You're not kidding, I turned the T.V. over to the wife and grand daughters for a lot of it.
How about them Canucks!
- Thread starter #juan
- Start date
You're not kidding, I turned the T.V. over to the wife and grand daughters for a lot of it.
When it comes to the Canucks’ Alain Vigneault, only one thing matters: He gets results
VANCOUVER — Alain Vigneault has been Daniel Sedin’s coach for six years.
In that time, Daniel has evolved from a newly minted second-liner to a point-a-game first-liner to one of the five-best forwards in the NHL. In those same six years the Canucks have evolved from a borderline playoff team, to a good but not great playoff team to a legitimate Stanley Cup contender.
So the coach and player have shared an interesting journey and given that history, given the soaring moments of triumph and the crushing moments of defeat, you’d think they would have formed a bond by now.
But, when asked how well he knows Vigneault, this is what Daniel says: “I know him better now than I did a couple of years ago. But I don’t know him really well. He keeps a distance. I like that. You don’t want to be friends with the coach.”
Not even a little bit?
“He doesn’t really interact with the players much,” Daniel continued. “He does what he needs to do, he prepares us, and he leaves us alone. I think that’s the key.”
Actually, this is the key. Heading into Tuesday night’s game with the Chicago Blackhawks, Vigneault has coached 459 game with the Canucks. His record over that time is 266-148-45 which makes him the winningest coach in Canucks history. His regular season points percentage of .628 would also place him fourth among active coaches and in the top-10 on the all-time list.
His record, in fact, stands up to any coach currently in the game and all but a handful of the all-time greats. Like the players, Canucks’ fans can’t say they have the closest relationship with Vigneault but they do know one thing about the man.
He wins. And in his line of work, that’s all you really have to know about him.
As the Canucks begin their stretch run, they occupy what’s becoming a familiar position. They lead the Northwest Division by a comfortable margin. They also occupy second place in the Western Conference, three points behind the Detroit Red Wings who lead the Presidents’ Trophy race.
True, it hasn’t been the most exhilarating opening act to the season — before the Edmonton Oilers’ game last Tuesday an out-of-town reporter asked Vigneault about the low-key, almost boring way the Canucks go about their business — but that also seems to be the team’s m.o.
The vast majority of nights they show up. Most of those nights they’re successful. They aren’t always thrilling but, for the most part, they’re consistent in their approach and their preparation.
And isn’t that a reflection of the head coach?
There persists, in some corners of this always interesting market, the vague, unsubstantiated view that Vigneault isn’t a championship coach, that he lacks that certain something that can lead this team to a Stanley Cup. That’s valid in so far as Vigneault, along with 23 other coaches currently employed in the NHL, has never won a Stanley Cup.
But think of the other things you judge a coach by. Then think of Vigneault’s work in Vancouver.
Is the team consistent? Does he get the most out of his players? Have those players improved under his watch? Have the young players gotten better? Have players who’ve left the Canucks suddenly become more productive?
The answer, in virtually every case, is self-evident.
It’s also been interesting to watch Vigneault change as the team has matured. He’s admitted as much, suggesting he does as much monitoring now as coaching. He says the players know his likes and dislikes. He says players need “autonomy” to grow.
Over his six years here the team and the coach have built a relationship that doesn’t need a lot of dialogue. Both parties seem to like it that way.
“We know what to expect from him and he knows what to expect from us,” Daniel said. “When you start doing your own thing and you’re not following the team concept, you hear about it. As long as we do what needs to be done, he’s going to leave us alone.”
That’s not as easy as it sounds in a market where emotions run high and the fans’ temperament is determined by the performance on any given night.
But six years after he was hired, Vigneault is still here, still winning. That’s the only relevant yardstick for measuring his work.
When it comes to the Vancouver Canucks' Alain Vigneault, only one thing matters: He gets results | Sports | National Post
I was reading an article in the Post this morning about the return of the DPE - or in layman's terms - the Dead Puck Era and how the overall goals have gone down yet again this season. Many of the games that I've watched this season were snoozers but when it comes to the Canucks, I prefer these low key games once in awhile - as long as they win them. :lol: Coming off a long road trip, I figure they played as well as they needed to to get the win.
