Tonight's game is the last of four meetings this season between the Canucks and the Blackhawks. Vancouver leads the season series two games to one. Vancouver defeated Chicago 4-2 on January 17th in Chicago and 5-3 on November 20th at home. Chicago beat the Canucks 3-2 on December 17th in Chicago.
Next Game: Vancouver plays the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday before departing on a four-game road-trip on Friday. Chicago plays host to Toronto on Wednesday night.
Last Meeting: January 17, 2003 at Chicago, 4-2 win.
Last: Vancouver Chicago
Last Home Win: Nov. 20/02 (5-3) Dec. 17/02 (3-2)
Last Road Win: Jan. 17/03 (4-2) Oct. 4/01 (5-4)
Last shutout: Nov. 1/78 Jan. 3/01
Glen Hanlon (1-0) Jocelyn Thibault (6-0)
Tie Game: Nov. 28/01 (3-3 at CHI)
Last Hat-Trick: Stan Smyl Steve Sullivan
Dec. 14/86 Dec. 21/00
Most Goals: 7 - December 14/86 9 - Oct. 24/84
VAN 7 at CHI 3 3 times
Canucks in OT: 4-4-4
Vancouver Canucks Notes
GOOD TO BE BACK
Over the last two seasons the Canucks have posted a record of 15-7-2-0 in the first game back after a road trip. Last season the club was 10-5-0-0 and this year in nine games after a trip the Canucks are 5-2-2-0. The Canucks failed to add a victory to that record with their 5-2 loss on January 24th versus Detroit.
CAPTAIN OUT IN FRONT
With his two point effort on February 7th at Buffalo, Canucks captain Markus Naslund took over the NHL scoring lead with 70 points. Naslund also led the goal scoring race with 36. This marks the first time this late in a season (after February 7th) that any Canucks player has led both categories in the NHL. Naslund now sits second with 70 points and first with 36 goals (through Feb. 9/03).
MAKE IT 10
Canucks forward Todd Bertuzzi made it ten consecutive games with a point with his 33rd assist of the season, February 7th at Buffalo. Bertuzzi's streak is the longest current streak in the NHL, and is three games shy of the longest this season
(13 games - Hossa & Hejduk). Last season Bertuzzi tied the franchise record for most consecutive games with at least a point (15 games). That stretch also tied for the longest streak in the NHL during the 2001-02 season.
TREV AND THE TWINS
The recently formed line of Trevor Linden and the Sedin twins has paid off so far. The trio combined for six points (3-3-6) on the Canucks three game road trip. Linden had back to back two point games (Columbus & Buffalo), and Daniel and Henrik each scored a goal on the road trip.
TURNING 30
February 4th in Pittsburgh, the Vancouver Canucks earned their 30th win of the regular season. Vancouver earned it's 30th win in the team's 53rd game, equalling the second fewest number of games to reach 30 wins in the history of the franchise. The fewest games to reach 30 wins for the Canucks are listed below:
GAMES WINS SEASON
52 30 1991-92
53 30 2002-03
53 30 1992-93
58 30 1974-75
INSTANT ENERGY
The Canucks energy line of Artem Chubarov, Matt Cooke, and Trevor Letowski play a big role when the Canucks win. When one of the trio records a point in a game, the Canucks record is 22-6-1-0.
ENOUGH ALREADY
The Canucks put a stop to their two game losing streak with a 1-0 win versus Phoenix on January 26th. Vancouver along with the Detroit Red Wings and St. Louis Blues are the only teams in the NHL this year to not have a three game losing streak. This was Vancouver's fourth two game losing streak of the season. The other three times the Canucks responded with two wins and a tie.
UP TO THE CHALLENGE
So far this season the Canucks have shown the ability to compete and be successful against the top teams in their conference. Currently holding the second seed in the Western Conference, the Canucks have earned a record of 11-5-6-0 versus the other seven teams currently holding playoff spots in the west (through Feb. 9/03). Below is a look at the Canucks head to head record versus the other seven teams holding down playoff spots:
Versus Anaheim 1-0-2-0
Versus Dallas 0-2-0-0
Versus Detroit 2-1-0-0
Versus St. Louis 1-0-0-0
Versus Edmonton 3-0-1-0
Versus Minnesota 2-2-1-0
Versus Colorado 2-0-2-0
Overall 11-5-6-0
50 IN THE BOOKS
As the Canucks concluded their 50th game of the season on January 26th, they continue to have one of the best seasons in club history. With 63 points in 50 games they were just two points behind the most for any Canucks team through its first 50 games. Also, with 29 wins they tied the most by a Canucks team through 50 games. Below is a look at the best 50 game starts to a Canucks season:
MOST POINTS THROUGH 50 GAMES MOST WINS THROUGH 50 GAMES
65 (29-14-7 1991-92) 29 (2002-03, 1991-92, 1992-93)
65 (29-14-7 1992-93) 25 (1974-75, 1993-94, 2000-01)
63 (29-16-5-0 2002-03)
58 (25-17-4-4 2000-01)
55 (25-20-5 1974-75)
BACK TO BACK
The Canucks played their seventh back to back game of the season February 5th in Columbus. With the tie, the Canucks have a record of 3-1-3-0 in the second game of a back to back. Below is a look at the results of the second game of a back to back for the Canucks this year:
Oct. 19 at L.A. 2-2 Tie (Tie previous game)
Nov. 30 at Florida 5-2 Win (Win previous game)
Dec. 4 at New Jersey 3-2 Win (OT) (Loss previous game)
Dec. 15 vs Calgary 3-3 Tie (Win previous game)
Jan. 11 at San Jose 3-0 Loss (Loss previous game)
Jan. 17 at Chicago 4-2 Win (Loss previous game)
Feb. 5 at Columbus 4-4 Tie (Win previous game)
Vancouver has four more back to back situations this season.
ROAD WARRIORS
With a road record of 17-7-3-0 and 37 points away from home, the Canucks lead the way while away from home. In games played away from General Motors Place in "2002" Vancouver was 26-9-3-1. The Canucks earned five of a possible six points on their latest road trip with two wins and a tie (Feb. 4-7).
800 GAMES WITH VANCOUVER
Trevor Linden became only the second Canuck in history to play 800 games in a Canucks uniform, January 16th at Minnesota. Linden who played his first game with the Canucks on October 6, 1988, trails Stan Smyl (896 games) for the most in club history.
