Canucks at Hurricanes: Game Day Preview

by Bob Wage on Dec 15, 2011 2:30 PM EST in Carolina Hurricanes Game Day Previews

One of the hottest teams in the NHL will take on one of the worst tonight as the Vancouver Canucks, (18-10-2) visit the RBC to battle the Carolina Hurricanes, (9-18-5). The Canucks are 9-1-1 in their last 11 while the Hurricanes are 1-7-2 in their last 10.

The Canes are 4-13-2 in their last 19 games.

It has been discussed at length, but of course Carolina's leading scorer, Jeff Skinner, is on the shelf with a concussion, so the club is hoping for other players to step up. New coach Kirk Muller has been switching up the lines a bit since the last time the team was at the RBC. According to CH.com, they should start out as follows:

Tlusty, Staal, Dwyer
Ruutu, Jokinen, Ponikarovsky
LaRose, Sutter, Bowman
Stewart, Brent, Nodl
Gleason, McBain
Faulk, Spacek
Allen, Joslin

Jay Harrison and Joni Pitkanen remain out.

Look for Cam Ward to start in net for Carolina.

The Canes face many backups these days and tonight will be no different, although Cory Schneider has played almost as many games as Roberto Luongo for Vancouver and has a much better save percentage.

	GP	MIN	W	L	EGA	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2011 - Cam Ward	27	1520	9	13		84	3.32	826	742	.898	1

	GP	MIN	W	L	EGA	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2011 - Cory Schneider	15	771	7	4		26	2.02	391	365	.934	2

The lines for the Canucks will be as follows, if you can interpret the nicknames:

Dank - Hank - AMFB

The Professor - KesLORD - Beaker

MayRay - Chinook - Lappy

God - Money Mo - Weise's Pieces

Hammer - Juice

E Money - Undead

Hips - A-Train

Check out the rest of the game preview from the visitor's perspective over at Nucks Misconduct, our fine SBN partner.

Eric Staal has points in his last four games for the Canes.

The Canucks won the only meeting between the teams last year with a 5-1 win in Vancouver.

The boys will be back in black and will wear their popular third jerseys tonight.

FSN will have the television broadcast starting with the pregame show with Bob Harwood at 6:30. We will have the live blog/open thread ready to go at 6:30, and as always, will provide some invaluable insight from press row.

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KesLord – really? I can’t stand the guy or most of this team starting with coach. Biggest cry-babies in the NHL.

by Go_Shelf on Dec 15, 2011 3:12 PM EST reply actions

As Carolyn tweeted earlier today, tonight is an NHL/AHL match-up, with the Checkers taking on the Canucks’ AHL affiliate Chicago Wolves tonight in Charlotte.

Also according to Paul Branecky:

RT PaulBranecky: Mark Mancari, AHL Chicago’s hottest player, recalled by Vancouver. Won’t face Checkers, makes quick trip to Raleigh to play Canes.

twitter @jbk_ltd

by Jamie Kellner on Dec 15, 2011 3:22 PM EST reply actions

Just started following both of you today on twitter.

by dbaerry34 on Dec 15, 2011 3:24 PM EST up reply actions

Well now it’s officially a party! ;)

twitter @jbk_ltd

by Jamie Kellner on Dec 15, 2011 3:28 PM EST up reply actions

Woot Woot.

by dbaerry34 on Dec 15, 2011 5:15 PM EST up reply actions

Have to see what line the Nuks put him on…

by dbaerry34 on Dec 15, 2011 3:37 PM EST up reply actions

Is A-train Andrew Alberts?

Twitter @HMof2

by Carolyn Christians on Dec 15, 2011 3:23 PM EST reply actions

LMAO. I just read the Canucks lines in Bob’s post. I always called him A-Squared.

twitter @jbk_ltd

by Jamie Kellner on Dec 15, 2011 3:30 PM EST up reply actions

I like A-Squared.

by dbaerry34 on Dec 15, 2011 3:32 PM EST up reply actions

A thought on our lines

I wouldnt mind seeing Ru up with Stall and Tlusty, Move Nodl with Jussi and Poni and put Dwyer on the 3rd line and Larose with 4th line…

Ru/Stall/Tlusty
Nodl/Jussi/Poni
Dwyer/Sutter/Bowman
Larose/Brent/Stewart..

by dbaerry34 on Dec 15, 2011 3:24 PM EST reply actions

You know, I’d love to see some real outside the box line combos. Caution should be thrown to the wind !

