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Vancouver Canucks Game Day: December 9 at Montreal Canadiens, Trip Ending |
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Tuesday December 9 - Vancouver Canucks at Montreal Canadiens - 4:30 p.m. - Sportsnet Pacific, TSN1040
Vancouver Canucks: 18-8-2 38 points second in Pacific Division
Montreal Canadiens: 17-10-2 36 points third in Atlantic Division
The Vancouver Canucks will have a chance to end their longest road trip of the season on the positive side of the ledger when they visit the Bell Centre on Tuesday to face the Montreal Canadiens.
One of the top teams in the league in the early going this year, Montreal has recently fallen on hard times. The Canadiens have lost three straight and are 1-5-1 in their last seven games, dropping them to third place in the Atlantic Division behind the Tampa Bay Lightning and the surging Detroit Red Wings.
Offense has been the biggest issue. The Habs have scored just 12 goals in the last seven games.
Injuries are also a bit of a factor. Lars Eller is out with a shoulder injury, while two ex-Canucks are sidelined on defense. New acquisition Bryan Allen has the flu and Mike Weaver suffered a concussion last week.
For the Canucks, it's good news to hear that Shawn Matthias took part in Tuesday's game-day skate in Montreal after taking an elbow to the head on Saturday in Toronto. It's assumed that he'll be a game-day decision.
Here's the latest from the man himself:
After tonight's game, Vancouver returns home and won't play again until the New York Rangers visit Rogers Arena on Saturday. If the team's being cautious, that could give Matthias a nice window to spend a little extra time recovering.
It seems the fans weren't the only ones who didn't get word on why Stephane Robidas' elbow to Matthias' head wasn't analyzed by the Department of Player Safety:
Strange. It's not like it was a low-profile game.
As expected, Willie Desjardins has confirmed that Ryan Miller will start in net, while Carey Price gets the nod for the Canadiens.
You probably remember Vancouver's 3-2 overtime win over the Canadiens at Rogers Arena back on October 30—a game that featured a beautiful overtime goal by Daniel Sedin, a controversial suspension for Alex Burrows after a hit on Alexei Emelin and the somewhat comical sight of P.K. Subban chasing Daniel around the ice all night, trying to get him to fight.
For two teams that don't see each other very often, it was a high-intensity game, though the plot may be altered tonight by the respectful tone that will be set by the ceremony for Jean Beliveau.
As I'm sure you've heard, tonight is the Canadiens' first home game since the passing of their legendary icon last week. One of the greatest ever to play the game, Beliveau won 10 Stanley Cups as a player with the Habs and another seven as an executive after his playing days were over. He has his name on the trophy more than any other person, but his reputation as a person supersedes his amazing playing career.
Beliveau's body has been lying in state at the Bell Centre for the past two days. The Canucks visited on Monday to pay their respects.
Willie Desjardins has also said that his team will be on the bench tonight to witness Beliveau's ceremony. The Canadiens always do a tremendous job of honouring their history, and Beliveau was one of the most important players ever to wear the bleu, blanc et rouge.
The question tonight: will the Canucks and the Habs play on the ice embody Beliveau's legacy of classy respect, or his strong will to win? That's what we'll see when the puck is dropped.
Vancouver Canucks Blogger • 
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