Official: Vancouver Canucks W00T

[Aquaman]

Canucks keep Jackets struggling

Canadian Press
11/5/2005 12:51:57 AM

VANCOUVER (CP) - Henrik Sedin and Sami Salo had a goal and assist each as the Vancouver Canucks added to the Columbus Blue Jackets road woes with a 5-3 victory on Friday night.

Anson Carter scored his first goal in nine games and also had a pair of assists for the Canucks, who won their seventh straight game at home.

Mattias Ohlund, with his fourth goal of the season, and Markus Naslund into an empty net, also scored as Vancouver's Northwest Division-leading record improved to 10-2-2.

Nikolai Zherdev, with a pair of goals, and David Vyborny scored for the Blue Jackets, who outworked the Canucks much of the night but still lost their seventh consecutive road game of the year.

Columbus drops to 4-11-0. Only the St. Louis Blues have a worse record in the Western Conference.

The Blue Jackets played without star forward Rick Nash, who injured his left knee in Thursday's 2-1 loss to Calgary. Nash will undergo an MRI Saturday in Columbus and is expected to miss at least a month.

Alex Auld, making his second consecutive start in goal for the injured Dan Cloutier, stopped 21 shots. Marc Denis faced 26 shots for Columbus.

It was a slow start to a sleepy game but the Blue Jackets held the early edge in the play. The sellout crowd of 18,630 became restless when Zherdev opened the scoring at 7:36 of the first when he whistled a 40-foot slapshot past Auld on the stick side.

It was the first time this season the visiting team scored the opening goal against Vancouver.

As it has done often this year the Canuck defence came to the rescue while the forwards rested.

Ohlund and Salo both scored power-play goals in the second period. For Salo, who found net on a blast from just inside the blue line, it was his fourth of the season, all on the power play.

The Blue Jackets refused to quit and Vyborny made it 2-2 on a power play goal at 17:34 of the second. He notched his third goal in four games by rolling a shot past Auld's extended arm.

It looked like the Canucks had the game in hand when Sedin and Carter gave Vancouver a two-goal lead early in the third period.

Columbus refused to roll over and Zherdev drew the Blue Jackets to within one when he took a fed from Manny Malhotra in the slot and rifled a shot past Auld.

The Canucks played the game without Cloutier (concussion), forward Matt Cooke (broken jaw) and defenceman Bryan Allen (bruised knee).

Notes: Allen, out with a knee injury, skated with the team Friday morning but didn't dress for the game ... Jason King, who hasn't played this year due to a concussion suffered last spring, is practising with the WHL's Vancouver Giants ... In a move to save money, backup goaltender Rob McVicar and forward Josh Green were sent back to Winnipeg Thursday, then called back to Vancouver Friday.

Cheers,
Aquaman

 

[Aquaman]

Flames host streaking Canucks

Sports Network
11/5/2005 11:43:15 AM

(Sports Network) - The Calgary Flames will attempt to extend their season- high win streak to three games this evening, as they host the Vancouver Canucks in the opener of two-game series at the Saddledome.

The Flames' latest triumph came Thursday night versus the Columbus Blue Jackets. Marcus Nilson's first goal of the season, at 10:36 of the third period, lifted Calgary in the second test of a four-game homestand.

Steven Reinprecht also scored in the third period for the Flames, while Miikka Kiprusoff made 16 saves for Calgary.

Calgary is 4-1-1 at home this season and will wrap up their current stretch at the Saddledome with Monday's game versus Vancouver.

The Canucks are off to a torrid 10-2-2 start to the season and picked up a 5-3 win over Columbus on Friday evening.

Anson Carter scored the game-winning goal and added two assists for the Vancouver at GM Place. It was the second straight win for the Canucks after beating Minnesota on Wednesday.

Sami Salo and Henrik Sedin each had a goal and an assist for Vancouver, which is a perfect 7-0 this season at home.

Alexander Auld stopped 21 shots in net, and Markus Naslund scored an empty- netter in the closing seconds to lock up the win.

