CANUCKS BANTER     By Andrew Chernoff    FEBRUARY 9, 2016

CANUCKS END FOUR GAME LOSING STREAK,

HAND AVALANCHE FOURTH STRAIGHT LOSS

The Vancouver Canucks (21-20-12) hit the road to play the Colorado Avalanche (27-25-4) tonight.

Simply put, the Canucks entered the game looking to end a 4-game losing streak with a victory against the Avalanche handing Colorado their 4rth straight loss.

Anything less would be unacceptable, and further indication that golf would be waiting for Vancouver in the Spring.

Vancouver could not find a way to win against division rival Calgary Flames, but they did against Colorado, ending their four game losing streak with a 3-1 win.

Bo Horvat with a goal and an assist (8-7=15 in last 15 games); Ben Hutton with two assists (1-5=6 in last 15 games); Matt Bartkowski (1-2=3 in last 15 games) and Sven Baertschi (5-3=8 in last 11 games) with a goal each; Alex Burrows (2-3=5 in last 15 games) with a helper; Jacob Markstrom stopped 27 of 28 shots for a .964 Sv%. to lead the Canucks, who lost defenseman Alex Edler and center Brandon Sutter for the game in the second period.

Jacob Markstrom is now 6-1-1 in his last 8 game starts, with a 2.00 GAA and .935 Sv%.

DENVER, CO – FEBRUARY 09: Goalie Jacob Markstrom #25 of the Vancouver Canucks defends the goal as Nathan MacKinnon #29 of the Colorado Avalanche and Matt Bartkowski #44 of the Vancouver Canucks look to control the puck at Pepsi Center on February 9, 2016 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

Vancouver is 6-4-3 in their last 13 games; 4-2-1 in their last 7 road games.

Arizona is up next for Vancouver, tomorrow night.

GAME REVIEW

Canucks did not have a good start to the opening period as the Avalanche were able to put a little pressure on the Canucks in their end, and make trouble around the Vancouver net.

Canucks would get the first 3 shots on net, trying to jump on the rebounds given up. Colorado got their first shot on net at 4:18.

After getting their first shot on net, the Avalanche turned up the heat, trapping the Canucks in their end, and putting shots on Markstrom who was forced to make a couple of impressive saves to keep the game scoreless.

With 11:32 remaining, Colorado was 6 for 8 on face-off wins, with the Canucks having an 4-3 edge on shots.

Last half of the opening period was being dominated by Colorado early and well into it, as they kept Vancouver in their end for a lot of time while working their magic but with Markstrom’s help, Vancouver kept frustrating the Avalanche, eventually getting some scoring chances of their own.

The Avalanche would get the first power play of the game, when Sven Baertschi would be sent off for elbowing Andrew Bodnarchuk at 16:24.

With the Avalanche with a few scoring opportunities, and pressing for more, they would get a two-man advantage when Bo Horvat would be penalized for high sticking Nathan MacKinnon at 17:47.

With one penalty killed off, and the other almost done, Luca Sbisa would receive two minutes for holding the stick of Gabriel Landeskog at 19:20, giving the Avalanche another 5-on-3 advantage, this time for 20 seconds.

The Canucks would end the period shorthanded, with the score 0-0.

After one period:

• Team Shots On Net: Colorado-10; Canucks-8; Team Hits: Colorado-6; Canucks-3
• Team Face-offs: Colorado -12/17; Canucks-5/17; Team Blocked Shots: Canucks-8; Colorado-4
• Team Takeaways: Colorado-2 ; Canucks-4 ; Team Giveaways: Colorado-4 ; Canucks-2
• Power Play: Colorado: 0/3; Penalty Kill: Canucks: 3/3
• Canucks Individual Shots:; E.Etem-2 shots; Canucks Individual Hits: l.Sbisa-2hits
• Canucks Individual Face-offs: H.Sedin: 2/6; B.Sutter: 2/7; B.Horvat: 1/4
• Teams Corsi For:
  • EV 5v5—Colorado-14; Canucks-14
  • All Strengths—Colorado-21; Canucks-15
• Canucks Individual Corsi For:
  • EV 5v5—D.Hamhuis +4; A.Burrows & L.Sbisa +3 each
  • All Strengths—A.Burrows & L.Vey +4 each; H.Sedin +2

In the middle period, the Avalanche would score early but not on the power play they came into the period with.

Francois Beauchemin, his 7th of the season, at 2:26, on a wrist shot, assisted by Jarome Iginla (15) and Alex Tanguay (17), to make it 1-0 Colorado.

The opening game goal was the second game in a row that Vancouver surrendered the opening goal.

The Canucks would get their first power play of the game when Nick Holden would be called for holding at 7:39 off a rush by Derek Dorsett who would go in on the Avalanche goalie trying to even up the score.

