GDT: Canucks @ Flames - 7pm CBC-HD

[Cornuck]

It's here! Finally!

Tonight the Canucks open their 2009-2010 campaign in Calgary. We're facing a team that most people feel will be our challenger for the division title.

After all the talk of a great pre-season, discussions about our depth, it's time to put up or shut up. Is this team for real? Has the bitter loss to Chicago got the troops inspired to come back in better shape and more focused?

We'll see tonight - GAME ON!

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GO CANUCKS GO!

[Cookie La Rue]

Last years opener was sweet but at home, i doubt they can repeat it in Cowtown.

Go Canucks Go...... damn i'm so excited, first game i'm going to watch live, just catched some preseason highlight clips.

Afterall i'll see if it's just hyped by the media and fans or if some newly celebrated players are for real.

[Soapy]

Since they did not play a full squad in the pre-season...do we know the lines?
Burrows-Sedin-Sedin
Samuelsson-Kesler-Shirokov
Raymond-Welwood-Bernier
Hordichuk-Johnson-Rypien

Am I close??
Pretty solid & some quality skaters
Looking forward to see how our forwards handle the Calgary D-men

& so it begins...

[the Cunning Linguist]

After all the talk of a great pre-season, discussions about our depth, it's time to put up or shut up.

It's interesting to see how much the tables have been turned. This time last year, no one, and by that I mean the sports media pundits, chose Vancouver to come out on top in the NW; this year, Vancouver seems to be everyone's pick to repeat as division champs.

It's 82 games away and a lot can happen until April but I'm cautiously optimistic about this season.

I love the JayBo signing as well as the Sutter hiring, but they didn't replace Cammalleri. They hope to get a full season's production out of OJ, but I can see the Phlegms be more one-dimensional than ever, now that they also have to be defensively responsible before going on the attack.

Meanwhile, Vancouver lost Ohlund, half a season of Sundin, and Taylor Pyatt among others and replaced them with Ehrhoff, (Schneider,) Samuellson and Shirokov. Wellfed, Bernier, and MayRay look like they're poised to have a breakout season as a unit. I think everyone, including Steve Yzerman, hope to see Luongo have a career year with the Olympics in his backyard, and I have a good feeling that he will. The team has been AV's to direct for three years now, and with Scott Arniel preaching a very similar system in Manitoba, the learning curve to fit into the AV system shouldn't be so steep.

4-3 Vancouver.

[levelheaded]

WOOO!!! Hockey is finally back.

Time to demolish the Flames to kick off the year like we did last season.

I say 4-1 Canucks. Burr, Hank, Ehrhoff and Rypien for us, Prust with the lone reply for the bad guys.

GO CANUCKS GO

[nucklehead_88]

HEEEEEEEEEREEEEEEEE WEEEEEE GOOOO!!! finally!!!!!!!!

[Mikodat]

ITS HOCKEY TIME !!!!!!! ... and a great game to start the season.. Now we'll see if the "New Canucks".. are for real.. and if JayBo, Iginla and company can stop Shirikov, Samuelsson from becoming our lastest heroes..

Got my Tiger Williams sweater out for this one.. its going to rough , tough hockey.. After a great preseason run I got the thought that the Flames just might be the winner... " Kicking my butt for that thought ".. But I am pumped to see how this years edition looks .. Specially looking forward to seeing Bernier, Raymond and some of the younger players.. Think they might make the difference this year between a contender and a pretender...

Canucks.. 4-2... goals by Sedin, Shirikov, Bernier and Salo.. Iginla and JayBo for the Flames.. * please take note I have never been right !!!

Go Canucks goooooooo

[dr.dork]

I won't catch the start but I will be taping it (in case I miss something good) and watching from the second period on.

I don't have a clue what to expect, but I will take the 'nucks in a 2-1 snoozefest. I think Sutter and Sutter are going to tighten down the flames D and play a boring boring boring style. Less forechecking, more stifling (and boring) D. You can say what you want about Keenan, but his teams generally don't play boring hockey.

My other prediction is that Kipper will be happy Keenan got the axe.

[DonCherry4PM]

Woot!!! Finally, I have been waiting for this since that last Chicago game. Time for redemption. Looking forward to seeing what Shirokov has up his sleeve for regular season. Also Edler and Erhoff, Raymond and Bernier. I am strangely optimistic about this season. Anyway, enough talk, let's see what the first game of this season brings......

Edit: I agree with Mikodat that a lot of what happens this season will hinge on that third line. In my highest of hopes they play like a second line and give us that secondary, secondary scoring.

[the Cunning Linguist]

Drop the fricking puck already...

[Island Nucklehead]

Not much to like about that period.

Raymond.... that's it.

So far, the Canucks haven't shown up in Alberta. Nor have the refs.

Phaneuf-Sedin.... elbow?

[the Cunning Linguist]

The SOB of last season got his ass out of position and finished with an elbow -gets called... Phlegms score on the resulting PP... Hank gets called for something. Phlegms score on the resulting PP... At the end of the period, Phaneuf gets his elbow up on a hit at the blueline - doesn't get called. Weak.

Phlegms look solid in the first...

[the Cunning Linguist]

Not much to like about that period.

The best thing about it was the MayRay-Wellfed-Bernier line; they seemed to be the only line to get any kind of sustained pressure or possession during the game.

[Linden Is God]

I fucking hate Calgary.

[the Cunning Linguist]

As J21 said in the other forum, it's like a complete role reversal from last season's home opener when Vancouver spanked 'em 6-0...