This is the first of eight meetings this season between these Northwest Division rivals. In 2003-04, Vancouver won three meetings, Calgary won twice and the teams tied one time.

Cheers,
Aquaman

 

[sandorski]

Hehe, "Bootuzzi"

 

[sandorski]

Damn it! Auld is all thumbs tonight and needs to stay in the net. :|

 

[clickynext]

Wow, Calgary really had the upper hand for the first period and most of the second. I'm surprised the Canucks are only down one goal, but hopefully they build on the good play from the 2nd line from the end of the second period. Bertuzzi does a spin-o-rama everytime he gets the puck. =/

 

[sandorski]

1-0 defeat

 

[clickynext]

That was rather depressing. Calgary really plays a stifling, agressive checking game, the same type that got them to the finals last year. Of course, Vancouver certainly didn't do as well as they could have, rarely winning any battles for the puck in any situation.

 

[silverpig]

Was at the POS of a football game tonight

 

[sandorski]

Lions lose again?

 

[Sealy]

wow, I think that was the fastest that this thread has loaded for me! Must have fixed the bad code that was going on...

<---pretending she knows about them 'puter thing a ma jigs....!

Not a horrible loss....but a loss non the less. I think we need a bit more consistency in the reffing though! These new rules are hard to get used to!

 

[Aquaman]

Kiprusoff stops 23 shots to blank Canucks

Canadian Press
11/6/2005 2:31:04 AM

CALGARY (CP) - Craig MacDonald couldn't have found a better time to get his first point as a Flame.

Signed as a free agent in August, MacDonald assisted on a first period goal by linemate Marcus Nilson in Calgary's 1-0 win over the Vancouver Canucks Saturday night.

"I threw a pass out front to him and he made a great play to finish it," said MacDonald, who was held scoreless in five previous games this season. "It's exciting to get my first point as a Flame."

At 10:28 of the first period, Nilson took the pass from MacDonald and wristed a perfect shot over Vancouver goalie Alex Auld's glove hand under the crossbar. The speedy Swede didn't think the marker would stand up to give him game-winning goals in back-to-back contests. Nilson also scored the winner as the Flames edged the Columbus Blue Jackets 2-1 on Thursday night.

"Not a chance I thought it would hold up," said Nilson, who commended MacDonald for spotting him in the slot. "The pass was just a rocket so it gave me a lot of time to shoot it. That's the way it is. Sometimes nothing goes in and sometimes you're in the right spot."

It was the third straight victory for the Flames, who improved their record to 7-7-2.

Calgary netminder Miikka Kiprusoff made 23 saves for his second shutout of the season. Kiprusoff has allowed just one goal in his last three games, all wins. The Flames' netminder has now gone 99:01 without surrendering a goal.

"The guy at the other end stood on his head and played amazing," said Vancouver goalie Alex Auld, who stopped 26 shots as he faced his first loss of the season.

The Vancouver netminder's record now stands at 5-1-1.

"Obviously I wasn't going to win every game all year and go undefeated," said Auld, adding that the Canucks should expect a similar tight-checking game on Monday when the same two teams play at the Saddledome. "That's the type of team that they are and what we've got to expect for Monday too."

The loss halted Vancouver's winning streak at two games as the Canucks record fell to 10-3-2.

"Fortunately we've got a chance here to rebound on Monday," said Vancouver captain Marcus Naslund, who lamented the fact that the Canucks failed to generate quality scoring chances. "We didn't get in close enough to really test Kiprusoff."

Although the Flames consider the Edmonton Oilers their biggest rival, a case can be made that the Canucks are almost as big a foe.

Right after Nilson's goal, Canuck defenceman Wade Brookbank dropped the gloves and fought with Flame forward Darren McCarty. Earlier in the period, Vancouver's Jarko Ruutu took on Calgary's Byron Ritchie and the first frame fight card rounded out with Nilson taking on Trevor Linden.

"I think we answered the bell," Naslund said. "A lot of guys played hard for us."

The fight card continued during a scoreless second period when Calgary enforcer Jason Wiemer took on Vancouver tough guy Lee Goren.

