Vancouver Canucks: Previewing the 5-Game Eastern Road Trip

The Vancouver Canucks are about to embark on a five-game road trip through the Eastern Conference. For once, the scheduling is kind to the Canucks, and there is a day off between each game, so no back-to-backs or three games in four nights, as is usually the case when a West Coast team makes an eastern trip.

As we know, the Canucks are currently on a six-game winning streak after vanquishing the Detroit Red Wings last Saturday night. They're currently one of the NHL's hottest teams, earning 13 of a 14 possible points in their last seven games. 

Let's take a look at their opponents and my predictions:

Canucks vs. Montreal Canadians (Tuesday, November 9)

This would normally be one of the hardest games on the road trip, going into Montreal's home rink in a battle of division leaders. 

However, Montreal is only 3-3-1 at home, so it isn't like going into the old Forum. Also, any game in Quebec is a homecoming game for some of the Canucks' stars, such as Alex Burrows and Roberto Luongo.

The Canucks should be pumped to start the road trip, and they should take this game. I also predict Burrows picks up his first point of the season. 

Canucks vs. Ottawa Senators (Thursday, November 11)

No offense to any Ottawa fans, but this game is the filler between playing the two original-six teams in Montreal and Toronto. Ottawa and Vancouver had a bit of a rivalry going before the lockout when they were the two hottest Canadian teams, but that is a thing of the past now with the schedule.

Ottawa is a pedestrian 7-6-1, with a 4-3 home record, which puts them seventh in the East. However, after a lackluster start, they are on a three-game winning streak.

I'm predicting a Canucks win, as the No. 1 power play (29.4 percent) in the NHL rips into a middle-of-the-pack penalty kill (Ottawa is only 14th overall at 83.9 percent)

As another plus, I'll get to see one of my favourite ex-Canucks, Jarkko Ruutu.

Canucks vs. Toronto Maple Leafs (Saturday, November 13)

It must really burn Toronto GM Brian Burke (and assistant GM Dave Nonis) to see the current success of the Canucks. After all, those two, in their consecutive terms as GM of the Canucks, drafted, signed or traded for the following Canucks:

Henrik Sedin (Current Art Ross and Hart Trophy winner)

Daniel Sedin

Ryan Kesler (Selke Trophy nominee)

Mason Raymond

Jannik Hansen

Rick Rypien

Alex Edler

Kevin Bieksa

Sami Salo

Roberto Luongo

Cory Schneider

And now those same players are liable to take apart the Leafs during the nationally televised Hockey Night in Canada broadcast on Saturday.

After a great start, the Leafs have fallen hard. They currently are 11th in the East with a 5-5-3 record, and they recently lost captain Dion Phaneuf to a leg injury. 

Burke's teams play tough, so we can expect a lot of fights and penalties on Saturday. However, while the Canucks can't match the heavyweights of the Leafs, the difference in special teams is about the same as the difference in size between Colton Orr and Rick Rypien. 

The Leafs are a laughable 13.2 percent on the power play (why hasn't Wilson been fired yet?), "good" for 20th in the NHL. Likewise, they are only 21st overall on the PK, with 79.6 percent. Compare that with the Canucks power play (29.4 percent, first in the NHL) and PK (85.4 percent, 12th overall), and it is clear who is favoured to win the special teams battle.

Combine that with the homecomings of Manny Malhotra and Raffi Torres, two of the hottest Canucks of late, along with the other Ontario-born Canucks, plus the hype of playing the Leafs on Hockey Night in Canada…and it should be a Canucks win.

Canucks vs. Buffalo Sabres (Monday, November 15)

This is the game that worries me when looking at the road trip. Even more so than the Ottawa game, this one is a filler. While they were expansion brethren, coming into the league in the same year, there really isn't much history between the two teams. 

The Sabres are also 14th overall in the East with a 4-9-2 record, and coach Lindy Ruff might be fired by the time Vancouver rolls into town. Likewise, captain Craig Rivet might have graduated from healthy scratch to starter, albeit on a different team.

After the highs of the games versus Canadian teams, and looking ahead to the Penguins, this might be the one that gets away from the Canucks. 

Look for Raffi Torres to try to show up his old team (he was a healthy scratch in the playoffs before being let go as a free agent) and for the goaltending duel from the gold-medal game of the Olympics to be replayed between Luongo and Ryan Miller, albeit this time in Miller's rink.

Canucks vs Pittsburgh Penguins (Wednesday, November 17)

The marquee game to end the road trip, this one should be entertaining. The Penguins are currently sitting at ninth in the East with a weak 2-4 record at home in their new rink.

Look to see more bad blood between Matt Cooke and his ex-teammates. The last time the two teams played in Pittsburgh, Cooke threw a knee-on-knee hit on Alex Edler off the first shift, and then got in a fight with Hansen before being ejected. The comments in the media from his ex-teammates after the hit on Savard last year, plus more comments when Cooke got pummeled by former Vancouver giant Evander Kane, are sure to be fuel for Cooke to prove something.

Let's hope that in this game Luongo doesn't blow out a knee, as happened in his last visit.

My Predictions

I think the Canucks pick up eight of a possible 10 points, sweeping Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto, pushing the win streak to nine games. Then they stumble in Buffalo as they look ahead to the Penguins and run afoul of Ryan Miller. In Pittsburgh, it's a toss-up between the two teams because the Penguins are so bad at home this season, but I'll give it to the Canucks, who will want redemption to end the trip after losing in Buffalo. 

On a side note, I think Schneider starts in Ottawa, but Luongo gets the other starts. Normally I'd think Schneider also gets the Buffalo game, but I think they will give that to Luongo for the Olympic rematch.