I watched the entire game as it gave me a chance to see how the new guys were fitting in with the team and what they were contributing. So far, so good.
On another note, the Jets annihilated the Panthers 7 to 0 - now that's a game I wish I could have watched. The Jets were magnificent and had a 5 on 1 that saw Evander Kane easily slip in a goal. Rock on Jets.
Also saw a highlight of the Habs vs Wilds game - where the former, thanks to a missed shoot-out goal where Setoguchi fell on his bum as he approached the net - and that one will live with him for a long time - squeaked out a one point win.
VANCOUVER — Alain Vigneault has been Daniel Sedin’s coach for six years.
In that time, Daniel has evolved from a newly minted second-liner to a point-a-game first-liner to one of the five-best forwards in the NHL. In those same six years the Canucks have evolved from a borderline playoff team, to a good but not great playoff team to a legitimate Stanley Cup contender.
So the coach and player have shared an interesting journey and given that history, given the soaring moments of triumph and the crushing moments of defeat, you’d think they would have formed a bond by now.
But, when asked how well he knows Vigneault, this is what Daniel says: “I know him better now than I did a couple of years ago. But I don’t know him really well. He keeps a distance. I like that. You don’t want to be friends with the coach.”
Not even a little bit?
“He doesn’t really interact with the players much,” Daniel continued. “He does what he needs to do, he prepares us, and he leaves us alone. I think that’s the key.”
Actually, this is the key. Heading into Tuesday night’s game with the Chicago Blackhawks, Vigneault has coached 459 game with the Canucks. His record over that time is 266-148-45 which makes him the winningest coach in Canucks history. His regular season points percentage of .628 would also place him fourth among active coaches and in the top-10 on the all-time list.
His record, in fact, stands up to any coach currently in the game and all but a handful of the all-time greats. Like the players, Canucks’ fans can’t say they have the closest relationship with Vigneault but they do know one thing about the man.
He wins. And in his line of work, that’s all you really have to know about him.
As the Canucks begin their stretch run, they occupy what’s becoming a familiar position. They lead the Northwest Division by a comfortable margin. They also occupy second place in the Western Conference, three points behind the Detroit Red Wings who lead the Presidents’ Trophy race.
True, it hasn’t been the most exhilarating opening act to the season — before the Edmonton Oilers’ game last Tuesday an out-of-town reporter asked Vigneault about the low-key, almost boring way the Canucks go about their business — but that also seems to be the team’s m.o.
The vast majority of nights they show up. Most of those nights they’re successful. They aren’t always thrilling but, for the most part, they’re consistent in their approach and their preparation.
And isn’t that a reflection of the head coach?
There persists, in some corners of this always interesting market, the vague, unsubstantiated view that Vigneault isn’t a championship coach, that he lacks that certain something that can lead this team to a Stanley Cup. That’s valid in so far as Vigneault, along with 23 other coaches currently employed in the NHL, has never won a Stanley Cup.
But think of the other things you judge a coach by. Then think of Vigneault’s work in Vancouver.
Is the team consistent? Does he get the most out of his players? Have those players improved under his watch? Have the young players gotten better? Have players who’ve left the Canucks suddenly become more productive?
The answer, in virtually every case, is self-evident.
It’s also been interesting to watch Vigneault change as the team has matured. He’s admitted as much, suggesting he does as much monitoring now as coaching. He says the players know his likes and dislikes. He says players need “autonomy” to grow.
Over his six years here the team and the coach have built a relationship that doesn’t need a lot of dialogue. Both parties seem to like it that way.
“We know what to expect from him and he knows what to expect from us,” Daniel said. “When you start doing your own thing and you’re not following the team concept, you hear about it. As long as we do what needs to be done, he’s going to leave us alone.”
That’s not as easy as it sounds in a market where emotions run high and the fans’ temperament is determined by the performance on any given night.
But six years after he was hired, Vigneault is still here, still winning. That’s the only relevant yardstick for measuring his work.
