The Canucks Results/Stats

My Draft/Preseason

1. Mario Lemieux - Super Mario!
2. Adam Graves
3. Phil Housley - Speedy Defender(going to be a common pick for me)
4. Scott Niedermayer - Even more Speedy Defender
5. Trevor Linden - The "real" Canuck captain
6. Bret Hedican - Yet another speedy defender
7. Esa Tikkanen
8. Michael Pivonka
9. Todd Elik
10. Dave Andreychuk
11. Bill Ranford - Finally a Goalie...
12. Craig MacTavish
13. Ken Daneyko - Stupid Pick! he was dumped in preseason
14. Kyle Mclaren
15. Brendan Witt
16. Glen Murray
17. Steve Heinze
18. Peter Zezel
19. Cam Russel
20. Craig Johnson

Pre-season Record: 13-16-2
This was a losing record but the games gave me a good feel of the competition and I quickly made many adjustments with my gameplay and roster. I was some what happy with the draft but I made many mistakes that playing games only showed. I quickley made some trades including getting my favorite player, Ray Bourque.

PRESEASON TRADES/TRANSACTIONS
4/4: Vancouver signs Glen Healy as backup goalie
4/5: Vancouver traded Todd Elik to Tampa Bay for Martin Gelinas
4/8: Vancouver traded Adam Graves & Bret Hedican to Florida for Ray Bourque.
    Vancouver signed Turner Stevenson.
    Ray Bourque named Captain and Mario Lemieux named Alternate.
4/19: Vancouver released Cam Russell and signed Matthew Barnaby.
4/25: Vancouver released Turner Stevenson amd signed Jocelyn Lemieux.
4/26: Vancouver released Ken Daneyko and signed Sean Brown.

WK 2-Vancouver vs. Boston
Vancouver, BC (AP) - First Boston flew to Vancouver to play in front of thousands of cheering fans. The looked tight, until Housley got a strange goal that bounced off Puppa and slid in. But Boston didn't seem to care because Lindros quickly tied it up with a slapper to the top shelf. The score remained the same for the end of the first and all of the second. Boston was clearly outplaying Vancouver but couldn't slip the puck past Ranford. Vancouver was playing very conservative with a dump and chase offence. Bourque commented, "We were tired and wanted to keep it close for the third where we were hoping to explode." In the third period, Gelinas took the lead by a big mistake my Puppa. Puppa came out of the crease but played the puck right to Gelinas. Once again, Boston came back to send the game to overtime. With Vancouver pushing hard to keep it in the offensive zone, Andreychuk stole the puck, took in front of the crease, and slid it around the poke-checking Puppa.

In Boston, it wasn't nearly as close. Trevor brgsn the scoring by getting his own rebound and taking a quick shot by the screened Puppa. Vancouver opened up the game with back to back Short Handed scores. Jocelyn Lemieux scored first by a perfectly set up one-timer. Then Tikkanen scored off a breakaway, faking middle then going near side. Vancouver continued to dominate. The highlight of the day happened when the struggling Vancouver power-play managed to score off the first PP face-off with Pivonka. Boston scored some late goals, but Vancouver still came off with the 8-2 romp. Coach Rahul Caprihan said, "Of course we are happy with the win, but we got too cocky and let them score two easy uncontested goals. We have to play 30 minutes of hockey 100% if wi wish to continue the winning. I hope these boys can take the win but continue to play hard."
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WK 3-Vancouver vs. Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay, FL (AP) - The trend continues as the Lightning again split a series. This time with the Canucks. The Lightning traveled to General Motors Place for the first game and escaped with a 5-4 victory. The ice was in terrible shape (as always) and the game had to be delayed. After the delay, the Lightning began to strike fast and furious. Alexei Yashin scored two goals. Igor Larionov and Alexander Selivanov added a goal and assist apiece. Mario Lemeiux would have nothing of it as he scored twice, once on a powerplay. With time running down, Dominik Hasek was able to keep Mario at bay and the Lightning held on for the win.

In game 2, the Lightning traveled back home to the Ice Palace where the ice was in much better shape and the skaters were ready to go. Michal Pivonka scored a goal and had two assists along with help from Steve Heinze who also had a goal and two assists. The Lightning were sloppy with the puck and only managed goals by German Titov and Johan Garpenlov in route to a 4-2 home loss. Coach Rich Love said, " We thought we could take both of these since our guys were fired up after the two heartbreaking games with the Rangers. We will have to take care of the puck on our home ice if want to stop splitting series."
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WK 3-Vancouver vs. Colorado
First Colorado travelled to Vancouver where the ice was too warm and the players had trouble getting into a rhythm. Still, Trevor Linden managed to score on a PP one-timer. By the second period, the ice improved and things opened up a bit. Colorado scored the tying goal. Then, minutes later, Captain, Ray Bourque, fed a pass to Alternate Captain, Mario Lemieux, who slapped it right by Vernon. Half way through the third, Colorado came back with a one-timer in front of the net. Colorado seemed to have the game when Adam Oates found an open net but hit the pole. The game looked to be going into overtime, but the newly acquired Sergei Berezin and Steve Thomas worked together to light the lamp to score with 25 seconds remaining.

