The Vancouver Canucks may be in Florida today, preparing for their game tonight against the Panthers, but the team is still thinking about Saturday’s game against Boston.
Especially head coach Alain Vigneault.
The Canucks escaped TD Garden with a 4-3 victory in a rematch of the 2011 Stanley Cup Final. However, the win came at a price, as defenseman Sami Salo would leave the game and is now out indefinitely with concussion-like symptoms after taking a questionable hit from Bruins forward Brad Marchand.
Marchand will have a telephone hearing Monday with NHL disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan, which means the supplemental penalty can’t be more than a five-game suspension.
Hockey fans across North America have had Jan. 7 circled on their calendars since the release of the 2011-12 NHL schedule.
That’s because the much-anticipated date marked the first meeting between the Vancouver Canucks and Boston Bruins since their emotional seven-game Stanley Cup Final series from last season.
And while the Bruins took home the Cup last season, it was the Canucks who were victorious today, holding the B’s off to secure a 4-3 win.
In the post-lockout NHL, having a solid netminder is a must. However, especially in recent years, backup goaltenders are becoming just as valuable of a commodity. Wins are hard to come by in this league, and if a team’s No. 1 guy in the crease goes down with an injury or just needs a break, it’s important that teams have a dependable backup to fill the void.
Here is a list of five backup goalies who have not only proved their worth thus far, but in some instances, have actually taken over the starting role.
Minnesota Wild forward Cal Clutterbuck has never been one to make friends with members of the opposing team. Now NHL referees probably aren’t too fond of him, either.
In the final minutes of Minnesota’s 5-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks Thursday night, Clutterbuck was involved in a scrap with Canucks forward Max Lapierre. As the two wrestled along the Vancouver bench, Clutterbuck inadvertently swung a left hook and hit the linesman who was attempting to break up the scuffle square in the kisser.
Yes, even for the on-ice officials, hockey is a dangers sport.
Coming off of the busiest offseason in franchise history, one that saw them acquire 11 new players via trade and free agency, Tallon has continued to tweak with his ever-changing roster.
With his latest shakeup, the Panthers sent left wing David Booth, center Steve Reinprecht and a third-round pick in 2013 to the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday in exchange for veteran forwards Mikael Samuelsson and Marco Sturm.
This is a pretty big trade considering we are only two weeks into the season, but Tallon wasn’t too happy with his team’s back-to-back shutout losses.
In the wake of the most horrific summer that the NHL has ever lived through, the Vancouver Canucks payed tribute to one of their own prior to Tuesday’s home game against the New York Rangers.
There wasn’t a dry eye in Rogers Arena when the Canucks played the four-minute tribute video in Rick Rypien’s honor. The Canucks also announced they will make a $50,000 donation in Rypien’s name to BC Children’s Hospital Foundation.
The Canucks were given a preview of the video Monday to help ease what turn out to be an emotional ceremony.
It many ways, you could argue that the Edmonton Oilers, the unprivileged owners of the NHL’s worst record last season (25-45-12), had a more enjoyable summer than the President’s Trophy-winning Vancouver Canucks (54-19-9), who came just one sin shy of their first Stanley Cup in franchise history.
While it’s disappointing to miss the playoffs, it’s soul-crushing to lose a Game 7 in the Stanley Cup Finals. And as the Canucks found out over the summer months, there is nothing to do to get over the heartache.
Now a new season is upon us, and there isn’t another team in the league more excited to hit the ice than the Canucks.
Vancouver Canucks President and General Manager Mike Gillis announced today that centre Ryan Kesler had successful hip labral surgery.
“After consultation with our team physicians following the playoffs, it was deemed that Ryan would require a procedure on his hip,” said Gillis. “We expect a full recovery and determined this procedure would best serve both Ryan and the team’s long term goals.”
Kesler, who was tied for the team lead in goals scored last season with 41, is expected to not be ready for the start of the of the 2011-12 season.
Apparently, the Vancouver Canucks feel that Owen Nolan is the key to completing their quest of winning their first Stanley Cup in franchise history. Well, that and the fact that the team expects Ryan Kesler (hip labral surgery) and Mason Raymond (fractured vertebrae) to start the season on injured reserve.
Either way, it was a bit of surprising news when the Canucks announced Thursday that they’ve signed the 39-year-old Nolan and fellow NHL veteran Todd Fedoruk, 32, to professional tryout contracts.
It’s hard to believe that in a matter of 13 months, the Boston Bruins went from chokers to champions.
After becoming the third team in NHL history to blow a 3-0 series lead last season to the Philadelphia Flyers, the Bruins have come all the way back from their embarrassing 2010 exit to become the 2011 Stanley Cup champions. With another stellar performance from Conn Smythe Trophy winner Tim Thomas, the Bruins received a pair of goals from Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron in a 4-0 victory over the Vancouver Canucks in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final.
The Vancouver Canucks may be in Florida today, preparing for their game tonight against the Panthers, but the team is still thinking about Saturday’s game against Boston.
