Point Steakers
It’s been a while since the Vancouver Canucks failed to earn at least one point in a home game. They’re carrying a similar streak into GM Place against the Phoenix Coyotes.
Vancouver (24-15-4) will try to earn a point in its 15th straight home game and 14th straight there against Phoenix on Friday night.
Oddsmakers from SBG Global have made Vancouver –215 money line favorites (NHL Odds) for today’s game, the over/under has been set at 5 goals (Matchup). Current public betting information shows that 60% of bets for this game have been placed on Vancouver –215 View NHL Bet Percentages).
The Canucks are 12-0-2 on home ice over the past two months – they’ve won six straight and haven’t lost there since Nov. 1. Also, Vancouver is 11-0-1 with one tie in its past 13 at home against Phoenix since Feb. 27, 2000.
Vancouver lost its third straight on the road after a 3-1 defeat at San Jose on Thursday, and has gone six games away from home without a regulation win.
"I think every game against us, they’ve got out to an early lead,” said Roberto Luongo, who fell to 0-3-0 with a 3.37 goals-against average this season against the Sharks. "It’s been hard to come back.”
But when they’ve been on their home ice, the Canucks have been a different team, and that’s largely because of Luongo. He’s been in goal for every game during the winning streak, posting an 0.91 GAA and all six of his shutouts in 2007-08.
Luongo is 3-0-0 with a 1.95 GAA against Phoenix since he joined Vancouver last season.
The Canucks are in the bottom third of the NHL in 112 goals scored, but have gotten consistent offensive production from their top two scorers, twins Henrik and Daniel Sedin.
Henrik leads Vancouver with 35 assists and 42 points, while Daniel has a team-high 20 goals. Both had five-game point streaks snapped on Thursday hours after only Henrik was named the All-Star team.
Daniel Sedin has four goals and three assists in his last six games against the Coyotes, while Henrik has five assists in his last three home games against them.
Phoenix (22-19-1) had won five in a row and six straight road games before a 5-2 loss at Edmonton on Thursday. But the Coyotes have easily played their best hockey of the season over the past month. They’re 9-3-1 in their last 13 games to move within four points of St. Louis for the eighth and final Western Conference playoff spot.
The loss to the Oilers was Phoenix’s worst since a 6-1 defeat at Chicago on Nov. 30. The Coyotes allowed three goals in the first 9:46.
"It was a tough start for us,” said defenseman Ed Jovanovski, announced Thursday as the team’s lone All-Star representative. "It was one of those starts where we weren’t ready to play.”
Forward Shane Doan has led the charge of late for the Coyotes. He has a five-game point streak during which he’s recorded two goals and seven assists. Doan has 11 goals and 26 assists this season, and is on pace to surpass his career-high of 68 points set in 2003-04.
Doan has two goals and four assists in his last four games against Vancouver.
Despite being pulled in the loss to the Oilers, Ilya Bryzgalov has helped give Phoenix a steady presence in goal. He’s 7-3-1 over his last 11 starts with a 2.23 GAA. Bryzgalov is 1-1-1 with a 1.43 GAA in his career against the Canucks.
Vancouver won the teams’ only previous meeting this season, a 2-1 shootout victory on the road on Dec. 22.
by: Staff Writers – Email Us
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