Nodl – Staal – Tlusty
Ruutu – Sutter – Jokinen
Bowman- Brent – Poni
Rosie- Dwyer- Stew

by Hockeydog on Dec 15, 2011 4:32 PM EST up reply actions

Can Dwyer play center?

by dbaerry34 on Dec 15, 2011 5:04 PM EST up reply actions

well love the nucks or hate them

they are a tam that has and continues to play well…so my hope and prayer is that the canes come out like a gang of thugs and push and knock the nukes off the puck and the canes out hustle,shoot and play/score them..as Ward not only needs it,but this fan feels the team owes him one if not several more..but we shall see what we shall see…ansd i had to laugh too saw the new name of the facility,PNC is now "trending’ in raleigh via tweeter..hehehe

9/11/01 - Never Forget !!
Long Live #63 The Condor
Go Canes & Checkers !!!

by CaniacSteve on Dec 15, 2011 3:24 PM EST reply actions

if the ‘canes start to develop an attitude where they do indeed push opponents off the puck and play tough, maybe starting in March we can refer to the “new” arena as “The PuNCh” or something…? it’s a stretch…

LET'S GO CANES -- THE SEASON AIN'T OVER YET!!!

by Capt. Stinky on Dec 15, 2011 3:30 PM EST up reply actions

If we fill the arena with rum we can call it the PUNCH BOWL

by dbaerry34 on Dec 15, 2011 3:33 PM EST reply actions

I wonder who has the special distinction of being “God” and whether that is more or less important than KesLORD.

Questions I may never get answered.

"What Carolina really has going for them is Brandon Sutter. When that kid first showed up, he looked like a skinny little thing that wouldn’t last two weeks. But he’s turned into a real star."

by caniacgirl on Dec 15, 2011 3:52 PM EST reply actions

Obviously, Maurice set those lines. It’s so like him force everyone, no matter who they are, to earn ice time by starting them on the 4th line. Wait – who’s that playing God’s center?

Twitter @HMof2

by Carolyn Christians on Dec 15, 2011 4:10 PM EST up reply actions

Snort. Well played Carolyn. Well played indeed.

"What Carolina really has going for them is Brandon Sutter. When that kid first showed up, he looked like a skinny little thing that wouldn’t last two weeks. But he’s turned into a real star."

by caniacgirl on Dec 15, 2011 4:16 PM EST up reply actions

I'm not sure.

Maybe Rome. We joked about him calling him that after he scored a bunch of goals all at once.

Kesler, I would say by how he plays, is more lordly. Hope that helps. Cheers

Nuck’s Misconduct Bishop, 1st United Church of Luongod. "First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win." Ghandi. I think he was a Canucks fan...
@Vancitydan Writer at Nucks Misconduct

by vancitydan on Dec 15, 2011 6:56 PM EST up reply actions

Okay best as I can tell from reading the Canucks depth chart, these are the real lines:

Daniel-Henrik-Burrows (self-evident)
Higgins-Kesker-Jannik Hanssen (curious to know where Beaker came from, perhaps when we see him in person…)
Raymond-Hodgson-Lapierre
Rome-Malhotra-Weise

Hamhuis-Bieksa
Edler-Salo (LOL at Undead)
Ballard-Alberts

twitter @jbk_ltd

by Jamie Kellner on Dec 15, 2011 4:12 PM EST reply actions

I so wish I understood where the nicknames came from.

It’s like a foreign language. I also vote that Bob lets me come up with nicknames for all of our guys and uses them in the next game preview. Just let me know when you need them Bob. :)

crickets

Oh and this is Hanssen. Not sure I see Beaker.

"What Carolina really has going for them is Brandon Sutter. When that kid first showed up, he looked like a skinny little thing that wouldn’t last two weeks. But he’s turned into a real star."

by caniacgirl on Dec 15, 2011 4:19 PM EST up reply actions

guess who’s got 2 thumbs and is writing Sunday’s preview….

Twitter @HMof2

by Carolyn Christians on Dec 15, 2011 4:21 PM EST up reply actions

You know…I believe this could be considered fate.

