And In This Corner…The Vancouver Canucks
December 23rd, 2008, 10:20 am
I did a little scouting last night and watched the Ducks vs. Canucks in Vancouver last night and it lived up to its billing. The most penalized team in the NHL (Vancouver) vs. the 2nd most penalized team (Ducks). 66 total penalty minutes, 14 power plays and mucho thuggery later – the Canucks got an emotional victory. This is nothing new – last year they were both the two most penalized teams in the NHL again. The biggest difference is that this year, Vancouver can actually put the puck in the net while playing defense. Check this out.
2008-09 Vancouver is 9th in goals scored and 9th in goals allowed.
2007-08 Vancouver is 23rd in goals scored and 7th in goals allowed.
The Sharks had little trouble with last years version of Vancouver, sweeping the season series with a virtual $%* kicking. Last night, Vancouver took full advantage of the Ducks embarrassing style of play – the Ducks looks like a bunch of school yard bullies this year except they don’t have the excess talent to back it up. When things would go wrong, the Ducks took more penalties. Tonight, I expect the Canucks to play the Ducks role and try and irritate the Sharks into getting off their game. This approach has not worked this year against San Jose and will not work tonight. Vancouver will have a reversal of fortune, take too many minor penalties, run out of gas and give the Sharks too many chances with the man advantage.
Santa comes early. Canucks will look tired. Sharks 5 Canucks 2. Lots of penalties.
We’ll be doing our final podcast of 2008 tonight after the game. Look for it online tomorrow. Happy Holidays.
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I love it… after the loss to detroit alot of people got on the sharks calling them pretenders and what not and one of the teams that were listed often being better then the Sharks was Vancouver I guess cause they have Sundin and that worked so well in Toronto…
8 Minutes in, 3-0 Sharks. Eat that doubters! 🙂
It appears Nabokov is fed up with you giving the opposing teams goals in your predictions and demands more shutout predictions.
Merry Christmas Sharks fans, I’m going to celebrate this one over the holidays.
Jamie Baker made a good point about the Detroit loss, and how it’s helped properly reframe the perspective in terms of who the team to beat it. Sure we’re off to a great start, but in the end the road to the Cup rightfully goes through Detroit, not San Jose. We’re still out to prove ourselves, they are the reigning champs and envy of the league as an organization.
Along those same lines the Sharks have had everyone’s eye with their start, but Boston and Detroit are both having phenomenal starts as well.
The win over Vancouver was a nice Christmas present indeed. Stress free and fun to just watch them cruise. I’m glad nabby got the SO.