WITHIN REACH
Canucks captain Markus Naslund is on pace to set several new Canucks club records this season. With 19 power-play goals and 10 game-winning goals, Naslund could surpass the previous marks set by Pavel Bure and Geoff Courtnall. Below is a look at some of the club records in reach for the Canucks captain:
POWER-PLAY GOALS GAME-WINNING GOALS GOALS BY A CANUCKS LW
Team Record 25 (P. Bure - 1993-94) 11 (G. Courtnall - 1992-93) 42 (D. Rota - 1982-83)
Naslund in 02-03 19 (through 55 games) 10 (through 55 games) 36 (through 55 games)
Note: The NHL record for PPG's is 34 (Tim Kerr 1985-86) and for GWG's is 16 (P. Esposito, M. Goulet).
Also: Naslund needs one more GWG to pass Pavel Bure's 32 for the most in club history. Naslund entered this season with 22 GWG's in a Canucks uniform and has added 10 so far this season. Trevor Linden currently has 30 GWG's in a Canucks uniform.
CANUCKS AMONG THE LEAGUE LEADERS
The following Canucks rank among the league leaders in the following categories (through Feb. 9/03):
Dan Cloutier 2nd in the NHL with 26 wins
Markus Naslund 1st in the NHL with 36 goals
Markus Naslund 1st in the NHL with 19 PPG
Markus Naslund 1st in the NHL with 38 PPP
Markus Naslund 1st in the NHL with 10 GWG
Markus Naslund 2nd in NHL scoring with 70 points
Todd Bertuzzi Tied for 5th in NHL scoring with 62 points
Todd Bertuzzi Tied for 5th in the NHL with 29 goals
Todd Bertuzzi 2nd in the NHL with 15 PPG
Matt Cooke Tied for 2nd in the NHL with 4 SHG
LEAVING HIS MARC
Canucks head coach Marc Crawford now holds the franchise mark for wins as a head coach. With his 143rd win behind the Canucks bench coming on January 17th at Chicago, Crawford became the winningest coach in club history. Also Crawford ranks second only to Neale's 407 games coached for most as Canucks bench boss. Below is a look at the five coaches with the most wins in Canucks history:
Marc Crawford 147 Wins
Harry Neale 142 Wins
Pat Quinn 141 Wins
Bob McCammon 102 Wins
Phil Maloney 95 Wins
Also with his 25th win of the season on January 8th, Crawford earned the right to coach the Western Conference All-Star Team at the 2003 NHL All-Star game in Sunrise, Florida.
A LOOK AT THE FIRST HALF
Below is a closer look at some of the highlights from the first half of the Canucks 2002-03 season:
Franchise Record 10 Game Winning Streak (Nov. 9-30)
Markus Naslund League Leading 30 Goals
Dan Cloutier League Leading 21 Wins
Dan Cloutier Named NHL Player of the Month (November)
First Overall In The NHL Standings (Dec. 22nd - First Time In Almost 11 Years)
Marc Crawford Named Head Coach of NHL Western Conference All-Star Team
Marc Crawford Ties Pat Quinn with 141 Wins As A Canucks Coach (One win shy of Neale's club record 142)
Trevor Linden Breaks Stan Smyl's Club Record For Goals (Scored His 263rd, Nov. 25/02 at Minnesota)
CAPTAIN BACK ON TOP
Canucks captain Markus Naslund is once again near the front of the pack in goal scoring this season. With his career high four goal night December 14th at Edmonton, he took over the NHL lead. His 36 goals currently rank 1st among all NHL players (through Feb. 7/03).
Since the start of the 2000-01 season Markus Naslund has scored more goals than any other NHL player with 117:
PLAYER LAST TWO SEASONS THIS SEASON TOTAL
Markus Naslund 81 Goals 36 Goals 117 Goals
Jaromir Jagr 83 Goals 30 Goals 113 Goals
Pavel Bure 93 Goals 14 Goals 107 Goals
Peter Bondra 84 Goals 22 Goals 106 Goals
Bill Guerin 81 Goals 23 Goals 104 Goals
Alexei Kovalev 76 Goals 27 Goals 103 Goals
Jarome Iginla 83 Goals 20 Goals 103 Goals
Joe Sakic 80 Goals 19 Goals 99 Goals
CANUCKS VERSUS CANADA
On January 30th the Canucks played their 11th of 16 games versus their Canadian rivals. Through these 11 games versus Canadian teams, the Canucks are 6-3-2-0 and have outscored their opponents 38-29. The chart below breaks down the Canucks record and schedule versus the Canadian teams:
Canucks VS Meetings This Season Games To Date
Flames Five Four (1-2-1-0)
Oilers Five Four (3-0-1-0)
Maple Leafs Three One (0-1-0-0)
Canadiens Two One (1-0-0-0)
Senators One One (1-0-0-0)
RUNNING THE 40
The Canucks played their 40th game of the season January 4th versus Florida and so far this season they have been quick out of the gate. With 24 wins and 53 points through 40 games, the Canucks had the second highest number of wins by the franchise through 40 games, and the second highest number of points at this stage of any (Canucks) season. Below is a look at the best 40 game starts in Canucks club history:
MOST WINS THROUGH 40 GAMES MOST POINTS THROUGH 40 GAMES
25 (1992-93) 54 (1992-93)
24 (2002-03) 53 (2002-03)
22 (1974-75, 1991-92) 51 (1991-92)
20 (2000-01) 49 (1974-75)
FRONT RUNNER
Canucks captain Markus Naslund recorded his 28th goal of the season on January 4th versus Florida, his and the teams 40th game of the season. With 28 goals through his first 40 games, Naslund is off to the third fastest goal scoring start in Canucks history. Below are the most goals scored by a Canuck through the first 40 games of a season:
PLAYER GAMES GOALS
Pavel Bure 40 35 (1992-93)
Alexander Mogilny 40 34 (1995-96)
Markus Naslund 40 28 (2002-03)
Tony Tanti 40 28 (1983-84)
Ron Sedlbauer 40 26 (1978-79)
Pavel Bure 40 25 (1997-98)
Darcy Rota 40 25 (1983-84)
SHOOTING OUT THE LIGHTS IN 2002
As 2002 came to an end on Tuesday night the Canucks finished off the best year in club history. Several Canucks also had career "years" and ranked among the league leaders in a number of categories:
POINTS IN 2002 GOALS IN 2002 ASSISTS IN 2002
Todd Bertuzzi 102 Markus Naslund 48 Mario Lemieux 62
Markus Naslund 101 Todd Bertuzzi 46 Alexei Kovalev 60
Alexei Kovalev 99 Glen Murray 44 Todd Bertuzzi 56
B. Morrison (T-10th with 76) M. Naslund (6th with 53)
POINTS BY A D-MAN IN 2002 POWER-PLAY GOALS IN 2002 GWG IN 2002
Nicklas Lidstrom 61 Markus Naslund 21 Sergei Fedorov 11
Ed Jovanovski 53 Todd Bertuzzi 20 Markus Naslund 10
Three others tied with 53 Zigmund Palfy 19 Three others tied with 9
WINS IN 2002 WINNING % IN 2002
Martin Brodeur 41 Dominik Hasek .734
Felix Potvin 36 Dan Cloutier .694
Dan Cloutier 35 Brent Johnson .652
2002 - A YEAR TO REMEMBER
During the calendar year "2002" Vancouver compiled a record of 48-19-8-3 in 78 games for a winning percentage of .686. Since 1990 the best calendar year on record is the St. Louis Blues "2000" when they had a record of 54 wins, 14 losses and 11 ties in 79 games for 119 points and a .753 winning percentage. The highest winning percentages over the last 12 years for a calendar year are listed below:
YEAR TEAM GP W L T RT/OTL WIN% PTS
2000 St. Louis 79 54 13 11 1 .759 120
1995 Detroit 84 60 18 6 .750 126
2001 Detroit 82 55 15 9 3 .744 122
1996 Detroit 84 55 18 11 .720 121
1998 Dallas 75 47 18 10 .693 94
2002 Vancouver 78 48 19 8 3 .686 107
1997 New Jersey 84 50 21 13 .673 113
1997 Dallas 85 51 22 12 .671 114
2000 Colorado 82 49 21 12 0 .671 110
1995 Pittsburgh 84 53 25 6 .667 112
FIRST OVERALL - FOR A SECOND TIME!
