Nov 24: Canucks vs toothless Sharks

[Iced Tea]

TSN.ca (http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=144358&hubname=) says
Canucks host sinking Sharks without Cloutier

Sports Network

11/24/2005 3:47:44 PM

(Sports Network) - The San Jose Sharks will try for their first win in nearly three weeks this evening as they visit the Vancouver Canucks at GM Place.

The Sharks have dropped seven in a row, including a loss to the Calgary Flames on Wednesday night. Tony Amonte scored the game-winning goal with just over three minutes left in the game and Miikka Kiprusoff made 20 saves to lead the Flames to a 3-2 win at the Saddledome.

Grant Stevenson scored his first career NHL goal and Evgeni Nabokov stopped 22 of 25 shots for the Sharks, who are 0-4-3 in their last seven games. San Jose hasn't won since posting a 1-0 win in Anaheim on November 4.

Tom Preissing also notched his fourth goal of the season and Patrick Marleau had two assists for San Jose.

Tonight's game ends a three-game road trip for the Sharks, who are 4-6-2 away from San Jose this year.

The Canucks, meanwhile, have won two straight and four of their last five games. Vancouver has secured 30 points this season and is currently tied with Calgary for first place in the Northwest Division.

The Canucks were last in action Tuesday evening when they picked up a home win over the Chicago Blackhawks. Alex Auld stopped all but one of the 33 shots he faced and three different Canucks scored in the 3-1 victory. He will start the next few games with starter Dan Cloutier suffering from a sprained knee.

Cloutier will not even travel with the team on Vancouver's two-game mini-road trip to Pheonix and Denver later this week.

The Canucks, though, should be in good hands. Auld's save percentage of .917 is tops in the league among back-up goalies.

The Canucks have recalled defenceman Sven Butenschon and goaltender Rob McVicar from Manitoba of the American Hockey League.

Markus Naslund, Ryan Kesler and Henrik Sedin each tallied for the Canucks, in the win over Chicago, and Vancouver is now 9-1 at GM Place this season.

Naslund has registered a point in seven straight games, posting five goals and six assists in the stretch. Daniel Sedin, who had an assist versus Chicago, has a point in five consecutive games.

The Canucks earned a 3-1 win in San Jose in the first meeting of the year on November 16. Vancouver has won three straight and five of the last nine matchups.
TSN.ca (http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/feature/?fid=10460&hubname=nhl) also says
Cloutier is suffering from a sprained knee. The injury apparently occured in last Sunday's game vs. Anaheim when Scott Niedermayer ran into him. Cloutier will not be making the Canucks short 2 game road trip. Alex Auld will get the call over the next couple games. - TSN
First of all, Cloutier is not having a good time this season. His own defenseman takes him out in the end of October game against the rotten Avs. Cloutier got a concussion and from the replays, I'd swear his one knee was hurt bad. Now Cloutier is run into by that stinkin SOB Scott Niedermayer and hurt his knee.

As someone who knows about knees and has followed the Canucks for a long time, I cringe whenever Cloutier is out with one of his many knee injuries. I'm surprised he's never be forced to have knee surgery from all the knee injuries he's had.

As for the Canucks vs the toothless Sharks:
1. The top line needs to come together, maybe go on a retreat where they teach the trust game, where one person falls backwards off a platform and hopes the others catch him. Maybe they need to survive in the wilds for a few days while avoiding some crazed hunters. Anything to get on the same page because the line is not clicking.

2. The A S S line keeps rolling, they deserve more ice time, take some away from the top line.

3. The KRaP line needs to ride their success last game and start scoring more. But they are good penaltykillers so I can't complain.

4. The Linden and Friends line needs to keep doing what they do. Linden has turned into a PK god, especially on 5 on 3s.

5. Auld is playing well, just needs to watch some of his rebounds. I wonder if he can scrap like Cloutier if someone runs him. Be bad if the Canucks punish goal grease offenders more agressively for Auld then Cloutier; Cloutier may get pissed off at the team.

6. Sure the Canucks are getting 1 PP goal per game but when they are 1 - 6 or worse, that's not good; 19th in the league isn't where the Canucks should be. The PK has improved a lot and continues to climb the charts, up to 22nd in the league now after sitting at 29th for the first few weeks of the season.

7. Sven Butenschon should be playing tonight; the fans will get to see what this kid has got and it means hopefully no Brookbank.

Canucks 5 - 1 over Sharks.