The Canucks had a great chance to tie the game early in the third period when Stephane Yelle was assessed a double high-sticking penalty after he clipped Marcus Naslund in the face with his stick. On the same play, Calgary's Dion Phaneuf was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct after he dropped his gloves in an attempt to goad Ruutu into a fight.

"It was uncalled for," said Calgary coach Darryl Sutter of Phaneuf's penalty.

During Vancouver's two-man advantage, the Canucks managed just one shot on net, a wrist shot by Ed Jovanovski which Kiprusoff trapped in his glove hand easily.

"If you've got a two minute five-on-three you'd think that you should be able to score and change the momentum there," Naslund said. "Unfortunately that wasn't the case tonight."

While sprawled on the ice, Kiprusoff then fell backwards to stop a close-in shot by Mattias Ohlund during the remaining one-man advantage.

"Tonight our power play wasn't good enough," said Vancouver coach Marc Crawford. "We have to be better than we were."

Calgary actually had a great chance to go up 2-0 while still short a man. Jarome Iginla centred the puck out from behind the Vancouver net to a streaking MacDonald, who one-timed a shot on net.

Auld had to be quick to make a sliding toe save to keep his team in the game.

"I had a great chance there," MacDonald said. "Jarome made a great pass. That would have just capped it off if I'd have scored."

Much to the delight of the 19,289 fans at the Saddledome, the Flames killed off the penalties and held on for the victory. Notes: The Flames are now 103-61-33-1 all time against the Canucks including 47-20-12-1 in Calgary. ... In their previous 10 games against the Canucks at the Saddledome, the Flames were 1-7-2. The last time the Flames had won at home was back in on Dec. 29, 2000 when they skated to a 5-0 triumph.

Cheers,
Aquaman

 

[Aquaman]

Oilers, Flames and Canucks hit the ice

The Sports Network
11/7/2005 9:23:13 AM

Two great Western conference rivalries continue tonight as the Edmonton Oilers visit the Dallas Stars for the second time in over a week and the Vancouver Canucks take on the Calgary Flames for the second time in three nights.

The Oilers' season-high five-game winning streak began in Dallas just over a week ago. Winning there again would prove they have reversed more than a decade of frustration in that city.

The Oilers try to make it three consecutive wins in Dallas when the teams meet for the third time this season.

Edmonton won its first game in Dallas this season 5-3 on Oct. 28. It was the Oilers' second straight win there after it posted a 1-18-2 record in the city since Stars moved from Minnesota after the 1992-93 season.

"We're two-for-two," Oilers coach Craig MacTavish said. "Now, hopefully, the momentum is shifting."

That victory was the first of a season-high five in a row for the Oilers, who have outscored opponents 25-9 during the streak, the franchise's longest since a five-game run from March 14-22, 2004. Edmonton last won six in row from March 14-26, 2002

Jarrett Stoll had his first career two-goal game and added two assists to lead Edmonton to a 7-2 victory Friday over the St. Louis Blues.

MacTavish said the offense was a good complement to the strong goaltending of Jussi Markkanen, who stopped 34 of 36 shots for his fifth straight win.

"We had some guys do some nice things offensively," MacTavish said. "The bottom line for us was our goaltending was really good and we capitalized on our opportunities."

Markkanen has been superb during the streak, stopping 134 of 144 shots for a .930 save percentage. In 98 minutes over two games against Dallas this season, Markkanen has stopped 36 of 40 shots.

Left wings Raffi Torres and Ryan Smyth have been leading the offense during Edmonton's streak. Torres has five goals and four assists in his last six games while Smyth has six goals in five consecutive games.

Dallas has won three of four games after recording one win in its previous five. The Stars followed a 9-1 pounding Friday of the Chicago Blackhawks with a 3-2 shootout victory Saturday over the Colorado Avalanche.

Marty Turco, who has struggled early this season, stopped 27 shots in regulation and overtime and made two more in the shootout. He is 6-3 with a 2.32 goals-against average and two career shoutouts against Edmonton.