With their 4-3 overtime victory on December 21st versus Edmonton, the Canucks took over top spot in the NHL with 45 points and 20 wins. With 70 points the Canucks currently sit tied for 4th overall (through Feb. 9/03). It marked the first time since January 25, 1992 that the club has been atop the NHL standings this late in the season. With a record of 28-13-7 through its first 48 games, the 1991-92 Canucks led the NHL on January 25th of that season. That is the only time in Canucks history that the franchise has led the league in points after January 1st.
FAST TRACK TO TWENTY
By recording their 20th win in their 34th game of the season, the Canucks got off to one of their best starts in club history. The fastest a Canucks team has reached 20 wins is 33 games (1974-75 and 1992-93). The 20 wins in 34 games is the third fastest start in Canucks, history just ahead of the 1991-92 team that recorded 20 wins in its first 35 games.
CAREER NIGHT FOR THE CAPTAIN
Markus Naslund enjoyed a career night on Saturday Dec. 14/02 in Edmonton. The Canucks captain scored four goals to establish a new single game career high and tie a Canucks team record. The four goals in a game marks the 10th time in club history that it has been accomplished. The last Canuck to record four goals in a single game was Martin Gelinas on February 27th, 1997 versus Phoenix. One week later on December 21st, Naslund scored the overtime game winner versus Edmonton.
40 IN 30 - A QUICK START
This regular season, the Canucks had the second best 30 game start to a season in club history. With 40 points and a record of 18-8-4-0 in their first 30 games, the start ranks only second to the 30 game start by the 1974-75 Vancouver team. Below is a closer look at the best 30 game starts in Canucks history:
SEASON POINTS RECORD
1974-75 42 Points 19-7-4-0
2002-03 40 Points 18-8-4-0
2000-01 38 Points 16-8-4-2
1991-92 37 Points 17-10-3
1992-93 37 Points 17-10-3
1980-81 36 Points 15-9-6
15 FOR THE BOOKS
The Canucks won 13 of 15 games between Nov. 9th and Dec. 4th, compiling a record of 13-2-0-0 in that stretch. The 13 wins is the most in club history over a 15 game stretch and the 26 points ties for the most gained over 15 games. Three of the four best 15 game streaks have come since January of last season. Below is a list of the best 15 game streaks in team history:
SEASON RECORD POINTS DATES
2002-03 13-2-0-0 26 Nov. 9 - Dec. 4
1992-93 12-1-2 26 Nov. 28 - Jan. 6
2001-02 12-2-1-0 25 Mar. 14 - Apr. 13
2001-02 11-2-1-1 24 Jan. 3 - Feb. 4
Three Season's with 23 points in 15 game span (1974-75, 1991-92, 2000-01)
A PERFECT 10
With their 3-2 win November 27th at Carolina, the Canucks set a new franchise record with eight consecutive victories. November 30th in Florida the club extended their new club record by winning their tenth straight game. With the ten wins Vancouver passed St. Louis' nine game winning streak from earlier this season as the longest streak of the season. Below is a list of the longest winning streaks in club history:
CONSECUTIVE WINS SEASON
Ten 2002-03 (Nov. 9 - Nov. 30)
Seven 1988-89 (Feb. 10 -23)
Six 2001-02 (Jan. 19-28)
Six 1993-94 (Oct. 11-24)
Six 1992-93 (Dec. 18-31)
Here is a closer look at the ten game winning streak:
Canucks scored first in 7 of 10 games
Were tied or ahead for 567:01 of the 600 minutes during the ten games (trailed for 32:59, 21 minutes in one game)
Were tied or ahead in all but 12:59 of the last 520 minutes played of the winning streak
Dan Cloutier started nine games and was named a star in 6 of 9 games (1st star, Three Times)
Dan Cloutier stopped 227 of 244 shots (.930 Save %) (1.88 GAA)
Power-Play 15 of 48 (31.3%)
Outscored opponents 41-20
NOVEMBER REIGN
The Canucks set or tied a number of club records in the month of November, below is a list:
Most points in a month 24 points
Most wins in a month 12 wins
Most consecutive wins 10 wins
Most wins in a month by a goalie (Cloutier) 11 wins
Tied most consecutive road wins 5 wins
Tied longest undefeated streak 10 games (were 5-0-5, Mar. 5-25, 1977)
Trevor Linden became all-time leading scorer 263 goals (now has 269 goals with Vancouver)
Total Man-Games Lost: (125) Eric Daze suffered a pulled groin on January 26th at Montreal and is day-to-day. He has missed 4 games....Alexander Karpovtsev has a bruised ankle and is day-to-day. He has missed 2 games. Last season the Blackhawks lost 132 man-games to injury/illness.
Recent Transactions
Chicago Blackhawks Notes
BLACKHAWKS CONCLUDE AT VANCOUVER: The Blackhawks lock horns with the Vancouver Canucks for the fourth and final time this season . The Canucks have a two games to one advantage in the season series. The Canucks won the previous meeting between the teams, 5--3 in Vancouver on Novemner 20th. The teams split their meeting in Chicago, with the Blackhawks posting a 3-2 win at the United Ceneter on Dec. 17th while the Cancucks recorded a 4-2 win in the Windy City on Jan. 17. The Blackhawks are 14-7-2-0 versus the Canucks in their last 23 games over the last six seasons. On the road, the Blackhawks have 2-3-0-0 record in their last five visits to Vancouver.
