Thursday, March 02, 2006

Two Unexpected Points

Canucks 2 at Flames 1 – 28-Feb-06

The Vancouver Canucks when into the NHL Round II season without four of their top five defensemen. It was a road game and against a divisional opponent with a higher season point total. The twins and Ruutu were blurry-eyed off flights from Europe. Everything said a loss. But the opposition was the Cargary Flames with first place on the line. And nothing gets the Nucks more up than a date with the squad from Cowtown.

On the night I’d say the Flames out chanced the Canucks and certainly didn’t pay a price for taking too many penalties. The Canucks power play was 0 for 8 and is 1 for 24 (or something similar) going back to the four the games before the break.

My Notes:

Naslund looked healed! He seemed to have that extra step that has been missing all season. He got the Nucks' first goal on a nice feed from BMo.

The Moose defense recruits looked ok. McCarthy had one of his best games of the year and played 20 plus minutes in 30 shifts. Mojzis played 15:23 and fit in. Bieksa played nearly 22 minutes and added some toughness when the Donovan, McCarty, Simon crew were doing whatever it is that Brent Sutter has them doing.

Given the Nucks’ situation there must have been some alarm bells in Calgary after the game. Only one goal scored on a team that is missing their top four D-men is amusing. We knew Calgary isn’t an offensive team; but wow!

Auld played well in his 26th win. Isn’t it interesting that we no longer watch him night in night out wondering of he’s a first string tender. OK – no he isn’t going to win us a Stanley Cup but you know what? He isn’t going to lose us one too.

Next up Mr. Karyia and the music city Preditors.

Ciao,


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