Two of the most dynamic offensive superstars in the National Hockey League. Two young, All-Star defencemen patrolling the blue-line. A relatively unknown starting netminder but one who has shown an ability to stand on his head from time to time. A coach who is considered one of the best hockey minds in the League. All together on a team that just a few short years ago was immersed in a period best described as the franchise's Dark Age.
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For those in the Canucks Community who are prowling around the Fan Zone blogs on this Friday evening, here's a sneak peek at the scouting report against the Oilers. Don't forget to read the entire Canucks.com Tale of the Tape preview on Saturday.
After a solid start to the season, Pat Quinn's crew has run into some pretty hard times over the last month.
Heading into their last meeting with the Canucks back on October 25th, the Oilers had a record of 6-3-1, sat third in the Northwest Divisi
For those nocturnal Canucks fans (this is being posted at midnight!) who just can't wait 'til Thursday morning for the Game Notes, here's a sneak peak at the scouting report against the Los Angeles Kings.
The Los Angeles Kings came into this season believing they would be contenders for a playoff spot in the competitive Western Conference and through the first month-and-a-half of the season, they are exactly where they expected to be right in the thick of the playoff hunt.
However, for a t
Can't wait until tomorrow to read the Canucks.com Tale of the Tape preview? Here's a sneak peak of the scouting report versus the Blackhawks.
After a bit of a sluggish start to the season through October and the early part of November, the Chicago Blackhawks are starting to recapture the form and swagger of the team that made it all the way to the Western Conference Final last season. In typical Blackhawks fashion (at least over the last year or so), they've done so by intimidating opposition
Can't wait until tomorrow to read the Canucks.com Tale of the Tape preview? Here's a sneak peak of the scouting report versus the Avalanche.
It seems that midnight may be about to strike for the Avalanche's Cinderella start to the season if it hasn't already.
<img src="http://cdn.nhl.com/canucks/images/upload/2009/11/nov1409_faces_t.jpg" class="imageFloatLeftFramed">The Avs have just one win in their last five games and, for the most part, have not looked good in the losses. One posi
A win in Game 5 at the United Center keeps the Canucks' hopes of re-writing history alive as their quest to avoid having a similar fate this year against the Blackhawks as they did in 2009 continues for at least one more game. And since this year's theme for the playoffs is History Will Be Made, Number Crunching explores some of that history that has already been re-written so far in the 2010 playoffs for the Canucks.
SPEED KILLS
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With just one Canucks playoff game to dissect this week, Number Crunching takes a page out of the playbook of our road warriors and gives Game 1 the full court press with the best stats from the Round 2 series opener. And because we're just so darned nice out here on the West Coast, we decide to give a shout out to a long-lost friend who just couldn't be here with us.
BALANCING ACT
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This week's inaugural playoff edition of Number Crunching explores the statistical oddities from the first week of action in the NHL post-season and looks into the wacky tacky officiating from the first two games of the Canucks/Kings series that leads us to wonder out loud if in fact the NHL really does have a bias against the Canucks.
FLYING SAUCERS? OR JUST ZEBRAS ON THE SAUCE?
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We're doing the happy dance at Number Crunching this week after the Canucks completed a successful 4-2 first round series victory over the Los Angeles Kings but before we talk about Vancouver's next dance partner, we take a look back at the best numbers from round one in the Canucks/Kings series and in the NHL.
NO EARLY BIRD SPECIAL
<img src="http://cdn.nhl.com/canucks/images/upload/2010/04/apr2310_quick_t.jpg" class="imageFloatLeftFramed">Conventional wisdom and statistics suggest
There was certainly plenty of holiday cheer in Canucks Nation this week with the team sweeping all three games during the week. In the spirit of the holidays and with the official halfway point of the season about to be reached, Number Crunching gets into the giving mood by presenting the unofficial mid-season awards.
Be sure to bookmark this blog (Ctrl + D) to see how many of the predictions pan out at the end of the 2009.10 season. And of course, feel free to share your thoughts on who you
A more aesthetically-pleasing (i.e. shots, shots, shots, shots, and goals, goals, goals goals) means some major updates to the Playoff Stats Pack compared to after the first round and the second round.
Below are the updated numbers through the first three rounds of the playoffs. And of course, don't forget to read my Tale of the Tape Game Notes on the front page of Canucks.com on every game day and be sure to watch out for my Tale of the Tape Series Preview against either the Bruins or Lightn
Once again, for all you stats junkies, here's the Playoff Stats pack updated after the second round series against the Predators. For the stats pack after the end of Round One versus Chicago, click here.
Don't forget to read my Tale of the Tape Game Notes on the front page of Canucks.com on every game day and watch out for my Tale of the Tape series preview against either the Sharks or Red Wings which will be up shortly.
You can also find me on Twitter @daniel_fung or drop me a line at df
I got some pretty decent feedback when I posted my Stats Package at the end of the regular season so I thought I'd do it for the playoffs as well. Here's Vancouver's updated playoff statistics through the opening round.
