Avs vs Nucks (part 4)

[Bronx33]

http://www.nhl.com/scores/previews/244_2_preview.html

Avalanche-Canucks Preview

GAME: Colorado Avalanche (8-4-2) at Vancouver Canucks (10-4-2).

TIME: Thursday, 10 p.m. EST.

Having lost four straight on the road, the Vancouver Canucks will be happy to have the chance to remain perfect at home when they host the Colorado Avalanche.
Click here to find out more!

Vancouver and Carolina are the only teams yet to lose at home this season. During their 7-0 start at GM Place, the Canucks have outscored opponents 30-16.

Colorado was responsible for starting Vancouver's road losing streak, as it won two straight home games from the Canucks two weeks ago. The Avalanche posted a 6-2 victory on Oct. 27 and came away with a 4-3 overtime win two days later.

During the overtime defeat, Canucks goaltender Dan Clouter sustained a concussion that has kept him out of the lineup since. Cloutier has begun practicing with his teammates and could start Thursday, or Sunday at home against Detroit.

"He could start I suppose," Canucks coach Marc Crawford said. "Right now we've told Alex (Auld) to be ready. With Dan we want to give him the opportunity to recuperate and feel as good as he possibly can."

Auld has started all four games in Cloutier's absence, allowing nine goals while splitting four decisions.

Vancouver was called for three penalties in the final four minutes of a 4-3 loss in Calgary on Monday.

"We took some penalties that we were responsible for and by veteran people and those things we have to correct and correct quickly." Crawford said.

Avalanche center Pierre Turgeon became the 34th player in NHL history to score 500 goals, reaching the milestone in a 5-2 victory over San Jose on Tuesday.

"The last couple games I've been thinking about it and it's nice to get it out of the way," said Turgeon, who has five goals and nine assists in 14 games in his first season with the Avalanche.

"It's a nice milestone to reach."

Colorado, which plays nine of its next 12 games on the road, finished its six-game homestand at 5-0-1 - the franchise's best extended trip since moving to Denver from Quebec in 1995.

Goaltender David Aebischer made 31 saves Tuesday to win his sixth straight game, tying a career high.

"Sometimes it doesn't really matter how you win, just as long as you win," said Aebischer. "I've been playing, I would say, pretty good of late and I can be happy that we score a lot of goals. That helps."

The Avs are averaging 4.3 goals per game this season, third-highest in the league.

STANDINGS (through Nov. 9): Avalanche - 18 points, 2nd place (tied), 4 PB, Northwest Division. Canucks - 22 points, 1st place, Northwest Division.

TEAM LEADERS: Avalanche - Marek Svatos and Antti Laaksonen, 6 goals; John-Michael Liles, 11 assists and 16 points; Ian Laperriere, 34 PIM. Canucks - Markus Naslund, 10 goals and 18 points; Ed Jovanovski, 11 assists; Wade Brookbank, 34 PIM.

SPECIAL TEAMS (through Nov. 9): Avalanche - Power play: 22.3 percent (21 for 94), 4th (tied) in NHL. Penalty killing: 87.6 percent (78 for 89), 3rd (tied). Canucks - Power play: 17.2 percent (20 for 116), 18th. Penalty killing: 80.0 percent (76 for 95), 20th (tied).

GOALTENDERS: Avalanche - Aebischer (7-3-0, 0 SO, 3.11 GAA); Peter Budaj (1-1-2, 2.66). Canucks - Auld (5-2-1, 2.25); Cloutier (5-2-1, 3.54).

SEASON SERIES: Avalanche, 2-1-0.

LAST MEETING: Oct. 29; Avalanche, 4-3 (OT). At Denver, Laperriere scored on a breakaway in overtime as the Avs swept back-to-back home games from the Canucks.

ROAD/HOME RECORDS: Avalanche - 6-2-2 on the road; Canucks - 7-0-0 at home.

[Bronx33]

Anybody watching? avs up 4-0 in the FIRST!

[Dudeskey]

I'm listening on NHL.com. I'm currently in nor-Cal, so I'm not sure I can get the game up around here... on TV that is

[Bronx33]

I'm listening on NHL.com. I'm currently in nor-Cal, so I'm not sure I can get the game up around here... on TV that is

So far so good.....we are buzzing the net.

[Dudeskey]

damnit, Vancouver scored on the PP, Jovanovski w/ the goal, Naslund & Morrison get cred 4 the assist

[Dudeskey]

Bert scores... looks like we got ourselves a hockey game.

