Vancouver Rings In New Year With 2-1 SO Win Over Anaheim

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CANUCKS BANTER     By Andrew Chernoff    January 1, 2016

CANUCKS NOW 4-1-1 IN LAST SIX GAMES

Vancouver (15-15-9) grinded it out against the Anaheim Ducks (15-15-7), giving them a taste of their own game, in a 2-1 shootout victory at Rogers Place, in the third game of four straight against Pacific division opponents on their 7-game home stand.

Chris Tanev, in his first game since December 22, scored the tying goal; and Alex Burrows got his first point in 17 games with an assist on the 1-1 goal.

The win vaulted Vancouver ahead of San Jose into 3rd place in the Pacific division and a playoff position for now with 39 points.

San Jose has three games in hand on the Canucks; Los Angeles, Arizona, Anaheim and Calgary, each have two games in hand on Vancouver.

screenshot-canucks nhl com 2016-01-01 22-09-34

The opening frame was uneventful except for a couple of Anaheim goal posts by Mike Santorelli and Rickard Rakell. The good scoring chances either team had, both starting goaltenders Jacob Markstrom and Frederik Andersen, stood solid, keeping the game scoreless after the first period.

Canucks were out shot, 9-6; were 7 for 19 in the face-off circle; and were out hit 7 to 4. No Canuck had more than one shot in the opening period.

Both Linden Vey and Adam Cracknell were 2 for 3, for 67%; Bo Horvat, 2 for 5, for 40%, in the face-off circle.

For Anaheim, Ryan Getzlaf, was a perfect 6 for 6 on face-offs. Both teams were 0 for 1 on their power plays.

Vancouver came out in the second period with some jump, and played well in the first five minutes, out shooting the Ducks 5-2, before Yannick Weber took a penalty for interference on Kevin Bieksa at 5:31.

The Ducks would get on the score sheet with their second power play opportunity of the game, on their fourth shot with the man advantage, as Ryan Kesler popped in his first goal against his former team in 8 games.

It was Kesler’s 5th goal of the season, with assists from Chris Stewart (5) and Mike Santorelli (3) at 7:24. And the Ducks 4rth power play goal in their last 4 games.

Brandon Prust locked skates with Ryan Kesler and left the game in the last three minutes of the period.

Canucks down 1-0 after two periods.

Both teams were even in shots in the period with 9 each. Canucks were 8 for 14 in the face-off circle, and out hit the Ducks 8 to 6. Four Canucks had 2 shots each after two periods: Yannick Weber, Alex Edler, Jannick Hansen and Bo Horvat. Seven other Canucks had one shot each after forty minutes.

Anaheim went into the final period looking for a third consecutive shutout to end their three game Western Canada road swing.

And Vancouver breathed a sigh of relief as Brandon Prust came back into the game for the final period.

The Canucks started off the period with an early man advantage at 0:33 seconds as Jakob Silfverberg got an interference penalty on Jacob Markstrom. The Canucks were unsuccessful at tying the game and became 0 for 19 in their last 9 games on the power play.

Vancouver played with a sense of urgency and purpose, with the game opening up, and both teams getting scoring opportunities.

Nearing the seven minute mark of the period, Vancouver continued to be thwarted and frustrated by the Duck’s back checking and fore checking, intercepting Canucks passes and interfering with Vancouver break out attempts from their end.

Canucks persistence would pay off, as a long wrist shot by Chris Tanev, off the post and in, evened up the game at 1-1. It was Tanev’s 2nd goal of the year at 10:24 with assists from Alex Burrows (7) and Linden Vey (1). It was Burrows first point in 17 games.

As the Canucks continued to take the game to Anaheim and attempt to get that go ahead goal, Ryan Kesler took a minor penalty at 15:28 for tripping Jannick Hansen that put Vancouver on the power play for the 3rd time in the game. The Canucks would end up 0 for 3 on their man advantage for the game, and 0 for 20 in their last 9 games (including tonight’s game).

Vancouver is now 2 for 35 in their last 13 games with the man advantage (2 for 24 at home).

The Ducks and Canucks went into overtime to try and settle the game, with Anaheim having an edge on shots, hits and face-off dominance with Vancouver having 9 giveaways to 3 for the Ducks in regulation play.

Henrik Sedin had a great chance in the final seconds of overtime as he broke in on Andersen on a break away but could not pull off a victory in overtime.

Vancouver would eventually defeat Anaheim 2-1 in a shootout as Corey Perry was unable to extend the shootout against Jacob Markstrom.

GAME REVIEW

screenshot-www nhl com 2016-01-01 22-01-08 screenshot-www nhl com 2016-01-01 22-01-50

CANUCKS PLAYERS STATS

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WESTERN CONFERENCE WILD CARD STANDINGS

screenshot-canucks nhl com 2016-01-01 22-14-40

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE STANDINGS

screenshot-canucks nhl com 2016-01-01 22-15-37STATISTICS COURTESY OF THE NHL AND VANCOUVER CANUCKS

NHL MORNING SKATE – JAN. 1, 2016

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NHL MORNING SKATE – JAN. 1, 2016

Welcome to the “NHL Morning Skate,” a daily collection of the latest news and notes from around the League.

SNEAK PEEK AT FRIDAY’S ACTION

All Times Eastern
Montreal @ Boston, 1:00 p.m., NBC, SN, TVAS
Anaheim @ Vancouver, 10:00 p.m., PRIME, FS-SD, SNP

BRUINS FACE CANADIENS IN 2016 BRIDGESTONE NHL WINTER CLASSIC

The Bruins (20-12-4, 44 points) face the Canadiens (21-15-3, 45 points) in the 2016 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass.

This marks the 910th all-time meeting between these Original Six franchises (regular season and playoffs) – the most in NHL history. Their 732 regular-season games, 177 postseason contests and 34 playoff series also lead all opponents in League history, while their nine head-to-head Game 7s top all rivals in North American major professional sports (includes MLB, NBA and NHL).

