sleddy2008
03-20-2010, 02:59 PM
C/P from TSN.ca
The first-place Vancouver Canucks will try to close out a five-game homestand on a positive note when they welcome the Detroit Red Wings for tonight's battle at General Motors Place.
The Canucks have posted a 3-1-0 record on this homestand, which directly followed an NHL-record 14-game road trip that bridged the league's break for the Vancouver Olympics.
Overall, Vancouver has a 17-6-1 record in its last 24 games and is currently leading the Northwest Division by five points over Colorado. The Canucks are also five points behind San Jose and Chicago for the top seed in the Western Conference.
Meanwhile, Detroit is locked in a battle with Calgary for the final playoff spot in the West. The Red Wings enter Saturday tied with the idle Flames for the conference's eighth seed.
The Canucks are coming off Thursday's close victory over the Sharks. Ryan Kesler and Alexander Edler each had a goal and an assist, as Vancouver jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period and held on to beat San Jose, 3-2, at GM Place. On Friday, Kesler was a awarded with a six-year contract extension, giving the forward a home in Vancouver through the 2015-16 season.
Ryan Johnson also scored for the Canucks, while Roberto Luongo made 32 saves for the victors. Vancouver went 2-for-3 on the power play.
"We've had some good starts at home, so that was the difference tonight," Luongo said. "We came out, we had a good first period and scored some goals on the power play."
Vancouver has been terrific on home ice all year, posting a 26-8-1 record as the host.
The Red Wings had a three-game winning streak halted Friday in Edmonton, but they salvaged a point in the shootout loss to keep pace with Calgary.
Shortly after the Flames finished off San Jose in regulation on Friday night, Gilbert Brule netted the deciding goal in the shootout to lead the Oilers past Detroit, 3-2, at Rexall Place.
The Oilers were less than a second away from a regulation win, but Detroit defenseman Brian Rafalski scored with just two-tenths of a second left to send the game to overtime.
Patrick Eaves had the other goal for the Red Wings, while Jimmy Howard stopped 22 shots in the loss.
Tonight marks the end of a three-game road trip for Detroit, which has struggled to a 15-13-8 mark as the guest this year.
The Red Wings will begin a three-game homestand with Monday's test against Pittsburgh. That game will mark the Penguins first trip back to Detroit since beating the Wings in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals on June 12.
Detroit has taken two of three from the Canucks this year, but Vancouver posted a 6-3 road victory when the clubs last met in the Motor City on March 3. The Red Wings have won seven of 11 overall in this series and have taken five of their last eight in B.C.
The first-place Vancouver Canucks will try to close out a five-game homestand on a positive note when they welcome the Detroit Red Wings for tonight's battle at General Motors Place.
The Canucks have posted a 3-1-0 record on this homestand, which directly followed an NHL-record 14-game road trip that bridged the league's break for the Vancouver Olympics.
Overall, Vancouver has a 17-6-1 record in its last 24 games and is currently leading the Northwest Division by five points over Colorado. The Canucks are also five points behind San Jose and Chicago for the top seed in the Western Conference.
Meanwhile, Detroit is locked in a battle with Calgary for the final playoff spot in the West. The Red Wings enter Saturday tied with the idle Flames for the conference's eighth seed.
The Canucks are coming off Thursday's close victory over the Sharks. Ryan Kesler and Alexander Edler each had a goal and an assist, as Vancouver jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period and held on to beat San Jose, 3-2, at GM Place. On Friday, Kesler was a awarded with a six-year contract extension, giving the forward a home in Vancouver through the 2015-16 season.
Ryan Johnson also scored for the Canucks, while Roberto Luongo made 32 saves for the victors. Vancouver went 2-for-3 on the power play.
"We've had some good starts at home, so that was the difference tonight," Luongo said. "We came out, we had a good first period and scored some goals on the power play."
Vancouver has been terrific on home ice all year, posting a 26-8-1 record as the host.
The Red Wings had a three-game winning streak halted Friday in Edmonton, but they salvaged a point in the shootout loss to keep pace with Calgary.
Shortly after the Flames finished off San Jose in regulation on Friday night, Gilbert Brule netted the deciding goal in the shootout to lead the Oilers past Detroit, 3-2, at Rexall Place.
The Oilers were less than a second away from a regulation win, but Detroit defenseman Brian Rafalski scored with just two-tenths of a second left to send the game to overtime.
Patrick Eaves had the other goal for the Red Wings, while Jimmy Howard stopped 22 shots in the loss.
Tonight marks the end of a three-game road trip for Detroit, which has struggled to a 15-13-8 mark as the guest this year.
The Red Wings will begin a three-game homestand with Monday's test against Pittsburgh. That game will mark the Penguins first trip back to Detroit since beating the Wings in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals on June 12.
Detroit has taken two of three from the Canucks this year, but Vancouver posted a 6-3 road victory when the clubs last met in the Motor City on March 3. The Red Wings have won seven of 11 overall in this series and have taken five of their last eight in B.C.