[Dudeskey]

Sounds like Quenneville got too conservative on that 4 goal lead, they better get Vancouver back on the defensive, otherwise the Avs will be in big trouble before the periods out

[Bronx33]

4-2 avs after 2

[Bronx33]

Sounds like Quenneville got too conservative on that 4 goal lead, they better get Vancouver back on the defensive, otherwise the Avs will be in big trouble before the periods out


Naw the nucks just poured it on, if not for bish it would have been worse.

[Bronx33]

Bert scores... looks like we got ourselves a hockey game.

I would have rather fagtuzzi not score but he was wide open.

[Dudeskey]

Naw the nucks just poured it on, if not for bish it would have been worse.

Yeah, 14 SOG in the 2nd, looks like they kept Abby plenty busy...

[Dudeskey]

Man, thank god for Skrastins' shorty. They're spending waaay too much time killing penalties. Need to stay out of the sin bin, boys...

[Bronx33]

Avs Win 5-3!

[Clockwork Orange]

This was a game that the Avs would have blown a few weeks ago, but the difference now is that they're getting the big saves at key times from Aebischer. Aebi's won his last 7 starts and really looks like he's in a groove.

More balanced scoring from the Avs. 5 goals, 5 different goal scorers. Gotta love that.

Now the Avs are just 2 points back of Vancouver with 2 games in hand. On to Calgary.

[Bronx33]

This was a game that the Avs would have blown a few weeks ago, but the difference now is that they're getting the big saves at key times from Aebischer. Aebi's won his last 7 starts and really looks like he's in a groove.

More balanced scoring from the Avs. 5 goals, 5 different goal scorers. Gotta love that.

Now the Avs are just 2 points back of Vancouver with 2 games in hand. On to Calgary.


WE OWN THE NUCKS!

[Bronx33]

http://www.nhl.com/nhlstats/stats

[Clockwork Orange]

As great as the Avs have been since their arrival in Denver, they've never had a 3rd line even close to as productive as this one. Be it Brunette or Konowalchuk playing on the wing with Laaksonen & Lappy, they've been unreal. The Avs top line has been great in spurts this season, but they haven't really got it going full steam yet. But that's where the depth and balance of this team have been huge. Now that they're getting solid goaltending, it's translating into wins.

[Bronx33]

As great as the Avs have been since their arrival in Denver, they've never had a 3rd line even close to as productive as this one. Be it Brunette or Konowalchuk playing on the wing with Laaksonen & Lappy, they've been unreal. The Avs top line has been great in spurts this season, but they haven't really got it going full steam yet. But that's where the depth and balance of this team have been huge. Now that they're getting solid goaltending, it's translating into wins.

3rd line put my heart at ease with the SHG that's for sure....

[Smiling Assassin27]

it's all about matchups...avs matchup favorably with the nucks. wings do not, unfortunately. but hey, we can beat Columbus anyday, anytime!

[Mtbrncofn]

What a game! You could have heard a pin drop in GM Place in that first period. :devil:

[Bronx33]

What a game! You could have heard a pin drop in GM Place in that first period. :devil:

Did you hear Mcnabb? he made a funny! He said the crowd was so quite they were listening to him and doug.

[Swedish Extrovert]

I just hope they have it in them for Nov 20th game @ Pepsi.... I'll be there.

[Mtbrncofn]

Did you hear Mcnabb? he made a funny! He said the crowd was so quite they were listening to him and doug.

That's a scary thought, but those Nuck fans do deserve punishment. Ha!

[Bronx33]

http://www.nhl.com/scores/recaps/244_2_recap.html

Colorado Avalanche 5 FINAL 300K | 700K
Canucks Vancouver Canucks 3

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) - The Colorado Avalanche needed only 13 minutes to wreck the Vancouver Canucks' seven-game winning streak at home.

Ian Laperriere, Joe Sakic, Marek Svatos and Antti Laaksonen staked the Avalanche to a four-goal lead, and David Aebischer helped them hold on for a 5-3 victory that snapped the Canucks' perfect home record Thursday night.
Click here to find out more!

"We were ready to go," Sakic said. "We had our legs going and we were skating well and we probably caught them flat. It was a good start for us."

Ed Jovanovski and Todd Bertuzzi cut the 4-0 deficit in half early in the second, but Karlis Skrastins ended any suspense with a short-handed goal in the third for Colorado, which won for the sixth time in seven games, including three against Vancouver.

Aebischer made the best of his 25 saves by killing off four straight penalties in the third period - including a lengthy 5-on-3 disadvantage - as the Avalanche moved two points behind the Northwest Division-leading Canucks despite playing two fewer games.