Tonight's game is the seventh and final game of this trip. The Blackhawks have posted a record of 2-3-1-0 thus far, a 5-3 loss in Pittsburgh, a 4-3 loss in Montreal, a 3-1 win in Boston, a 2-1 loss at Minnesota, a 2-2 tie in Calgary and a 3-0 win in Edmonton. Following tonight's game, return home on Wednesday, February 12th, to take on the Toronto Maple Leafs.
UPCOMING GAMES:
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 12TH - VS - TORONTO 7:00 p.m. (WSCR Radio 670 AM)
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14TH - VS - SAN JOSE 7:30 p.m. (WSCR Radio 670 AM)
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 15TH - AT - COLUMBUS 6:00 p.m. (WSCR Radio 670 AM/Fox Sports Net)
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 17TH - VS - COLORADO 7:30 p.m. (WSCR Radio 670 AM)
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20TH - VS - PHOENIX 7:30 p.m. (WSCR Radios 670 AM)
BLACKHAWKS TIE TEAM MARK: The Blackhawks outshot the Calgary Flames 10-1 in the overtime period on February 6th in Calgary. The 10 shots in overtime tied the club record for most shots in anovertime period set back on December 6, 1931, when the Blackhawks had 10 shots in overtime against the Ottawa Senators.
JUST RECENTLY: The Blackhawks have a record of 2-6-2-0 in their last 10 games. Their only wins came in that span came on January 30th when they defeated the Boston Bruins by the score of 3-1 and the Edmonton Oilers by the score of 3-0 on February 8th.They are also 4-6-4-3 in their last 17 games.
BLACKHAWKS PLAY 'EM TIGHT: Of the 55 games the Blackhawks have played this season, 43 of those contests have been decided by three goals or less. The Blackhawks have a record of 8-10 in one-goal games, 9-6 in two-goal games, and are 6-4 in three-goal games.
EAST VS. WEST: The Blackhawks have played 16 games versus Eastern Conference teams this season. In those 16 games, the Blackhawks have a record of 9-3-4-0. The Blackhawks have a record of 14-16-6-3 versus Western Conference teams in 39 games this season. They are 8-4-6-3 in their last 21 Western Conference games.
BRIAN SUTTER AMONG COACHING ELITE: Brian Sutter comes into tonight's game with a career coaching record of 424-360-126-9 in 919 games. The 424 career coaching wins ranks him 12th on the all-time coaching list having recently surpassed the legendary Jack Adams who had 413 career coaching wins. He recorded his 400th career win last season on April 7th with a 3-2 win over the Calgary Flames becoming only the 15th coach in NHL history to achieve that mark. He coached his 900th career game in a 3-3 tie at San Jose on December 28th.
TOUGH AFTER TWO: The Blackhawks have a record of 50-0-9-1 in their last 60 games when they lead after two periods. The Blackhawks dropped a 4-3 overtime decision to Detroit on January 5th after leading 2-0 heading into the third period. The last time the Blackhawks lost a game in regulation time when leading after two periods was back on March 4, 2001, when they led 3-2 over Carolina after two periods and dropped a 6-3 decision.
ON THE OTHER HAND: On the other side of the coin, the Blackhawks have trailed after two periods in 20 games this season and have managed to get at least one point in six of those games posting one win, four ties, and one overtime loss for seven points. The Blackhawks salvaged a 3-3 tie in Carolina on October 26th after trailing 3-2 after two periods, they came back to defeat the Los Angeles Kings 2-1 in overtime after trailing 1-0 after two periods on October 31st, they came back to gain a 2-2 tie with Washington on November 15th after trailing 2-1 after two periods, they rallied for a 2-2 tie versus Minnesota on December 26th after trailing 2-1 after two periods, they picked up a point in a 4-3 overtime loss at Dallas on January 9th after trailing 3-2 after two periods, and they rallied to tie the Calgary Flames 2-2 on February 6th after trailing 1-0 after two periods.
MILESTONES:
Phil Housley: Needs 6 assists for 900 career assists.
Steve Thomas: Needs 1 goal to reach the 400 goal mark.
Needs 7 assists to reach the 500 assist mark.
Needs 8 points to reach the 900 point mark.
WHO'S HOT: Alex Zhamnov has 1-3=4 in his last 6 games, has 2-7=9 in his last 12 games, has 2-13=15 in his last 16 games, and 2-17=19 in his last 22 games...Theo Fleury has 2-2=4 in his last 6 games...Kyle Calder has a 4-game point streak (2-3=5) and has 4-7=11 in his last 13 games...Tyler Arnason has 4-1=5 in his last 8 games...Eric Daze has 4-2=6 in his last 9 games and 5-7=12 in his last 16 games...Sergei Berezin has 6-2=8 in his last 12 games.
BLACKHAWKS DEFENSE GETS OFFENSIVE: The Blackhawks are 6th in the NHL in team defense though the first 55 games with a 2.32 goals against average. This has not stopped the defensemen from gettting involved in the offense this year. Through the first 55 games of the season, the Blackhawks have scored 132 goals. Of those 132 goals, 22 have been scored by defensemen. Last season, the Blackhawks defensemen accounted for 29 of the 216 goals scored.
TYLER ARNASON AMONG ROOKIE LEADERS.....Tyler Arnason has 14-13=27 in his first 54 games this season. He scored his first career hat trick on December 28th at San Jose. The three point game was also a career high. Arnason is among the NHL rookie leaders in all of the following categories:
Goals: 15 (1st)
Assists: 13 (T-4th)
Points: 28 (1st)
PPG: 3 (T-4th)
PPA: 3 (T-14th)
PP/PTS: 6 (T-8th)
GWG: 5 (1st)
Plus/Minus: +15 (T-2nd)
Shots: 118 (1st)
TYLER ARNASON NAMED NHL "ROOKIE OF THE MONTH" FOR OCTOBER/DECEMBER: Tyler Arnason was named the NHL "Rookie of the Month" for the month of October. Arnason led all rookies in scoring with eight points on four goals and four assists in nine games. Of his four goals, two were on the power play and two were game winners. He finished the month of October with goals in three straight games and a four-game scoring streak (3-2=5). Arnason followed that up by winning the award for the second time in the month of December. In being named "Rookie of the Month" for the second time this season, Arnason had 5-3=8 in December, including his first career hat trick against San Jose on December 28th. He also led all rookies in plus/minus with a +7 rating for ther month while helping the Blackhawks post a monthly record of 8-3-3-0.
