Kings @ Nucks **Tonight** 7:00 PM

Pennywise · #1 (**permalink**) Jan 26, 07

GAME: Vancouver Canucks (27-19-2) vs. L.A. Kings (16-28-6).

A little help wouldn’t hurt… that’s got to be the mantra echoing through the concrete tunnels under GM Place these days.

Despite tearing out of the gate after Christmas and rattling off a 10-1-1 record while out-scoring the opposition 44-27, the Canucks are still only tied for first in the Northwest. In fact, they’re only six points out of the divisional cellar.

"It's going to be really hard," said Ryan Kesler. "We've done all that [winning] and teams are still in the thick of things. We're going to have to keep winning."

And that might be as steep a hill as it once was. The power-play has marked the score sheet in 10 of their past 12 games, including a five-goal bonanza in Toronto.

The Canucks’ league-best penalty kill was flawless in nine of those games, and it was without defensive beast Willie Mitchell for the last three. The All-Star break should’ve provided plenty of time to rest tricky groin muscles, and anything else that was keeping the trainers busy.

The numbers certainly look good, but then there’s no sure-fire mathematical formula for success in a Western Conference where winning on most nights, is tied directly to the bounce of the puck and not much else.

And the Kings are due for a few bounces.

After leaving the Canucks organization this off-season, Marc Crawford bolted to shiny Los Angeles – and he took longtime Vancouver goalie Dan Cloutier with him.

Neither found LA’s sun and surf as welcoming as they’d hoped, at least not yet.

The Kings are dead-last in the West with 38 points in 50 games. Their 182 goals against is the worst in the West. In fact, only Phoenix is within shouting distance and they’ve allowed 164.

Part of the problem’s been goaltending. Both Cloutier and Mathieu Garon are on injured reserve. The Kings picked up Sean Burke off waivers Jan. 18th after Yutaka Fukufuji and Barry Brust struggled to hold the fort winning just two of 15 games between them.

The Kings have lost six straight giving up 26 goals and scoring just 13. Unlike the Canucks they’ve won just four of 13 games since Christmas. And unlike the Canucks the Kings sport one of the league’s worst penalty killing units at 76.7 per cent.

On paper at least, this one holds as much mystery as dropping an ice cube in a pot of boiling water: not much.

Having said that, Crawford will be aching for two points in his old haunt and the Canucks did manage to go 0-4 against the basement dwelling Blues last season.

Oh yeah, if the sub-plot wasn’t quite fat enough with Crawford making his return to BC, the Canucks have Jeff Cowan banging away on their fourth line after picking him off waivers from the Kings Dec. 30th.

4-1 nucks reg. Goal by d.sedin

Mr Ektion · #2 (**permalink**) Jan 26, 07

I'm going! I think the all star game will have a great affect on Luongo's confidence. And we went into the break on such a great note that it's hard to imagine that we'll not dominate tonight. I predict a first period goal.

BongMan · #3 (**permalink**) Jan 26, 07

Breaking news/....

KESLER TO HAVE HIP SURGERY

Vancouver, B.C. - Vancouver Canucks Senior Vice-President and General Manager Dave Nonis announced today that forward Ryan Kesler will undergo hip surgery in Colorado.

"After further consultation with one of the leading physicians with regard to hip injuries it was decided that surgery was the best course of action," said Dave Nonis. "The best long term decision for Ryan and our hockey club was to have the surgery immediately."

Following surgery Kesler will be available to the media at a time to be determined.

Goodfellow · #4 (**permalink**) Jan 26, 07

I'll say 3-1 canucks.

salo/pyatt/dsedin

crackdragon · #5 (**permalink**) Jan 26, 07

What a shitty game... play was slow, passing was sloppy, defense was horrid. Luongo should never have to stop 45+ shots in a game. Overall a very boring game to watch... I feel sorry for anyone that paid to see that.

Goodfellow · #6 (**permalink**) Jan 27, 07

Yeah it was pretty weak. Not just sayin that cause they lost, because certain games are still interesting when they lose. I kept it on the TV but I switched over to makin beats after the 1st period. Maybe they'll actually show up next game?

Pennywise · #7 (**permalink**) Jan 27, 07

I HOPE THE GAME ON SUNDAY IS BETTER!!!

i will be there!

shorty187 · #8 (**permalink**) Jan 27, 07

i was at work but listened to the game on the radio....wish i would have saw the game on TV, even though they got outplayed by a shittier team

KenJi · #9 (**permalink**) Jan 27, 07

Well see. Maybe the canucks legs weren't there since most of them were doing nothing for the last 4 days before last nights game. The exception being Luongo of coarse.

This is all just assumptions though and bottomline is we got outplayed and shouldn't have been in a 2-2 tie with a team like L.A.

Hopefully the next game the canucks get going. Bright spot of the game at least linden got another goal