Canucks Back To Their Old Tricks Again

The Vancouver Canucks have reverted back to what has made them successful in the post-lockout era, and that has been winning games by holding the opposition to minimal opportunities.

Last night, they beat the Phoenix Coyotes 1-0. They limited the chances but Roberto Luongo had to be sharp early when he stopped Garth Murray on a shorthanded breakaway. He was also called upon late, and he didn’t disappoint, making two huge saves off former Canuck Ed Jovanovski in the final minute of regulation. He ended up with 28 saves.

It was the second straight shutout for the Canucks, and their third in the last five games. In the season, they already have a total of four shutouts. In 13 games thus far for Captain Luongo, he has already posted 4 shutouts. Not bad for a goaltender that has often been criticized of not being on top of his game early in the season. It’s nice to see the best player and the captain of the Vancouver Canucks leading by example.

We’ve seen the Canucks open it up and get into quite a few high scoring games this year as well. The Canucks are currently the third highest scoring team (goals for) in the Western Conference. While it’s been entertaining on most accounts, I’m pretty sure most people realize that the Canucks will not be successful if they try to run and gun with some of the elite offensive teams in the NHL. It’s therefore reassuring to see them win the last couple games by being stingy in the defensive end. While it might not be as flashy, the Canucks will definitely improve their odds of getting a playoff spot, if they can keep the goals against down.

-By Aleem Peermohamed