By Andrew Chernoff
October 25, 2016
Game Time: 7:00 PM PST
Location: Rogers Arena
TV: Sportsnet Vancouver
Radio: TSN 1040
What’s Up?
Vancouver (4-1-1=9 pts) play the first game of a three game homestand tonight at Rogers Arena against Eastern conference opponent, Ottawa Senators (3-2-0=6 pts).
Vancouver is undefeated at home (4-0-0), looking for their fifth consecutive home win of the young season.
The Canucks sit tied for 3rd place in the NHL (tied with St. Louis) and are in 2nd place in the Pacific division, with 9 points.
In their last game, the Canucks finished off a brief two game road trip to California against the Anaheim Ducks, losing 4-2 in regulation, their first regulation loss of the season.
Loui Ericksson had a two point night (0-2=2 pts); Henrik Sedin (3) and Bo Horvat (3) led the Canucks with a goal each; and Philip Larsen (3) had an assist.
Canucks starting goalie Ryan Miller, stopped 33 of 37 shots in the game.
Miller, after two game starts, has a 1.94 GAA and a .935 SV%. He is 1-1-0 for the season.
With the injuries to the Canucks increasing, Vancouver recalled defenseman Troy Stecher and forward Jayson Megna from the AHL Utica Comets on Monday.
Vancouver’s goaltender tandem of Ryan Miller and Jacob Markstrom are 4th best in the NHL, with a 2.10 GAA and a .922 SV%.
Canucks leading scorers: Henrik Sedin (3-2=5 pts), Brandon Sutter (1-4=5 pts), Daniel Sedin (2-2=4 pts), Loui Eriksson (0-4=4 ts), Bo Horvat (3-0=3 pts), Markus Granlund (2-1=3 pts) and Jannik Hansen (1-2=3 pts).
Canucks scratches: #55-Alex Biega; #88-Nikita Tryamkin
Canucks injured: #8-Chris Tanev; #14-Alex Burrows; #15-Derek Dorsett; #17-Anton Rodin; #41-Tom Nilsson.
Canucks points streaks: Henrik Sedin (2-1=3 pts) / 2 Games
The Ottawa Senators in their last game lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-1 at the Canadian Tire Centre. Chris Neil was the only goal scorer for Ottawa. Craig Anderson stopped 31 of 35 shots.
The Senators are tied for 5th place with the Boston Bruins in the Atlantic division, with 6 points, 5 points behind division leaders Montreal.
Ottawa have the 28th best goaltending in the NHL, with Craig Anderson and John Hammond, with a 3.93 GAA, and .873 SV%.
Anderson is 3-1-0, with a 3.66 GAA, and a .886 SV%. Hammond is 0-1-0, with a with a 5.00 GAA, and a .800 SV%.
Ottawa leading scorers: Erik Karlsson(2-5-=7 pts); Kyle Turris (3-1=4 pts); Ryan Dzingel (2-2=4 pts); Mark Stone (1-3=4 pts).
Ottawa special teams are: 1 for 14: 7.1 percent on the power play overall (29th in the NHL); and 15 for 21: 71.4 percent on the penalty kill overall (26th in the NHL).
Vancouver Canucks special teams are: 3 for 23: 13 percent on the power play overall (21st in the NHL), with 31 shots for, 9 shots against, 1 shorthanded goal against; and 14 for 17: 82.4 percent on the penalty kill overall (16th best in NHL), with 24 shots against, 2 shot for, 1 shorthanded goal for.
Vancouver has allowed only 14 goals against, while Ottawa has surrendered 20.
What’s at stake:
A four game home winning streak, and a three game homestand beginning tonight with Ottawa, awaits the weary Canucks that are in disarray.
Tonight’s game is Vancouver’s 7th in 11-nights, and the California road trip was a mixed blessing:
- injuries to Derek Dorsett, Alex Burrows and Chris Tanev
- the power play getting 2-goals
- a 3-goal comeback against Los Angeles to force overtime and a shootout, that resulted in Vancouver’s first shootout loss of the season.
- Against Anaheim, the Canucks would come back twice to tie the game up 1-1 and 2-2, but would fall behind again, unable to recover, losing their first game of the season in regulation.
The Canucks are having a Groundhog Day movie experience, where they find themselves experiencing the same things of the 2015-16 season over and over.
Can’t score goals, out hit, out shot, problems with the power play, the Sedins getting beat up by the opposition.