When it comes to the Vancouver Canucks' Alain Vigneault, only one thing matters: He gets results | Sports | National Post
I was reading an article in the Post this morning about the return of the DPE - or in layman's terms - the Dead Puck Era and how the overall goals have gone down yet again this season. Many of the games that I've watched this season were snoozers but when it comes to the Canucks, I prefer these low key games once in awhile - as long as they win them. :lol: Coming off a long road trip, I figure they played as well as they needed to to get the win.
I watched the entire game as it gave me a chance to see how the new guys were fitting in with the team and what they were contributing. So far, so good.
On another note, the Jets annihilated the Panthers 7 to 0 - now that's a game I wish I could have watched. The Jets were magnificent and had a 5 on 1 that saw Evander Kane easily slip in a goal. Rock on Jets.
Also saw a highlight of the Habs vs Wilds game - where the former, thanks to a missed shoot-out goal where Setoguchi fell on his bum as he approached the net - and that one will live with him for a long time - squeaked out a one point win.
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GAMEDAY
SABRES AT CANUCKS
VANCOUVER – The Vancouver Canucks and their opponents tonight, the Buffalo Sabres, share two things in common: they both entered the National Hockey League in 1970 and neither has won the Stanley Cup.
SABRES AT CANUCKS
VANCOUVER – The Vancouver Canucks and their opponents tonight, the Buffalo Sabres, share two things in common: they both entered the National Hockey League in 1970 and neither has won the Stanley Cup.
Neither can win the Cup tonight either but they can win bragging rights for another season as this is their only meeting in 2011-12. It's a matchup that features ex-Canucks Cody Hodgson, Christian Ehrhoff and Alex Sulzer playing for the Sabres and ex-Sabres Zack Kassian and Marc-Andre Gragnani playing for the Canucks.
It's also a matchup of the two goalies who went head-to-head in the 2010 Olympic gold medal final – Roberto Luongo for Canada and Ryan Miller for the U.S.
“That's so old, eh?” smiled Luongo following an optional morning practice today. “We've moved on from there. I'm a bit more worried about their superstar Cody. He'll be revved up so we have to be ready to play him, play him hard and make sure he doesn't get their team going.”
It's also a matchup of the two goalies who went head-to-head in the 2010 Olympic gold medal final – Roberto Luongo for Canada and Ryan Miller for the U.S.
“That's so old, eh?” smiled Luongo following an optional morning practice today. “We've moved on from there. I'm a bit more worried about their superstar Cody. He'll be revved up so we have to be ready to play him, play him hard and make sure he doesn't get their team going.”
Luongo is coming off a 29-save shutout against the St. Louis Blues and is 9-2-4 in his last 15 starts. Miller, meanwhile, is coming off consecutive road shutouts over Anaheim and San Jose. He's 9-3-3 in his last 15 and has led Buffalo back into the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference. The Sabres are tied for 10th in the East, four points behind the eighth-place Winnipeg Jets.
Canuck head coach Alain Vigneault noted that Hodgson and Ehrhoff are dangerous offensive weapons for the Sabres but that Miller poses the biggest problem.
“He's been phenomenal, especially in the last couple of games,” Vigneault said. “We know here in Vancouver, as well as anywhere else in the NHL, when you get that Grade A goaltending, it gives confidence to the rest of the group and, right now, Miller is definitely on top of his game.”
Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff was quick to concur.
“Ryan is locked in right now,” Ruff said.
Canuck head coach Alain Vigneault noted that Hodgson and Ehrhoff are dangerous offensive weapons for the Sabres but that Miller poses the biggest problem.
“He's been phenomenal, especially in the last couple of games,” Vigneault said. “We know here in Vancouver, as well as anywhere else in the NHL, when you get that Grade A goaltending, it gives confidence to the rest of the group and, right now, Miller is definitely on top of his game.”
Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff was quick to concur.
“Ryan is locked in right now,” Ruff said.
Ehrhoff, meanwhile, admitted he was disappointed to leave Vancouver and that it was strictly financial. He signed a 10-year, front-end loaded $40 million contract with the Sabres.
“I think I made it clear all last season I wanted to stay with the team but obviously is didn't work out financially,” Ehrhoff said. “That's a business decision Mike Gillis [Canuck GM] made and I accept it. I had a great time here, a great couple of years, but I've moved on and I'm happy now.”