Left wing Brenden Morrow has a goal and two assists against Edmonton this season, and is averaging nearly a point per game against the Oilers in his career.

Dallas centre Jason Arnott has three assists in two games against his former team this season.

The Canucks couldn't figure out Flames goalie Miikka Kiprusoff in the first of back-to-back meetings between the teams.

Kiprusoff made 23 saves for his third shutout of the season in the Flames' 1-0 win over the Northwest Division-leading Canucks on Saturday.

Kiprusoff, tied for the league lead in shutouts, has not allowed a goal in 99:01. He has surrendered only one goal in the Flames' last three games, all victories.

Calgary has outscored opponents 6-1 during its season-high three-game winning streak.

"Fortunately we've got a chance here to rebound on Monday," Vancouver captain Markus Naslund said. "We didn't get in close enough to really test Kiprusoff."

Vancouver's Alex Auld, the team's starter while Dan Cloutier recovers from a concussion, stopped 26 shots on Saturday, but was charged with his first loss of the season.

"The guy at the other end stood on his head and played amazing," said Auld, who fell to 5-1-1. "Obviously I wasn't going to win every game all year and go undefeated."

Marcus Nilson scored the game's lone goal midway through the first period on a pass from Craig MacDonald, giving MacDonald his first point in six games with the Flames.

"I threw a pass out front to him and he made a great play to finish it," MacDonald said. "It's exciting to get my first point as a Flame."

Vancouver, which has lost three straight on the road, is tied with Carolina for the league's best home record (7-0-0).

The Canucks are 7-2-2 in their last 11 games at Calgary.

Cheers,
Aquaman

 

[sandorski]

woohoo Boootuzzi scores!

 

[sandorski]

Naslund wooo, Bootuzzi is rather effective tonight, being a great part of Naslunds goal.

 

[sandorski]

wooo Naslund ties it at 3-3

 

[sandorski]

Suckage. Exciting game, but 4-3 loss

 

[Aquaman]

Flames rally past Canucks in third

Canadian Press
11/8/2005 2:56:02 AM

CALGARY (CP) - Calgary Flames rookie defenceman Dion Phaneuf continues to impress with the Vancouver Canucks - especially Trevor Linden.

Linden watched helplessly from the penalty box as Phaneuf one-timed Jarome Iginla's pass for the game-winning goal late in the third to give the Flames a 4-3 win. It was Linden's cross-checking penalty gave Calgary the 90 second two-man advantage.

"The whole set up was good, we worked it down low and then up high and Iggy made a great play over, I just tried to get it through and luckily it went through," said Phaneuf, who also had two assists upping his season totals to four goals and six assists.

Vancouver goaltender Alex Auld, who had 24 saves, had little chance on Phaneuf's high blast that came from about 40 feet out.

"His shot is hard enough when you can see it, so when it comes across on a one-timer like that with a screen in front, that's even tougher," Auld said.

The veteran Linden, 15 years less a day older than the 20-year-old Phaneuf, refused to blame the referees for his costly penalty that came when he cross-checked Iginla into the boards from behind.

"I definitely let up and gave him the heads up I was coming. but it was one of those calls," Linden said. "It's unfortunate, it's a costly mistake by me, and I just can't put myself in that position."

Iginla, Roman Hamrlik, and Chuck Kobasew also scored for Calgary (8-7-2), which posted its second victory over its Northwest Division rivals in three nights. Steve Reinprecht added three assists for the Flames.

Calgary wraps up a four-game homestand a perfect 4-0-0 and after a game in Phoenix on Thursday night, they return home for four more.

Markus Naslund replied with a pair of goals and Todd Bertuzzi, with his first goal in 10 games, also scored for the Canucks (10-4-2), who are winless in their last four road games (0-3-1).

"You can't give up those types of opportunities late in the game and expect that you're going to come out on top," said Vancouver coach Marc Crawford. "We took some penalties that we were responsible for tonight and by veteran people and those things we have to correct and correct quickly."

Ranked second-last on the power-play entering the game, Calgary went 2-for-8 while the Canucks were 2-for-6.