The Bruins currently trail the Canadiens by one point in the Atlantic Division, where the top six teams are separated by six points – the winner of today’s game will move into first place.

The 2016 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic marks the fourth of five meetings between these clubs in 2015-16; Montreal has won 12 of their last 14 regular-season contests dating to March 3, 2013 (BOS: 2-10-2). Boston, however, earned a 3-1 victory in their most recent matchup (Dec. 9 at Bell Centre) to snap a seven-game skid in the head-to-head series.

WINTER CLASSIC QUICK HITS

* The 2016 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic marks the first time that one team will serve as a repeat host of the New Year’s Day game. In 2010, the Bruins faced the Flyers at Fenway Park in Boston (a 2-1 OT W).
* While the Bruins will be playing in their second regular-season outdoor NHL game, the Canadiens will be contesting their third such contest. They also faced the Oilers in the 2003 Molson Canadian NHL Heritage Classic at Commonwealth Stadium (a 4-3 W) and the Flames in the 2011 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic at McMahon Stadium (a 4-0 L).
* The Bruins and Canadiens have met four times previously on New Year’s Day, in 1936, 1958, 1961 and 1964. All four games were played in Boston.
* A total of 112 skaters, goaltenders and head coaches have competed for both the Bruins and Canadiens. Only one of the 112 – forward Michael Ryder – has appeared in at least 200 games with both franchises.
* Bruins head coach Claude Julien, who began his NHL head-coaching career with the Canadiens (2002-06), is the only active player/head coach who has served with both franchises.
* Four Massachusetts-born players are represented in today’s lineups: Bruins forwards Jimmy Hayes (Boston) and Frank Vatrano (East Longmeadow) and Canadiens goaltender Mike Condon (Holliston) and forward Brian Flynn (Lynnfield).
* A look at today’s hourly forecast for Foxborough, Mass., courtesy of the Weather Channel:

REMINDER: OUTDOOR GAME GUIDE

The NHL Outdoor Game Interactive Information Guide is available for download via the League’s Media site.

The guide features various information about the 2016 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic, including notes about the historic Bruins-Canadiens rivalry. It also includes a list of records, a complete register and a full history of outdoor games.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

* Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask and Canadiens goaltender Ben Scrivens unveiled their masks for the 2016 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic.
* New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick tested the ice at Gillette Stadium.
* Bruins forward Landon Ferraro and Canadiens forward Brian Flynn posted player blogs on NHL.com in advance of today’s game.
* Players from the Bruins and Canadiens practiced on Thursday at Gillette Stadium:

FOXBORO, MA – DECEMBER 31: (L-R) David Krejci #46, Patrice Bergeron #37, Chris Kelly #23 and Dennis Seidenberg #44 of the Boston Bruins take the ice for a team photo prior to team practice as part of the 2016 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic at Gillette Stadium on December 31, 2015 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. The 2016 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic will take place on New Year’s Day with the Montreal Canadiens playing the Boston Bruins. (Photo by Brian Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images)

TODAY’S FULL SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
All Times Eastern
Media Credential Distribution
8:00 a.m. – End of 1st Period
Gillette Stadium – Lot 6
Media Access to 2016 NHL Winter Classic Spectator Plaza
9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Gillette Stadium – Lot 22
Media Meal
11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Gillette Stadium – Press Box (Red Level Press)
2016 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic
1:00 p.m.
Montreal Canadiens at Boston Bruins
Gillette Stadium
NBC, SN, TVAS

BOURQUE LIFTS BRUINS TO ALUMNI GAME VICTORY

Ray Bourque scored in the fourth round of the shootout to power the Bruins to a 5-4 comeback victory in the 2016 NHL Winter Classic Alumni Game presented by Molson Canadian.

Click here for a complete recap.

FOXBORO, MA – DECEMBER 31: Ray Bourque #77 of the Boston Bruins and Guy Carbonneau #21 of the Montreal Canadiens enter the field before playing in the Alumni Game as part of the 2016 Bridgestone NHL Classic at Gillette Stadium on December 31, 2015 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. The 2016 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic will take place on New Year’s Day with the Montreal Canadiens playing the Boston Bruins. (Photo by Dave Sandford/NHLI via Getty Images)

REMINDER: ALL-STAR GAME VOTING CLOSES TODAY

Voting for the 2016 Honda NHL All-Star Game closes tonight at 11:59 p.m. ET.
As part of the new format for the game, fans can cast votes for one player from each division, without regard to position. The top vote-getter from each division will be named an All-Star and team captain, with the remaining 40 All-Stars selected by the NHL’s Hockey Operations Department.

Fans are permitted to select as few as one player and a maximum of four players per ballot. The maximum number of ballots cast per day for each user is 10.

Click here to vote.

2015 CALENDAR YEAR LEADERS

A look at the top team and individual performances of 2015 (courtesy of the Elias Sports Bureau):