THIBAULT GETS 200TH WIN: With the Blackhawks 3-2 win over Columbus on October 29th, Jocelyn Thibault became the 54th goaltender in NHL history to win 200 career games. He also become the 7th fastest goaltender to accomplish this feat at 27 years and nine months old. The six goaltenders who have accomplished this feat faster than Thibault are Terry Sawchuk (25.10 years old), Harry Lumley (26 years old), Grant Fuhr (26.4 years old), Martin Brodeur (26.11 years old), Tom Barrasso (26.11 years old), and Patrick Roy (27.9 years old).
THIBAULT RECORDS 2ND CONSECUTIVE SHUTOUT: Jocelyn Thibault recorded his second consecutive shutout when the Blackhawks defeated the Atlanta Thrashers 5-0 on November 7th. Thibault had shutout the Detroit Red Wings in the previous game by the score of 2-0 at Joe Louis Arena on November 5th. It marks the sceond time in Thibault's career that he has recorded shutouts in consecutive games. He turned the trick last season when he shutout Tampa Bay 2-0 on January 4th and blanked the Pittsburgh Penguins 2-0 on January 6th. Thibault was named NHL "Player of the Week" for the week of Nov. 4th-10th posting a 3-0-0-0 record including 2 shutouts, a 0.66 avg., and a .973 save %.
JOCELYN THIBAULT AMONG NHL'S GOALTENDING LEADERS: Jocelyn Thibault comes into tonight's game with a record of 23-16-7 which includes 7 shutouts. Thibault currently is 6th in the NHL in wins with 23, is 1st in the NHL in shutouts with 7, is 8th in the NHL in GAA at 2.11, and is 6th in save % at .921.
LEIGHTON PITCHES SHUTOUT IN FIRST GAME: Goaltender Michael Leighton made his NHL debut on January 8, 2003, versus the Phoenix Coyotes and recorded his first career shutout in a 0-0 tie. In so doing, he became the first goaltender in the history of the Chicago Blackhawks to record a shutout in his NHL debut. He also became only the 5th goaltender since 1984 to record a shutout in his first ever NHL game. The other goaltenders who have accomplished this feat are; Jussi Markkanen of Edmonton in a 2-0 win over Anaheim on November 28, 2001, Mike Fountain of Vancouver in a 3-0 win over New Jersey on November 14, 1996, Daren Puppa of Buffalo in a 2-0 win over Edmonton on November 1, 1985, and Mario Goselin of Quebec in a 5-0 win over St. Louis on February 26, 1984. Five other goaltenders recorded shutouts in their first NHL start, but had already seen action in a relief role earlier in the season (Mathieu Garon of Montreal, Evgeni Nabokov of San Jose, Rich Parent of St. Louis, Kevin Hodson of Detroit, and Sam St. Laurent of New Jersey). Only 21 goaltenders in the modern era of the NHL (i.e. since 1943-44) have recorded a shutout in their first NHL start. (This information is courtesy of Elias Sports Bureau).
BLACKHAWKS ALL-TIME RECORD: The Blackhawks have played 5,211 games and have a record of 2,149 wins, 2,251 losses, 800 ties, and 11 overtime losses for 5,109 points.
GP
W
L
T
OTL
PTS
GF
GA
Home:
2,603
1,292
905
401
5
2,990
8,399
7,067
Road:
2,608
857
1,346
399
6
2,119
7,181
8,710
Totals:
5,211
2,149
2,251
800
11
5,109
15,580
15,777
HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS: In franchise history, the Blackhawks have had three homes, the Chicago Coliseum, the Chicago Stadium, and the United Center. The Blackhawks had a record of 21-41-10 in 72 games played at the Coliseum. They were 1,116-731-348 in 2,195 games played at the Chicago Stadium. They are 155-138-43 in 336 games played at the United Center.
BLACKHAWKS ALL-TIME OVERTIME RECORD: In team history, the Blackhawks have played 456 regular season overtime games and have a record of 56-84-316. They are 32-38-151 in 221 overtime games played at home and 24-46-165 in 235 road overtime games.
NEW FACES: The Blackhawks lineup has seen 11 new faces in it for the 2002-03 season:
Shawn Thornton (F) was acquired from Toronto in exchange for defenseman Marty Wilford on September 30, 2001.
Sergei Berezin (F) was acquired from Montreal on June 30, 2002, in exchange for a 4th round pick in the 2004 entry draft.
Nathan Dempsey (D) was signed as a free agent on July 12, 2002.
Jason Strudwick (D) was signed as a free agent on July 15, 2002.
Theo Fleury (F) was signed as a free agent on August 15, 2002.
Louie De Brusk (F) was signed as a free agent on August 30, 2002.
Garry Valk (F) was signed as a free agent on October 9, 2002.
Andrei Nikolishin (F) was acquired from Washington on November 1st along with Chris SImon in exchange for Michael Nylander, a 3rd round pick in 2003, and a conditional 3rd round pick in 2004.
Chris Simon (F) was acquired from Washington on November 1st along with Andrei Nikolishin in exchange for Michael Nylander, a 3rd round pick in 2003, and a conditional 3rd round pick in 2004.
Craig Andersson (G) was the Blackhawks' 3rd round draft pick in the 2001 NHL entry draft.
Mike Eastwood (F) acquired off waivers from St. Louis on December 11th.
AT HOME: The Blackhawks are 14-6-4-1 at home this season for 33 points (The Blackhawks finished with a record of 28-7-5-1 for 62 points at home last year which tied the Detroit Red Wings for the best home record in the NHL). The Blackhawks are 5-1-3-1 in their last 10 home games and are 9-3-4-1 in their last 17 home games.
ON THE ROAD: The Blackhawks are 9-13-6-2 on the road this season for 26 points. (The Blackhawks finished with a record of 13-20-8-0 for 34 points on the road last year). The Blackhawks are 2-5-2-2 in their last 11 road games but are 6-5-4-2 in their last 17 road games.
5 ON 3 ADVANTAGES: FOR - 8 GOALS - 2
AGAINST - 15 GOALS - 1
SHORTHANDED GOALS: FOR - 3
AGAINST - 5
Next Game: Vancouver plays the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday before departing on a four-game road-trip on Friday. Chicago plays host to Toronto on Wednesday night.
Last Meeting: January 17, 2003 at Chicago, 4-2 win.
Last: Vancouver Chicago
Last Home Win: Nov. 20/02 (5-3) Dec. 17/02 (3-2)
Last Road Win: Jan. 17/03 (4-2) Oct. 4/01 (5-4)
Last shutout: Nov. 1/78 Jan. 3/01
Glen Hanlon (1-0) Jocelyn Thibault (6-0)
Tie Game: Nov. 28/01 (3-3 at CHI)
Last Hat-Trick: Stan Smyl Steve Sullivan
Dec. 14/86 Dec. 21/00
Most Goals: 7 - December 14/86 9 - Oct. 24/84
VAN 7 at CHI 3 3 times
Canucks in OT: 4-4-4
Vancouver Canucks Notes
GOOD TO BE BACK
Over the last two seasons the Canucks have posted a record of 15-7-2-0 in the first game back after a road trip. Last season the club was 10-5-0-0 and this year in nine games after a trip the Canucks are 5-2-2-0. The Canucks failed to add a victory to that record with their 5-2 loss on January 24th versus Detroit.