Vancouver took a 2-1 lead to the third period only to see it disappear on goals 37 seconds apart by Hamrlik and Iginla. At 5:44, Hamrlik skated between the Canucks' defencemen and rifled a slap shot from the top of the face-off circle over Auld's glove.

Iginla gave Calgary the lead when his hard centring pass deflected off Canucks' defenceman Nolan Baumgartner and past a baffled Auld.

"We stuck with it and those feel real good, especially against the Canucks," said Iginla. "They're a very good club and to be able to fight a see-saw battle in the third period and win it, it feels great. Everybody for these two games left everything out there."

Vancouver fought back to tie the game on Naslund's 10th of the season at 11:26. Bertuzzi, who had a strong game for the Canucks, outmuscled Jordan Leopold along the end boards and worked a pass out to Naslund, who whipped a backhand past goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff.

Kobasew opened the scoring 5:50 into the first, at the tail-end of a Calgary power play. Reinprecht's one-timer handcuffed Auld and deflected right to Kobasew, who banged the puck into the open net.

The Canucks pulled even 3:30 into the second period on Bertuzzi's gritty individual effort. After fending off Phaneuf behind the net, Bertuzzi carried the puck out front on his backhand and slipped a shot past Kiprusoff.

Vancouver took the lead on the power play at 18:24 of the second, when Ed Jovanovski zipped a pass in front to an uncovered Naslund, who tucked a backhand past Kiprusoff to end the goaltender's shutout streak at 122 minutes, 31 seconds.

Notes - Vancouver dressed seven defencemen as Allen returned to the line-up after missing five games with a knee injury... Kobasew is one goal away from matching his output of six goals in 70 games as a rookie in 2003-04... Calgary RW Tony Amonte has no goals in his last eight games and just one in his last 13... The Canucks drop to 2-4-2 when they surrender the first goal. When Vancouver scores first, they're a perfect 8-0-0.

Cheers,
Aquaman

 

[silverpig]

 

[Aquaman]

Moore plans to file appeal in civil case

Canadian Press
11/8/2005 7:43:09 PM

The lawyers for former Colorado Avalanche player Steve Moore plan to file an appeal in the next two weeks over a decision that threw his lawsuit against Todd Bertuzzi out of a Denver court.

In making the ruling, Denver district Judge Shelley Gilman agreed with lawyers for the Vancouver Canucks forward and others that any case would be better handled in Canada, where Bertuzzi's punch from behind that broke bones in Moore's neck occurred.

"I would say shortly the U.S. counsel will be filing notice of appeal and we will be proceeding with that appeal," Tim Danson, Moore's Toronto-based lawyer, said Tuesday.

If the case is not allowed to proceed in Denver, Danson will refile the lawsuit in Toronto. He has until March of next year to file in Canada.

There had been speculation that if the lawsuit is moved to Canada it would be heard in Vancouver, where the March 8, 2004, attack occurred.

"Toronto would be the jurisdiction," Danson said. "This is where Steve lives, this is where he's suffering the damages. This is where his doctors are.

"The only argument why you'd want to hear it in Vancouver is because the incident took place there. So what? This is the first time in 26 years I've been practising law the incident is on video tape."

Both Bertuzzi and Brad May, a member of the Canucks at the time who is also named in the suit, have summer homes in Ontario, Danson said, adding any court case would likely be heard during the off-season.

Moore's lawsuit is seeking unspecified damages from the Canucks, team owner Orca Bay Hockey Limited Partnership, Bertuzzi, coach Marc Crawford, former general manager Brian Burke and May, who now plays for Colorado.

In the incident, Bertuzzi grabbed Moore from behind, punched him, then fell on him, driving the Harvard graduate's head into the ice.

Moore suffered three fractured vertebrae in his neck, a concussion and other injuries. He is still suffering concussion-related symptoms.

Danson said Moore is skating and doing regular workouts, but still hasn't returned to the level of health he had prior to the attack.

"He's training hard," Danson said. "He's increasing the intensity of his workouts. We're measuring how he responds to the increase in intensity."

