GDRC – Avalanche @ Canucks

What’s that? There’s a Canucks gane today? God, it’s been so long, I almost forgot they were playing this season.

I kid, I kid…

The Colorado Avalance visit GM Place and look to avenge a huge blow out loss in Denver almost a week. That lopsided victory was the Canucks’ last game, meaning they will be either well-rested or well-rusty.

The Vancouver Canucks are coming off a long layoff and a huge victory to end a five-game road trip. The Avalanche have sputtered lately, after a blistering start. The Avs have lost 4 ouf their last 5, and 6 of their last 9. Specifically, the Avs defence has gone completely stale, as they have allowed 24 goals on their last 5 games.

There is still some speculation that Daniel Sedin may play tonight after missing 17 games with a broken foot. It is unlikely, as he is a probable starter on Sunday.

There is also speculation that Matt Pettinger has been placed on waivers, to clear way for an injured player to make his way back on to the roster. Pettinger has been a serviceable replacement for the Canucks in the last two weeks, so it would be a shame to lose him. While Pettinger has played on 6 games, he has made more of an impact than Kyle Wellwood, both on the scoresheet and on the ice overall.

Tonight’s game is the first of a five-game home stand. The Canucks will be looking to establish control early… and basically duplicate their effort and game plan from their last game, when they shellacked the Avs in Denver.

As the Canucks begin the second quarter of their season, they look to get more output for a number of underperforming forwards and defencemen.

Up front, Kyle Wellwood, Steve Bernier and Alex Burrows have all failed to live up to early expectations. On the blueline, much of the defence needs to improve quickly. With the exception of Christian Ehrhoff, the entire defensive line-up needs to ramp up their game physically and mentally. Let’s hope that they start getting their game back on track tonight against a tired and inexperienced Avalanche team.