CANUCKS BANTER     By Andrew Chernoff    November 16, 2015

 Vancouver (7-6-5) continues their 7-game road trip in Montreal (13-3-2), with Montreal trying to regain top spot in the NHL, and the Canucks looking to defeat the Canadians for the second time this season. 

Both teams are looking to end two game losing streaks, with the Canucks losing the battle of Ontario, to both Ottawa and Toronto.

The Canadians, suffered back to back losses to Pittsburgh and Colorado, to drop out of top spot in the NHL, as the New York Rangers jumped up to become the best team in the NHL.

Vancouver since 2000, have a record of 4-6-1 in Montreal, last winning during the 2011-12 season, by a score of 4-3.  All time record: Overall 31-79-13; at home 19-36-8; in Montreal 12-43-5.

WHO ARE THESE CANUCKS?

The Canucks, who beat the Canadians 5-1 in Vancouver on Oct. 27, do not resemble the same team.

The Canadians, having won nine straight entering that game from the start of the season, have been 4-3-2 since then. Vancouver at the time was 3-2-3, and since then have a record of 4-4-2, including that win against Montreal.

While other teams in the Pacific Division continue to climb up the standings, the Canucks are continuing their descent further down in the division with little resistance, as they continually show their inability to solve issues that continue to befell them game in and game out.

The Canucks have lost 4 of 5 games on their road trip. The only victory coming against the NHL-cellar-dwelling Columbus Blue Jackets.

Yet Vancouver has outscored the opposition in those 5 games, 12-8 at even strength.

IN NEED OF A CHARGE

• The Vancouver Canucks are getting 2.83 goals per game and are scoring scoring on 15.8 percent of their power play chances (9 of 57) overall.
• On the road, it is 12.5 percent (4 of 32).
• The power play is 2-14 on the current road trip.
• Adding insult to the man advantage: Canucks have been stung for two shorthanded goals on the road trip.

CANUCKS HEMORAGING SHORTHANDED

• Vancouver Canucks are allowing 2.56 goals per game and are killing 79.2 percent of their power play chances (42 of 53) overall.
• On the road, it is 76.7 percent (23 of 30).
• Their penalty kill, normally strong, is nearing the bottom of the NHL, has allowed 7 goals on 18 attempts during the current road stretch.
• The Canucks have surrendered a power play goal in six straight games.
• Previously they had not given up PPGs in a 6-game stretch  since the start of the 2009-10 season when they allowed PPGs in their first six games from October 1 to 16

Which Canuck team will show up tonight?? The team that beat Montreal so resoundingly on October 27? Or, the team that has struggled on their current road trip?

“I don’t think we’ve beaten ourselves that often. The thing you have to like about our team is every time they come back hard. It doesn’t matter how far we get down, doesn’t matter what’s happened, we’re hanging around at the end looking for a way to win the game.”

— Canuck coach Willie Desjardins

If the Canucks look for a way to win a game too often, they could be staring down the fairway on the 1rst hole of the Point Grey golf course in April.

CANUCKS JOTTINGS

• Ryan Miller is 0-4-1 with a 3.46 GAA over a five-game stretch in which he’s surrendered three goals or more each time
• Miller has a 27-12-6 record against Montreal.
• In 4 games on the road trip, Miller has allowed 14 goals on 115 shots, a save percentage of .878.
• Vancouver’s Jannik Hansen has 4 goals and 3 assists over his last 7 games.
• The Canucks have a power-play goal in their last two games
• Canucks C Brandon Sutter (lower body) did not practise Sunday and could miss his third straight game.
• Both D Luca Sbisa (foot) and LW Brandon Prust (ankle) rejoined the team in Toronto and practised.
• Alex Burrows could rejoin the Canucks in Montreal
• Hunter Shinkaruk called up from Utica Comets after scoring 10 goals in 12 games in the AHL could make his NHL debut against the Canadiens
• Jacob Markstrom is expected to be in goal tonight against Montreal.
• Jake Virtanen leads the team and all NHL rookies in hits with 40.
• Daniel Sedin has 13 points (4-9-13) in his last 14 games.
• Ben Hutton ranks t-second on the team and second among NHL rookies in assists (8). Hutton has four assists in the last seven
  games and had a career-high three game point/assist streak from Nov. 7-10/15. He also ranks t-third among rookies in blocked shots
  with 20.
• Ryan Miller ranks first in a number of statistical categories this season including games played/started (16), TOI (966:31) and shots
  against (452).
• Alex Edler leads VAN in time on ice (24:44) and has led the team in that category in 16 of 17 games he’s played, including nine
  games where he’s led all skaters in TOI. He currently ranks t-12th in the NHL in TOI/GP. Last season, Edler ranked first on the team
  in average ice time per game (23:58) and led the team in TOI on 59 separate occasions including 26 games where led all skaters in
  TOI.
• The Canucks have had 18 different goal scorers this season (tied for most in the League with St. Louis and Nashville)
• The Canucks are 9th in the League with 2.83 goals for per game; Their 51 goals on the year are fifth most in the NHL.
• VANCOUVER’S 2015.16 RECORD WHEN…
  Score 4+ Goals: 5-0-0
  Score 3 Goals or Less: 2-6-5
  Allow 4+ Goals: 0-2-2
  Allow 3 Goals or Less: 7-4-3
  On 0 Days Rest: 2-0-1
  On 1 Day Rest: 2-3-3
  On 2 Days Rest: 2-2-1
  On 3+ Days Rest: 0-1-1
  Score a PPG: 2-3-3
  Give up a PPG: 2-4-3
  20+ Shots on Goal: 7-6-5
  Less than 20 shots:

SEASON SNAPSHOT

The Canucks are tied for 2nd place with Arizona in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference, with 19 points, three points behind the division leader Los Angeles who have 22 points. San Jose is in 4rth place with 18 points, followed by Anaheim, Calgary and Edmonton with 14, 13 and 12 points respectively.

Vancouver is in the top 8 teams of the Western Conference tied with Arizona for the 5th most points, with 19 points. Dallas leads the conference with 28 points, five points ahead of Minnesota, Nashville and St. Louis, all with 23 points.

Canucks are in the top 16 of the NHL, tied with Tampa Bay and Arizona for the 7th most points in the league with 19 points. The New York Rangers are the best team in the league with 30 points, followed by Dallas and Montreal with 28 points each. Washington, Minnesota, Nashville and St. Louis are at their coat tails with 23 points.

Montreal leads the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference with 28 points. Ottawa is in 2nd place with 20 points, followed by Tampa Bay in 3rd place with 19 points. Boston, Detroit, Buffalo and Florida are all bunched up with 17 points each, with Toronto in cellar with 14 points.

Vancouver is led in scoring by Daniel Sedin with 16 points, including a team high 11 assists. Henrik Sedin is next with 13 points, followed by Jannik Hansen with 11 points.The Sedin brothers, Hansen and rookie Jared McCann are the top snipers for the Canucks with 5 goals apiece.

For the Canadians, Tomas Plekanec leds in scoring with 17 points, a single point ahead of Max Pacioretty, P.K. Subban and Brendan Gallagher, all with 16 points. P.K. Subban leads Montreal in assists with 15, two more than Andrei Markov who has 13 assists. The top snipers on the Canadians are Max Pacioretty, Brendan Gallagher, Dale Weise, all with 8 goals each.

CANUCKS AT A GLANCE

Statistics courtesy of the NHL, Vancouver Canucks and SportingCharts, with thanks.