Tag Archives: edmonton oilers

Luongo to start Game 1 as Schneider ‘not healthy enough’ to face Sharks

Posted on May 1, 2013 by admin in Sun Hockey | No comments

VANCOUVER - A routine morning skate for the Vancouver Canucks turned into another circus when Roberto Luongo came off the ice ahead of No. 1 goalie Cory Schneider and revealed he would be starting Game 1 tonight against the San Jose Sharks.

Schneider has been nursing an undisclosed “body injury” but skated on his own Sunday and then practised with the full team both Monday and Tuesday. He was also the first netminder on the ice for today's morning skate.

“Schneids is just not healthy enough right now,” said Canuck head coach Alain Vigneault. “We had an idea Tuesday and we told Louie before he left to be ready. This morning, when we talked to Schneids before practice, it was a pretty easy decision. I don't think for our group that having Roberto in goal is a concern. He's a pretty good goalie. He's been through a lot of battles and played some really solid hockey for us. ”

Joe Cannata,...

Canucks game-day shocker: Luongo to start Game 1 vs. Sharks

Posted on May 1, 2013 by admin in Province Hockey | No comments

Who’s the Canucks’ No. 1 goalie?

It’s never been murkier than now. Roberto Luongo told reporters after the Canucks’ gameday skate that he will be starting Game 1 tonight against the San Jose Sharks.

It was a stunning announcement. After all, Cory Schneider returned to practice Monday after being sidelined for five days with a mysterious ailment. He then practised again Tuesday, and looked good. And this morning at 10 a.m., once again, Schneider had as much work as Luongo. And then, Luongo left the ice first — the sign that he would be tonight’s starter.

After Schneider played well in last Monday’s win over the Chicago Blackhawks, Luongo started and lost Thursday’s home regular season finale against Anaheim, then got shelled late in the third period in a blowout loss to the Edmonton Oilers Saturday night.

The Province’s Jim Jamieson tweeted: “Luongo undefeated vs Sharks this season. Also hasn’t played against them …”

Brown to Bure (@BrowntoBure) added: “Cory Schneider just put...

Canucks notes: Vancouver hopes to erase final two games from memory bank

Posted on April 28, 2013 by admin in Sun Hockey | No comments

EDMONTON -- It was up to defenceman Kevin Bieksa to state the obvious after the Vancouver Canucks' regular season ended the most ugly way imaginable.

"We kind of became unravelled," Bieksa said after the Canucks dropped a 7-2 decision to the Edmonton Oilers in their regular-season finale on Saturday night. "Not the ideal way to finish the season, but we have to put it behind us and get ready for Game 1."

That may be easier for some than others. Goalie Roberto Luongo was lit up for six third-period goals -- including five in span of 3:35 -- and left the arena without speaking to the media.

The Canucks can take some comfort in the fact it was a mean-nothing game with a lineup missing many of the team's top players. Daniel Sedin, Alex Burrows, Jason Garrison, Dan Hamhuis and Alex Edler were all rested by head coach Alain Vigneault and captain Henrik Sedin played only one 22-second shift to keep...

Canucks lose big in regular-season finale to Oilers

Posted on April 27, 2013 by admin in Sun Hockey | No comments

EDMONTON -- Roberto Luongo's silence spoke volumes as he showered, dressed and left Rexall Place without talking to the media.

Luongo was cleary seething after being torched for six goals in the third period of Saturday night's 7-2 regular season-ending loss to the Edmonton Oilers.

The game didn't really matter to the Canucks and it showed with the lineup they dressed. But it certainly could not have helped Luongo's psyche heading into the playoffs.

Vancouver rested five key regulars and captain Henrik Sedin logged one 22-second shift to extend his ironman streak to 629 games. Forwards Daniel Sedin and Alex Burrows and defencemen Alex Edler, Jason Garrison and Dan Hamhuis also did not dress for the Canucks.

The Canucks hung Luongo out to dry in the last half of the third period as the Oilers, led by Russian rookie Nail Yakupov's first career hat trick, came at him in waves.

"Not the ideal way to finish a season, but we will have to...

Canucks resting several key players for tonight’s regular-season finale

Posted on April 27, 2013 by admin in Sun Hockey | No comments

GAME DAY: TONIGHT, 7 p.m. PDT, Rexall Place VANCOUVER CANUCKS at EDMONTON OILERS

Radio: Team 1040; TV: CBC

EDMONTON -- The Vancouver Canucks will rest two of their first-line forwards and three of their top defencemen when they close out the regular season tonight against the Edmonton Oilers.

Daniel Sedin and Alex Burrows will sit this one out, as will defencemen Jason Garrison, Dan Hamhuis and Alex Edler.

