Vancouver Canucks at Edmonton Oilers - Saturday November 1 - 7:00 p.m. - CBC, TSN1040 radio
Vancouver Canucks 7-3-0 second in Pacific Division
Edmonton Oilers 4-5-1 sixth in Pacific Division
The Vancouver Canucks will try to extend their winning streak to four games as they travel to Edmonton to face the Oilers for a Saturday night contest.
The big news for the Canucks is that they'll be without the services of Alex Burrows, who was suspended for three games for his hit on Alexei Emelin of the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday night. The Department of Player Safety deemed the hit to be both illegal (high) and late, though Burrows insisted that he was just finishing his check.
Here's the video explanation:
Though Burrows has never been suspended in his career and does not have a reputation as a dirty hitter, he has received four disciplinary fines in his career and is certainly on the league's radar as an agitator who gets under other teams' skin, so it's not like he went into the hearing with a squeaky-clean reputation.
I wasn't surprised that he received some punishment, though I was expecting less than three games. I think his case was hurt by the fact that a goal was scored on the subsequent play—though Emelin had given the puck away well before Burrows arrived.
He may also have been handled firmly because the league's disciplinarians haven't had much to do so far this season. Burrows' suspension came just three days after the league handed down a five-game ban to John Scott of the New York Rangers for this hit to the head of Erik Haula. Compare and contrast if you wish:
With Bo Horvat still down in Utica, it's somewhat ironic that Burrows' suspension will mean that tough guy Tom Sestito draws into the lineup for the first time this season. Jannik Hansen will move up to Burrows' spot on the second line, while Sestito will likely play with Dorsett and Vey.
Ryan Stanton should also be ready to return to the lineup, though there's no word yet on where he'll slot in. Frank Corrado was returned to Utica on Thursday once Stanton was cleared for game action.
Ryan Miller gets his fourth straight start. He's 9-0-0 in his career against the Oilers.
Brad Ziemer has
an interesting piece on Miller in yesterday's
Vancouver Sun. Though the goalie arrived in town with a reputation for the dramatic and a predisposition to cast blame on his teammates when things go wrong, the veteran free agent has been the consummate professional so far—though he's avoided the tough scrutiny at Rogers Arena by winning every one of his games to date.
The calm waters haven't materialized by accident, though. Miller's making an effort to play the role of a steady anchor who gives his teammates confidence:
I think I have played my most consistent hockey when I have been pretty quiet, pretty boring, so I am trying to do that and I think that fits in well with what the team needs. We have enough veteran guys here and I think they want to see that in the back end.
Canucks fans grew accustomed to seeing Roberto Luongo display every on-ice emotion in big, dramatic gestures and body language, so Miller's calm efficiency is a real change.
I'm still not willing to get ahead of myself and proclaim that this team has solved all its problems. Remember, it was one year ago today that the Sedins signed their four-year contract extensions after an outstanding start under that last coach.
The Canucks went into November last year with a 9-5-1 record—not that different from this season's 7-3, except that they'd played more games. We really won't know where we're at until we see how the team hangs together after Christmas.
Markstrom Falls Just Short
Speaking of goaltending, Jacob Markstrom got his chance to go for the AHL shutout record on Friday night in Utica. He needed 36:04 of shutout hockey to hit the mark but fell just short, allowing the first goal of the game just 5:55 into the first period.
The Comets ended up dropping the decision to the Binghamton Senators in overtime by a score of 4-3, pushing their record to 6-1-2. Bo Horvat was pointless once again, with one shot on goal and a penalty.
The Comets are back in action tonight against the Adirondack Flames, then Horvat will likely be available to step in during the third game of Burrows' suspension, Tuesday night in Colorado.
Vancouver Canucks Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»