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Vancouver Canucks @ Edmonton Oilers Game 9 Preview

The Canucks again? Someone get Taylor Hall loaded up.

Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports
Vancouver Centennials

@

Edmonton Movers
4-2-2 1.3 p/g
4-3-1, 1.1 p/g
1st Place 2nd Place


7:30 p.m. MST | Sportsnet West
Rexall Place
Tickets

The opposing view: Canucks Army, Nucks Misconduct

Top Story: The Canucks have already named Roberto Luongo their starter, in this, episode 9 of Goaltender Controversy: Vancouver. But the goaltender controversy distracts from a larger problem in Vancouver, namely:

Player ES TOI
Henrik Sedin 14.9
Daniel Sedin 13.8
Jannik Hansen 13.3
Zack Kassian 13.0
Chris Higgins 12.7
Alexandre Burrows 12.2
Mason Raymond 11.3
Dale Weise 10.4
Jordan Schroeder 10.3
Maxim Lapierre 9.6
Andrew Ebbett 9.6
Manny Malhotra 8.1
Aaron Volpatti 7.4

With Ryan Kesler and David Booth on the shelf, the Canucks' forward depth has been stretched to the max. According to Thom Drance at Canucks Army, Kesler is due back by the weekend and Booth comes back at the end of February, so taking advantage of the Canucks now is paramount.

The Oilers are saying:

--Ralph Krueger, when asked "How do you think Ryan Whitney’s playing?"

The Opponent is saying:

She was shocked by how much vitriol fans hurled at Luongo over his goaltending, when really, she said, he is "the embodiment of determination."

She began to imagine that Luongo was playing hockey as if he was trying to save his life — and it helped her to visualize fighting for her own life.

"I was reading all the criticism, and there was so much negativity, almost bullying ... yet under all that pressure he was so mentally strong and poised," she said.

--Leigh Maureen Thornton, a Roberto Luongo fan who held Luongo's perserverence up as her inspiration in her fight against cancer.

Key matchup: Break even with the Sedins and beat the rest of the team. The Canucks are on the road, so Vigneault can't avoid matchups and the Oilers should be able to keep Jeff Petry and Ladislav Smid out against the twins for most of the night. It's a given that Dave Tippett will get the best of the tactics battle tonight, so the key matchup is based on that win.


Edmonton Oilers Injuries

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player Injury Type Injury Date
Andy Sutton game 01/18/2013
Theo Peckham
hip 01/18/2013
Ben Eager face 01/25/2013
Ryan Jones
eye 01/18/2013


Vancouver Canucks Injuries

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player Injury Type Injury Date
Ryan Kesler shoulder 01/07/2013
David Booth groin 01/15/2013
Aaron Volpatti shoulder 01/07/2013