Canucks @ Avalanche Pre Game

Canucks @ Avalanche, SNET-P, TEAM 1040, 6:00PM PST.

This week is hectic in my world I am working every day at the BMO Skate Canada at the Save on Foods Arena, so I am very busy. Last game against the Wild was one of those games you need to simply forget. The team played exactly how the Wild like to play. They came out flat, with no energy and no will to win. That's simply not going to beat a team like the Wild. Like I said, move on, the game is over.

Tonight however is a very interesting game for a ton of reasons. There is a lot of talk about the Canucks right now and I will touch on a bit of it in this blog. First let's start with the game.

The Avs are always a challenge for the Canuck's, divisional rivals, the only team in the division that really has a chance to catch the Canuck's in the division race.

Standings: Tonight's game is big for three different reasons in the standings. 1) It's a divisional game and the fifth of six games between the Avs and the Canucks. The Canucks are currently up 12 points with the same number of games played. I know it's still only around the halfway point of the season but they can pretty much clinch the NW with a win tonight barring a ridiculous collapse. 2) As I am typing this Detroit is down to Pitt 2-0. If that score holds up the Canucks have a chance to go 4 points up for the lead in the West. 3) Philly is current up 1-0 over Washington and if that score holds up the Canucks will need a W to stay in first overall.

Tonight we get a little look into the future, Chris Tanev will see his debut tonight on defense filling in for the injured Rome and Alberts. Also Shirokov gets another shot. Tanev will give the Canucks a second RH shot from the point and according to Gillis he has been the best dman on the Moose. It should be interesting to see how much time he gets tonight. I expect Ballard to play a bit more tonight with the team using more of a 5 man rotation and using Tanev sparingly. Shirokov will have no excuse tonight. He will be getting a great offensive chance to play with Ryan Kesler tonight on the 2nd line. Shirokov is hot, he has a 12 game point streak going on for the Moose right now and his job will be to bring that offense to the big club.

The team has been struggling a bit to score in the last few games and some of the offensive guys have been put in the dog house for this. Both Tambellini and Raymond have been moved down to the fourth line tonight. Their winger will be a game time decision but it looks as though it will be Glass, Raymond and Tambellini. On the 3rd line Torres and Malholtra will stay together being joined by Hansen on the wing. Samuellson has been moved up to play with Kesler and Shirokov. The SSB line will stay intact.

The new lines will hopefully cause a bit of a spark and no one is really firing on all cylinders at the moment. The whole team needs to step up tonight. The Twins will need to lead the way and have the ability to do so. Henrik needs to make a couple nice passes tonight.

Everyone knows the Avs like to play an all out offensive game. The Canuck's style tonight should be to play a sound game with strong counter-punching. They should be able to pin the Avs in the defensive end and generate a lot of scoring chances while playing smart 1-2-2 hockey.

As much as the Canuck's have been struggling lately, Luongo hasn't been. In his last 12 games he is 10-0-2, and in January he is 4-0-0 with a 1.55GAA and a .955SV%. Look for him to keep up his good play tonight and lead the team.

In other news around the Canucks organization there are a lot of rumours of the Canucks shopping for a fourth line center. Zenon Konopka has been rumored as the guy the Canuck's are looking at, to me he's not the guy I am completely sold on, but I do think the Canucks need a fourth line guy for the playoffs.

Speaking of fourth line centers, Gillis did say that Hodgson should be back playing this week and he will be looking at how he plays. Could he get a call up? We'll have to wait and see.

Tonight should be fun with all the line up changes and the rookies coming in. I'm sure mistakes will be made but it will be great to see their energy.

Twitter me @bmah03

Comment below