CAPTAIN OUT IN FRONT
With his two point effort on February 7th at Buffalo, Canucks captain Markus Naslund took over the NHL scoring lead with 70 points. Naslund also led the goal scoring race with 36. This marks the first time this late in a season (after February 7th) that any Canucks player has led both categories in the NHL. Naslund now sits second with 70 points and first with 36 goals (through Feb. 9/03).
MAKE IT 10
Canucks forward Todd Bertuzzi made it ten consecutive games with a point with his 33rd assist of the season, February 7th at Buffalo. Bertuzzi's streak is the longest current streak in the NHL, and is three games shy of the longest this season
(13 games - Hossa & Hejduk). Last season Bertuzzi tied the franchise record for most consecutive games with at least a point (15 games). That stretch also tied for the longest streak in the NHL during the 2001-02 season.
TREV AND THE TWINS
The recently formed line of Trevor Linden and the Sedin twins has paid off so far. The trio combined for six points (3-3-6) on the Canucks three game road trip. Linden had back to back two point games (Columbus & Buffalo), and Daniel and Henrik each scored a goal on the road trip.
TURNING 30
February 4th in Pittsburgh, the Vancouver Canucks earned their 30th win of the regular season. Vancouver earned it's 30th win in the team's 53rd game, equalling the second fewest number of games to reach 30 wins in the history of the franchise. The fewest games to reach 30 wins for the Canucks are listed below:
GAMES WINS SEASON
52 30 1991-92
53 30 2002-03
53 30 1992-93
58 30 1974-75
INSTANT ENERGY
The Canucks energy line of Artem Chubarov, Matt Cooke, and Trevor Letowski play a big role when the Canucks win. When one of the trio records a point in a game, the Canucks record is 22-6-1-0.
ENOUGH ALREADY
The Canucks put a stop to their two game losing streak with a 1-0 win versus Phoenix on January 26th. Vancouver along with the Detroit Red Wings and St. Louis Blues are the only teams in the NHL this year to not have a three game losing streak. This was Vancouver's fourth two game losing streak of the season. The other three times the Canucks responded with two wins and a tie.
UP TO THE CHALLENGE
So far this season the Canucks have shown the ability to compete and be successful against the top teams in their conference. Currently holding the second seed in the Western Conference, the Canucks have earned a record of 11-5-6-0 versus the other seven teams currently holding playoff spots in the west (through Feb. 9/03). Below is a look at the Canucks head to head record versus the other seven teams holding down playoff spots:
Versus Anaheim 1-0-2-0
Versus Dallas 0-2-0-0
Versus Detroit 2-1-0-0
Versus St. Louis 1-0-0-0
Versus Edmonton 3-0-1-0
Versus Minnesota 2-2-1-0
Versus Colorado 2-0-2-0
Overall 11-5-6-0
50 IN THE BOOKS
As the Canucks concluded their 50th game of the season on January 26th, they continue to have one of the best seasons in club history. With 63 points in 50 games they were just two points behind the most for any Canucks team through its first 50 games. Also, with 29 wins they tied the most by a Canucks team through 50 games. Below is a look at the best 50 game starts to a Canucks season:
MOST POINTS THROUGH 50 GAMES MOST WINS THROUGH 50 GAMES
65 (29-14-7 1991-92) 29 (2002-03, 1991-92, 1992-93)
65 (29-14-7 1992-93) 25 (1974-75, 1993-94, 2000-01)
63 (29-16-5-0 2002-03)
58 (25-17-4-4 2000-01)
55 (25-20-5 1974-75)
BACK TO BACK
The Canucks played their seventh back to back game of the season February 5th in Columbus. With the tie, the Canucks have a record of 3-1-3-0 in the second game of a back to back. Below is a look at the results of the second game of a back to back for the Canucks this year:
Oct. 19 at L.A. 2-2 Tie (Tie previous game)
Nov. 30 at Florida 5-2 Win (Win previous game)
Dec. 4 at New Jersey 3-2 Win (OT) (Loss previous game)
Dec. 15 vs Calgary 3-3 Tie (Win previous game)
Jan. 11 at San Jose 3-0 Loss (Loss previous game)
Jan. 17 at Chicago 4-2 Win (Loss previous game)
Feb. 5 at Columbus 4-4 Tie (Win previous game)
Vancouver has four more back to back situations this season.
ROAD WARRIORS
With a road record of 17-7-3-0 and 37 points away from home, the Canucks lead the way while away from home. In games played away from General Motors Place in "2002" Vancouver was 26-9-3-1. The Canucks earned five of a possible six points on their latest road trip with two wins and a tie (Feb. 4-7).
800 GAMES WITH VANCOUVER
Trevor Linden became only the second Canuck in history to play 800 games in a Canucks uniform, January 16th at Minnesota. Linden who played his first game with the Canucks on October 6, 1988, trails Stan Smyl (896 games) for the most in club history.
WITHIN REACH
Canucks captain Markus Naslund is on pace to set several new Canucks club records this season. With 19 power-play goals and 10 game-winning goals, Naslund could surpass the previous marks set by Pavel Bure and Geoff Courtnall. Below is a look at some of the club records in reach for the Canucks captain:
POWER-PLAY GOALS GAME-WINNING GOALS GOALS BY A CANUCKS LW
Team Record 25 (P. Bure - 1993-94) 11 (G. Courtnall - 1992-93) 42 (D. Rota - 1982-83)
Naslund in 02-03 19 (through 55 games) 10 (through 55 games) 36 (through 55 games)
Note: The NHL record for PPG's is 34 (Tim Kerr 1985-86) and for GWG's is 16 (P. Esposito, M. Goulet).
Also: Naslund needs one more GWG to pass Pavel Bure's 32 for the most in club history. Naslund entered this season with 22 GWG's in a Canucks uniform and has added 10 so far this season. Trevor Linden currently has 30 GWG's in a Canucks uniform.
