Vancouver Canucks at Nashville Predators Preview: Attack Of The Clones

by Dirk Hoag on Feb 21, 2012 7:43 AM EST in Nashville Predators Game Previews

It's "deja vu all over again" as the Vancouver Canucks invade Bridgestone Arena tonight (7:00 p.m. Central on FS-TN). It was just two weeks ago that we saw them skate out of here with a 4-3 shootout win, and you can bet that besides looking for two points in the standings, each team will look to develop a pattern for success against an opponent they could very easily meet up with again in the playoffs.

The task, as always, begins with slowing down those high-flying Sedin twins.

Follow after the jump for your breakdown!

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Tale Of The Tape

Vancouver (38-15-6) at Nashville (34-19-6)
VAN Offense vs. NSH Defense				NSH Offense vs. VAN Defense
5-on-5
	GF/60	SF/60	Shoot %	GA/60	SA/60	Save %
VAN Offense	2.8 (5th)	29.5 (11th)	9.5 (2nd)	2.2 (7th)	29.6 (16th)	926 (8th)	VAN Defense
NSH Defense	2.3 (10th)	30.9 (27th)	926 (8th)	2.3 (16th)	26.7 (26th)	8.7 (11th)	NSH Offense
	GA/60	SA/60	Save %	GF/60	SF/60	Shoot %
Special Teams
VAN PP vs. NSH PK				NSH PP vs. VAN PK
	GF/60	SF/60	Shoot %	GA/60	SA/60	Save %
VAN 5-on-4	7.7 (1st)	56.7 (2nd)	13.7 (6th)	4.9 (7th)	53.6 (22nd)	909 (3rd)	VAN 4-on-5
NSH 4-on-5	6.8 (21st)	53.3 (21st)	871 (19th)	7.5 (2nd)	48.6 (15th)	15.4 (1st)	NSH 5-on-4
	GA/60	SA/60	Save %	GF/60	SF/60	Shoot %

This could prove to be a battle of the power plays, as the Preds' surprising PP unit will try to keep pace with a Vancouver bunch that has been at the top of the league for quite a while.

Vancouver Canucks

As usual, the Sedin twins are leading the way offensively for Vancouver, due in part to the specialized role in which they're used by Alain Vignault. They, along with Alex Burrows, take 3 offensive-zone faceoffs for every one they take in the defensive zone, the highest such ratio in the NHL. In other words, they are put in position to produce offensively, and they deliver results.

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG		SOG	PCT
2011 - Henrik Sedin	59	13	51	64	+23	38	7	0	5		86	15.1

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG		SOG	PCT
2011 - Daniel Sedin	58	26	35	61	+21	38	9	0	5		192	13.5

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG		SOG	PCT
2011 - Alexandre Burrows	57	22	18	40	+21	56	3	1	6		139	15.8

The Canucks are running away in the Northwest Division, which they lead by 17 points over the Calgary Flames. They aren't letting off the gas, however, with a 10-0-2 record over their last twelve games.

Vancouver Canucks Last 5 Games

@ Edmonton	Sun 02/19	W 5 - 2
Toronto	Sat 02/18	W 6 - 2
Colorado	Wed 02/15	W 3 - 1
Phoenix	Mon 02/13	SO - W 2 - 1
@ Calgary	Sat 02/11	SO - L 2 - 3

Nashville Predators

While energized by the recent acquisition of Hal Gill, the Predators may be a little bit shorthanded up front in tonight's game, as it sounds like Patric Hornqvist is still questionable, but Mike Fisher could be back in after his illness from Sunday.

Focusing on the defensive side of the game may be in their best interests, anyway. Over the course of franchise history, the Canucks have scored at the 2nd-highest rate against Nashville, 3.10 goals per game. Gill's presence on defense will be something to watch tonight, because his size and strength may be the key to breaking up the cycle, which is the Sedin twins' bread-and-butter style of play. If Gill ends up facing the Sedins very much (usually Weber & Suter get that matchup), keep an eye on how that plays out.

Pekka Rinne

#35 / Goalie / Nashville Predators

Height: 6-5

Weight: 209

Born: Nov 03, 1982

	GP	MIN	W	L	OTL	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2011 - Pekka Rinne	53	3055	32	13	6	122	2.40	1605	1483	.924	4

Peks has played pretty well lately, but I'd bet he'll want to bounce back from letting in a bit of a stinker in the 3rd period at Dallas Sunday night. How about sending the fans home with a free donut?