Moore's goal is to play in the NHL again, but Danson said there's no time line on when that could occur.

"That is what is driving him," Danson said. "That is everything to him. That's his life."

Moore was released by the Avalanche and is an unrestricted free agent.

Bertuzzi served a 17-month suspension from the NHL for his attack. He missed 13 regular season games and the 2004 Stanley Cup playoffs, costing him over $500,000 US in salary.

The 2004-05 NHL season was wiped out by a labour dispute.

Bertuzzi was charged and pleaded guilty to assault causing bodily harm. He received a conditional discharge.

Bertuzzi's attack followed an incident a couple of games earlier when Moore caught Naslund with his head down and delivered a hit that left the Vancouver captain with a concussion.

No penalty was called on that play.

Cheers,
Aquaman

 

[Aquaman]

Canucks hot but questions remain

Canadian Press
11/9/2005 8:18:35 PM

BURNABY, B.C. (CP) - It's hard to kick a hockey team when they're up, but even though the Vancouver Canucks have a 10-4-2 record and lead the Northwest Division, some questions swirl about how good the NHL team is.

Even captain Markus Naslund admits the team isn't playing to its potential.

''We still can play a lot better,'' Naslund, who leads the Canucks in scoring with 10 goals and 18 points, said Wednesday.

''We still have to play a more disciplined game and not take as many penalties as we are. We have to come with more speed and use that off the rush more and get more shots.''

Some of the areas where the Canucks can be better include:

- Scoring:

Some of the best offensive players on the Canucks continue to be defenceman. Vancouver's defence has scored 13 goals of the team's 53 goals and collected 31 assists.

After Naslund, defencemen Sami Salo and Ed Jovanovski have 14 points each.

Salo has four goals this year, which is more than forwards Todd Bertuzzi, Brendan Morrison, Anson Carter and Richard Park.

- The not-so-top line:

Vancouver's big line of Naslund, Bertuzzi and Morrison has struggled. The unit, which earns a combined salary of $13.4 million US, has managed just 16 goals this season.

Naslund scored twice in Monday night's loss to Calgary giving him three goals in the last six games.

Bertuzzi scored for just the third time this season against Calgary, snapping a nine-game goal drought. He does have 10 assists.

Morrison has one goal and two assists in his last seven games.

''I think we're starting to feel physically better,'' said Naslund.

''It'll come. It's just a matter of time.''

- Who they have beaten and where:

Vancouver is unbeaten at home (7-0-0) but just 3-4-2 on the road and 4-4-2 against divisional opponents.

The Canucks have beaten good teams like Detroit and Dallas. They also have three wins against Minnesota, two over Phoenix and one each against Chicago and Columbus.

- Special Teams:

The Canuck power play is ranked 18th in the league while the penalty kill is 21st.

Vancouver is taking dumb penalties late and struggling to hold onto leads.

The Canucks dodged a bullet recently when they beat Minnesota despite playing the final two minutes, 26 seconds of the third period two men short.

They weren't so lucky against the Flames when Calgary scored the winning goal late in the third period while enjoying a two-man advantage.

''We've played hard but I don't think we've played smart,'' said Salo.

''We've taken penalties, made the wrong decisions. These are some areas we know we have to be better at. It's mostly being smart.''

- Goaltending:

Starting goaltender Dan Cloutier has won 30 or more games in a season three years in a row but still has his doubters.

Cloutier, who returned to practice Wednesday after missing five games due to a concussion, has a 5-2-1 record this year but a 3.54 goals-against average and .873 save percentage.

Alex Auld, who won the backup job this year and filled in for Cloutier, also has a 5-2-1 record. He enjoys a 2.25 goals-against average and .916 save percentage.

Coach Marc Crawford doesn't want to hear any talk about a potential goaltender controversy in Vancouver.

''Alex is a good young goaltender but he is young,'' said Crawford.

''There is a right way to continue to utilize him nd we're going to try to make the right decisions with our goaltending all the time. Dan's the guy we believe is best suited to play the bulk of the games here.''