POINTS PERCENTAGE
1. Washington Capitals (55-22-6, 116 points): .699
2. New York Rangers (54-24-7, 115 points): .676
t-3. Dallas Stars (52-25-8, 112 points): .659
t-3. St. Louis Blues (52-25-8, 112 points): .659
5. Minnesota Wild (49-24-10, 108 points): .651
GOALS
1. Alex Ovechkin (81 GP): 57
2. Jamie Benn (85 GP): 48
3. Steven Stamkos (81 GP): 39
4. Joe Pavelski (80 GP): 38
5. Max Pacioretty (82 GP): 38
ASSISTS
1. Erik Karlsson (84 GP): 59
2. Jamie Benn (85 GP): 59
3. Nicklas Backstrom (80 GP): 56
4. Henrik Sedin (83 GP): 55
5. P.K. Subban (84 GP): 55
POINTS
1. Jamie Benn (85 GP): 48-59—107
2. Alex Ovechkin (81 GP): 57-28—85
3. Tyler Seguin (74 GP): 35-48—83
4. John Tavares (80 GP): 37-45—82
5. Daniel Sedin (85 GP): 28-54—82
6. Erik Karlsson (84 GP): 23-59—82
POINTS PER GAME (Minimum: 60 GP)
1. Patrick Kane (80 PTS in 63 GP): 1.27
2. Jamie Benn (107 PTS in 85 GP): 1.26
3. Tyler Seguin (83 PTS in 74 GP): 1.12
4. Alex Ovechkin (85 PTS in 81 GP): 1.05
5. John Tavares (82 PTS in 80 GP): 1.03
POWER-PLAY GOALS
1. Alex Ovechkin (81 GP): 25
2. Justin Faulk (83 GP): 17
3. Steven Stamkos (81 GP): 16
4. Jamie Benn (85 GP): 16
5. Joe Pavelski (80 GP): 15
SHORTHANDED GOALS
1. Jean-Gabriel Pageau (82 GP): 6
2. Brad Marchand (76 GP): 5
3. Blake Wheeler (78 GP): 4
4. Max Pacioretty (82 GP): 4
5. Jamie Benn (85 GP): 4
GAME-WINNING GOALS
1. Max Pacioretty (82 GP): 12
2. Jonathan Toews (83 GP): 11
3. John Tavares (80 GP): 10
4. Alex Ovechkin (81 GP): 10
5. Joe Pavelski (80 GP): 9
SHOTS ON GOAL
1. Alex Ovechkin (81 GP): 400
2. Max Pacioretty (82 GP): 331
3. Brent Burns (80 GP): 296
4. Tyler Seguin (74 GP): 289
5. Rick Nash (80 GP): 288
PLUS/MINUS
1. Tyler Toffoli (75 GP): 31
2. Kevin Klein (58 GP): 26
3. Tobias Enstrom (75 GP): 27
4. Marc Methot (78 GP): 27
5. Jamie Benn (85 GP): 27
WINS
1. Braden Holtby (72 GP): 49
2. Devan Dubnyk (69 GP): 43
3. Jonathan Quick (72 GP): 42
4. Ben Bishop (65 GP): 37
5. Corey Crawford (66 GP): 37
GOALS-AGAINST AVERAGE (Minimum: 25 GP)
1. Carey Price (48 GP): 1.85
2. Andrew Hammond (31 GP): 1.93
3. Jake Allen (48 GP): 1.97
4. Devan Dubnyk (69 GP): 2.02
5. Braden Holtby (72 GP): 2.04
SAVE PERCENTAGE (Minimum: 25 GP)
1. Carey Price (48 GP): .937
2. Andrew Hammond (31 GP): .936
3. Cory Schneider (65 GP): .930
4. Braden Holtby (72 GP): .929
5. Devan Dubnyk (69 GP): .928
6. Jake Allen (48 GP): .928
SHUTOUTS
1. Carey Price (48 GP): 9
2. Devan Dubnyk (69 GP): 9
3. Braden Holtby (72 GP): 8
4. Jake Allen (48 GP): 7
t-5. Five Goaltenders: 6
SHOTS AGAINST
1. Braden Holtby (72 GP): 2,038
2. Corey Crawford (66 GP): 1,992
3. Tuukka Rask (66 GP): 1,933
4. Semyon Varlamov (64 GP): 1,928
5. Mike Smith (61 GP): 1,913
MINUTES PLAYED
1. Braden Holtby (72 GP): 4,234
2. Jonathan Quick (72 GP): 4,177
3. Devan Dubnyk (69 GP): 4,035
4. Tuukka Rask (66 GP): 3,862
5. Corey Crawford (66 GP): 3,857

THURSDAY’S RESULTS

Home Team in Caps
NY Islanders 2, BUFFALO 1
Pittsburgh 5, DETROIT 2
CAROLINA 4, Washington 2
Minnesota 3, ST. LOUIS 1
Chicago 4, COLORADO 3 (OT)
DALLAS 5, Nashville 1
Los Angeles 4, CALGARY 1
Anaheim 1, EDMONTON 0
ARIZONA 4, Winnipeg 2

AROUND THE RINKS

* Shane Doan scored twice to power the Coyotes to a 4-1-1 record in their last six games. In doing so, Doan (381) – who has spent his entire NHL career with the Coyotes/Jets – surpassed Dale Hawerchuk (379) for the most goals in franchise history.
* Jonathan Toews scored at 3:29 of overtime to lift the Blackhawks to their ninth win in their last 13 games. Toews, who posted his League-leading fourth overtime goal of the season (39 GP), also set a single-season franchise record in that category.
* Jeff Skinner registered the tiebreaking goal early in the third period to lead the Hurricanes to an 8-4-1 record in their last 13 games and snap the Capitals’ winning streak at nine contests. Skinner paces the club with 15 goals this season (38 GP).
* The Stars scored five unanswered goals – including a pair from Tyler Seguin – to improve to 5-1-1 in their last seven games. Seguin shares second with 23 goals and ranks third with 50 points this season (39 GP).
* The Penguins also posted five unanswered goals – highlighted by three-point performances from Kris Letang (2-1—3), Patric Hornqvist (1-2—3) and Evgeni Malkin (1-2—3) – to improve to 3-1-1 in their past five outings.
* John Gibson stopped all 21 shots he faced to lead the Ducks to their second straight 1-0 win and third consecutive victory overall. Gibson, who also earned the shutout on Tuesday at CGY (14 SV), recorded his fourth blank sheet of the season (14 GP).
* Jonathan Quick made 23 saves to backstop the Kings to a sweep of their four-game road trip. Quick earned his 21st win of the season (31 GP) – second in the NHL – including an 11-3-1 record as a visitor (2.01 GAA, .934 SV%, 2 SO).
* The Wild scored three unanswered goals – led by two points apiece from Erik Haula (1-1—2) and Nino Niederreiter (1-1—2) – to pick up their third victory in their past four contests overall and improve to 3-1-2 in their last six road games.
* Thomas Greiss made 42 saves to lift the Islanders to their third win in their last four games. Greiss, who ranks second in the NHL with a .936 save percentage, also set a career high with his 11th victory of the season (18 GP).

