Avs vs. Canucks Recap

Well, after a brief 2 game road trip for the Avs, they came home for their first game of the new year to play host to the hottest team in the league, the Vancouver Canucks. The Avs were fortunate to win in Edmonton, after blowing a 3 goal lead; and didn't really start playing until it was too late. Avs need to have something they haven't had in a long time against Vancouver, and that is a complete game. Coming into the game, Vancouver had not lost in regulation in their last 10 games (8-0-2).

Period 1
Avs came out with some jump and had a lot of good chances. Duchene had a good one and was really flying throughout the first period. The teams traded power plays and didn't score. The Avs got a second power play and played well towards the end of it, getting a huge chance, which Luongo stopped. Suddenly, Vancouver had a 2-on-1 going the other way. Hunwick didn't really press the issue, and there was no real support from behind. Andy seemed like he was expecting a pass, and let a pretty weak shot go straight through the 5 hole. 1-0 Canucks. Alex Boulduc, for his first NHL goal. Such a tough game, because not 10 seconds before, it very easily could have been 1-0 Avs if they had buried their chance. Avs outshot Vancouver 10-8 in the first, but entered the intermission down 1.

Period 2
Second period had a good pace to it through the first half. Avs got another PP, but didn't manage to get anything past Luongo who was is clearly on his game for this one. A couple other good chances here and there for both teams, but no goals in the first half of the period. Things really slowed down in the middle of the second, but got quite heated towards the end of the period. A couple of incidents of fisticuffs after the play. No goals in the second, but did have 9 penalties. Still 1-0 Vancouver.

Period 3
Avs came out soft in this one again, and quickly paid the price. 2 bad shifts in a row where the Avs just can't get things out of their zone, coupled with a really weird hop off a seam of the seamless glass, I know weird, right, that just popped out in front of Anderson. Mason Raymond was right there to put it up high for a 2-0 lead. Avs now in DEEP trouble, because Luongo was on his game. With a bit over 6 minutes left, Stastny managed to crack Luongo on a goal that had to be reviewed to be counted. 2-1 Canucks.

Avs realized that they needed to bust their butts at the end of the game, but just couldn't squeeze one past Luongo to save their lives. Their really good chances just didn't get on goal, a big thing that has been hurting the Avs. When they are struggling, they just don't seem to get anything on net.

Andy was good, probably could have been better on the first goal that he gave up, but really kept the Avs in the game. Nothing he could have done about that second goal, just a horrible hop that went straight to the Canucks player in front.

PK has been better. Avs killed all PPs in Edmonton and Calgary, and now against Vancouver tonight. Considering the Avs were last in the league in PK at home coming into tonight, definitely a plus.

Sedins held off the board tonight, and only had 3 shots between the two of them. That is huge, because those guys are just rolling right now. Good signs defensively, though, the Avs are still struggling hard core getting the puck out of your own zone.

Hurts even worst because the Avs are now down 8 points to the Canucks, haven't managed to beat them this year. Avs have a pretty nice January, 12 games, no back to backs, and only 2 games on the road. Avs play Buffalo next on Tuesday, gotta find a way to score. See you then.

Vancouver Woes

The Avs are having issues in Vancouver. Not just troubles of the winning kind either. Though the Avs just did lose tonight, 4-2, they lost a bunch more than just a game. For the second time in as many trips to Vancouver, the Avs lost goalie Craigh Anderson, this time to an apparent groin injury. Then, later in the game, Adam Foote went down with a leg injury that sure didn't look too nice in the replay. A knee to knee incident where you immediately saw that Foote couldn't support his weight anymore, and had to be helped off of the ice.

As if that wasn't enough, the game winning goal for Vancouver was scored when Tambellini, #10 for the Cannucks, hit backup goalie, Peter Budaj, in the head with his stick, which then bopped an airborne puck straight back into the net. This was the second game in a row where Vancouver scored a goal off of Budaj's head. You just can't ask for luck this bad against a team.

Plus, after the Avs had pulled back to within one goal, they managed to give the puck away at their own blue line which lead from one Sedin, to the other, then the Alex Burrows, and then to the back of the net. This was definitely more about poor puck possession than bad luck, but the whole night was just off for the Avs. Poor play in their own zone, constantly making bad attempts to clear the puck which resulted in several shifts where they were pretty much just running around in their own zone, not getting enough offensive pressure, and still taking too many penalties (though they did manage to keep Vancouver's #1 rated power play off of the score board tonight) led to this loss.

The Avs play tomorrow in Edmonton, and they had better look better than they did tonight. Joe Sacco said in the teams pre-game skate that these three games, which started with the Cannucks tonight, should be easy ones to motivate for. Well, while they weren't as horrible as they were the last time they played the Cannucks, they sure didn't look as if they were ready to come out and beat the Cannucks tonight. Tomorrow against the Oilers, a team that they should definitely beat, and then again on Saturday against the Wild, another team that has been bottom dwelling, that they should beat. Let's see how motivated and prepared this team is, because games against those kinds of teams, the teams that you really should be whenever you play them, is one of the things that will make you or break you when it's time to see who makes the playoffs.