Big game tonight! #2 team in the NHL vs #whatever team in the NHL

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/preview?gid=2011010822

The Vancouver Canucks have been setting franchise records while vaulting to the top of the Western Conference standings.

That hasn’t been enough to create a wide separation from the Detroit Red Wings.

Vancouver looks for its ninth straight victory Saturday night when it welcomes Detroit, which trails the Canucks by just two points.

The Canucks (27-8-5) set a club record by going unbeaten in regulation for the 15th straight game Friday with a 6-1 rout of Edmonton. Vancouver’s 17-1-2 mark is the best 20-game stretch in franchise history.

Vancouver hasn’t had a nine-game winning streak since a franchise-record 10 straight from Nov. 9-30, 2002.

“These are games you mark on your calendar,” said Canucks forward Ryan Kesler(notes) said about facing the Central Division leaders.

Kesler had his second hat trick this season and Daniel Sedin(notes) added two goals against the Oilers. Henrik Sedin(notes) had three assists, giving him an NHL-best 44.

Cory Schneider(notes) made 23 saves, and improved to 8-0-2 with a 2.77 goals-against average this season, but Roberto Luongo(notes) almost certainly will start this contest. Luongo—1-0-1 with a 4.40 GAA against Detroit this season— is 3-4-1 with a 3.01 GAA in eight home starts versus the Red Wings since joining Vancouver in 2006.

The only loss for Vancouver in its last 13 games was a 5-4 overtime defeat against the Red Wings on Dec. 22. Nicklas Lidstrom(notes) knotted the score at 4 with 3:54 to play before Henrik Zetterberg(notes) scored the winner.

(Saturday is) going to be a good game,” Kesler told the Canucks’ official website. “…They’ve always been a good team and we’re going to matchup as best we can against them.”

Zetterberg has five goals and six assists in a six-game points streak against Vancouver.

The Red Wings (26-10-5) have kept pace with the Canucks, going 5-1-1 over the last seven, including a 5-4 shootout win over Calgary on Friday.

Brian Rafalski’s(notes) second goal of the game made it 4-4 midway through the third period, and former Flame Todd Bertuzzi(notes) scored the only goal in the tiebreaker. Jimmy Howard(notes) finished with 35 saves, including six in overtime.

“We kept ourselves in it,” Rafalski said. “We gave ourselves a chance and we were able to get that fourth one, and battled through overtime.”

Detroit has won five of the last seven against Vancouver, and a regulation victory would tie the teams atop the NHL standings.

“They’re playing well right now so it’s going to be a big game, obviously, if you look at the standings,” Rafalski said.

The Red Wings are expected to be without veteran defenseman Brad Stuart(notes), who suffered a broken jaw on a nasty hit from Tom Kostopoulos(notes).

 

I hope Howard gets his about 60th win.

 

...Do I root for the Red Wings or the Canucks... To difficult.. >.<

 

Holy Shit, Jimmy Howard has a killer glove hand!

 

Side note, hate OT. the Pistons game aint done, so I have to watch it on the CBC

 

Killed the first penalty, 0-0 6 min left in the first

Switched to FSD. all is good!

 

2 min left of the first, Howard is a fucking stud. Luango on the other hand sucks balls...

0-0

 

Wings on the PP!

 

0-0 end of first. 47 sec left on the power play. Great game so far.

Whats the over/under on pages this thread will go with me talking to myself?

 

Power play over, didnt do crap on it. 0-0 two min in the 2nd

 

Drew Miller (Ryan's younger brother) just went head over skates, no penalty, BULLSHIT!

 

Fuck now the damn Canucks are on the PP. and they are shooting on Jimmy. Bastards

 

Penalty Kill is over, and the Wings get to go on a Power Play. 10 min left of the 2nd

 

Crap, Homer gets caught doing something dumb. 4 on 4 hockey

Shit, Canucks score on the PP

 

Daniel Sundian 7:51

 

Another puck hits the post, goalies best friend

Wings on the Power play!

 

a goal here would be huge

 

0-1 SMH this team is missing something.

 

And we are back on the PK. crap

 

4-4 hockey now. great break away by Helm