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Canucks games to watch in March

By Josh Martin, Sports Editor

ith March underway and

the NHL approaching
the halfway point in the 2013
season, here’s a look at the top
games to watch this month.

Canucks vs. Detroit Red Wings,
Saturday March 16, 7 p.m.,
CBC.

The fast-paced, puck-possessive
team that the Canucks have
been modeling for the past
several years comes to town

in a Hockey Night in Canada
Saturday night brawl. The
Detroit Red Wings humiliated
the Canucks in an 8-3 game on
February 24 that spiralled out
of control, leaving goaltender
Roberto Luongo looking like a
minor league call up that forgot
how to stop a puck. Look for
the Canucks to be hungry for
vengeance in a game which
will feature their new vintage
alternate third jersey—a replica
sweater of the former Vancouver
Millionaires which played

in the Pacific Coast Hockey
Association from 1912 to 1922.
Captain Henrik Zetterberg

who has 22 points while rookie
sensation Damien Brunner leads
the team with 10 goals on the
year and a total of 16 points.
Defencemen Niklas Kronwall
leads the league in points among
defensemen with 17. The Red
Wings are sitting in third place
in the Western Conference with
a 10-8-3 record and 23 points in
21 games.

Canucks vs. LA Kings,
Saturday March 23,1 p.m.,
Sportsnet.

The LA Kings have been

lately, winning their past

five consecutive games after

a horrible 5-6-2 start to the
regular season. Anze Kopitar
leads the team in points with
17 while Jeff Carter leads the
team with 11 goals on the year.
Goaltender Jonathan Quick has
not been nearly as strong as he
was last year between the pipes
with a 6-6-2 record, a .901 Save
Percentage and a 2.54 Goals
Against Average compared to
his .929 SV%, and 1.95 GAA
last season. Backup goaltender
Jonathan Bernier has been the
stronger of the two, posting a
931 SV%, a 1.64 GAA, and a

last year—who finished eighth
in the Western Conference—and
a 3-2 shootout loss in their first
meeting this season in January,
the Canucks will have the Kings’
crown in their sights.

Canucks vs. Edmonton Oilers,
Saturday March 30, 7 p.m.,
CBC.

The ever-so talented Edmonton
Oilers are a thrill to watch,
regardless of what team they’re
playing. With Taylor Hall,
Jordan Eberle, Ryan Nugent-
Hopkins, Sam Gagner, Nail
Yakupov, and Justin Schultz,
they’re looking more and more
like the Edmonton Oilers from
back in the ‘80s when Wayne
Gretzky, Mark Messier, Paul
Coffey, Jari Kurri, and Glenn
Anderson dominated the league.
It’s about time these young
players find their groove and
become a dominant force in the
league.

Gagner leads the team with
19 points while the Oilers sit
in 12th position in the Western
Conference with a 8-8-4 record
and 20 points in 19 games.
Goaltender Devan Dubnyk
has been solid in net, despite

leads the Red Wings with 25
points in 21 games followed by
flashy superstar Pavel Datsyuk

4-1 record in the five games
that he’s started thus far. After
a first-round exit to the Kings

the team’s performance, with
a 2.75 GAA and a .917 SV% in
the 15 games that he’s started.

The season series between the
Canucks and Oilers is split in
half as Edmonton took the first

 

Cory Snider | Photo courtesy by Jeff Vinnick/NHLI/Vancouver Canucks

game in a 3-2 bout in January
while Vancouver won in
overtime on February 4th.

 

 

Royals Roundup

Royals season
comes to an end

By Josh Martin, Sports Editor

he PacWest provincial basketball

championships took place last
weekend, with the Douglas College
men’s and women’s teams taking part
in the tournament at Camosun College
in Victoria, BC.

The third-seeded women’s Royals
made it to the semifinals after a 61-56
victory over the host team and sixth-
seeded Camosun Chargers. Advancing
to the semifinals, the Royals faced the
second-overall team in the league, the
VIU Mariners, in a heated battle that
ended in a nail-biter of a finish with a
70-68 win over the Royals. It marked
the end of a turnaround year for the
Royals, who finished third-overall in
the standings with an impressive 14-7
record and 28 points in 21 games, as

well as capturing their first national
ranking in recent years, finishing 10th
overall in Canada.

The VIU Mariners advanced to
the PacWest finals, defeating the first-
overall team, the Capilano Blues, in
a 65-55 affair to capture gold. The
Royals faced the Kwantlen Eagles in
the bronze medal game and came out
on top with a 68-41 win to capture
third place.

The fourth-overall men’s
basketball team took on the fifth-
overall Capilano Blues in the
quarterfinals last Thursday, winning
83-65. The Royals advanced to the
semifinals against the first-overall
Langara Falcons, but lost 103-71,
finishing their season and playoff
dreams. The Falcons went on to the
finals to capture gold against the
second-overall VIU Mariners in a 78—
74 match. The Royals participated in
the bronze medal game but lost to the
Quest Kermodes by a score of 103-86.

 

Student Sports Snippets

By Josh Martin, Sports Editor

Which NHL team is going to win the
Stanley Cup this year?

Name: Blake Rayment, second-year
arts student

“The Boston Bruins. They did it two
years ago, so let’s keep that Bruin train
going. And you can quote me on that!”

Name: Stephanie Barnes, second-year
creative writing student

“The Vancouver Canucks, because
they’re feelin’ it this year. They’re
looking pretty strong.... and the [L.A.]
Kings fuckin’ suck.”

Name: Brandon Russell Vix, second-
year creative writing student

“The Mighty Ducks because of Emilio
Estevez... I want to say, all Canucks
fans better stock up on these.”
“Brandon shows me a picture of a box
of tissues with the Canucks logo on
it®

Bt

 

 

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