"We had to weather the storm big time in the second period, but Abby made some big saves for us to keep it a two-goal game," Sakic said.

Richard Park scored the other Vancouver goal with 1:43 left as the Canucks lost for the first time in eight home games. They have dropped five of seven overall.

"We came out flat," said Canucks captain Markus Naslund, who had two assists. "We've gotten away with a few (slow starts) against lesser skilled teams but I think it's time for us to take a good look in the mirror now and start preparing to find a way to be ready early in games."

They certainly weren't ready against Colorado.

It only took 46 seconds for Laperriere to open the scoring after he was left alone at the side of the Vancouver net to bang in a backdoor pass from Andrew Brunette. A rebound bounced in off Sakic at 3:49, and Svatos made it 3-0 less than three minutes later on a 2-on-0 break with Steve Konowalchuk after Jovanovski gave the puck away, then fell down trying to recover.

The Avalanche registered the first 15 shots before Vancouver recorded its first with 7:15 left in the period, drawing mock cheers from the home crowd. That was all that Canucks fans had to applaud in the first as Laaksonen drove around Jovanovski and banked a shot in off Alex Auld at 12:51 to make it 4-0.

"I think it comes down to work ethic," Naslund said. "We're getting outbattled. They didn't do anything fancy, they got the puck deep and they outworked us."

Vancouver turned the tables by outshooting Colorado 14-3 in the second.

Jovanovski scored a power-play goal 1:17 into the period, and Bertuzzi beat Aebischer from the top of the slot midway through, prompting a Colorado timeout.

"All of a sudden we had a hockey game and still 30 to 35 minutes to play," said Aebischer, who made big saves off Naslund and Henrik Sedin before Skrastins extended the lead on a long shot through traffic 7:57 into the third.

"I didn't have much to do early, but you just have to stay focused," added Aebischer, who won his seventh straight start. "It's never easy when you don't get a lot of work but I stayed in there and did pretty well."

Auld also made 25 saves.

Notes: Sakic's goal was the 548th of his career, moving him into a tie for 21st on the NHL list with Michel Goulet, who works in the Avalanche front office and was in attendance. ... The Canucks are 10-5-2, but all seven losses have come against division opponents. ... Vancouver had outscored opponents 30-16 at home. ... Colorado LW Andrew Brunette extended his point streak to six games. He has two goals and seven assists in that stretch. ... Vancouver G Dan Cloutier dressed as Auld's backup, his first game since suffering a concussion against the Avalanche on Oct. 29.

[Mtbrncofn]

What do you guys think the odds are of Lappy staying around? I love that guy and am thinking of a jersey, but I don't want to invest if he's going to be gone next year.

[Bronx33]

What do you guys think the odds are of Lappy staying around? I love that guy and am thinking of a jersey, but I don't want to invest if he's going to be gone next year.

Pretty good for now, having a guy like that in the locker room is good for team morale, but he is no youngster i wouldn't take the chance a liles jersey would probably go a long way.

[Mtbrncofn]

I know, that's the one thing that held me back. His age. I've still got others on the list that I need to get. ;) Liles is there, but he's down the list a bit. I'd trade my two Forsberg jerseys off for a couple of different ones. ;D

[Bronx33]

I know, that's the one thing that held me back. His age. I've still got others on the list that I need to get. ;) Liles is there, but he's down the list a bit. I'd trade my two Forsberg jerseys off for a couple of different ones. ;D

I have one and that's a sakic which my family got me in 96....

[Mtbrncofn]

I'm embarassed to admit this, but I don't have a Sakic one. Well I do kinda, I have a practice jersey of his and an All star one too. For some reason, I like to buy two of the others I have. I have 2 Hejduk, 2 Roy, 2 Forsberg, Hinote, Blake. Saks is definitely top priority for me now, but I'd like a Tang and Svatos next possibly.

[Dudeskey]

This was a game that the Avs would have blown a few weeks ago, but the difference now is that they're getting the big saves at key times from Aebischer. Aebi's won his last 7 starts and really looks like he's in a groove.

More balanced scoring from the Avs. 5 goals, 5 different goal scorers. Gotta love that.

Now the Avs are just 2 points back of Vancouver with 2 games in hand. On to Calgary.

I think its a combination of goaltending and defense. The Goaltending was always there, but the defense had been poor at first. I just think the rest of the team needed some time to gel out there.

[Mtbrncofn]

I wasn't too impressed with the goaltending in the first few games either. He let some crap in. He's much improved on this run he's got going.