Ehrhoff will start tonight's game paired with Sulzer, his fellow German countryman. It will be Sulzer's first game as a Sabre. He is drawing into the lineup to replace veteran Robyn Regehr, who suffered an upper leg injury Thursday in San Jose.
The Canucks will ice the same lineup that beat St. Louis 2-0 on Thursday, meaning Andrew Alberts, Dale Weise and Chris Tanev will be health scratches.
ICE CHIPS: Hodgson has no points in two games as a Sabres with a plus-2 rating while Ehrhoff has 26 points in 53 games and is minus-4...The Sabres haven't won in Vancouver since Feb. 28, 1999 but have only played here six times since then, going 0-5-1... The Canucks are 7-0-2 in their last nine at home...Captain Jason Pominville leads the Sabres in scoring with 59 points.
“I think I made it clear all last season I wanted to stay with the team but obviously is didn't work out financially,” Ehrhoff said. “That's a business decision Mike Gillis [Canuck GM] made and I accept it. I had a great time here, a great couple of years, but I've moved on and I'm happy now.”
Ehrhoff will start tonight's game paired with Sulzer, his fellow German countryman. It will be Sulzer's first game as a Sabre. He is drawing into the lineup to replace veteran Robyn Regehr, who suffered an upper leg injury Thursday in San Jose.
The Canucks will ice the same lineup that beat St. Louis 2-0 on Thursday, meaning Andrew Alberts, Dale Weise and Chris Tanev will be health scratches.
ICE CHIPS: Hodgson has no points in two games as a Sabres with a plus-2 rating while Ehrhoff has 26 points in 53 games and is minus-4...The Sabres haven't won in Vancouver since Feb. 28, 1999 but have only played here six times since then, going 0-5-1... The Canucks are 7-0-2 in their last nine at home...Captain Jason Pominville leads the Sabres in scoring with 59 points.
no such thing any longer as a dead puck era, that is history, the teams skate so fast now, there is no
clutching and grabbing any more, and not all those whistles that happened before lock-out,BUT teams like st. louis, nashville and some others, know how to play
against the detroits, vancouvers, and any other team that is offensively gifted, so the skating is
very very fast, and the checking is so close that no one on either side can get away at any time.
And, canucks know how to play that way too, that is part of their talent, they can play any way you
want, open it up and they will skate, close it down and they will check the ears off of any team.
I enjoy it either way, and I watched that game against st. louis and played every play with the
canucks, waiting to see just how they would escape some of that checking at one point or another
and manage to score, and so it happened, canucks played that tight checking game better than st. louis
did, and burrows did his thing, the opportunist, and higgins did his thing, and they got the win.
It is a tough way to win a game, but it is part of the game, and I was never bored for a second.
I love the defense, and never am dissapointed because it isn't end to end, with lots of scoring,
as I love the defense too, and appreciate how hard it is to play that way.
That type of play comes from coaching, but the offense comes from sheer talent, and also coaching,
players can be taught to defend, and defend well, and the offensively gifted players can be taught
to develope their offense, while also being responsible defensively.
That is the one big problem with washington now, mr ovetchkin who is a one dimentional player, can't seem
to learn how to play a complete style, and can't make anyone around him better, he won't come out of
his me me me attitude, and continues to try to do it by himself, and we can see the team suffering
because of that, however he can change if he wants to, seems he doesn't want to.
I hope kassian continues to work his way onto the team just the way he has so far, don't want to see
him fight, he isn't a tough guy, he is ONLY 21 years old,(that was junior) lets encourage him to grow now and make his
way up the ladder, he has obviously got great potential, makes real good passes, skates very well, much
better than hodgson, and when the time comes, he will get in the odd fight, but I hope it is later rather
than sooner.
I also was very impressed with marc andre grandnani, once he got rid of the nerves, he showed just what
kind of a player he will be, a puck handling defenseman, he allready showed how well he can do that, I
like him.
I'll be glad when tonights game is over, as I'm very sick and tired of the media beating this hodgson/kassian thing to death, so maybe they will shut up after the game, as we won't see them again for about a year or so.
clutching and grabbing any more, and not all those whistles that happened before lock-out,BUT teams like st. louis, nashville and some others, know how to play
against the detroits, vancouvers, and any other team that is offensively gifted, so the skating is
very very fast, and the checking is so close that no one on either side can get away at any time.