And captain Henrik Sedin will play only to keep his ironman streak intact. Henrik, who will play his 629th straight game tonight, will skate on a line with Steve Pinizzotto and Dale Weise. But if you blink, you might miss him.

"I would say it's a safe bet that Hank is not going to play a lot," a smiling head coach Alain Vigneault said after this morning's game day skate at Rexall Place.

Asked if he had a nickname for Henrik's new line, Vigneault laughed and said: "I am going...

Legion of Doom II? Canucks to ice dreaded Henrik-Pinizzotto-Weise line in finale against Oilers

Posted on April 27, 2013 by admin in Province Hockey | No comments

EDMONTON - There are two explanations for the lineup Alain Vigneault chose to play in the last game of the Vancouver Canucks' regular season.

One, the Canucks battled hard all season and, by clinching the Northwest Division title, earned the right to rest some of their key regulars before the start of the playoffs.

Two, Vigneault has a whacky sense of humour.

“(Henrik Sedin) is going to start with Dale Weise and Steve Pinizzotto,” Vigneault said at the morning skate as the Canucks prepared to meet the Edmonton Oilers.

He was asked if that line has a nickname yet.

“I'll let you guys figure that out,” Vigneault answered.

Actually, the scribes in attendance were doing a lot of figuring as they contemplated the Canucks' team that will meet the Oilers. Henrik Sedin started as the fourth-line center, presumably to keep his iron-man streak alive, but that was hardly the only change for the Canucks. His brother Daniel and regular linemate Alex Burrows drew press-box...

Canucks’ Kevin Bieksa optimistic ‘body injury’ won’t stop him from starting playoffs

Posted on April 25, 2013 by admin in Sun Hockey | No comments

VANCOUVER — Wounded Vancouver Canucks defenceman Kevin Bieksa said Thursday he is optimistic he'll be ready for next week's Stanley Cup playoffs and also “revealed” why he has missed five straight games, including Thursday night's encounter with the Anaheim Ducks.

“I just have a body injury right now,” he said impishly, no doubt feeding off coach Alain Vigneault's announcement Wednesday on goalie Cory Schneider.

While that was good for a laugh, the team had been saying Bieksa's ailment was actually to his lower body. With playoffs around the bend, reporters are conditioned to never accept an injury report at face value. Bieksa did miss seven games earlier in the season with groin issues.

“It could be my shoulder for all you know,” Bieksa said. “So I don't know why we're talking about the groin.”

Whatever the problem, it appears to have improved to the point where the feisty right-side defenceman will be ready to play next week, if not in Saturday's final regular-season...

Beef with Keith? Get over it, move on

Posted on April 23, 2013 by admin in Sun Hockey | No comments

VANCOUVER — Items that may grow up to be columns, Vol. XV, Chapter 4:

(Take deep breath. Check deflector shields. Proceed.)

Having worked amateur and professional dressing rooms for 39 years or so — including some in junior and university where a scrum consisted of the player still in his jockstrap, a lone writer standing in front of him and the equipment guy trying to pack the skates or shoulder pads away from underfoot — I freely admit that upon occasion, hard feelings have occurred.

Among the assorted outbreaks of unpleasantness were being physically removed from the Edmonton Eskimos’ dressing room by Leo Blanchard and Dan Kepley (before coach Hugh Campbell interceded and ordered his players to unhand me), challenged to a fight by Edmonton Oilers chief scout Barry Fraser while attempting to interview Craig MacTavish after a game ... and asked countless times by owly competitors in dressing rooms far and wide: “What do you know about (insert sport’s name...

I Watched This Game: Canucks vs. Oilers

Posted on April 5, 2013 by admin in Sun Hockey | No comments

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I Watched This Game: Canucks vs Edmonton Oilers, April 4, 2013

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Don’t let the 4-0 score fool you — this was a very different game than the last time the Canucks faced the Oilers. For one thing, the team that scored four goals was the Canucks, which was nice. For another, Cory Schneider made one save. He didn’t do that last time. He followed it up with several more, too.

But if there’s one stat that really demonstrates how different this one was from last time, consider the following: On Friday night, when the Canucks faced the Oilers, the game was effectively over by 7:15. This time around, the game hadn’t even begun by 7:30. Just think about that. That’s some improvement right there. I watched this game.

Canucks 4 – 0 Oilers

Kevin Bieksa put the Canucks on the board in this one with that rarest of jewels this season, a powerplay goal. Even rarer, it came via a...