"What Carolina really has going for them is Brandon Sutter. When that kid first showed up, he looked like a skinny little thing that wouldn’t last two weeks. But he’s turned into a real star."

by caniacgirl on Dec 15, 2011 4:27 PM EST up reply actions

I’m pretty sure we could set all our lines using hashtags. Including the scratches.

twitter @jbk_ltd

by Jamie Kellner on Dec 15, 2011 5:16 PM EST up reply actions

This needs to happen. I have your emails. We will discuss this.

"What Carolina really has going for them is Brandon Sutter. When that kid first showed up, he looked like a skinny little thing that wouldn’t last two weeks. But he’s turned into a real star."

by caniacgirl on Dec 16, 2011 9:24 AM EST up reply actions

Beaker from the Muppets was my first thought

by delthan on Dec 15, 2011 5:08 PM EST up reply actions

I think you could make a case.

twitter @jbk_ltd

by Jamie Kellner on Dec 15, 2011 5:15 PM EST up reply actions

He has a high voice

Like Beaker from the Muppets. We also call him Honey Badger, for the way he plays.

It gets weirder. the team actually has a nickname tribunal of players with animal nicknames that the press keeps working for with no success.

Salo as Undead is pretty self evident, isn’t it? ;-)

by vancitydan on Dec 15, 2011 6:59 PM EST up reply actions

Ah! That makes sense.

"What Carolina really has going for them is Brandon Sutter. When that kid first showed up, he looked like a skinny little thing that wouldn’t last two weeks. But he’s turned into a real star."

by caniacgirl on Dec 16, 2011 9:23 AM EST up reply actions

Canucks fan checking in!

New lineup tonight, Daniel’s not playing.

Raymond-Henrik-Burrows
Higgins-Kesker-Hansen
Mark Mancari-Hodgson-Weise
Rome-Malhotra-Lapierre

Hamhuis-Bieksa
Edler-Salo
Ballard-Alberts

We call Hansen “Beaker” cause of his ridiculously high voice haha

Good game!

by Chocolate on Dec 15, 2011 6:44 PM EST up reply actions

It will be interesting to see the turn-out tonight

by hurricane9 on Dec 15, 2011 4:13 PM EST reply actions

by Go_Shelf on Dec 15, 2011 4:21 PM EST up reply actions

It will be light too – they’re really pushing the Toy BOGO thing.

Twitter @HMof2

by Carolyn Christians on Dec 15, 2011 4:22 PM EST up reply actions

I agree it will be light too…. (after 3 years I still don’t always preview)

Twitter @HMof2

by Carolyn Christians on Dec 15, 2011 4:25 PM EST up reply actions

I’ll be the guy making fun of Vancouver fans because they’ve never won a Stanley Cup.

by Go_Shelf on Dec 15, 2011 4:26 PM EST up reply actions

Was at the box office early today around noon getting the rest of my vouchers turned in for the season. Overheard a ticket person tell someone that tonight is mostly sold out. Of course, take this with a grain of salt – it’s secondhand hearsay with source of a RBC Ticket window worker. And also, “mostly sold out” doesn’t mean “mostly full”.

by Scott Putnam on Dec 15, 2011 4:50 PM EST up reply actions

I checked Ticketmaster a couple of days ago, and the Sideline Premier areas looked close to a sell-out. However, that’s typical with a BOGO offer since a lot of folks use that as an opportunity to upgrade for a game.

twitter @jbk_ltd

by Jamie Kellner on Dec 15, 2011 5:03 PM EST up reply actions

3rd Jerseys

I really, really, REALLY dislike the 3rd (black) jerseys. If red was good enough to win a cup, it should be good enough to wear at home. In fact , I would even prefer the road uni’s over the 3rd jerseys. It makes us look like the Pens or the Blackhawks or five other teams (Oakland Raiders) in generic black. Just venting here ……….

by JohnSS on Dec 15, 2011 5:11 PM EST reply actions

I like them, In fact, they are my fav. of the 3, but I still don’t want to see them every home game.

by DanTHEman67 on Dec 15, 2011 5:21 PM EST up reply actions

I really wish they’d go back to whites at home. With the current system, we always see: red and white (or on the black nights, black and white). If home teams wore white, then at least we’d see white and a variety.

by efrancis on Dec 15, 2011 5:29 PM EST up reply actions