And, canucks know how to play that way too, that is part of their talent, they can play any way you
want, open it up and they will skate, close it down and they will check the ears off of any team.
I enjoy it either way, and I watched that game against st. louis and played every play with the
canucks, waiting to see just how they would escape some of that checking at one point or another
and manage to score, and so it happened, canucks played that tight checking game better than st. louis
did, and burrows did his thing, the opportunist, and higgins did his thing, and they got the win.
It is a tough way to win a game, but it is part of the game, and I was never bored for a second.
I love the defense, and never am dissapointed because it isn't end to end, with lots of scoring,
as I love the defense too, and appreciate how hard it is to play that way.
That type of play comes from coaching, but the offense comes from sheer talent, and also coaching,
players can be taught to defend, and defend well, and the offensively gifted players can be taught
to develope their offense, while also being responsible defensively.
That is the one big problem with washington now, mr ovetchkin who is a one dimentional player, can't seem
to learn how to play a complete style, and can't make anyone around him better, he won't come out of
his me me me attitude, and continues to try to do it by himself, and we can see the team suffering
because of that, however he can change if he wants to, seems he doesn't want to.
I hope kassian continues to work his way onto the team just the way he has so far, don't want to see
him fight, he isn't a tough guy, he is ONLY 21 years old,(that was junior) lets encourage him to grow now and make his
way up the ladder, he has obviously got great potential, makes real good passes, skates very well, much
better than hodgson, and when the time comes, he will get in the odd fight, but I hope it is later rather
than sooner.
I also was very impressed with marc andre grandnani, once he got rid of the nerves, he showed just what
kind of a player he will be, a puck handling defenseman, he allready showed how well he can do that, I
like him.
I'll be glad when tonights game is over, as I'm very sick and tired of the media beating this hodgson/kassian thing to death, so maybe they will shut up after the game, as we won't see them again for about a year or so.
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Welcome back, talloola........hope you don't mind me putting up the page on the Canucks - just thought I would fill in whilst you were away. :smile:
Watching the TO/Hab game right now - 2nd P just underway and the Habs lead 1 to 0. It's been a bit of a nervous game for the Leafs so far.
Watching the TO/Hab game right now - 2nd P just underway and the Habs lead 1 to 0. It's been a bit of a nervous game for the Leafs so far.
Vancouver needs a goalie!
Luongo up to his old tricks/falling down on the job.
2-0 for Buffalo already!
Luongo up to his old tricks/falling down on the job.
2-0 for Buffalo already!
I missed that 5 minute catastrope, the phone rang and I got busy talking and when I got off it was 3 zip. On a very positive note the Bean boys took a beating from the lowly Islanders, so I guess that balances off the bad news.
good to be back, got tired of the mainland very quickly. glad you stepped in, very enjoyable.
canucks had a strategy tonight I wasn't expecting.
They decided to come onto the ice, each player with a piano on their back, hence their speed was that of
a turtle for the first period, and I think luongo had a blindfold around his head because he was
purely pitiful, so 'out' he came, and rightly so, 2nd period rolled around and they
showed up.
They had spotted sabres 3 goals, then decided to start playing.
Of course it was an uphill battle all the way, buffalo set up a neutral zone trap much of the time,
scored another goal, and canucks picked away and did make a game of it, but could not make up for
the pathetic first period, so they deserved the outcome, shame on them, I hope they kicked each other's
butts all over the dressing room after the game.
The bright spot was kassian, he played very well, he stays so focused all the time, and I see
he takes the game very seriously, I am glad we have him, same with the other new players, I like all of them.
I'm not going to talk about hodgson, he is a sabre now, just the opposition, nothing more.
Booth stepped up and did his thing, looked good.
Canucks definitely let one get away, not a good sign when these games are so very important right now,
and they have left the door open for detroit and rangers to jump ahead.
Kassian was first star, good for him, a goal and an assist, and lots of good
physical play.
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yep.
