent say "told you to sign a gosh darn contract!"

[dhabums]

Now McGinn goes after Ballard and challenges him to a fight! That's what the NHL is turning into, eh - have to fight after you deliver a clean check? Anyway, Ballard wrestles the bigger McGinn to the ice, never throwing a punch.

S_C

I'll NEVER understand why any hockey fan is confused by a fight after a cleanish hit. First off, the players on the ice may not have seen the replay 5 times. But more importantly, this has been happening FOREVER! Certainly nobody believes every fight in the 70s was a hero vs villain event. I realize that old people like to remember the 'good old days' as some sort of altrustic, romantic era, but they really weren't.

I'd hope we react the same way every time.

[Corb]

That was some punch. Rypien smiling somewhere

[Corb]

Juggle in the lines?

Hansen with Hodgson...."?

[Southern_Canuck]

Haha - Tanev and Oreskovich knock each other down, hard - and the Thornton line takes possession, and scores.

Boyle with a nice snap shot in the low slot.

2-0 Sharks

S_C