MILESTONES & BENCHMARKS

* Predators captain Shea Weber played in his 723rd NHL game (all w/ NSH) to tie Martin Erat for second place on the franchise’s all-time games played list, behind David Legwand (956).
* Blackhawks forward Artem Anisimov scored his 100th NHL goal.

LOOSE PUCKS

Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin scored his 21st goal of the season to move into sole possession of fifth place in the NHL (36 GP). He sits four goals shy of 500 in his career (796 GP) . . . Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane posted 1-2—3, his 15th multi-point performance of the season. He continues to pace the NHL with 23-33—56 overall (39 GP) . . . Jets forward Adam Lowry (2-0—2) recorded his second career multi-goal game and first since Dec. 9, 2014 at DAL (2-0—2) . . . Stars teammates Jamie Benn (4-7—11) and Patrick Sharp (4-6—10) both extended their point streaks to seven games . . . Kings forward Tyler Toffoli collected one assist to extend his point streak to five games (6-2—8) . . . ICYMI: The NHL fined Canucks forward Jannik Hansen $2,000 as supplementary discipline under NHL Rule 64 (Diving/Embellishment) . . . The Panthers signed general manager Dale Tallon to a multi-year contract extension . . . Kraft Heinz – along with the NHL, NHLPA, NBC Sports Group and USA Hockey – announced the details of Kraft Hockeyville USA 2016.

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Vancouver Faces Anaheim In New Year’s Day Game

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CANUCKS BANTER     By Andrew Chernoff    January 1, 2016

Capture
The Vancouver Canucks play the 3rd of four games against Pacific division opponents tonight as they host the Anaheim Ducks, on their 7-game home stand.

Tonight marks the 11th time the Canucks have played on New Year’s Day and their seventh game on home ice on New Year’s Day.

Overall the Canucks have a record of 4-5-1 on New Year’s Day.

Being home for the holidays is generally a good thing, but it’s a whole different story on New Year’s Day as far as the Canucks are concerned. On the road, Vancouver is 4-0 all-time in New Year’s Day games. At home, it’s not pretty.

The Canucks are 0-5-1 (five losses and a tie) all-time at home on New Year’s Day. This is the third straight year that Rogers Arena will host the Canucks on New Year’s Day. The Canucks are 0-2 at Rogers Arena after falling 3-2 to the Kings last year, and 4-2 to the Lightning the year before that.

Source: canucks.nhl.com

Coach Willie Desjardins said today he thinks Tanev is good to go versus the Ducks. “He competes hard and he’s a real team guy. We’re happy he’s back”

Tanev thought he might be out longer after blocking two hard shots from Steven Stamkos in the final minutes of 2-1 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Dec. 22, according to canucks.nhl.com.

The news is not good for Sven Baertschi, who suffered an upper-body injury in the loss to the Kings and will not be in the lineup tonight. Baertschi left in the second period against the Kings and hasn’t skated since. He is listed as day-to-day, according to the Vancouver website.

Ryan Miller (groin), Brandon Sutter (sports hernia surgery), Luca Sbisa (hand), and Dan Hamhuis (facial fracture) are on the injured reserve list.

Jacob Markstrom will get the start for the Canucks, his 4rth straight start with Ryan Miller injured, while the Ducks may go with Frederik Andersen after John Gibson got the call yesterday, in his shutout win over Edmonton.

Gibson is 3-0-0 with two shutouts and a .967 save percentage in his past three starts and has already shut out the Canucks in both career starts against them, including 25 saves in a 4-0 win on Nov. 30, according to the Canucks website.

Anaheim (15-15-6) comes into the game having defeated the Edmonton Oilers last night 1-0 at Rexall Place, in the second game of their 3 game Western Canada road swing, their second straight shutout.

Anaheim snapped Calgary’s 11-game home winning streak with a 1-0 victory at Scotiabank Saddledome on December 29th.

In their last 6 games on the road, the Ducks are 3-2-1 with 8 GF and 12 GA; averaging 26.0 shots for and 22.0 shots against.

In those six games, the Ducks power play is 1 for 12, while their penalty kill is exceptional at 18 for 19, for 94.7 percent success, with a face-off win percentage of 47.9 percent. Anaheim has been shutout in 5 of their 18 road games.

The Ducks have played on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day in the same season only one other time in club history, during the 2005-06 campaign, Anaheim earned a 5-4 shootout victory on Dec. 31 at St. Louis before following up with a 4-2 win on Jan. 1 at Nashville.

ANAHEIM DUCKS NOTES

  • After tonight the Ducks have an eight game home stand beginning January 3.
  • Anaheim have two games in hand on the Canucks.
  • Including last night’s game in Edmonton, the Ducks have yielded a league-low 22 goals in December.
  • Anaheim led the NHL in fewest shots allowed in December with 251
    (next closest is Winnipeg at 335).
  • This season, the club ranks second among league leaders in fewest goals allowed in the first period (19) and second in fewest allowed in the third (25).
  • Anaheim leads the NHL in penalty kill percentage (88.0%), having successfully killed 110-of-125 penalties in 36 games and 36-of-40 over the last ten contests (90.0%).
  • The Ducks are tied for second in the NHL in fewest power-play goals allowed with 15.
  • Anaheim is among the top teams in the face-off circle, ranking third with a 51.4 win percentage.

Vancouver (14-15-9) enters the game having played the Los Angeles Kings on December 28, losing 5-0 at Roger’s Place.

Radim Vrbata notched a team-high seven shots; Andrey Pedan registered three hits and participated in his first NHL fight; and Jacob Markstrom had 33 saves in his third straight start.

On Boxing Day, Vancouver defeated the Edmonton Oilers 2-1 in overtime at Roger’s Place.

Vancouver begins play today sitting outside the playoff picture having been surpassed in recent days by the Sharks and Coyotes.

At home in their last 6 games, the Canucks are 3-3-0 with 11 GF and 17 GA; averaging 23.3 shots for and 32.3 shots against.

