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Vancouver Canucks Game Review / Game Day: Blues Beaten, Bring on the Avs

October 24, 2014, 2:10 PM ET [219 Comments]
Carol Schram
Vancouver Canucks Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
Thursday October 23 - Vancouver Canucks 4 - St. Louis Blues 1

Though the St. Louis Blues are a flu-ridden bunch who now sit fifth in the Central Division, I think they still count as a playoff-caliber team. Just like last year, the Canucks beat them again on Thursday.

Here are your highlights:



The second line got it done on Thursday. Chris Higgins, Nick Bonino and Alex Burrows posted two points apiece, while Linden Vey added a power-play goal AND went 56 percent in the faceoff circle and Jannik Hansen added a perfect empty-netter to seal the deal.

Perhaps the most impressive part of the game was the Canucks' ability and willingness to hold the fort in the third period—not something we saw very often last year. The shots were 15-4 for the Blues in the final frame, but Ryan Miller was outstanding in net and gave Vancouver the opportunity to score when the rare opportunities presented themselves.

Two points against a non-Alberta team, with a great performance from the $6 million goalie. I'll take it!

The win also sets up the Canucks for a chance to finish .500 or better on the road trip after tonight's game against the Colorado Avalanche.

Vancouver Canucks Game Day - Friday October 24 at Colorado Avalanche - 6:00 p.m. - Sportsnet One

Vancouver Canucks 4-2-0 fifth in Pacific Division
Colorado Avalanche 1-4-2 seventh in Central Division

Much like last year, the Canucks need to win just to keep pace with the big boys in the Pacific Division—and Calgary, this season. Vancouver still has games in hand but currently sits in the Western Conference's final wild card spot.

For Colorado, it's almost like their great 2013-14 season never happened. They're back in the Central Division basement with just one win in their first seven games.

Calder Trophy winner Nathan MacKinnon has no goals, three assists and is a minus-five so far this season, which is pretty typical of the whole lineup. Jarome Iginla actually has one of the team's better stat lines with four assists and an even plus-minus, playing primarily with Matt Duchene and a rotating cast of left-wingers—and has a tendency to get up for games against Vancouver, no matter what jersey he's wearing.

Denver Post beat writer Adrian Dater reports that this is a big game for the Avs, who are still looking for their first win of the year at Pepsi Center. Patrick Roy says he wants his players to look inside themselves and bring individual accountability to tonight's game.



Colorado's coming off two days' rest. Their last game was a 4-3 overtime loss to Roberto Luongo and the Florida Panthers in Denver on Tuesday.

Goaltender Semyon Varlamov has missed the last three games with a groin injury, but is expected to be back in action tonight.

The Canucks are not skating due to their travel day, so there's no word on potential lineup changes or a starting goalie. I'm going to guess that Eddie Lack will get the call.

For a team that virtually gave away two goaltenders in the past two years, Vancouver has somehow found itself with some seriously impressive depth in net, which gets better and better as we go down the depth chart.

On balance, Miller and Lack have been fine with the big club. Jacob Markstrom and Joacim Eriksson have been solid in Utica. And one notch further down the ladder:


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