Canucks face rejuvenated Capitals
The Sports Network
1/31/2004
The Washington Capitals look to win three straight games for the first time in over a year, while the Vancouver Canucks try to match their season-high winning streak at five when the teams meet at the MCI Center.
Washington snapped a three-game losing streak with a 2-1 win at the New York Rangers on Wednesday before beating the Carolina Hurricanes 5-3 on the road one night later.
Bates Battaglia broke a third-period tie and Peter Bondra scored twice Thursday to help Washington win back-to-back games for just the third team this season.
The Capitals haven't won three straight since Jan. 10-13, 2003.
Washington is 14th in the 15-team Eastern Conference, 16 points behind the eighth-place New York Islanders for the final playoff spot.
Washington will be without defenseman Jason Doig, who was suspended for two games without pay by the NHL on Friday for kneeing Carolina center Kevyn Adams on Thursday. Adams' left knee was injured on the play, and he did not return.
On Wednesday, Doig gave New York Rangers star Eric Lindros a concussion with a hard, but clean hit.
Vancouver began a five-game road trip Thursday, beating St. Louis 4-2 for its fourth straight victory. The Canucks won a season-high five in a row from Oct. 28-Nov. 5.
Magnus Arvedson scored two goals for the second straight game and Daniel Sedin had a goal and two assists as the Canucks outscored the Blues 4-1 in the third period.
Vancouver improved to 5-8-5-1 when trailing after two periods.
``I think the first two periods, we didn't play as well as we can,'' said Arvedson, who has four goals in three games since returning from a six-game absence due to a herniated disk.
``We were a little bit slow. But in the third we came back good like we should, and that's a good sign.''
The Canucks, who have 15 wins away from home this season, also visit the Rangers, New York Islanders and New Jersey Devils on the eight-day trip.
STANDINGS (through Jan. 29): Canucks - 67 points, 2nd place, 2 PB, Northwest Division. Capitals - 39 points, 5th place, 20 PB, Southeast Division.
TEAM LEADERS: Canucks - Markus Naslund, 28 goals, 33 assists and 61 points; Jarkko Ruutu, 92 PIM. Capitals - Robert Lang, 24 goals and 61 points; Sergei Gonchar, 38 assists; Doig, 90 PIM.
SPECIAL TEAMS (through Jan. 29): Canucks - Power play: 15.6 percent (39 for 250), 16th in NHL. Penalty killing: 87.1 percent (195 for 224), 3rd. Capitals - Power play: 20.7 percent (45 for 217), 4th. Penalty killing: 82.8 percent (198 for 239), 22nd.
GOALTENDERS: Canucks - Dan Cloutier (21-13-3, 2 SO, 2.20 GAA); Johan Hedberg (6-2-2, 1, 2.15). Capitals - Olaf Kolzig (14-26-4, 1, 2.91); Rastislav Stana (1-2-0, 3.13).
2002-03 SEASON SERIES: Canucks, 1-0.
LAST MEETING: March 23; Canucks, 6-0. At Vancouver, Todd Bertuzzi scored twice on the power play, and Naslund, Brent Sopel and Matt Cooke also scored power-play goals as the Canucks finished 5-for-10 on the man advantage.
ROAD/HOME RECORDS: Canucks - 15-7-2-2 on the road; Capitals - 8-13-3-1 at home.
Cheers,
Aquaman