Tuesday February 9 - Vancouver Canucks 3 - Colorado Avalanche 1
The Vancouver Canucks' healthy lineup lasted a game and a half. Both Alex Edler and Brandon Sutter suffered broken bones in the Canucks' 3-1 win over the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday.
First off, here are your game highlights:
Playing his first game in nearly three weeks, Jacob Markstrom was excellent once again in net, helping the Canucks weather an aggressive Colorado attack out of the gate and rebound from a 1-0 deficit after a Francois Beauchemin goal early in the second period.
Jake Virtanen had a solid outing on the kid line, finishing the night as a plus-two and helping to facilitate what proved to be the game-winning goal by Sven Baertschi when he engaged with Tyson Barrie in front of the Colorado net.
Luca Sbisa made possibly his best-ever play as a Canuck, going end-to-end to set up Bo Horvat for the insurance marker at the 4:30 mark of the third period.
The Canucks' penalty killing was perfect, even surviving a couple of 5-on-3 disadvantages as three straight calls overlapped through the end of the first period and beginning of the second. Brandon Sutter was a key part of that, playing 3:22 shorthanded and winning a couple of big draws to help kill valuable time, but it was during Vancouver's last PK, midway through the game, that he took a puck to the face after it deflected off Alex Burrows' stick.
Horvat and Hansen replaced Sutter and Burrows as the penalty-killing forwards but Tanev and Edler stayed on the ice. On that same shift, Edler took a Tyson Barrie shot off the leg.
Broken jaws and broken legs usually take at least a couple of months to heal. That could be the season for both Sutter and Edler.
But let's not leave a nice road win on such a depressing note. One of the highlights of the game was Dan Murphy's interview with Beth Bartkowski after her son opened the scoring for the Canucks with just the third NHL goal of his career.
Even once you’ve made it to the NHL, scoring a goal always makes Mama proud.https://t.co/rUknLvROCZ
If you want more, Beth also made an appearance on TSN1040 this morning. We learn, among other things, that Jim Benning's mom and Willie Desjardins' sister are on the trip, that the Sedins are the nicest guys in the world, and that Beth is less-than-impressed by how her boy was treated during his time in Boston with the Bruins.
#TSN1040 celebrates its 15th birthday this year& Beth Bartkowski just laid claim to the coveted Best Interview Award https://t.co/8mTuzjAXgG
Given the huge influence that Trevor Linden's mom has had on the makeup of this team, is she on the trip too?
Wednesday February 10 - Vancouver Canucks at Arizona Coyotes - 6:30 p.m. - Sportsnet One - TSN1040
Vancouver Canucks: 53 GP, 21-20-12, 54 points, fifth in Pacific Division
Arizona Coyotes: 52 GP, 24-22-6, 54 points, fourth in Pacific Division
Tonight, it's the battle for fourth place in the Pacific Division standings. The Canucks and the Arizona Coyotes both enter the game with 54 points. By nights' end, one team will have 56, which will put them just two points behind the idle Colorado Avalanche and Nashville Predators, who currently hold down the Western Conference wild-card spots with 58 points.
The race may not be over yet...
Or, maybe it is. Alex Biega will draw back in on the blue line, and here are the other lineup changes we'll see tonight in Glendale:
Looks like Cracknell draws in for Sutter. Miller to start. #Canucks
As for the Coyotes, they have cooled off considerably since the Canucks dropped a 3-2 decision at Rogers Arena back on January 4. Arizona is winless in its last four games, going 0-3-1 while giving up five goals in three of those games and six goals in the fourth.
The hot streak for rookie Louis Domingue has come to an abrupt end. He was pulled after giving up five goals in two periods against Chicago last Thursday, then Anders Lindback got the start in the team's 5-2 loss to Anaheim the following night.
The Coyotes have been idle for four days since then, and will go back to Domingue tonight.
No. 1 goalie Mike Smith remains on the sidelines with core muscle surgery. Center Boyd Gordon and forward Joe Vitale are also on the shelf for Arizona.
You'll find tonight's game on Sportsnet One as Dion Phaneuf and the Ottawa Senators get the early game on the main network.
Wouldn't it be just like the Canucks to win this one against the odds? Let's see if that's how it plays out.
Vancouver Canucks Blogger • 
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