Just four seconds after the power play, Matt Bartkowski would get Vancouver’s tying goal, his 3rd goal of the season, to make it 1-1, at 9:43, on a snap shot, assisted by Alex Burrows (9) and Ben Hutton (13).

Sven Baertschi would be in the sin bin for the second time in the game at 10:32 for high sticking Tyson Barrie; Colorado’s fourth power play of the game. Canucks would kill their fourth penalty of the game but Brandon Sutter would be lost after getting hit in the face with a puck.

Canucks would get some good scoring chances to go up by a goal, to by stymied by the Avalanche goalie.

But persistence would pay off, as Vancouver would finally score. There would be some discussion by the referees, and the Avalanche would put a challenge in,claiming interference, but it was ruled a good goal.

Sven Baertschi, his 10th of the season, assisted by Ben Hutton (14) and Bo Horvat (15) at 16:22, to make it 2-1 Canucks.

After two periods:

• Team Shots On Net: Colorado-19; Canucks-21; Team Hits: Colorado-15; Canucks-5
• Team Face-offs: Colorado -23/34; Canucks-11/34; Team Blocked Shots: Canucks8-; Colorado-5
• Team Takeaways: Colorado-5 ; Canucks-9 ; Team Giveaways: Colorado-8 ; Canucks-4
• Power Play: Colorado: 0/4;Canucks: 0/1 Penalty Kill: Canucks: 4/4; Colorado: 1/1
• Canucks Individual Shots: J.Virtanen-3; 5 Canucks with 2 each. Canucks Individual Hits: L.Sbisa-2.
• Canucks Individual Face-offs: L.Vey: 5/8; B.Sutter: 2/11; H.Sedin: 2/7; B.Horvat: 1/7.
• Teams Corsi For:
  • EV 5v5—Colorado-22; Canucks-27
  • All Strengths—Colorado-33; Canucks-32
• Canucks Individual Corsi For:
  • EV 5v5—A.Burrows, J.Virtanen & L.Vey +5 each; A.Edler, H.Sedin, D.Sedin, C.Tanev-+4 each.
  • All Strengths—H.Sedin +8; D.Sedin +7; J.Virtanen & R.Vrbata- +5 each.

Canucks started the final period without Alex Edler or Brandon Sutter, both injured in the second period.

Vancouver looking to finish the period the way they started it, with the lead, and end their four game losing streak.

Luca Sbisa, would get the puck from Jacob Markstrom, who make a great rush down the ice, setting up Bo Horvat for the 3-1 goal, to go up by two goal over Colorado.

Horvat, his 10th goal of the season, on a wrist shot at 4:30, assisted by Luca Sbisa (5) and Jacob Markstrom (2).

With 8:04 left in the game, shots in the period were even at 5 each but the Avalanche were leading in face-off wins at this point of the game, 31 to 13.

Colorado pulled their goalie Varlamov with 3:38 left to get an extra attacker in an effort to get within a goal of Vancouver.

The ploy would not work for the Avalanche and Vancouver would win the game 3-1.

After three periods:

• Team Shots On Net: Colorado-30; Canucks-28; Team Hits: Colorado-25; Canucks-8
• Team Face-offs: Colorado-35/53; Canucks-18/53; Team Blocked Shots: Canucks-13; Colorado-7
• Team Takeaways: Colorado-7 ; Canucks-9;  Team Giveaways: Colorado-11 ; Canucks-5
• Power Play: Colorado: 0/4; Canucks: 0/1.   Penalty Kill: Canucks: 4/4 Colorado: 1/1
• Canucks Individual Shots: B.Hutton, M.Bartkowski, J.Virtanen: 3 each.  Canucks Individual Hits: L.Sbisa: 3.
• Canucks Individual Face-offs: L.Vey: 6/10; H.Sedin: 6/15; B.Horvat: 3/16; B.Sutter: 2/11
• Teams Corsi For:
  • EV 5v5—Colorado-41; Canucks-41
  • All Strengths—Colorado-52; Canucks-46
• Canucks Individual Corsi For:
  • EV 5v5—J.Virtanen +6; H.Sedin, D.Sedin, A.Burrows, A.Edler: +4 each; L.Vey & C.Tanev: +3 each.
  • All Strengths—H.Sedin +8; D.Sedin +7; J.Virtanen +6; A.Burrows +3

CANUCKS BANTER     By Andrew Chernoff    FEBRUARY 9, 2016

The Vancouver Canucks (20-20-12) hit the road to play the Colorado Avalanche (27-24-4) tonight.

The Canucks enter the game looking to end a 4-game losing streak while the Avalanche are looking to end a three game losing streak.

