Daniel Sedin 2 points from 1,000; Canucks lose to Devils, prep for Rangers (brandon sutter)

brandon sutter

Daniel Sedin 2 points from 1,000; Canucks lose to Devils, prep for Rangers

By Carol Schram

Nov 25, 2017 • 3:19 pm

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Friday November 25 - New Jersey Devils 3 - Vancouver Canucks 2

Since Cory Schneider was traded at the 2013 draft, the New Jersey Devils are now 7-1-2 against the Vancouver Canucks after sweeping their 2017-18 season series on Friday at Prudential Centre in Newark. Coach John Hynes is now a perfect 6-0 against Vancouver since taking over behind the Devils bench at the beginning of the 2015-16 season.

Here are your highlights:

The new-look Devils played a complete game on Friday.

Highlights included Taylor Hall's crushing-but-clean hit on Brock Boeser....

...and Will Butcher's ridiculous speed as he charged down Main St. to set up Brian Boyle for a power-play goal...

Jersey's rookies Butcher, Nico Hischier and Jesper Bratt all played strong games, and Boyle got a massive ovation for his goal after joining his wife and kids as part of the ceremonial puck drop to open the game on Hockey Fights Cancer night.

Our old pal Hall had a heckuva game at both ends of the ice with a goal and two assists, four hits, four takeaways and a blocked shot.

Meanwhile, Brock Boeser's four-game goal streak came to the end but he did pick up an assist on Bo Horvat's third-period power-play marker—and played a season-high 19:37. B.C. boy Mathew Barzal of the New York Islanders had a two-point night against Philly and is on a five-game point streak of his own, so he's now tied with Boeser at the top of the rookie points race with 22, two ahead of Arizona's Clayton Keller.

The bright spot for the Canucks on Friday was a goal and an assist for Daniel Sedin, which gives him four points on this road trip so far after a five-game point drought. That nudges him two points away from 1,000.

Daniel's trying to keep it low-key but his brother offered some perspective to Ben Kuzma of The Province after the game:

“It’s exciting,… said Henrik. “When it happened to me, I didn’t realize how big a thing it was for me until it happened. I’m sure it’s going to be the same thing for him.

“He never talks about it or thinks about it and maybe not until today. But two points away? When it happens, it’s going to be fun for him.…

Meanwhile Iain MacIntyre acknowledged that this really might be the last go 'round for the Sedins when he spoke with Schneider:

It'll be cathartic and perhaps a bit bittersweet when Daniel finally hits the milestone. Will it be during the last three games of this trip, or after the team gets back home?

Two other notes from Friday's game:

• Brandon Sutter was knocked out of the game by a John Moore hit early in the third period. He took one four-second shift on the penalty kill in the late stages of the game, but that was it. With an early game on Sunday, the Canucks are off the ice today so we probably won't get an update on his status until gametime against the Rangers.

• With the return of Tanev and Stecher, Alex Biega was bumped back to the press box and short-term call-up Philip Holm was returned to the Utica Comets.

After missing just over a month with his knee injury, Stecher's best moment was when he upended Brian Boyle, who's practically twice his size.

The image of the Sutter collision is the cover photo of Friday night's Provies, which also contains video of Stecher's hit on Boyle...and many other things.

Sunday November 26 - Vancouver Canucks at New York Rangers - 11 a.m. - Sportsnet, Sportsnet 650

Vancouver Canucks: 23 GP, 11-9-3, 25 pts, fourth in Pacific Division New York Rangers: 23 GP, 12-9-2, 26 pts, fifth in Metropolitan Division

Since the Canucks' next game comes on Sunday morning, I'll quickly set it up here, then meet you on the other side on Monday.

After a 1-5-2 start to the season that sparked rumours that Alain Vigneault might be fired, the New York Rangers have righted the ship and are riding a seven-game home winning streak into Sunday's matchup against the Canucks. Rumours of the demise of 36-year-old Henrik Lundqvist may be exaggerated. He has given up just two goals in his last three games.

The Rangers will be without captain Ryan McDonagh on Sunday—he'll miss his third straight game with an abdominal injury. The marvellously named forward Boo Nieves is also questionable.

Sunday will be our first chance to see Kevin Shattenkick in Rangers colours. His numbers are about what I'd expect—second on the team in ice time and with a team-worst minus-five, but also with 17 points in 22 games including nine on an effective power play. The 28-year-old is on track for 18 goals and 61 points, which would both be career highs.

MSG will be another homecoming for MDZ on this trip. He was drafted by the Rangers back in 2008. Kuzma had a great story about how Del Zotto spent Thanksgiving with a child with cerebral palsy that he connected with back during his Rangers days:

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