Injuries, Loui Ericksson aka Radim Vrbata, issues with the younger Canucks (i.e. Jake Virtanen, Nikita Tryamkin), not enough depth.
It goes on and on.
In the movie, the groundhog day ends; with the Canucks not so quick.
So, be prepared for another groundhog day experience tonight. If it resembles last season, it just might be. All over again.
Home Sweet Home
- After four games this season:
- Canucks have:
- 108 shots for (11th); 98 shots against (17th); 44 blocked shots (13th); 53 hits (17th); 44 missed shots (23rd); 30 giveaways (17th); 23 takeaways (12th).
- Vancouver:
- Has a face-off winning percentage of 48.7 percent, 20th best in the NHL
- Are a +3 in plus/minus as a team, 7th best in the NHL
- Has the 7th best save percentage in the NHL with .939
- Has the 6th least shots against in the NHL with 98.
- Has the 17th best shots against average in the NHL with 24.5 SA/G (At least 3 games played).
- Has the 17th best shots for average in the NHL with 27.0 SF/G (At least 3 games played).
- 1 for 15: 6.7 percent on the power play (18th in the NHL at least 3 games played.), with 19 shots for, 6 shots against.
- 11 for 12: 91.7 percent on the penalty kill (10th best in NHL at least 3 games played.), with 12 shots against, 1 shot for.
- Canucks have:
Pregame Notes
Regular Season Game 7, Home Game 5
Records:
Ott: 3-2-0 (Road: 0-1-0)
Van: 4-1-1 (Home: 4-0-0)
Team SF SA PP PK PIM
Ott 168 157 1-14 15-21 120
Van 152 168 3-23 14-17 37
Team CF CA SCF SCA HITS
Ott 283(206) 298(231) 127(93) 128(99)
Van 296(216) 323(252) 121(83) 126(97) 96
Note: 5v5 stats in parenthesis for CF & CA
SCF=scoring chances for; SCA=scoring chances against.
Canucks At A Glance:
- Canucks are 12-6-1 lifetime at home vs Ottawa.
- Vancouver has won 7 of last 8 meetings in Vancouver with the lone loss on March 2, 2014 at BC Place at the Heritage Classic.
- Last time Vancouver lost at Rogers Arena to Ottawa was on March 13, 2004 (2-1). Only current players who skated that day were Daniel Sedin and Chris Neil.
- Canucks are is 21-13-3 all-time vs Ottawa. H. Sedin leads Vancouver skaters with 21 career points (4-17=21 pts) vs Ottawa.
- Vancouver has the 26th best CorsiFor% at 5 on 5 in the NHL at 46.15 percent, and the 22nd best CorsiFor% at All Strengths at 48.14 percent.
- Canucks have the 15th highest SCF (All Strengths) at 121; and 19th lowest SCA (All Strengths) at 126.
- Vancouver has the 20th highest SCF (5 on 5) at 83; the 22nd lowest SCA (5 on 5) at 97.
- After 6-games this season:
- Canucks have:
- 152 shots for (20th); 168 shots against (20th); 86 blocked shots (12th); 96 hits (23rd); 68 missed shots (18th); 45 giveaways (tied for 14th); 30 takeaways (tied for 19th).
- Vancouver:
- Has a face-off winning percentage of 45.5 percent, 28th best overall in the NHL
- Has the 6th best save percentage in the NHL at .922.
- Has the 9th best shot against average in the NHL with 27.7 SA/G.
- Canucks have:
- Canuck defensemen have a combined 2G-6A for 8 PTS, after 6-games this season.
- Last season after six games, Canuck defensemen had 2G-9A for 11 PTS.
- Canucks forwards have 12G 18A for 30 PTS, after 6-games this season.
- Last season, after six games, they had 13G-17A for 30 PTS.
- Vancouver goals by period:
- First period: 1-goals for; 6-goals against
- Second period: 4-goals for; 4-goals against
- Third period: 7-goals for; 3-goals against
- Overtime: 2-goals for; 0-goals against
Potential Canucks Lineup:
#22D. Sedin-#33H.Sedin-#21Ericksson
#60Granlund-#20Sutter-#36Hansen
#47Baertschi-#53Horvat-#9Skille
#46Megna-#50Gaunce-#18Virtanen
#23Edler-#51Stecher
#27Hutton-#44Gudbranson
#5Sbisa-#63Larsen
#30Miller
#25Markstrom
They Said It….
