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Sports

 

By Josh Martin, Sports Editor

es, it’s that time of year
Ye Hard to believe that

we're already entering
the great month of March, which
features the highly anticipated
season of spring (thank god),
spring break(get crazy!), daylight
saving time (my personal
favourite), the Douglas College
theatre productions (check out The
Very Ecstasy of Love, because I’m
in it!), and last but not least the 15
Canucks games heading your way
of the remaining 18 in the regular
season.

Wait a minute... you can’t
watch all 15 games this month?
You have to get on with the other
daily events in your life that are
of higher priority? You don’t have
the time? Oh no! If only there
was some sort of possible way to
figure out which games to watch
in order to manage time properly.
Luckily for you, there is! I have
the answers. Here’s a list of the top
games to watch in the upcoming
month.

Canucks vs. Winnipeg Jets,
Thursday March 8, Sportsnet, 7

p-m.
The last time the Winnipeg Jets

came to play in Vancouver was
on February 13, 1996, when the

hee ig Jim Mone (AP)

 

#
@ Evander Kane, Alex Burmistrov, <

— COMUCKS COMES

Canucks won by a score of 5-4.
Fast forward 16 years and
the Jets are back in town, and
they want revenge! This game
will be a treat to say the least.
Winnipeg, as of last Thursday, is
tied for the eighth and final playoff
spot with the Maple Leafs in the
Eastern Conference with a 29-26-7
record and 65 points in 62 games.
They will be fighting desperately
for leverage in the standings,
especially come March 8.
Players to watch: former Canuck
Kyle Wellwood (12 goals—24
assists—36 points), Blake Wheeler
(11-36-47), leading goal scorer
Evander Kane (23-16-39), and
juggernaut defensemen Dustin
Byfuglien (9-27-36).

Canucks vs. Montreal Canadiens,
Saturday March 10, Hockey Night
in Canada CBC, 7 p.m.

A late game for the East Coast fans
that will make them stay up for

a 10 p.m. battle between the two
cities.

The last and only other time
these two teams met up this
season went to a shootout, where
the Canucks came out with a 4-3
finish. The Canadiens are tied
for second-to-last place in the
Eastern Conference with the New
York Islanders... yes the Islanders.
Now that’s embarrassing. Despite

ustin Byfuglien

 

being in 14" place, they are only
seven points away from the eighth
playoff spot which is, as of last
week, being held by Toronto with
65.

A Canadian classic that will
be featured in Hockey Night in
Canada on a Saturday evening that
you surely won’t want to miss.

Players to watch: goaltender
Carey Price (holds a 22—22-9
record with a 2.39 Goals Against
Average and a .916 Save
Percentage), hulking defensemen
P.K. Subban (3-20-23), left winger
Max Pacioretty (25-21-46), and
Eric Cole (22-22-44),

Canucks vs. Chicago Blackhawks,
Wednesday March 21, TSN, 5
p-m.
Do I even really need to say why
someone should tune into this
game? These two teams have been
bitter rivals for the past several
years and simply hate each other.
The Blackhawks are arguably the
Canucks number one rival next to
the highly-hated Boston Bruins—
and that’s saying something.

The Canucks hold the edge
in the season series 2-1, and this
particular game will mark the very
last match between the two teams
in the regular season. Chicago
is sitting somewhat comfortably
at sixth place in the West with a

&

4

 

Games to watch in March

‘

33-21-7 record and 73 points in 61
games.

Players to watch: sniper
Marian Hossa (23-35-58), captain
Jonathan Toews (29-28-57), Patrick
Sharp (24-27-51), and pest Patrick
Kane (13-36-49).

Canucks vs. Los Angeles Kings,
Monday March 26, TSN, 7 p.m.
L.A. Kings goaltender, Jonathan
Quick is the only reason that the
Kings have been holding onto the
final playoff spot in the Western
Conference. He has been excellent
this season with a 24-16-11 record
along with a sparkling .933 SV%,
an eye popping 1.91 GAA, and six
shutouts.

The Kings hold the season
series over the Canucks 2-1, with
their last win January 17 in a 3-2
shootout decision. By the time
March 26 rolls around, it will be
evident whether or not the Kings
will be in a spot to qualify for the
playoffs. We'll just have to wait
and see.

Players to watch: goaltender
Jonathan Quick, centre Anze
Kopitar (17-34-51), defensemen
Drew Doughty (6-20-26), and
newly acquired forward Jeff Carter
(15-10-25).

 

 

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