In those six games, all in the month of December, the Canucks power play was 2 for 22 for 9.1 percent, while their penalty kill was exceptional at 17 for 18 for 94.4 percent.

At home in December, Vancouver had a face-off win percentage of 45.7 percent. Only New Jersey was worse in December in the face-off circle at home, with a FOW% of 44.1 percent in 7 home games.

Vancouver has been shutout in 2 of their 16 home games.

Tonight marks Kevin Bieksa’s first visit to Rogers Arena as a member of the visiting team. Among defencemen in franchise history, Bieksa ranks seventh in games played (597), t-seventh in goals (56), sixth in assists (185), sixth in points (241), t-10th in ppg (19), and t-third in gwg (12).

screenshot-canucks nhl com 2015-12-31 23-35-32

Vancouver sits in 4rth place in the Pacific division with 37 points, 13 points behind the Kings in 1rst place. Canucks are a single point behind San Jose and two points behind Arizona. They are a point ahead of Anaheim and Calgary, and 4 points ahead of Edmonton.

CANUCKS JOTTINGS

  • Vancouver has points in 7 of its last 13 (5-6-2=12 pts) & 11 of its last 20 games (7-9-4=18 pts).
  • Vancouver is 1-1-2=4 pts, against the Pacific Division this season, including 4-1-1=9 pts on the road.
  • Radim Vrbata has 27 shots in his last 6 home games.
  • Daniel and Henrik Sedin have 6 points in their last 6 home games (1-5=6 each).
  • Bo Horvat in the last 6 home games has a FOW% of 61.2 percent; 10 shots, 7 hits, 5 takeaways and 5 blocked shots.
  • There are only three Canucks with more than one goal in the last six home games: Jannick Hansen and Radim Vrbata with 3 each; and Alex Edler with 2 goals.
  • Ryan Miller and Jacob Markstrom are tied among Canuck goalies in points with one assist each. Both are tied for 3rd place in goalie points with five others.
  • Radim Vrbata, Brandon Prust and Chris Higgins have no goals  against Pacific division teams.
  • Daniel Sedin and Jannick Hansen each have 3G and 3A in 10 games against Pacific division opponents, with Hansen having a plus/minus of +9.
  • Radim Vrbata has a plus/minus of -6 in 10 games against Pacific division teams.
  • Daniel Sedin is 3 goals from tying Markus Naslund (346) for first all-time in franchise goals
  • Alex Edler is 2 goals from tying Sami Salo (74) for third all-time amongst defencemen in franchise goals
  • Vancouver enters 2016 with 23 games to play before the February 29th deadline: 14 games at home and 9 games away. The Canucks entered 2015 with 27 games to play before the March 2, 2015 deadline and were 15-12-0: 8-6-0 at home and 7-6-0 on the road.
  • Canucks picked up Sven Baertschi from Calgary at the 2015 trade deadline for 2015 2nd-round pick in the NHL draft.

DECEMBER IN REVIEW

  • In December, the Canucks, in 13 games:
    • Had the the 3rd fewest goals scored with 23, ahead of Montreal and Anaheim.
    • Gave up the 8th most goals in the month with 39.
    • Had the 5th least amount of shots for with 346 and the 7th most shots against with 433.
    • Had 3 power play goals, second worst in the NHL, just ahead of Anaheim.
    • Were 30th, dead last, in power play average at 8.1 percent.
    • Were shorthanded 52 times, the most of any team in the month.
    • Were tied for the 5th most power play goals against with 9.
    • Were 15th best on the penalty kill at 82.7 percent.
    • Were 27th in face-off wins with 336 and 2nd in face-off losses with 468.
    • Face-off win percentage was the worst in the NHL, at 41.8 percent.
    • Were tied for the 4rth most losses in the month with 6.

COMING INTO TONIGHT

  • CANUCKS POWER PLAY ‘OUT OF ORDER’
    • Vancouver’s power play is on an extended power outage at 0 for 17 in their last 8 games and 2 for 29 in their last 10 games.
    • Those eight games include their last two games at home where Vancouver is 0 for 6 and counting.
  • CANUCKS PENALTY KILL IS HOMICIDAL
    • Vancouver’s power play is a killer at 17 for 18, 94.4 percent in their last 6 home games. And 23 for 27 in their last six games overall, 85.2 percent.
  • CANUCKS NO STRANGER TO THE SIN BIN
    • Vancouver is the 5th most penalized team in the league overall with 458 total penalty minutes in 38  games (12.1 minutes per game). They have taken the 3rd most penalties at 179 (4.7 penalties per game). They have the 3rd most minors taken with 153;  tied for the 5th most majors with 16.
    • A year ago, December 31 2014, Vancouver was the 16th most penalized team in the league overall with 369 total penalty minutes in 35 games (10.5 minutes per game). The had the 17th most penalties with 153 (4.4 penalties per game); the 20th most minors taken at 130; and the 13th most majors at 15.
    • In December, Vancouver were tied with the 4rth most penalty minutes in the league with 178 in 13 games. They had the 2nd most penalties taken with 70; were 1rst in most minors with 61; tied for 4th most majors with 6.
  • CANUCKS EVEN STRENGTH SHOT ATTEMPTS GAME NOT PRETTY
    • At home, in 16 games, the Canucks  shot  attempts at even strength, are 667 shot attempts against to 575 shot attempts for, a deficit of -92 shots. A 41.7 shot attempts against average per game, compared to a 35.9 shot attempts for average per game.
    • In their home games in December, Vancouver shot attempts at even strength were, 280 to 213, a deficit of -67 shots in 6 games. A 46.7 shot attempts against per game average, compared to 35.5 shot attempts for per game average.
    • Over all, in 38 games, the Canucks shot attempts at even strength are, 1606 shot attempts against to 1469 shot attempts for, a deficit of -137.  A 42.3 shot attempts per game against average, compared to a 38.7 shot attempts for per game average.
    • Last season, in 35 games at December 31, 2014, the Canucks shot attempts at even strength were, 1517 shot attempts against to 1495 shot attempts for, a deficit of -22. A 43.3 shot attempts per game against average, compared to a 42.7 shot attempts for per game average.
  • CANUCKS FACE-OFF GAME LACKING A LOT OF SKILL
    • Offensive zone, defensive zone, neutral zone; ahead, behind, close—-the Canucks are the worst in the 30 team NHL. Looking for a plus? Nowhere to go but up.
    • vanfaceoffs
  • LACK OF PRODUCTION
    • Bo Horvat, 26 games without a goal; plus/minus of -14
    • Chris Higgins, 19 games without a goal; plus/minus of -12
    • Adam Cracknell, 18 games without a goal
    • Alex Burrows, 16 games without a goal; plus/minus of -8
    • Derek Dorsett, 1 goal in last 29 games played
    • Brandon Prust, 1 goal in last 27 games played
    • Jared McCann, 1 goal in last 19 games played; plus/minus of -8
    • Radim Vrbata, 1 goal in last 9 games played