The second game which, took place about a week later in Colorado, gave Vancouver their third strait win. In the first period, Defence was tight with only 7 total shots and no goals. Then in the second period Lemieux showed his leadership and lit the lamp twice off two similar one-timers. In the third, Berezin took a onetimer right off a line change to put an end to Colorado. Colorado had many good chances, but just couldn't get it by Ranford, who posted his first season shut-out. Captain, Ray Bourque said, "Our defence looked good, but we hasve to give the credit to Ranford. He made key saves that could have changed the outcome of the game. Before we have had to win with just offence, but I think our defence is falling into place."
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WK 5-Vancouver vs. Philidelphia
This series marked another battle between Lemieux and Lindros with Lemieux coming on top again. In the first game, Lemieux started the scoring with a onetimer from a nice Berezin pass. A little later he scored again by bringing it front of Fichaud cauing him to poke at the puck and then put it in the open net. The game was really even but the closest the Flyers got is when Guerin ripped a shot by Ranford.

In the second game, Lemieux started the scoring with another PP one-timer, but this time it was from Thomas. Then Lemieux scored again coming fresh off a line change. Mclaren payed Lindros back for beating him up thee previous game and they both took 5 minute penalties. Taking advantage of Lindros in being in the box, Linden lit the lamp off a nice feed from Thomas. Lindros cae back to blast a shot in to the top shelf, but thatwas all Philly could do. Ray Bourque said after the game, "We really seem to be gelling. Thomas and Berezin fit perfectly into this team and are providing support on both ends of the ice. Lemieux is playing at the top of his game, but we think we can continue to ride this wave if he goes into a slump. With a big win over Anahiem and by winning 8 out of our last 9 games we are in good shape for making the playoffs."
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WK 5-Vancouver vs. Anaheim
First Anahiem flew up the coast to Vancouver. Vancouver was looking good, and scored first with a Linden one-timer. Then thigs began to fall apart as Anahiem put together a 4-1 lead. Anahiem took advantage of many Vancouver miss cues on line changes. Alternate Captain, Lemieux tried to come back single handly by scoring two quick goals in the third period, but he ran out of time. With just seconds left in the game, Housley got the puck and took by the side of the net. He looked and looked for Lemieux wasting valuable time, then took the puck to the other side of the net and slipped it in just after the buzzer. The crowd began cheering, but it was clearly well after the buzzer. Coach, Rahul Caprihan said, "We just couldn't stop the awesome Anahiem offence. We will get more than we bargained for if can get a win in Anahiem."

Vancouver flew straight out to Anaheim and things began terribly for Vancouver. Bondra rammed into the Ranford, getting an interfernce penalty, but Niedermayer picked up the rebound and stuffed it the net. He later said, "I was worrying so much about getting back to stop Bondra that I just ran the puck in." Vancouver quickly cashed in on that power play to tie the game up. Both teams played equally with Anahiem keeping a steady lead when newly acquired Mike Craig tied the game up in the third. Then Linden gave them a two goal lead with a one-timer and a little deke to the near side. Anahiem players just stood in surprise as there lead had vanished in minutes. Lemieux endend Vancouver's third period barage with a goal to take a 6-3 lead. Anahiem began to pick it up again with a late score but it was to little to late.
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WK 10-Vancouver vs. Chicago
Vancouver and Chicago matched up to probably one of their most important games in the season. Both teams came into the game with nearly identical records. Chicago came into the game slightly cold with few games in recent weeks, but Vancouver came off a huge win against the Islanders.

First in Vancouver, the Blackhawks showed up strong with a goal by Konalwalchuk in the first 18 seconds, but from there it was all Vancouver. Lemieux showed his team leadership getting getting a hattrick (one goal being a poerplay goal that tied it up) Vancouver used many give and go's to rip Potvin apart. On the other end, Chicago wasn't just sitting on their ass, they were setting up perfect plays only to hit the pole or get snuffed by Ranford again and again.

Back in Chicago, Ranford's great play continued. The first period was slow, but then free agent pick up, Dan Quinn, got a clean breakaway and deked to the near side of Potvin. Lemieux gave the Canucks a comfortable lead with two goal (another being off a Power play) Ranford stunned the Chicago crowd again and agin on route to a shut out. Cancuck Captain, Ray Bourque, said, "We really played strong coming off a win in New York. In this game Bill Ranford really deserved being player of the game. We are looking for him to play good for the playoffs."
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WK 11-Vancouver vs. Islanders
The Islanders played their first FMHL game in nearly a month when they visited Vancouver for a Sunday matinee against the Canucks. But the Isles appeared to be in mid-season form as they outshot and outskated the Canucks during the first two periods. The only problem was, Bill Ranford made several dazzling saves and Mario Lemieux scored two of Vancouver's three goals to give the Canucks a 3-1 lead entering the third period. But the Isles did not give up. Jaromir Jagr scored two goals in the first three minutes of the third period to tie the game. Then with about 5 minutes remaining, the Isles got a break. A dump-in pass was misplayed by Ranford, resulting in the puck bouncing off the boards directly onto the stick of Ziggy Palffy in front, who deposited the puck into the vacated net to give New York a 4-3 lead. The Canucks appeared to be stunned by the goal because they failed to muster any good scoring opporutnities the rest of the game. The Isles would hang on for a 4-3 come-frome-behind win.

The second game at Nassau Coliseum, where the Isles have only lost three times in 11 games, was a much closer checking affair. The Islanders failed to generate any offense against Vancouver, which held New York to 9 shots on goal for the entire game. Vancouver opened up a 4-0 lead after two periods before Doug Gilmour scored his first goal in an Islander uniform on the power play early in the third. Since being acquired from New Jersey, Gilmour has 1 goal and 7 assists in 8 games. But Vancouver capitalized on a gambling Islanders defense to score two goals enroute to a 6-1 romp. The split left the Islanders with a 13-12-1 record, good for second place in the Eastern Conference.
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