Sunday, January 25, 2004
CANUCKS 4, PREDATORS 1
This one was an easy one. The Canucks took advantage of a Nashville team that was playing its third game in four nights on the road to move themselves back to within three points of the torrid Avalanche. The Canucks dominated in pretty much every aspect of the game, except that one part in the third period where Cloutier let in the Jordin Tootoo goal. He only faced 16 shots all night, and it turns out this game was his 10th game this year where he has held the opposition to one goal. He's not a guy who shuts out a lot of teams, something he has only done twice this year. However, this was Dan Cloutier's 20th win of the year, taking his record to 20-13-3. As mentioned, the Preds got 16 shots off on Cloutier, whereas the Canucks peppered Pred backup goalie Chris Mason (he's no Tomas Vokoun, who is among the league leaders in wins) with 32 shots, doubling the Predators' output.
This also is the first regulation win at home for the Canucks since the 8th of November, and it's good to finally have that streak broken. The Canucks have also evened up the homestand that started out 0-2, which of course means this was their second straight home ice win.
Brent Sopel and Markus Naslund bagged three points each (Sopel tied his career high). Naslund took over the NHL scoring lead with 60 points, two up on Robert Lang of the Capitals. Sopel's first goal came on a one-timer set up by Mattias Ohlund. Flying in the face of their power play woes of most of the season, the Canucks were 3-for-8 on the power play, meaning there were three winners in the McDonald's Power Play giveaway game on the radio broadcast. Sopel originally had the assist on the Canucks' fourth goal of the game which was originally credited to Markus Naslund, but then he was knocked out of the scoring; Bertuzzi had apparently waved at and deflected the puck into the net. This screwed Sopel out a four-point (and career-high) night. Fans chanted Brent Sopel's name in the latter stages of the third period hoping he would get the hat trick.
Ed Jovanovski was hurt early in the game with a shoulder injury (coach Marc Crawford later said it was a shoulder sprain that would necessitate the call-up of a minor-league defenseman), but the rest of defenseman picked him up. Vancouver's blue line shots were getting through traffic tonight, a rare thing of late. If this can keep up, Sami Salo and his wicked slapshot should be seeing some goals soon.
Also, since this was Nashville, there was a decent number of penalty minutes handed out tonight. Brad May was tossed when he was the third man in during a fight between Jarkko Ruutu and Jim McKenzie. May jumped in when McKenzie hit Ruutu when he was down. A bunch of penalty minutes were also handed out when Scott Hartnell and Mike Keane tangled late in the first period.
Goal scorers tonight: Brent Sopel twice (6), Henrik Sedin (7), Todd Bertuzzi (14)
I've been forgetting the photos lately...one, two, three, four
The Canucks will try to make it a winning homestand on Tuesday against the Chicago Blackhawks.
This also is the first regulation win at home for the Canucks since the 8th of November, and it's good to finally have that streak broken. The Canucks have also evened up the homestand that started out 0-2, which of course means this was their second straight home ice win.
Brent Sopel and Markus Naslund bagged three points each (Sopel tied his career high). Naslund took over the NHL scoring lead with 60 points, two up on Robert Lang of the Capitals. Sopel's first goal came on a one-timer set up by Mattias Ohlund. Flying in the face of their power play woes of most of the season, the Canucks were 3-for-8 on the power play, meaning there were three winners in the McDonald's Power Play giveaway game on the radio broadcast. Sopel originally had the assist on the Canucks' fourth goal of the game which was originally credited to Markus Naslund, but then he was knocked out of the scoring; Bertuzzi had apparently waved at and deflected the puck into the net. This screwed Sopel out a four-point (and career-high) night. Fans chanted Brent Sopel's name in the latter stages of the third period hoping he would get the hat trick.
Ed Jovanovski was hurt early in the game with a shoulder injury (coach Marc Crawford later said it was a shoulder sprain that would necessitate the call-up of a minor-league defenseman), but the rest of defenseman picked him up. Vancouver's blue line shots were getting through traffic tonight, a rare thing of late. If this can keep up, Sami Salo and his wicked slapshot should be seeing some goals soon.
Also, since this was Nashville, there was a decent number of penalty minutes handed out tonight. Brad May was tossed when he was the third man in during a fight between Jarkko Ruutu and Jim McKenzie. May jumped in when McKenzie hit Ruutu when he was down. A bunch of penalty minutes were also handed out when Scott Hartnell and Mike Keane tangled late in the first period.
Goal scorers tonight: Brent Sopel twice (6), Henrik Sedin (7), Todd Bertuzzi (14)
I've been forgetting the photos lately...one, two, three, four
The Canucks will try to make it a winning homestand on Tuesday against the Chicago Blackhawks.
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