I have been thinking. (guess thats scary in itself. lol)
If canucks could somehow get thru the playoffs and win the stanley cup, THEN luongo would have reached
his goal, canucks would have reached their goal, THEN, maybe luongo would be willing to go back to
florida, where his wife's family are,( and florida and tampa bay both need a goalie,) and his contract
each year is 5. whatever million, (not too bad), then canucks could keep cory schneider.
win win for all, (especially us. lol)
yeah, I thought about that too. But Chicago did beat Detroit, which for now is good. Looks like the Islanders are making a run for the playoffs LOL
Date Vis/Home Final
26 Feb 2012 VAN@DAL DAL, 3 - 2
It's not shocking that the Vancouver Canucks have a commanding lead atop the Northwest Division, but the fact that the Dallas Stars are contending for the Pacific Division title probably is a surprise.
These teams meet three times within the next four weeks, starting with Tuesday night's matchup in Vancouver.
The defending Western Conference champion Canucks (41-17-8) have an 18-point lead over Colorado in the Northwest and are one point ahead of Detroit and St. Louis in the race for the top seed.
Dallas (35-26-5) was the only Pacific team not to make the playoffs a season ago during which it dealt high-scoring winger James Neal to Pittsburgh.
The Stars, however, are on a 6-0-1 surge and are tied with Phoenix for first place in the division as they look to sweep their three-game trip after wins in Edmonton and Calgary. Kari Lehtonen made 36 saves in Sunday's 3-2 shootout victory over the Flames.
"These next 16 games now that every point's important and you can see the parity out there between the two teams and it's going to come down to that last week, so you've got to gather what you can," coach Glen Gulutzan said.
Loui Eriksson had a goal and an assist Sunday, giving him nine points in the last six games.
"We haven't been in the playoffs for a couple years," Eriksson said. "Definitely, we need to step up here. We've been playing really well lately. It's so tight in the conference. Every game is huge for us. We need to win every one here, so we have to keep going."
Vancouver outscored Dallas 20-5 in winning all four meetings last season, but the Stars won 3-2 in the lone matchup this season on Eriksson's overtime goal Feb. 26. These teams also play March 22 and March 30.
The Canucks have won the last five meetings on their own ice, where they have split the first two contests of a seven-game homestand.
Roberto Luongo has won all eight home starts versus the Stars with the Canucks, posting a 1.84 goals-against average. Backup Cory Schneider is 2-1-0 with a 1.35 GAA in three career starts against them.
The Stars have indicated that backup Richard Bachman will get his first start against the Canucks.
Vancouver's Sedin brothers haven't been productive lately, with one point over the last five games - an assist by Daniel.
Henrik Sedin is having his worst stretch without a point since an eight-game drought Nov. 29-Dec. 20, 2003. He's got 10 points during the home win streak against Dallas.
With the comfortable division lead, coach Alain Vigneault has begun to experiment with his lines. He inserted newcomer Zack Kassian with Ryan Kesler and David Booth on his second line in Saturday's 5-3 loss to Buffalo.
Kassian, acquired from the Sabres on Feb. 27, had a goal and an assist for his first points as a Canuck in his third game.
"The only thing I had as far as knowledge of what he could do was what our scouts were saying and they felt really highly that this guy has the potential to be a top-six forward," Vigneault said. "How long that's going to take him? I'm not quite sure."
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Well it looks like zack kassian has made an impact since his arrival to the canucks, and he will be
rewarded for the effort.
He will be playing on the 2nd line tonight with kesler and booth, as that line had a definite boost
when he played there.
Mason Raymond is off that line now, not sure where he will be playing, or 'if' he will be playing, team
1040 will give a report from the rink soon, and report how the lines were in the morning practice.
I suppose he can be put on the 4th line, but he isn't a physical player, so not sure if that will
happen.
26 Feb 2012 VAN@DAL DAL, 3 - 2
It's not shocking that the Vancouver Canucks have a commanding lead atop the Northwest Division, but the fact that the Dallas Stars are contending for the Pacific Division title probably is a surprise.
These teams meet three times within the next four weeks, starting with Tuesday night's matchup in Vancouver.
The defending Western Conference champion Canucks (41-17-8) have an 18-point lead over Colorado in the Northwest and are one point ahead of Detroit and St. Louis in the race for the top seed.