Canucks play a complete game in impressive 4-0 win over Oilers

Posted on April 4, 2013 by admin in Sun Hockey | No comments

VANCOUVER - Pavel Bure received a standing ovation and his former team also deserved a hearty round of applause Thursday night.

The Vancouver Canucks awoke from a two-game slumber and beat the Edmonton Oilers 4-0 at Rogers Arena in one of their most complete efforts in a long while.

There were many positives to take from the game for the Canucks. For starters, newly acquired centre Derek Roy played well and looked right at home with linemates Chris Higgins and Jannik Hansen. The trio combined on a nice goal, off a 3-on-1 rush, in the third period to pretty much ice the game.

Then there was the fact the Canucks actually scored on a power play. And goalie Cory Schneider, making his ninth straight start, was solid in goal. He stopped 23 shots for his fourth shutout of the season.

"We got the goal on the power play, the penalty kill was 100 per cent, those are two areas that have...

Canucks Game Day: Vancouver looks to stop surging Edmonton Oilers

Posted on April 4, 2013 by admin in Sun Hockey | No comments

VANCOUVER — Last Saturday, the Vancouver Canucks were on a six-game winning streak when they arrived in Edmonton to play the Oilers. They were spanked 4-0 and have lost two straight.

The Oilers, meanwhile, have put together a five-game winning streak of their own — the victory over Vancouver was No. 3 in the run — and now it's the Canucks' turn to try and spoil the Oilers' happy times. They will have to do it with defence, too, as the Oilers have exploded offensively with 25 goals in their last five, and 16 in their last three.

Edmonton isn't giving up much either and has allowed just seven goals during the same span. Two of the wins have been by shutout. Edmonton is back in the Western Conference playoff picture in a big way, sitting in eighth spot with 39 points.

A win for the Oilers tonight (7:30 p.m., Sportsnet Pacific, Team 1040) would move them to within three points...

Canucks notebook: Jannik Hansen says trade deadline moves will take time to digest

Posted on April 3, 2013 by admin in Sun Hockey | No comments

VANCOUVER — From the perspective of his five years in the National Hockey League, Vancouver Canuck right-winger Jannik Hansen summed up the league’s trade activity Wednesday like a man just finishing a large dinner.

“It’s hard to digest right now,” said the Dane. “It’s going to be a little easier to see once the guys actually get settled and everything. Some good players are coming into our conference but some good ones are going the other way, too. Teams are trying to find a way to optimize their rosters.”

Hansen will likely find himself skating alongside one of those player coming west, Derek Roy, when the Canucks return to action Thursday to face the Edmonton Oilers. Hansen, Roy and Chris Higgins were a line in practice Wednesday. Roy was obtained Tuesday from the Dallas Stars for a 2013 second-round pick and minor-league defenceman Kevin Connauton.

“Obviously Derek is extremely skilled and he seems like he has a really good feel for...

Canucks offence sputters as Vancouver falls 3-2 to San Jose Sharks

Posted on April 1, 2013 by admin in Sun Hockey | No comments

SAN JOSE, Calif – I

t isn’t just Ryan Kesler the Canucks need, but Daniel and Henrik Sedin, and Alex Edler and Kevin Bieksa — and all the players at the top of the lineup.

The Canucks didn’t push forward until the game was all but over Monday, as Vancouver fell behind by three goals before losing 3-2 to the San Jose Sharks.

It was the 12th time in 16 National Hockey League games the Canucks, missing Kesler and several other injured players, have scored two or fewer goals.

There is little or no margin for error playing that way, and the Canucks made plenty of errors in the middle of the second period as they fell behind the Sharks one game and two nights after they were thumped 4-0 by the Edmonton Oilers.

“You look at all the good teams and they’re scoring at least three goals a game,” Canuck winger Chris Higgins said after generating a goal and assist in the...

Canucks Notebook: Vancouver looks to regroup against hot Sharks’ team

Posted on March 31, 2013 by admin in Sun Hockey | No comments

EDMONTON -- And now the Vancouver Canucks get thrown to the Sharks.

Wait, didn't that happen on Saturday night?

The theme song from Jaws should have been playing early in the first period of Saturday night's game, when the Canucks surrendered four goals on the first five shots they faced from the Edmonton Oilers.

The final score was 4-0, which flattered Vancouver.

The Canucks were still licking their wounds as they departed the Alberta capital on Sunday and headed for San Jose, where they meet the Sharks on Monday night.

"You kind of have to try and put it behind you," defenceman Dan Hamhuis said before he climbed aboard the team bus. "It was a strange game and you obviously want to pick some stuff out to learn from, but the feelings you get out of game like that aren't good. You have to try and put those behind you and get your focus on the next game."

That next game doesn't figure to...