CANUCKS AMONG THE LEAGUE LEADERS
The following Canucks rank among the league leaders in the following categories (through Feb. 9/03):
Dan Cloutier 2nd in the NHL with 26 wins
Markus Naslund 1st in the NHL with 36 goals
Markus Naslund 1st in the NHL with 19 PPG
Markus Naslund 1st in the NHL with 38 PPP
Markus Naslund 1st in the NHL with 10 GWG
Markus Naslund 2nd in NHL scoring with 70 points
Todd Bertuzzi Tied for 5th in NHL scoring with 62 points
Todd Bertuzzi Tied for 5th in the NHL with 29 goals
Todd Bertuzzi 2nd in the NHL with 15 PPG
Matt Cooke Tied for 2nd in the NHL with 4 SHG
LEAVING HIS MARC
Canucks head coach Marc Crawford now holds the franchise mark for wins as a head coach. With his 143rd win behind the Canucks bench coming on January 17th at Chicago, Crawford became the winningest coach in club history. Also Crawford ranks second only to Neale's 407 games coached for most as Canucks bench boss. Below is a look at the five coaches with the most wins in Canucks history:
Marc Crawford 147 Wins
Harry Neale 142 Wins
Pat Quinn 141 Wins
Bob McCammon 102 Wins
Phil Maloney 95 Wins
Also with his 25th win of the season on January 8th, Crawford earned the right to coach the Western Conference All-Star Team at the 2003 NHL All-Star game in Sunrise, Florida.
A LOOK AT THE FIRST HALF
Below is a closer look at some of the highlights from the first half of the Canucks 2002-03 season:
Franchise Record 10 Game Winning Streak (Nov. 9-30)
Markus Naslund League Leading 30 Goals
Dan Cloutier League Leading 21 Wins
Dan Cloutier Named NHL Player of the Month (November)
First Overall In The NHL Standings (Dec. 22nd - First Time In Almost 11 Years)
Marc Crawford Named Head Coach of NHL Western Conference All-Star Team
Marc Crawford Ties Pat Quinn with 141 Wins As A Canucks Coach (One win shy of Neale's club record 142)
Trevor Linden Breaks Stan Smyl's Club Record For Goals (Scored His 263rd, Nov. 25/02 at Minnesota)
CAPTAIN BACK ON TOP
Canucks captain Markus Naslund is once again near the front of the pack in goal scoring this season. With his career high four goal night December 14th at Edmonton, he took over the NHL lead. His 36 goals currently rank 1st among all NHL players (through Feb. 7/03).
Since the start of the 2000-01 season Markus Naslund has scored more goals than any other NHL player with 117:
PLAYER LAST TWO SEASONS THIS SEASON TOTAL
Markus Naslund 81 Goals 36 Goals 117 Goals
Jaromir Jagr 83 Goals 30 Goals 113 Goals
Pavel Bure 93 Goals 14 Goals 107 Goals
Peter Bondra 84 Goals 22 Goals 106 Goals
Bill Guerin 81 Goals 23 Goals 104 Goals
Alexei Kovalev 76 Goals 27 Goals 103 Goals
Jarome Iginla 83 Goals 20 Goals 103 Goals
Joe Sakic 80 Goals 19 Goals 99 Goals
CANUCKS VERSUS CANADA
On January 30th the Canucks played their 11th of 16 games versus their Canadian rivals. Through these 11 games versus Canadian teams, the Canucks are 6-3-2-0 and have outscored their opponents 38-29. The chart below breaks down the Canucks record and schedule versus the Canadian teams:
Canucks VS Meetings This Season Games To Date
Flames Five Four (1-2-1-0)
Oilers Five Four (3-0-1-0)
Maple Leafs Three One (0-1-0-0)
Canadiens Two One (1-0-0-0)
Senators One One (1-0-0-0)
RUNNING THE 40
The Canucks played their 40th game of the season January 4th versus Florida and so far this season they have been quick out of the gate. With 24 wins and 53 points through 40 games, the Canucks had the second highest number of wins by the franchise through 40 games, and the second highest number of points at this stage of any (Canucks) season. Below is a look at the best 40 game starts in Canucks club history:
MOST WINS THROUGH 40 GAMES MOST POINTS THROUGH 40 GAMES
25 (1992-93) 54 (1992-93)
24 (2002-03) 53 (2002-03)
22 (1974-75, 1991-92) 51 (1991-92)
20 (2000-01) 49 (1974-75)
FRONT RUNNER
Canucks captain Markus Naslund recorded his 28th goal of the season on January 4th versus Florida, his and the teams 40th game of the season. With 28 goals through his first 40 games, Naslund is off to the third fastest goal scoring start in Canucks history. Below are the most goals scored by a Canuck through the first 40 games of a season:
PLAYER GAMES GOALS
Pavel Bure 40 35 (1992-93)
Alexander Mogilny 40 34 (1995-96)
Markus Naslund 40 28 (2002-03)
Tony Tanti 40 28 (1983-84)
Ron Sedlbauer 40 26 (1978-79)
Pavel Bure 40 25 (1997-98)
Darcy Rota 40 25 (1983-84)
SHOOTING OUT THE LIGHTS IN 2002
As 2002 came to an end on Tuesday night the Canucks finished off the best year in club history. Several Canucks also had career "years" and ranked among the league leaders in a number of categories:
POINTS IN 2002 GOALS IN 2002 ASSISTS IN 2002
Todd Bertuzzi 102 Markus Naslund 48 Mario Lemieux 62
Markus Naslund 101 Todd Bertuzzi 46 Alexei Kovalev 60
Alexei Kovalev 99 Glen Murray 44 Todd Bertuzzi 56
B. Morrison (T-10th with 76) M. Naslund (6th with 53)
POINTS BY A D-MAN IN 2002 POWER-PLAY GOALS IN 2002 GWG IN 2002
Nicklas Lidstrom 61 Markus Naslund 21 Sergei Fedorov 11
Ed Jovanovski 53 Todd Bertuzzi 20 Markus Naslund 10
Three others tied with 53 Zigmund Palfy 19 Three others tied with 9
WINS IN 2002 WINNING % IN 2002
Martin Brodeur 41 Dominik Hasek .734
Felix Potvin 36 Dan Cloutier .694
Dan Cloutier 35 Brent Johnson .652
2002 - A YEAR TO REMEMBER
During the calendar year "2002" Vancouver compiled a record of 48-19-8-3 in 78 games for a winning percentage of .686. Since 1990 the best calendar year on record is the St. Louis Blues "2000" when they had a record of 54 wins, 14 losses and 11 ties in 79 games for 119 points and a .753 winning percentage. The highest winning percentages over the last 12 years for a calendar year are listed below:
YEAR TEAM GP W L T RT/OTL WIN% PTS
2000 St. Louis 79 54 13 11 1 .759 120
1995 Detroit 84 60 18 6 .750 126
2001 Detroit 82 55 15 9 3 .744 122
1996 Detroit 84 55 18 11 .720 121
1998 Dallas 75 47 18 10 .693 94
2002 Vancouver 78 48 19 8 3 .686 107
1997 New Jersey 84 50 21 13 .673 113
1997 Dallas 85 51 22 12 .671 114
2000 Colorado 82 49 21 12 0 .671 110
1995 Pittsburgh 84 53 25 6 .667 112
FIRST OVERALL - FOR A SECOND TIME!
