Oh, you non-believers! As I type this at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, yesterday's poll saw only 39 percent of you projecting Dan Hamhuis to make Team Canada.
He's in!
After such a depressing weekend on the ice, the Vancouver Canucks represented very well as the Olympic roster announcements came down.
In addition to Hamhuis, Roberto Luongo was named to Team Canada and will have a very good chance to reprise his role as starter.
For Sweden, we have the twins and Alex Edler. Ryan Kesler with suit up for Team USA, Yannick Weber for Switzerland and prospect Ronalds Kenins will play for Latvia.
That should give us plenty to watch when the NHL shuts down in February for the Games.
I have to keep this short today as I'm also doing roster analysis for Bleacher Report.
Click here for my breakdown of Team Slovakia. My report on the Russians will be up a bit later.
In the meantime, the Canucks will face another team full of Olympians tonight at Rogers Arena. It's tough to overshadow Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins, but this is a big news day for hockey.
Tuesday January 7 - Pittsburgh Penguins at Vancouver Canucks - 7:00 pm - TSN, ROOT Sports
Vancouver Canucks 23-18-8 54 points fourth in Pacific Division
Pittsburgh Penguins 31-12-1 63 points first in Metropolitan Division
The Vancouver Canucks are as cold as they've been all season, looking to end a four-game winless streak as the Pittsburgh Penguins make a rare visit to Rogers Arena.
After squandering home games against Philadelphia and Tampa Bay, a weekend trip to California proved to be anything but a holiday. The team surrendered a total of 97 shots over two games as they fell 3-1 to the Los Angeles Kings, then 4-3 in overtime to the Anaheim Ducks.
The Canucks got news on injured goaltender Roberto Luongo on Monday, when the MRI on his ankle came up negative. Joacim Ericsson has been recalled from Utica, and will likely back up Eddie Lack tonight, but Luongo's injury is not considered serious.
Up front, there are holes. Chris Higgins is expected to remain sidelined with what's officially "undisclosed." He was said to have the flu in Anaheim but is now thought to possibly be injured. Zack Kassian is also doubtful tonight. Though nothing has officially been announced, Dan Murphy reports that Darren Archibald is in Vancouver, and that he's worried about Henrik Sedin:
The Canucks will skate this morning, which could shed some light on the look of tonight's lineup. I'll post any important updates on my Twitter:
The Penguins have dealt with plenty of injuries of their own, but are now getting healthier. Kris Letang and Evgeni Malkin both returned to the lineup on Sunday, and Malkin dominated with two goals and an assist in his team's win over Winnipeg. Brooks Orpik has also returned after the nasty concussion at the hands of Scott Thornton, leaving Paul Martin and Pascal Dupuis as the two regulars on the sidelines, along with backup goaltender Tomas Vokoun.
Healthy or not, Pittsburgh has been one of the hottest teams in the league, with an 8-2 record in its last 10 games. As usual, the Pens are the top offensive team in the Eastern Conference, and they're the strongest Eastern team against Western Conference foes, with a record of 8-2-0.
The Penguins defeated the Canucks 4-3 in a shootout back on October 19 at CONSOL Energy Center.
Tonight will be my first opportunity to see Sidney Crosby play live—he was sidelined with his concussion last time Pittsburgh came to town to kick off the 2011-12 season. Crosby's currently leading the league in scoring with 63 points and is the odds-on Hart Trophy favourite if he can stay healthy.
It's no surprise that Crosby will be back to help defend Team Canada's gold medal in Sochi. Linemate Chris Kunitz will join him, while five other Penguins have been named to Olympic rosters: Evgeni Malkin with Team Russia, Olli Maatta and Jussi Jokkinen on Team Finland, and Paul Martin and Brooks Orpik on Team USA.
It should be an entertaining game tonight—if the Canucks can ice a full roster. Vancouver will be in tough to win, but here's hoping the Canucks get some bounces tonight—they deserve it after such a rough weekend.
Vancouver Canucks Blogger • 
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