If the Canucks continue at their current winning pace they will finish with a team record 113 points.

But even Crawford admits the team needs some fine-tuning.

''You're always, not so much concerned, but aware of areas of improvement your team can make,'' he said.

''There are always things we're trying to stoke up and get a little bit better at.''

Cheers,
Aquaman

 

[Aquaman]

Cloutier practices with Canucks

Canadian Press
11/9/2005 5:24:13 PM

BURNABY, B.C. (CP) - Goaltender Dan Cloutier practised with the Vancouver Canucks Wednesday for the first time since suffering a concussion on Oct. 29 and could play Thursday against the Colorado Avalanche.

''I'm feeling better,'' Cloutier said after practice. ''It was nice to be out there again with the guys. I'll get another good practice in tomorrow and see how it goes.''

Cloutier suffered a concussion and whiplash the last time Vancouver played the Avalanche in Colorado. He was injured during a collision with Canucks defenceman Nolan Baumgartner.

Backup Alex Auld has played five games in Cloutier's place, posting a 2-2-1 record.

Canuck coach Marc Crawford said a decision on Cloutier starting will be made Thursday.

''He could start I suppose,'' said Crawford.

''Right now we've told Alex to be ready. With Dan we want to give him the opportunity to recuperate and feel as good as he possible can.

''If he doesn't feel 100 per cent ready to play I probably will go with Alex. If he does feel 100 per cent I may give him the opportunity to play.''

In nine games this year Cloutier has a 5-2-1 record, 3.54 goals against average and .873 save percentage.

Auld has a 5-2-1 record, 2.25 goals against and .916 save percentage.

Cheers,
Aquaman

 

[Aquaman]

Struggling Canucks return home to host Avs

The Sports Network
11/10/2005 9:58:03 AM

Having lost four straight on the road, the Vancouver Canucks will be happy to have the chance to remain perfect at home when they host the Colorado Avalanche.

Vancouver and Carolina are the only teams yet to lose at home this season. During their 7-0 start at GM Place, the Canucks have outscored opponents 30-16.

Colorado was responsible for starting Vancouver's road losing streak, as it won two straight home games from the Canucks two weeks ago. The Avalanche posted a 6-2 victory on Oct. 27 and came away with a 4-3 overtime win two days later.

During the overtime defeat, Canucks goaltender Dan Clouter sustained a concussion that has kept him out of the lineup since. Cloutier has begun practicing with his teammates and could start Thursday, or Sunday at home against Detroit.

"He could start I suppose," Canucks coach Marc Crawford said. "Right now we've told Alex (Auld) to be ready. With Dan we want to give him the opportunity to recuperate and feel as good as he possibly can."

Auld has started all four games in Cloutier's absence, allowing nine goals while splitting four decisions.

Vancouver was called for three penalties in the final four minutes of a 4-3 loss in Calgary on Monday.

"We took some penalties that we were responsible for and by veteran people and those things we have to correct and correct quickly." Crawford said.

Avalanche center Pierre Turgeon became the 34th player in NHL history to score 500 goals, reaching the milestone in a 5-2 victory over San Jose on Tuesday.

"The last couple games I've been thinking about it and it's nice to get it out of the way," said Turgeon, who has five goals and nine assists in 14 games in his first season with the Avalanche.

"It's a nice milestone to reach."

Colorado, which plays nine of its next 12 games on the road, finished its six-game homestand at 5-0-1 -- the franchise's best extended trip since moving to Denver from Quebec in 1995.

Goaltender David Aebischer made 31 saves Tuesday to win his sixth straight game, tying a career high.

"Sometimes it doesn't really matter how you win, just as long as you win," said Aebischer. "I've been playing, I would say, pretty good of late and I can be happy that we score a lot of goals. That helps."

The Avs are averaging 4.3 goals per game this season, third-highest in the league.

Cheers,
Aquaman

 

[sandorski]

wtf? 3-0 Avs still in first. Yay Canucks first shot on goal! [cheer] :|

 

[sandorski]

woo, jovo makes it 4-1

 

[sandorski]

Boootuzzi woot