SEASON SNAPSHOT

screenshot-canucks nhl com 2015-12-31 23-39-24

screenshot-canucks nhl com 2016-01-01 16-02-39

CANUCKS PLAYER STATS

screenshot-canucks nhl com 2015-12-30 15-46-11

DUCKS PLAYER STATS

screenshot-ducks nhl com 2015-12-31 22-10-11

CANUCKS PACIFIC DIVISION SPLITS-REGULAR

screenshot-espn go com 2015-12-30 18-28-13Stats from ESPN.com

CANUCKS PACIFIC DIVISION SPLITS-EXPANDED

screenshot-espn go com 2015-12-30 18-29-06Stats from ESPN.com

Statistics provided by the NHL, Vancouver Canucks and ESPN.com, with thanks.

NHL MORNING SKATE – DEC. 31, 2015

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NHL MORNING SKATE – DEC. 31, 2015

Welcome to the “NHL Morning Skate,” a daily collection of the latest news and notes from around the League.

WINTER CLASSIC FESTIVITIES BEGIN

Festivities for the 2016 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic kick into full gear with today’s team practices, 2016 NHL Winter Classic Alumni Game presented by Molson Canadian and Outdoor Women’s Classic presented by Scotiabank as well as the opening of the 2016 NHL Winter Classic Spectator Plaza.

Today’s full schedule of events (all times ET):

Media Credential Distribution
8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Gillette Stadium – Lot 6

Media Snack
9:30 – 11:30 a.m.
Gillette Stadium (Blue Level Press)

Boston Bruins Team Practice/Photo followed by Media Availability
11:00 a.m.
Gillette Stadium
* No field access for media

Media Access to 2016 NHL Winter Classic Spectator Plaza
11:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Gillette Stadium – Lot 22

Montreal Canadiens Team Practice/Photo followed by Media Availability
12:30 p.m.
Gillette Stadium
* No field access for media

Media Meal
2:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Gillette Stadium – Press Box (Red Level Press)

Outdoor Women’s Classic presented by Scotiabank
2:00 p.m.
Boston Pride (NWHL) vs. Les Canadiennes (CWHL)
Gillette Stadium
* Media availability for coaches and select players will take place in the Press Box following the game

2016 NHL Winter Classic Alumni Game presented by Molson Canadian
3:30 p.m.
Gillette Stadium
NBCSN, SN, TVAS

2016 NHL WINTER CLASSIC ALUMNI GAME . . .

More than 40 former players and coaches are scheduled to participate in today’s 2016 NHL Winter Classic Alumni Game presented by Molson Canadian (3:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN, SN, TVAS). The game will consist of three 20-minute periods (running time) and two 12-minute intermissions.

Click here for full rosters.

. . . OUTDOOR WOMEN’S CLASSIC

The Boston Pride of the newly formed National Women’s Hockey League (NWHL) also will face Les Canadiennes of the Canadian Women’s Hockey League (CWHL) today in the first-ever Outdoor Women’s Classic presented by Scotiabank (2:00 p.m. ET).

Click here for more information.

WINTER CLASSIC QUICK HITS

* There have been 15 regular-season outdoor NHL games to date: Seven Winter Classics, five Stadium Series games and three Heritage Classics.
* Eight outdoor games have been hosted by football venues, seven have been hosted by baseball stadiums.
* The NHL’s 15 regular-season outdoor games have drawn total attendance of 853,288 – an average of 56,886 per game. The seven Winter Classics have been attended by 413,548 fans, an average of 59,078.
* A total of 481 players and head coaches have participated in the NHL’s 15 regular-season outdoor games to date.
* Road teams are 11-3-1 in outdoor games, including a 6-2-0 record since the start of the 2013-14 season.
* A look at the two-day forecast for Foxborough, Mass., courtesy of the Weather Channel:

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

* Bruins goaltender Jonas Gustavsson and Canadiens goaltenders Mike Condon unveiled their masks for the 2016 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic.
* Click here for the complete time-lapse video of the transformation of Gillette Stadium.
* The NHL issued fan reminders for fans attending today and tomorrow’s games.
* Click here for a recap of the third episode of Road to the NHL Winter Classic, which premiered on Wednesday.
* Bruins players, including forward Max Talbot, tested the ice at Gillette Stadium during a skate on Wednesday with family and friends.

BOSTON, MA – DECEMBER 30 : Max Talbot #25 of the Boston Bruins enjoys the Family Skate on December 30, 2015 during 2016 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Steve Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images)

WEDNESDAY’S RESULTS

Home Team in Caps
Toronto 3, PITTSBURGH 2 (SO)
WASHINGTON 5, Buffalo 2
New Jersey 3, OTTAWA 0
NY Rangers 5, TAMPA BAY 2
SAN JOSE 4, Philadelphia 2

CAPITALS KEEP STREAKING WITH SWEEP OF HOME-AND-HOME

The Capitals scored four unanswered goals in the third period to sweep their home-and-home series with the Sabres and pick up their ninth consecutive win overall as well as their ninth straight victory at Verizon Center.

