GDRC – Canucks @ Senators

The Vancouver Canucks take their road show to the Capital Valley as they play the streaking Ottawa Senators tonight.

The Senators are playing their best hockey in several years, as they are working on a 10 game winning streak. With many of their injured players finally returning from injury, including Daniel Alfredsson and Jason Spezza, the Sens have hit their stride. Their 10th straight win came last night in Buffalo, so the Canucks may catch a break playing a potentially tired team.

The Canucks had their own lengthy winning streak ended Tuesday against the Canadiens, despite Vancouver out playing and out shooting Montreal. The Canucks should be able to put that loss behind them, as it wasn’t an unfair or devastating loss.

The key for the Canucks tonight is Roberto Luongo. Luongo has started poorly in two straight games, and he needs to shake his early cobwebs. This needs to be a game that Luongo steals. This needs to be a game where the Canucks play a classic, quintessential road game. The Senators have found their firepower again, so the Canucks will need to choke the Senators and clog up the play.
Tonight is a game where Ryan Kesler could be the key. If Kesler can win the majority of his face offs (he was terrible in the dot against Montreal) and get back to his grinding, chatty self and lock down the Alfie/Spezza duo, the Canucks can gut down a low scoring win.

But Luongo HAS to start better. Bobby Lu, if you’re listening, stop hitting the snooze button when the anthem is being sung. Just wake up and get out of bed.