Vancouver Canucks at Washington Capitals - Friday March 14 - 4:00 p.m. - Sportsnet Pacific, RDS, Comcast Sports Net DC Plus
Vancouver Canucks: 30-28-10, 70 points, 10th in Western Conference
Washington Capitals: 30-27-10, 70 points, 11th in Eastern Conference
The Vancouver Canucks will try to build on their shootout win in Winnipeg as they travel to Washington on Friday to take on the Capitals in the second game of their four-game eastern road trip.
It should be an evenly-matched affair. Vancouver and Washington both sit outside the playoff picture in their respective conferences with 70 points, though the Caps have a game in hand. Both teams are former Presidents' Trophy winners that are at risk of breaking significant playoff-appearance streaks without ever hoisting Lord Stanley's mug. Washington has made the playoffs for the past six seasons, while Vancouver's streak sits at five years.
The Canucks will be without Ryan Kesler after his knee-on-knee collision with Jim Slater on Wednesday in Winnipeg:
It sounds like Shawn Matthias will move up to center the second line in Kesler's absence, while Zac Dalpe will draw back in on the fourth line—he was scratched last game.
Darren Archibald will step aside as Zack Kassian returns from his suspension, but Yannick Weber will stay in the lineup at forward:
Hopefully the game will go more smoothly than the Canucks' trip back to the hotel after their morning skate. The black cloud of bad luck hasn't left the team just yet:
Schneider vs. Luongo
I guess they may as well get used to it now that they're both in the Eastern Conference. Roberto Luongo of the Florida Panthers will face Cory Schneider of the New Jersey Devils in other action on Friday.
Jason Botchford of
The Province is in Florida ahead of the Canucks' game there on Sunday, and had a chance to speak with Schneider.
Click here for the story.
It must be tough for (Canucks fans). I know it was a pretty divisive issue when him and I were there amongst the fans. They are passionate fans. They are loyal. They are really involved with the team. I’m sure no one really saw this coming. I’m sure it must have come as a shock to them.
At least everybody likes Eddie. For now. He'll most likely get his own opportunity to face Luongo in his new home on Sunday afternoon.
The tone of Luongo's segments on the final episode of "NHL Revealed" was distinctly melancholy. He rattled around his big house, microwaving a meal that he could eat alone at the end of his kitchen island, musing on the fact that he'd never been there before without his wife and kids.
The family was in Vancouver when the trade shocker was announced, and Roberto's daughter is now in school, so it has taken some time to clear up the loose ends. With spring break just around the corner, I imagine the family will soon be flying back to join dad in Florida.
Future Plans:
The win in Winnipeg on Wednesday was not especially decisive, but it feels like the stormclouds have passed and, as usual, status quo will be the order of the day around the Canucks organization for the next little while. Those who had hoped for a John Tortorella outburst this week have been sorely disappointed.
Mike Gillis will be joining TEAM1040 this afternoon. Will he give answers that are any more direct that what we heard in front of the cameras earlier in the week?
What would it take down the stretch for both Gillis and Tortorella to keep their jobs?
If the team could defy the numbers and squeak into the playoffs, they'd be safe for sure. I'd tend to think that even a winning record, after such a long dark spell, could be construed by an ownership group that wants to believe in its current personnel as trending in the right direction.
If you're hoping for big change, you'd better hope that the Canucks lose a lot more than they win over the next four weeks.
Vancouver Canucks Blogger • 
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