* At 28-6-2 (58 points), the Capitals continued their best start to a season – in terms of wins and points – in the franchise’s 41-year history. They also leapfrogged the idle Stars (27-8-3, 57 points) for first place in the NHL standings, aided by a 16-1-1 run since Nov. 21.
* The Capitals have won nine straight games overall for the first time since Feb. 26 – March 15, 2011 (also 9-0-0). They have posted nine consecutive victories at home for the first time since Jan. 5 – March 6, 2010, when they set a franchise record with 13 straight home wins.
* Braden Holtby made 25 saves to earn his League-leading 24th win of the season (30 GP), including eight in a row. He has compiled a 16-0-1 record in 18 games since Nov. 12 (1.76 GAA, .942 SV%, 2 SO); Elias says that is the longest point streak by a goaltender since Roberto Luongo went 16-0-5 over a 21-game span with the Canucks from Dec. 8, 2010 – Feb. 12, 2011.
* Alex Ovechkin scored twice to reach the 20-goal milestone for the 11th time in as many NHL seasons. Ovechkin, who sits five goals shy of 500 in his career (795 GP), has recorded 102 career multi-goal performances.

FASTEST TO 500 GOALS (IN GP), NHL HISTORY

1. Wayne Gretzky: 575 GP
2. Mario Lemieux: 605 GP
3. Mike Bossy: 647 GP
4. Brett Hull: 693 GP
5. Phil Esposito: 803 GP

CLUBS CLOSE 2015 ON HIGH NOTES

Four teams closed their calendar year with victories:

* Cory Schneider stopped all 36 shots he faced, including 28 over the final two periods, to earn his 20th career shutout (third this season) and lead the Devils to their third win in their past four games. Schneider, who improved to 16-10-5 this season (2.10 GAA, .927 SV%, 3 SO), also upped his record to 5-1-1 in seven career appearances vs. OTT (1.39 GAA, .951 SV%, 1 SO).
* The Sharks scored three unanswered goals in the third period – including a pair from Joe Pavelski – to pick up points for the fifth time in their last seven contests (4-2-1). Pavelski registered his seventh game-winning goal of the season, tops in the NHL. He also shares fifth in the League with 20 goals overall (w/ Alex Ovechkin).
* The Rangers also recorded three unanswered goals in the third period – including the tiebreaker by former Lightning forward Dominic Moore (1-1—2) – to snap an eight-game road losing streak (0-6-2). Moore compiled 22-29—51 in 133 games with Tampa Bay from 2010-12.
* Jonathan Bernier made a season-high 39 saves and denied another two attempts in the shootout to propel the Maple Leafs to a 6-2-2 record in their last 10 games. Bernier has won four of his past six outings after beginning the season with a 0-8-3 record.

MILESTONES & BENCHMARKS

* Senators defenseman Fredrik Claesson, a fifth-round selection (126th overall) in the 2011 NHL Draft, made his League debut (12:20 TOI).
* Alain Vigneault (NYR) coached his 1,008th career game to surpass Jacques Demers (1,007) and move into sole possession of 21st place on the NHL’s all-time list among head coaches.

LOOSE PUCKS

ICYMI: Flyers captain Claude Giroux scored off a face-off . . . Penguins captain Sidney Crosby recorded 1-1—2. He has 6-11—17 over his last 17 games after totaling 2-7—9 in his first 18 contests of the season . . . Sharks forward Logan Couture picked up two assists in his first appearance since Dec. 9 . . . Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov collected two assists to extend his point streak to a career-high seven games (2-9—11) . . . Sharks forward Joe Thornton posted 1-1—2 to extend his point streak to seven games (3-7—10) . . . Maple Leafs forward James van Riemsdyk registered one assist to extend his point streak to five games (3-4—7) . . . The Department of Player Safety suspended Bruins forward Brad Marchand for three games for clipping Senators defenseman Mark Borowiecki.

SNEAK PEEK AT THURSDAY’S ACTION

All Times Eastern
NY Islanders @ Buffalo, 6:00 p.m., MSG+, MSG-B, BELL TV
Pittsburgh @ Detroit, 6:00 p.m., SN, ROOT, FS-D
Washington @ Carolina, 6:00 p.m., CSN-DC, FS-CR
Minnesota @ St. Louis, 8:00 p.m., FS-N, FS-MW
Chicago @ Colorado, 8:00 p.m., CSN-CH, ALT
Nashville @ Dallas, 8:30 p.m., FS-TN, FS-SW
Los Angeles @ Calgary, 9:00 p.m., NHLN-US, SN360, SN1, FS-W
Anaheim @ Edmonton, 9:00 p.m., KCOP-13, SNW
Winnipeg @ Arizona, 9:00 p.m., TSN3, FS-A+

2015 CALENDAR YEAR LEADERS

The NHL closes 2015 with a nine-game schedule. A look at the top team and individual performances of the calendar year thus far (courtesy of the Elias Sports Bureau):

POINTS PERCENTAGE
1. Washington Capitals (55-21-6, 116 points): .707
2. New York Rangers (54-24-7, 115 points): .676
3. St. Louis Blues (52-24-8, 112 points): .667
4. Dallas Stars (51-25-8, 110 points): .655
5. Minnesota Wild (48-24-10, 106 points): .646

GOALS
1. Alex Ovechkin (80 GP): 56
2. Jamie Benn (84 GP): 47
3. Steven Stamkos (81 GP): 39
4. Joe Pavelski (80 GP): 38
5. Max Pacioretty (82 GP): 38

ASSISTS
1. Erik Karlsson (84 GP): 59
2. Jamie Benn (84 GP): 58
3. Nicklas Backstrom (79 GP): 56
4. Henrik Sedin (83 GP): 55
5. P.K. Subban (84 GP): 55

POINTS
1. Jamie Benn (84 GP): 47-58—105
2. Alex Ovechkin (80 GP): 56-28—84
3. Daniel Sedin (85 GP): 28-54—82
4. Erik Karlsson (84 GP): 23-59—82
5. John Tavares (79 GP): 37-44—81
6. Tyler Seguin (73 GP): 33-48—81

