PREMIUM
Rogers' 10* ICE BREAKER >> Won Opening Night (San Jose)
(NHL) Carolina vs. Vancouver,
Money Line: -100.00 Vancouver (Home)
Result: Win
Money Line: -100.00 Vancouver (Home)
Result: Win
The set-up: The Vancouver Canucks took the ice for the first time this season last night at home, coming off a 31-38-13 season which left them 6th in Pacific Division. They welcomed the Calgary Flames, who had opened the new season losing 7-4 in Edmonton (Wednesday) and then back at home 5-3 on Friday to those same Oilers. The Canucks came away with a 2-1 shootout triumph over Calgary as Brandon Sutter scored the lone goal of the bonus format in the fourth round. Carolina will play just its second game of the new season Sunday night, having opened with a 5-4 OT loss last Thursday at Winnipeg.
Carolina: The Hurricanes missed the postseason last year at 35-31-16 (86 points). Carolina is thought to be by some as a young, fast offensively talented team which could surprise in the 201-17 season. Goaltender Eddie Lack will be in net for the Hurricanes and is well-familiar with the Canucks. Lack started 72 games for the Canucks in the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons and played reasonably well but Vancouver GM Jim Benning decided to send him to the Hurricanes in the offseason. Lack played second-fiddle to Cam Ward in Carolina last season and began the year slowly (1-4-1, with a 3.28 goals against average and a .874 save percentage) but rebounded to finish with a 12-14-6 record. However, those numbers paled in comparison to the 34-30-9 mark, 2.43 goals against average and .917 save percentage that he posted in two seasons as a full-fledged member of the Canucks.
Vancouver: Many picked the Canucks to finish dead last in the 30-team league this season, coming off a 2015-16 campaign plagued by numerous injuries and inconsistency. However, coach Willie Desjardins thinks his club could surprise people this season. "I think we're solid," said Desjardins. "I think we're a better team than we were last year. But it doesn't really matter what you think. It's what you do on the ice. We just have to prove it. We can't say we're going to be a good team. We have to prove that we can be a good team. Until we do that, people get to pick us there."
The pick: Carolina squandered a three-goal lead in the third period of its season-opener on Thursday, falling 5-4 in OT. I took the Canucks last night saying that after going 15-21-5 at Rogers Arena in 2015-16, they needed to start taking care of business at home this season. What better way than to get in the habit of winning than with a season-opening four-game homestand. Saturday's win was no walk in the park but I'll take the shoot-out win. Make Vancouver a 10* play again, tonight.
Carolina: The Hurricanes missed the postseason last year at 35-31-16 (86 points). Carolina is thought to be by some as a young, fast offensively talented team which could surprise in the 201-17 season. Goaltender Eddie Lack will be in net for the Hurricanes and is well-familiar with the Canucks. Lack started 72 games for the Canucks in the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons and played reasonably well but Vancouver GM Jim Benning decided to send him to the Hurricanes in the offseason. Lack played second-fiddle to Cam Ward in Carolina last season and began the year slowly (1-4-1, with a 3.28 goals against average and a .874 save percentage) but rebounded to finish with a 12-14-6 record. However, those numbers paled in comparison to the 34-30-9 mark, 2.43 goals against average and .917 save percentage that he posted in two seasons as a full-fledged member of the Canucks.
Vancouver: Many picked the Canucks to finish dead last in the 30-team league this season, coming off a 2015-16 campaign plagued by numerous injuries and inconsistency. However, coach Willie Desjardins thinks his club could surprise people this season. "I think we're solid," said Desjardins. "I think we're a better team than we were last year. But it doesn't really matter what you think. It's what you do on the ice. We just have to prove it. We can't say we're going to be a good team. We have to prove that we can be a good team. Until we do that, people get to pick us there."
The pick: Carolina squandered a three-goal lead in the third period of its season-opener on Thursday, falling 5-4 in OT. I took the Canucks last night saying that after going 15-21-5 at Rogers Arena in 2015-16, they needed to start taking care of business at home this season. What better way than to get in the habit of winning than with a season-opening four-game homestand. Saturday's win was no walk in the park but I'll take the shoot-out win. Make Vancouver a 10* play again, tonight.