Jacob Markstrom, who is 5-1-1 in his last 7-game starts, with a 2.08 GAA and .931 Sv%, will start against Colorado.

CANUCKS PREVIOUS GAME

Vancouver could not find a way to win against division rival Calgary Flames, and dealt themselves a serious blow to their playoff chances, as they lost their 4rth consecutive game; including all three games on their brief home stand, as the Flames out battled and out worked the Canucks to win 4-1.

Emerson Etem had the lone Vancouver goal; Linden Vey had an assist; Alex Burrows had a helper; Ryan Miller stopped 26 of 28 shots for a .929 Sv%.

CANUCKS JOTTINGS

• Only Toronto has fewer wins (19) than Vancouver (20) in the NHL.
• Canucks have the fewest wins (20) in the Pacific division, and are just 3 points ahead of Calgary and 5 point in front of Edmonton. Calgary has 1 game in hand on Vancouver; Canucks have 2 games in hand on the Oilers.
• Canuck Point Leaders In 2016:
  • Bo Horvat: 7-6=13 in 14 games played
  • Daniel Sedin: 5-2=7 in 14 games played
  • Chris Tanev: 1-6=7 in 14 games played
  • Linden Vey: 2-6=7 in 14 games played
  • Sven Baertschi: 4-3=7 in 12 games played
• Power play is 1 for 12 in last 8 games.
• Penalty kill: 26 for 29 for 89.7 percent in last 12 games.
• Canucks are averaging 2.31 goals per game. For an 82 game schedule the estimate is Vancouver will finish with 189 goals. The least number of goals ever scored by a Vancouver team in a full season of 82 games are 192 by the 1998-99 Canucks. 
  • Vancouver need to average 2.4 goals per game over their last 30 games for a minimum 193 goals, to avoid 2015-16 being the season for the least number of goals ever scored by a Vancouver team.
• Bo Horvat has 13 points (7-6-13) in his last 13 games, including 7 points (4-3-7) in his last seven home games. He has the second most points by any player under 21 since the start of the calendar year. Earlier this season, Horvat established a career-high sixgame point streak (6-3-9), spanning from Jan. 4-15.
• Bo Horvat ranks 14th in the League in faceoffs wins (470), ninth in defensive zone faceoff wins (207), and t-sixth in faceoff wins when Vancouver is ahead (174).
• Canucks players aged 23 or younger that have appeared in the lineup thus far (Baertschi, Horvat, Hutton, Virtanen, McCann, Gaunce, Shinkaruk, Pedan, Etem and Zalewski) have accounted for 23.1% of points (75), 25.0% of goals (30), 22.0% of assists (45), and 23.5% of shots (354) for the team this season.
• 10 of 13 players that have made their Canucks debut this season have tallied at least a point
• According to Elias Sports, with their win on Jan. 11 vs FLA, the Canucks became the first NHL team to end streaks of two opponents, each streak of 9+ games, before Feb. 1 of a season

COL0RADO AVALANCHE NOTES

• This is the finale of a four-game home stand for Colorado, which  has gone 0-2-1 in the first three games of the home stand, allowing an average of more than 40 shots per game.
• Colorado will play six of its next seven on the road after tonight.
• Colorado leads all NHL teams with 944 blocked shots, over 100 more than the next closest team (Calgary 842). Francois Beauchemin leads all NHL players with 173 blocked shots, just 21 shy of his career high (194) set with Anaheim in 2011-12.
• Jarome Iginla appeared in his 1,447th career game on Saturday, passing Tim Horton (1,446) for sole possession of 23rd place on the NHL’s all-time games played list. Iggy scored his 600th career goal on Jan. 4 vs. Los Angeles, making him the 19th player in NHL history to reach that milestone. He potted his 602nd goal on Jan. 18 in Winnipeg, passing Jari Kurri for 18th place on the NHL’s all-time goal-scoring list. Iginla’s 602nd goal was his 96th game winner, tying Mats Sundin for ninth place all-time.
• The Avs have pulled their goaltender when trailing in the third period and scored on six different occasions this season. The last two, both by Nathan MacKinnon and both against the Blues, tied the game and led to an Avalanche victory. The Avs have actually scored seven times with the goalie pulled this year but one of those was on a delayed penalty (Jan. 18 at Winnipeg).

PACIFIC DIVISION STANDINGS

VANCOUVER CANUCKS ADVANCED STATISTICS

FEBRUARY 1, 2016  TO  FEBRUARY 5, 2016

EVEN STRENGTH 5V5

http://war-on-ice.com/

ALL TEAM STRENGTHS

http://war-on-ice.com/

CANUCKS PLAYER STATS

AVALANCHE PLAYER STATS

STATISTICS COURTESY OF THE NHL AND VANCOUVER CANUCKS