[TimmyTabasco]

Yeah, too bad for Cloutier

Crawford shouldn't have played him back to back coming off an injury.

It will be good to see what Boots has to offer. However, I think he is most likely just a reserve defenseman.

Expect the Sedins to have a strong game.

4-2 Canucks

[KB in Kelowna]

Yeah, too bad for Cloutier

Crawford shouldn't have played him back to back coming off an injury.

:conspire: :conspire:

[Yoata]

Didn't see the first period, but from the two I did, looks like the top line was going tonight, in large part because Bertuzzi was playing like a power forward, showing some hustle, battling, and remembered how to make a pass.

Auld was solid when he had to be in the 3rd, and aside from a double brain-freeze by Bertuzzi and then Jovanovski that lead to the SJ goal, the Canucks did a good job in their own end. Also was quite impressed with Brookbank's game, taking the body hard, and contributing at both ends, I'd say he's earned himself some more icetime.

I can see some changes happening soon with this Sharks team, aside from a few guys, they really don't look motivated or organized at all.

[Iced Tea]

I'm happy the Canucks won but the third goal is mired in a murky chasm of weird rules. I don't think the San Jose defenseman intentionally dislodged the net. The defenseman was driving to the net, fell/slip and slid into his own goalie. That is only intentional if the defenseman drove to the net and fell on purpose. I saw the play and seen the replay several times and I still don't see the intent. That being said, I'm glad the Canucks won.

Good points:
1. Glad to see that scoring machine, Wade Brookbank get his first of many goals this season. After Bertuzzi and Morrison set the play up, I could have scored that goal. Then you would see how celebrating a goal is done. But Brookbank did have a good game; I like his play as a forward a lot better than as a defenseman. As a forward, he can play his physical game without risk of being a caught up ice defenseman.
2. The top line had a good 2nd and 3rd period. Bertuzzi made one heck of a sweet pass to Naslund, who wired a laser shot into the net. I'm sure Stuart is still trying to figure out how he missed the pass from Nabokov.
3. The A S S line, good to see lots of A S S. :D While Anson's goal was somewhat controversial, the line had a good 2nd and 3rd period. With Carter, the line is finally whole and the critics can't call the Canucks a one line team anymore.
4. The KRaP line didn't do much tonight although they did do well on the PK.
5. Linden was saddled with Brookbank but at least Trevor continued to excel at the PK.
6. Auld played well when the players in front of him didn't. No fault on the San Jose 5 on 3 PP goal.
7. Sven Butenschon made some good defensive moves in his limited ice time. Defensive depth is improving on the farm.

Bad points:
1. The Canucks underestimated the Sharks and it showed in their play for the first period. The second period was an improvement and the third period was an example of the way the Canucks should play.
2. Stupid penalties; Hughson and Garrett weren't the only ones shaking their heads when Park took a penalty, considering he takes fewer penalties then I have dates. Then Ohlund takes one and the Canucks unsuccessfully kill of the 5 on 3.

Other stuff:
1. Good to see John Garrett tell things how it is with goalies hating the shootout. The only ones complaining are the ones incapable of stopping the shooter during one on one play.
2. Crawford dyed his hair again. The gray was starting to come through on the top.

[Max Power]

I'm happy the Canucks won but the third goal is mired in a murky chasm of weird rules. I don't think the San Jose defenseman intentionally dislodged the net. The defenseman was driving to the net, fell/slip and slid into his own goalie. That is only intentional if the defenseman drove to the net and fell on purpose. I saw the play and seen the replay several times and I still don't see the intent. That being said, I'm glad the Canucks won.


Yah just from watching the replays it looks like Vancouver got away with one if not two and the win.
Sometimes the officiating goes your way and sometimes it doesn?t =]

[Yoata]

I would agree that that's a bit of a weak call to make to basically decide the game. It is a rule that it's the ref's discretion so I guess Fraser figured the guy didn't make much effort to not knock the net off, it's borderline, but again not a call I'd probably make to break a tie.

The rest of the game was again called very well though, again the experience of Fraser knowing what a real penalty is makes for a good hockey game.

[TimmyTabasco]

Fraser is a good ref. Calls it the way he sees it, and is confident in his calls. The league needs more like him.

The game was alright. Quite face paced, yet a wee bit boring? :boogie:

Canucks seemed to break thru the Sharks cycle, and then basically took over the game.

Good to see the twins/carter playing well. They do look dominant, don't they?

Also, the Kesler line was flying..and forechecking like mad.

Good to see Bertuzzi playing well.

Onto the next