GDT: Duco Vearl, 1.12.2012

[the Cunning Linguist]

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Tale of the Tape

It's been 5 days and the buzz continues to be about the game against the Bruins last week, despite a couple of blah games against the two Florida teams. Well, tonight they face the best home team in the league in the St. Louis Blues. Given its size, speed, and skill-level, it might not be inaccurate to call this team the Boston Bruins West, as they've rolled to a 19-5-5 record since replacing Davis Payne with a kinder, gentler Ken Hitchcock. This Blues team has plenty of speed to match Vancouver and have overtaken perennial Central Division leaders in Chicago and Detroit in the standings. Given his impact since his arrival, Hitch is an early favorite for CoTY honors.

This is the last game of a tough 4-game roadtrip, and the Sedins have been pretty much AWOL for for most of the trip; I expect that they'll be more noticeable. St. Louis ALWAYS played Vancouver tough and have already beaten the Canucks twice this season, with an aggregate score of 6-2. Halak comes off a shutout against his former team and as a whole, St. Louis is exceptional defensively and own the 3rd best GA in the league. For its part, Vancouver has really struggled to move the puck on the PP lately, likely due to the absence of Salo (concussion) which may explain the Sedins' struggles. Thankfully, CoHo (5 points in last 5 games) has injected some much-needed secondary (or tertiary?) scoring punch, and looked good on a makeshift line of MayRay / Kesler / CoHo.

I've pretty much been terrible with my pregame predictions so I'll go to that well again and predict a St. Louis win, 4-1.

[Pokecheque]

Too lazy for a thread title, old man?

I got one for ya, how about: "Grin and Barrett"?

[the Cunning Linguist]

Too lazy for a thread title, old man?

I got one for ya, how about: "Grin and Barrett"?

I like mine better.

[Jyrki21]

I think the Canucks' lacklustre play lately has simply been the product of playing way too much recently, in too many cities. Tonight's game (3rd in 4 nights, or 4th in 6) amounts to 9 games in 16 nights from California to Florida, after a very recent 3-in-4 (or 5-in-8) at the end of 2011, without yet having had much of a break. The two day break before the Bruins' game was the first since December 11-12. It's a lot of hockey with a lot of travel, and it's going to take its toll, especially with some injuries.

Given all this, and the fact that the Blues have been a very tough opponent from even before they were good, I would be very surprised at a victory tonight. I'd say more likely is another of those games where they just can't seem to score.

[Tuzer]

Gotta agree with J21 on the recent travel,Not only are the Nucks leading the NHL in games played but as well as being the NHL club with the most travel miles each year,they are also playing their 26th roadgame of the year tonight as well which leads the league.The good thing in all of this is that after the remainder of this roadtrip we only have 5 games in the next 19 days than come the shortest month of the year we play 14 games which includes an unheard of 10 roadgames What Canuck hater writes these fucking schedules anyway???

btw,5-1 Canucks tonight



GO CANUCKS GO!!!!

[Pokecheque]

Too lazy for a thread title, old man?

I got one for ya, how about: "Grin and Barrett"?

I like mine better.

It'd be better if there actually was a player named "Vearl."

[the Cunning Linguist]

Couple of breaks worth mentioning for the Cannots:

• Noted Canucks-killer Alex Steen is still out with concussion.
• Barrett Jackman is also out with an injury.
• Aaron Rome is available and since Sulzer had a good game against Tampa, $4.2M-man Ballard gets the pressbox seat tonight. A curious move given the size and speed of the Blues, I would have thought AV would go with experience in Ballard instead of Sulzer...

[Captain Chaos]

We will breath the sweet sweet air of Victory this eve fellow Canuckleheads!

[Captain Chaos]

1st Blood - Burrows Scooooores!!!

[Captain Chaos]

Blues tie it up seconds later

Going to be a high scoring affair methinks.

[Captain Chaos]

Sulzer blocks a shot with his heeed.

Nasty...

[the Cunning Linguist]

Seems to be some controversy regarding the penalty on Backes with 30 seconds left in the game. Blues are saying that its a 'hockey play'. But don't the rules clearly state that you can't drive an opposing player into the boards like he did on Bureaux? Bureaux had body position on Backes, Bureaux' 14 was right in Backes' face and he drives Bureaux into the boards... How is it NOT a penalty?

Comedy of errors on the winning goal. Oshie breaks a stick defending high on the 4-on-3 in OT, but with the puck deep in the St. Louis end, someone on the bench calls for Oshie to change (mistake 1), he hesitates (mistake 2), then bolts for the bench, which is at the blueline. For whatever reason, the player replacing him comes from the far end (mistake 3) of bench (is there a rule about that?) adding to the time it takes for that player to get back in the play, but by then, it's too late. When Oshie bolts towards the bench, the puck ends up on Henrik's stick, he spots (who else) Daniel wide open at the facoff dot for the cross-ice feed... No chance for the Brian Elliott.
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