Don't forget to read my Tale of the Tape Game Notes on the front page of Canucks.com on every game day and also my Tale of the Tape Series Preview for the Canucks vs Predators.
You can also find me on Twitter @daniel_fung or drop me a line at dfung_sports@hotmail.com.
C
For those of you who aren't familiar with what I do, I write the Game Notes for Canucks.com (aka Tale of the Tape) which you can read every game day at canucks.com/gamenotes.
Of course a big part of Tale of the Tape is statistics. Some of them are easy to find (Canucks.com and NHL.com), some I get from researching the official game notes packages sent out by the various media relations department around the league, but the majority of them are ones that I keep track of myself throughout the s
It's celebration week for Number Crunching as we, along with the rest of Canucks Nation, congratulate Henrik Sedin for becoming the first ever Vancouver Canuck to capture the Art Ross Trophy as the NHL's leading point scorer. In honour of Henrik's achievement, we crunch the numbers on some Art Ross history and make a case for why Hank is better than Sid and Ovie. And as a wrap-up to the regular season, we present the Number Crunching Super Stats Pack.
TODAY THE ART ROSS, TOMORROW THE WORLD?
It is a contemplative week for Number Crunching as we look towards the end of the regular season and the start of the playoffs for the 2010 Northwest Division Champions Vancouver Canucks. As part of our reflection, we take a trip down memory lane and revisit our mid-season award predictions and give our final thoughts on which Canucks should walk away this season with some hardware.
WHAT IF DANIEL SEDIN DID NOT MISS 19 GAMES THIS SEASON DUE TO INJURY?
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It was a Debbie Downer sort of week in Canucks Nation with just one victory in three games to celebrate and Number Crunching continues with the theme by presenting the stats you'd least like to hear about. But of course we do have one bright spot and that's our Number Crunching Player of the Week Award, which figures to be a Ray of sunshine in an otherwise dreary week in Canuckland.
THE 100-POINT CURSE?
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It was a good week in Canuck Nation if your name was Ryan and appropriately in this week's edition of Number Crunching, we pay tribute to the Ryans as we look back at the best and worst statistics in the week that was. Read on to find out who takes home this week's Number Crunching Player of the Week Award...could it very well be Ryan's for the taking?
THE BEST OF KES
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The Canucks are on a high after picking up seven out of a possible eight points (3-0-1) but Number Crunching is going to take a page from Flo Rida's book and tell you about the "low, low, low, low, low, low" from this past week of Canucks hockey. But one thing that's definitely not low is the recipient of this week's Number Crunching Player of the Week Award, who will be revealed if you read on.
THE BIG O
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It is not quite the same as winning a Gold medal but a 3-1-0 record for the Canucks in their first week back is definitely reason for celebration in Canucks Nation. And another reason to celebrate is because Number Crunching returns for edition No. 12 as we look back at the best stats from the week that was in Canucks hockey. As always, find out who earns this week's honour as the Number Crunching Player of the Week.
THE ROAD LESS TRAVELLED
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Canada captured an Olympic Winter Games record of 14 Gold medals in Vancouver and in honour of the Canadian Olympic Team, Number Crunching tries for a Gold medal performance in this first blog back since the Olympic break where we look back at the best of the Men's Ice Hockey tournament as well as ahead to the NHL's Trade Deadline on Wednesday. And of course, find out who takes home the Gold as the Number Crunching Player of the 2010 Winter Games.
MEDAL HAUL
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People of Fanzone: After a week-long negotiation with CDC, Number Crunching is officially being put on hiatus until post-Olympics after this final blog (our settlement, unlike Conan's, was only worth 32 cents and a Churro). When it returns, Jay Leno will be taking over as your new Number Crunching blogger.
Okay, so I kid...but Number Crunching is going on an Olympic break after this blog but before we go dark, we review the best and unusual statistics from the week that was in Canucks hockey
In the Canucks locker room, they ought to be calling Alex Burrows "The Joker" after all the tricks he played last week. But here on Number Crunching, we're not joking around when we dedicate this week's blog to the hat trick hero himself. Read on to find out who takes home this week's coveted Number Crunching Player of the Week Award (as if you didn't already know).
TWO IS AS GOOD AS THREE...
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The turn of the calendar provides an opportunity for some reflection so this week's column (our seventh edition for those keeping count...ever wonder why I never numbered them before? Seems a bit silly) looks back on the best of December, reveals the true meaning of a New Year's Bash, and counts down a list of those we have forgotten over the past decade. Also, read on to find out who takes home this week's coveted Number Crunching Player of the Week Award.
(Published Sunday, January 3rd, 201
Between Ref-gate, Fight-gate and The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien (whoops, wrong forum), there was certainly no shortage of controversial topics this past week. Here on Number Crunching, we certainly don't shy away from controversy as we take a look at the best and worst statistics from the week that was in Canucks hockey and answer that burning question of just whether the refs really do hold a grudge against the boys in blue. And as always, read on to find out who takes home this week's cov