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Comments

Excited...

Not only to see Gill for the first time, but to see how well he can halt the kings of the cycle, the Sedin twins. That’s the glaring defensive need we’ve had all year imo, and if he can shut them down then I’m quite optimistic for the stretch run and the playoffs.

by dnorm4 on Feb 21, 2012 8:00 AM EST via mobile reply actions

Gill should fill up most of the space in their office behind the net.

by predrock on Feb 21, 2012 8:24 AM EST reply actions

Only 600 tix left for tonights game

I’d love to see a rare Tues night sellout with same day tix sales and walk ups for the playoff atmosphere that will be rocking Bridgestone. My tix are right behind the Preds bench on the tunnel. Go Preds!

by TSCinSFO on Feb 21, 2012 9:00 AM EST reply actions

Where did you find that out? I have often wondered how many tickets were left for a game…

by Marcus Newman on Feb 21, 2012 10:45 AM EST via iPhone app up reply actions

I think Willy or someone tweeted that last night, too. Not sure though – I was having too much fun watching the Twitter Battle of the Insiderrzzz

by OddManRush on Feb 21, 2012 10:55 AM EST up reply actions

That was highly entertaining.

Hands go uuppp..... AND THEY STAY THERE!
-nashvillepredators-

by davisca on Feb 21, 2012 1:15 PM EST via Android app up reply actions

I have a friend that works @ the box office

She will always text me how many are left every game day morning.

by TSCinSFO on Feb 21, 2012 4:05 PM EST up reply actions

Another way to find out....

is to go the Ticketmaster link on the Preds website and you can count how many tix are available in each section. For any attendance hound it’s usually a pretty accurate count and you can see it refresh everytime new tix are sold. That doesn’t count trade ins from same day STH, but still petty close.

by TSCinSFO on Feb 21, 2012 4:20 PM EST up reply actions

Below the Goal Line

Our D-men have to keep their heads on a swivel, when the Canucks have the puck below the goal line. We can’t stop them from getting it there, but we have to play better, once the play goes there. Also, traffic in front of Baba Galou will be crucial…God I hate his belly flops! He looks like a frickin’ beached whale out there struggling to fight off pucks. He makes me appreciative of the ease with which Peks sees and owns the puck.

Let’s Go Predators!

by PREDSFan615 on Feb 21, 2012 9:55 AM EST via Android app reply actions

Hopefully

this one sells out. I will be there, and looking forward to it.

It’s going to.be.loud.

Clap clap clapclapclap

by Daniel Mills on Feb 21, 2012 9:56 AM EST reply actions

I guess Hamhuis will see what a Tuesday night in Nashville can look like!

by kypredsfan on Feb 21, 2012 10:05 AM EST reply actions

hahaha someone on the ESPN message boards says that SOB is comparable to Hal Gill…

Hello. My name is Bob and I do not know the Beatles.

by djzielin on Feb 21, 2012 10:22 AM EST reply actions

kind of. Both are stay-at-home guys who’ll hit and who’ll protect the goalie. I did feel like they brought Gill in to fill the role O’Brien used to.

R.I.P. Belak, Rypien, Boogaard, Lokomotiv.
I liked the Jeremy Lin story the first time when it was called the Martin St. Louis story.--@BoltProspects
"I saw it, I called it, I still don't believe it!"--Pete Weber

by CAustin on Feb 21, 2012 10:52 AM EST up reply actions

Last game the Nucks lived behind the net, hopefully Gill will break that up.

Let’s hope Fish can play tonight.

Go Preds!

Beer... Now there's a temporary solution.-Homer Simpson

by Josiah2729 on Feb 21, 2012 10:24 AM EST reply actions

I will be there, currently counting the seconds at work....

and, man, I hate Luongo. One of my greatest live hockey memories was going to the Canucks/Blackhawks game right after the 2010 Olympics. He gave up like 4 or 5 goals in the first period and was pulled. The whole UC chanting his name the whole time and just giving him hell. Sooooo good.

by Smilodon fatalis on Feb 21, 2012 10:29 AM EST reply actions