Dallas (35-26-5) was the only Pacific team not to make the playoffs a season ago during which it dealt high-scoring winger James Neal to Pittsburgh.
The Stars, however, are on a 6-0-1 surge and are tied with Phoenix for first place in the division as they look to sweep their three-game trip after wins in Edmonton and Calgary. Kari Lehtonen made 36 saves in Sunday's 3-2 shootout victory over the Flames.
"These next 16 games now that every point's important and you can see the parity out there between the two teams and it's going to come down to that last week, so you've got to gather what you can," coach Glen Gulutzan said.
Loui Eriksson had a goal and an assist Sunday, giving him nine points in the last six games.
"We haven't been in the playoffs for a couple years," Eriksson said. "Definitely, we need to step up here. We've been playing really well lately. It's so tight in the conference. Every game is huge for us. We need to win every one here, so we have to keep going."
Vancouver outscored Dallas 20-5 in winning all four meetings last season, but the Stars won 3-2 in the lone matchup this season on Eriksson's overtime goal Feb. 26. These teams also play March 22 and March 30.
The Canucks have won the last five meetings on their own ice, where they have split the first two contests of a seven-game homestand.
Roberto Luongo has won all eight home starts versus the Stars with the Canucks, posting a 1.84 goals-against average. Backup Cory Schneider is 2-1-0 with a 1.35 GAA in three career starts against them.
The Stars have indicated that backup Richard Bachman will get his first start against the Canucks.
Vancouver's Sedin brothers haven't been productive lately, with one point over the last five games - an assist by Daniel.
Henrik Sedin is having his worst stretch without a point since an eight-game drought Nov. 29-Dec. 20, 2003. He's got 10 points during the home win streak against Dallas.
With the comfortable division lead, coach Alain Vigneault has begun to experiment with his lines. He inserted newcomer Zack Kassian with Ryan Kesler and David Booth on his second line in Saturday's 5-3 loss to Buffalo.
Kassian, acquired from the Sabres on Feb. 27, had a goal and an assist for his first points as a Canuck in his third game.
"The only thing I had as far as knowledge of what he could do was what our scouts were saying and they felt really highly that this guy has the potential to be a top-six forward," Vigneault said. "How long that's going to take him? I'm not quite sure."
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Well it looks like zack kassian has made an impact since his arrival to the canucks, and he will be
rewarded for the effort.
He will be playing on the 2nd line tonight with kesler and booth, as that line had a definite boost
when he played there.
Mason Raymond is off that line now, not sure where he will be playing, or 'if' he will be playing, team
1040 will give a report from the rink soon, and report how the lines were in the morning practice.
I suppose he can be put on the 4th line, but he isn't a physical player, so not sure if that will
happen.
talloola; Well it looks like zack kassian has made an impact since his arrival to the canucks said:
stars deserved this win, as they outplayed canucks for the better part of the game, and dallas also
missed 3 or 4 wide open nets, or they could have run away with it.
not the best performance from the canucks, as there were many defensive breakdowns, giving dallas too
many great scoring chances.
higgins had a good game, canucks best player tonight.
canucks top line was again absent, even burrows didn't have a good game, so that
makes all 3 of them a no show tonight.
dallas has played very good hockey of late, defeated canucks in dallas on the last road trip, and
they are now 3rd in the conference.
canucks have to tighten up their play, they looked sloppy quite often, not their usual defensively
good game, can't win that way.
next game against jets on thursday, and if they play like they did tonight, jets will walk all over them, in fact any team would walk all over them.
missed 3 or 4 wide open nets, or they could have run away with it.
not the best performance from the canucks, as there were many defensive breakdowns, giving dallas too
many great scoring chances.
higgins had a good game, canucks best player tonight.
canucks top line was again absent, even burrows didn't have a good game, so that
makes all 3 of them a no show tonight.
dallas has played very good hockey of late, defeated canucks in dallas on the last road trip, and
they are now 3rd in the conference.
canucks have to tighten up their play, they looked sloppy quite often, not their usual defensively
good game, can't win that way.
next game against jets on thursday, and if they play like they did tonight, jets will walk all over them, in fact any team would walk all over them.
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