POINTS PER GAME (Minimum: 60 GP)
1. Jamie Benn (105 PTS in 84 GP): 1.25
2. Patrick Kane (77 PTS in 62 GP): 1.24
3. Tyler Seguin (81 PTS in 73 GP): 1.11
4. Alex Ovechkin (84 PTS in 80 GP): 1.05
5. John Tavares (81 PTS in 79 GP): 1.03

POWER-PLAY GOALS
1. Alex Ovechkin (80 GP): 25
2. Justin Faulk (82 GP): 17
3. Steven Stamkos (81 GP): 16
4. Jamie Benn (84 GP): 16
5. Joe Pavelski (80 GP): 15

SHORTHANDED GOALS
1. Jean-Gabriel Pageau (82 GP): 6
2. Brad Marchand (76 GP): 5
3. Blake Wheeler (77 GP): 4
4. Max Pacioretty (82 GP): 4
5. Jamie Benn (84 GP): 4

GAME-WINNING GOALS
1. Max Pacioretty (82 GP): 12
2. John Tavares (79 GP): 10
3. Alex Ovechkin (80 GP): 10
4. Jonathan Toews (82 GP): 10
5. Joe Pavelski (80 GP): 9

SHOTS ON GOAL
1. Alex Ovechkin (80 GP): 394
2. Max Pacioretty (82 GP): 331
3. Brent Burns (80 GP): 296
4. Rick Nash (80 GP): 288
5. Radim Vrbata (82 GP): 285

PLUS/MINUS
1. Tyler Toffoli (74 GP): 31
2. Marc Methot (78 GP): 27
3. T.J. Oshie (79 GP): 27
4. Kevin Klein (58 GP): 26
5. Tobias Enstrom (74 GP): 26

WINS
1. Braden Holtby (72 GP): 49
2. Devan Dubnyk (68 GP): 42
3. Jonathan Quick (71 GP): 41
4. Ben Bishop (65 GP): 37
5. Corey Crawford (66 GP): 37

GOALS-AGAINST AVERAGE (Minimum: 25 GP)
1. Carey Price (48 GP): 1.85
2. Andrew Hammond (31 GP): 1.93
3. Jake Allen (47 GP): 1.96
4. Devan Dubnyk (68 GP): 2.04
5. Braden Holtby (72 GP): 2.04

SAVE PERCENTAGE (Minimum: 25 GP)
1. Carey Price (48 GP): .937
2. Andrew Hammond (31 GP): .936
3. Cory Schneider (65 GP): .930
4. Braden Holtby (72 GP): .929
5. Devan Dubnyk (68 GP): .928

SHUTOUTS
1. Carey Price (48 GP): 9
2. Devan Dubnyk (68 GP): 9
3. Braden Holtby (72 GP): 8
4. Jake Allen (47 GP): 7
t-5. Five Goaltenders: 6

SHOTS AGAINST
1. Braden Holtby (72 GP): 2,038
2. Corey Crawford (66 GP): 1,992
3. Tuukka Rask (66 GP): 1,933
4. Mike Smith (61 GP): 1,913
5. Semyon Varlamov (63 GP): 1,885

MINUTES PLAYED
1. Braden Holtby (72 GP): 4,234
2. Jonathan Quick (71 GP): 4,117
3. Devan Dubnyk (68 GP): 3,975
4. Tuukka Rask (66 GP): 3,862
5. Corey Crawford (66 GP): 3,857

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Canucks ownership not veering from plan to remain ‘competitive’

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By Jason Brough Dec 30, 2015, 1:42 PM EST

In Buffalo, they prepared the fans for “suffering.”

In Arizona, they used the same word: “suffering.”

In Toronto, the word was “pain.”

In Calgary, it took a while, but the Flames finally admitted, “We are rebuilding.”

And, of course, we all know the path the Edmonton Oilers have taken. It’s netted them four first overall draft picks.

The Vancouver Canucks, in contrast, have taken a different approach to building what they hope is one day a Stanley Cup contender.

“We want to draft and develop well, but we want our young kids to learn how to play in a winning environment, so they learn the right way to play.”

That’s how GM Jim Benning put it in April. And that’s how he continues to put it today, despite Vancouver’s modest 14-15-9 record and the consensus that they are nowhere close to Cup contenders.

It’s also — and this is the important part — what Canucks ownership wants.

“They understand where we’re at,” Benning told The Province yesterday. “They’ve been supportive but they want to be competitive. I understand that.”

You’ll recall back in May of 2014 when the newly hired Benning called the Canucks “a team we can turn around in a hurry.”

That belief no doubt helped get Benning the job.

(A similar pitch may have helped John Tortorella get his short-lived job with the Canucks, though the Aquilinis vehemently denied through their lawyers that they were the driving force behind that ill-fated hiring.)

The big question in Vancouver is whether ownership’s pursuit of playoff revenue every year is folly. Because while the Canucks do have some good, young players, they don’t have a Connor McDavid or Jack Eichel.

Or, to put it another way, they don’t have a future Daniel Sedin or Henrik Sedin, the twins having been drafted with the second and third overall picks in 1999.

All this is why the Canucks will be interesting to watch as the trade deadline approaches. Despite their modest record, they could still make the playoffs. Nobody’s out of it yet in the Pacific Division.

So, let’s say the Canucks are still in the race come Feb. 29. Will they keep pending unrestricted free agents like Radim Vrbata and Dan Hamhuis? If healthy, those two could be worth a second-round draft pick each, if not more.

Of course, if healthy, Vrbata and Hamhuis could also help the Canucks make the playoffs, which the club maintains is the objective.

“Going into it, I knew what the job entailed,” Benning told The Province. “We needed to inject some youth and build up our prospect pool but we’re trying to be competitive and bring these kids up in a winning environment. Sometimes that’s a tough job.”

Others might call it something else.

Trying to have your cake, and eat it too.

Source: Canucks ownership not veering from plan to remain ‘competitive’ | ProHockeyTalk