Thursday, January 05, 2006
GAME 41: CANUCKS 3, BLACKHAWKS 2
Canucks 3, Blackhawks 2
[posted in full Fri ~4:27p]
The Canucks had lost eight of nine games (three overtime losses) coming into the final game of their four-game road swing. The four-game road swing was also part of their stretch where Vancouver was to play 14 of 18 games on the road.
It appeared the Canucks had met their match when it came to recent misery, however, in the form of the Chicago Blackhawks. The team owned by the abominable Bill Wirtz had lost eight straight coming into the game. In short, you really didn't want to be the loser of this game.
1st period
Just 22 seconds off the opening faceoff, Kevin Bieksa challenged Matthew Barnaby, and the two exchanged fisticuffs in an attempt to spark their respective teams. Bieksa did manage to hit the helmet off of Barnaby before being wrestled to the ice. With 14:17 left, Todd Bertuzzi from the left-wing boards passed to Markus Naslund down low near the slot, who one-timed the puck off the far post over the stick of Chicago goalie Craig Anderson. With 13:35 left, Anton Babchuk shot from the left hash and drew the iron unkind as well. Later, off a bad Vancouver line change, Tuomo Ruutu from the left faceoff dot snapped the puck far side, top corner over Alex Auld's glove side.
»» 1, CHICAGO, Tuomo Ruutu 2 (Radim Vrbata) 12:16
»» BLACKHAWKS 1, CANUCKS 0
The Canucks were badly outshot 8-3 in the period despite their power play opportunities. Both teams went 0-for-2 on the power play.
2nd period
With Vancouver trying to kill off a Bryan Allen tripping minor, Henrik Sedin shot from the very high slot, and a big rebound came to Nolan Baumgartner, who was rushing the net. Baumgartner got a skate on the puck and it went into the net; the footage went to Toronto and it was determined that Baumgartner did not deliberately kick at the puck, and therefore, it was a goal.
»» 2, VANCOUVER, shorthanded, Nolan Baumgartner 3 (Henrik Sedin, Daniel Sedin) 6:22
»» BLACKHAWKS 1, CANUCKS 1
Todd Bertuzzi shot from the right hash and was stopped, and the rebound went to Kevin Bieksa in front, who also had a shot stopped before the puck leaked out to the slot. Naslund got the puck from there and waited a couple seconds before wristing it high over Anderson's stick side into the net. Bieksa, the Manitoba Moose alum, recorded his first NHL point on the goal.
»» 3, VANCOUVER, Markus Naslund 22 (Kevin Bieksa, Todd Bertuzzi) 7:32
»» CANUCKS 2, BLACKHAWKS 1
Chicago outshot the Canucks 8-7 in the period (16-10 overall). Vancouver again was 0-for-2 on the power play (0-for-4 overall) while Chicago was 0-for-3 (0-for-5).
3rd period
In the first minute of play in the third period, Alexandre Burrows was sprung loose on a rush and was hauled down by Babchuk as he got to the crease. In only his third NHL game, Burrows was awarded a penalty shot, but he was foiled by Anderson. Fast-forwarding to the final minutes of play, Martin Lapointe made a rinkwide pass behind Duncan Keefe that was picked off by Burrows. Burrows raced down the ice and passed to Jarkko Ruutu, who barreled down the slot with the puck. The older Ruutu missed the net with his shot, but he was hooked from behind by Lapointe as he neared the crease and awarded a penalty shot. On the shot, Jarkko deked to his left, and Anderson had come out too far, committing to the deke but also leaving his entire glove side open for the backhand over his outstretched left leg.
»» 4, VANCOUVER, penalty shot, Jarkko Ruutu 6 (penalty shot) 17:58
»» CANUCKS 3, BLACKHAWKS 1
With Anderson pulled from the net, the Blackhawks looked to get within one. Lapointe came off the bench and walked to the high slot untouched before getting a feed from the younger Ruutu and potting the puck over Auld's stick side.
»» 5, CHICAGO, Martin Lapointe 9 (T Ruutu) 18:23
«« CANUCKS 3, BLACKHAWKS 2
Chicago outshot the Canucks 12-7 in the final period (28-17 total). Both teams finished 0-for-6 on the power play, with Vancouver going 0-for-2 in the final period and with Chicago failing to cash in on their opportunity. Auld stopped 26 shots.
Three stars -- (1) Naslund, (2) Chicago's Tuomo Ruutu, (3) J Ruutu
skater, goals-assists-points
Baumgartner 1-0-1
Naslund 1-0-1
J Ruutu 1-0-1
Bertuzzi 0-1-1
Bieksa 0-1-1
D Sedin 0-1-1
H Sedin 0-1-1
The Canucks were 31-for-56 (55%) in the faceoff circle. Brendan Morrison was 10-for-15, Trevor Linden was 5-for-9, Ryan Kesler was 6-for-13, Henrik Sedin was 6-for-12, and Todd Bertuzzi was 3-for-6.
Markus Naslund led the Canucks in shots with three, though the team only piled up 17 shots against the lowly Blackhawks. They racked up 22 hits, with a trio apiece dished out by Matt Cooke, Kevin Bieksa, and Bertuzzi.
Nolan Baumgartner, Daniel Sedin, and Henrik Sedin were plus-1 for the Canucks. Sami Salo, Brendan Morrison, and Bertuzzi were minus-1 for the Canucks. All other Vancouver skaters were even.
Now at the halfway point of the season, this win put the Canucks at 22-14-5 (1-3 shootout, two overtime losses), good for 49 points and third place in the Northwest Division, three points back of the leading Calgary Flames and one back of the Edmonton Oilers, which is somewhat amazing considering the slide on which the Canucks have been. Unfortunately, they are only two points up on the Colorado Avalanche and are seventh in the conference.
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