GDT: Nov 25 Canucks @ Coyotes

[herb]

YOUR Vancouver Canucks (11-9-1) @ the Phoenix Coyotes (11-6-3)

TV: 6pm PST on Rogers Sportsnet Pacific

Rome is out, Ballard is in and Bieksa is a game time decision. Sulzer will play if the turnover machine can't. Mason Raymond is not in the lineup yet.

Schneider gets the start in game one of a back to back. This will be his career high fourth straight start.

The Canucks have scored first in 10 of their last 11 games while the Coyotes have allowed the fewest first period goals in the NHL (9).

Can the Canucks build on possibly their best effort of the season thus far? Vancouver won both meetings in Glendale last year. Let's win this one and get on a bit of a roll.

[Meds]

A win tonight will jump the Canucks up into the top 8. Tied in points with both Detroit and Phoenix but ultimately behind them as both teams will have a game in hand.

At this point in the season it's time to start getting the wheels turning and winning games that are going to mean something, even if it's just in the short term. Zooming out a little we see that they are in the first of a back-to-back weekend, and if they can win them both (and if Anaheim and Toronto can do Vancouver a favor tonight) the Canucks could wake up Sunday morning sitting in a 3-way point's tie for 2nd place in the West.

Two things about this are simple not encouraging.....

1) Hoping for either of those teams to do Vancouver a favor.

2) These games actually mean something, so they'll probably fold like a pocket deuces on a flush draw flop.

If they win tonight we'll see them choke tomorrow, if they lose tonight we will watch them destroy the Sharks tomorrow because then there will be nothing really to gain in San Jose.

[ukcanuck]

Now that the first quarter of the season is in the books, I am looking and hoping for the club to pull their collective head out of their collective ass and begin playing like the president trophy winners they are. we got too much skill, determination, heart, and drive to languish around any more.
Up till now I can see giving a competitor like Kesler a break for being heart broken and coming back from injury, but that was then and now its beginning to be a case of what have you done for me lately? Without some spark to prove there is still a champion heart beating in there, people are going to begin to forget and or start to believe it was all just smoke and mirrors last year.
its beginning to be time to answer the question are they men or are they mice, will they go meekly into the night or will they start living up to their most hated team in hockey rep?

[Rumsfeld]

Watching this at a new bar in the neighborhood. Hope they have lots of bigscreens.

So when Raymond comes back is this what a healthy forward group will look like?

D.Sedin H.Sedin Burrows
Higgins Kesler Booth
Raymond Hodgson Hansen
Malhotra Lapierre Weise/Bitz

On paper that's a pretty stacked lineup. Especially when the second line gets going. Notice I said when, not if...

Sucks paying a fourth-line winger 2.5 million but my expectations for Manny are so dashed at this point I'd be happy if he can just be a steady presence there and contribute on the PK.

Without some spark to prove there is still a champion heart beating in there, people are going to begin to forget and or start to believe it was all just smoke and mirrors last year.

Not to worry, given the steady improvements and accomplishments this team has accrued over the last three seasons only a complete idiot would chalk last season's success up to smoke and mirrors.

If they win tonight we'll see them choke tomorrow, if they lose tonight we will watch them destroy the Sharks tomorrow because then there will be nothing really to gain in San Jose.

Wut.

[dhabums]

Canucks win 7-1, Schneider with an assist, Sulzer with a goal and Burrows in a fight.

[clem]

The on ice chemistry between Ballard & steady Sulzer was developing.
Hope to see more of it.

[Mondi]

Um...

Lucic 2mins

Bieksa 2mins

What a joke the reffing in this league has become.

[Southern_Canuck]

^^^ Don't forget it's Auger. That explains everything.

As long as Campbell remains in charge of referees, and Auger retains his job - the NHL makes me angry.

S_C

[clem]

Ballard on the right side so that Alberts can be comfortable on the left.

[Corb]

I find Kesler's stick tapping annoying.

I would imagine his teammates do as well.

[clem]

It sounds good when he shoots like that.

Nice shot/goal.

[Corb]

It sounds good when he shoots like that.

Nice shot/goal.

LOL. Great shot. No beaver tap req'd.

[Hank]

Team America Fuck Yeah!

[Corb]

Praise Jesus!

[tantalum]

Booth and Kesler with what will hopefully be slump busting goals.

Daniel needs to get one now.

Booth-Kesler-Higgins line looking like it might be developing some chemistry.