With their 4-3 overtime victory on December 21st versus Edmonton, the Canucks took over top spot in the NHL with 45 points and 20 wins. With 70 points the Canucks currently sit tied for 4th overall (through Feb. 9/03). It marked the first time since January 25, 1992 that the club has been atop the NHL standings this late in the season. With a record of 28-13-7 through its first 48 games, the 1991-92 Canucks led the NHL on January 25th of that season. That is the only time in Canucks history that the franchise has led the league in points after January 1st.
FAST TRACK TO TWENTY
By recording their 20th win in their 34th game of the season, the Canucks got off to one of their best starts in club history. The fastest a Canucks team has reached 20 wins is 33 games (1974-75 and 1992-93). The 20 wins in 34 games is the third fastest start in Canucks, history just ahead of the 1991-92 team that recorded 20 wins in its first 35 games.
CAREER NIGHT FOR THE CAPTAIN
Markus Naslund enjoyed a career night on Saturday Dec. 14/02 in Edmonton. The Canucks captain scored four goals to establish a new single game career high and tie a Canucks team record. The four goals in a game marks the 10th time in club history that it has been accomplished. The last Canuck to record four goals in a single game was Martin Gelinas on February 27th, 1997 versus Phoenix. One week later on December 21st, Naslund scored the overtime game winner versus Edmonton.
40 IN 30 - A QUICK START
This regular season, the Canucks had the second best 30 game start to a season in club history. With 40 points and a record of 18-8-4-0 in their first 30 games, the start ranks only second to the 30 game start by the 1974-75 Vancouver team. Below is a closer look at the best 30 game starts in Canucks history:
SEASON POINTS RECORD
1974-75 42 Points 19-7-4-0
2002-03 40 Points 18-8-4-0
2000-01 38 Points 16-8-4-2
1991-92 37 Points 17-10-3
1992-93 37 Points 17-10-3
1980-81 36 Points 15-9-6
15 FOR THE BOOKS
The Canucks won 13 of 15 games between Nov. 9th and Dec. 4th, compiling a record of 13-2-0-0 in that stretch. The 13 wins is the most in club history over a 15 game stretch and the 26 points ties for the most gained over 15 games. Three of the four best 15 game streaks have come since January of last season. Below is a list of the best 15 game streaks in team history:
SEASON RECORD POINTS DATES
2002-03 13-2-0-0 26 Nov. 9 - Dec. 4
1992-93 12-1-2 26 Nov. 28 - Jan. 6
2001-02 12-2-1-0 25 Mar. 14 - Apr. 13
2001-02 11-2-1-1 24 Jan. 3 - Feb. 4
Three Season's with 23 points in 15 game span (1974-75, 1991-92, 2000-01)
A PERFECT 10
With their 3-2 win November 27th at Carolina, the Canucks set a new franchise record with eight consecutive victories. November 30th in Florida the club extended their new club record by winning their tenth straight game. With the ten wins Vancouver passed St. Louis' nine game winning streak from earlier this season as the longest streak of the season. Below is a list of the longest winning streaks in club history:
CONSECUTIVE WINS SEASON
Ten 2002-03 (Nov. 9 - Nov. 30)
Seven 1988-89 (Feb. 10 -23)
Six 2001-02 (Jan. 19-28)
Six 1993-94 (Oct. 11-24)
Six 1992-93 (Dec. 18-31)
Here is a closer look at the ten game winning streak:
Canucks scored first in 7 of 10 games
Were tied or ahead for 567:01 of the 600 minutes during the ten games (trailed for 32:59, 21 minutes in one game)
Were tied or ahead in all but 12:59 of the last 520 minutes played of the winning streak
Dan Cloutier started nine games and was named a star in 6 of 9 games (1st star, Three Times)
Dan Cloutier stopped 227 of 244 shots (.930 Save %) (1.88 GAA)
Power-Play 15 of 48 (31.3%)
Outscored opponents 41-20
NOVEMBER REIGN
The Canucks set or tied a number of club records in the month of November, below is a list:
Most points in a month 24 points
Most wins in a month 12 wins
Most consecutive wins 10 wins
Most wins in a month by a goalie (Cloutier) 11 wins
Tied most consecutive road wins 5 wins
Tied longest undefeated streak 10 games (were 5-0-5, Mar. 5-25, 1977)
Trevor Linden became all-time leading scorer 263 goals (now has 269 goals with Vancouver)
Total Man-Games Lost: (125) Eric Daze suffered a pulled groin on January 26th at Montreal and is day-to-day. He has missed 4 games....Alexander Karpovtsev has a bruised ankle and is day-to-day. He has missed 2 games. Last season the Blackhawks lost 132 man-games to injury/illness.
Recent Transactions
Chicago Blackhawks Notes
BLACKHAWKS CONCLUDE AT VANCOUVER: The Blackhawks lock horns with the Vancouver Canucks for the fourth and final time this season . The Canucks have a two games to one advantage in the season series. The Canucks won the previous meeting between the teams, 5--3 in Vancouver on Novemner 20th. The teams split their meeting in Chicago, with the Blackhawks posting a 3-2 win at the United Ceneter on Dec. 17th while the Cancucks recorded a 4-2 win in the Windy City on Jan. 17. The Blackhawks are 14-7-2-0 versus the Canucks in their last 23 games over the last six seasons. On the road, the Blackhawks have 2-3-0-0 record in their last five visits to Vancouver.
Tonight's game is the seventh and final game of this trip. The Blackhawks have posted a record of 2-3-1-0 thus far, a 5-3 loss in Pittsburgh, a 4-3 loss in Montreal, a 3-1 win in Boston, a 2-1 loss at Minnesota, a 2-2 tie in Calgary and a 3-0 win in Edmonton. Following tonight's game, return home on Wednesday, February 12th, to take on the Toronto Maple Leafs.
UPCOMING GAMES:
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 12TH - VS - TORONTO 7:00 p.m. (WSCR Radio 670 AM)
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14TH - VS - SAN JOSE 7:30 p.m. (WSCR Radio 670 AM)
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 15TH - AT - COLUMBUS 6:00 p.m. (WSCR Radio 670 AM/Fox Sports Net)
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 17TH - VS - COLORADO 7:30 p.m. (WSCR Radio 670 AM)
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20TH - VS - PHOENIX 7:30 p.m. (WSCR Radios 670 AM)
BLACKHAWKS TIE TEAM MARK: The Blackhawks outshot the Calgary Flames 10-1 in the overtime period on February 6th in Calgary. The 10 shots in overtime tied the club record for most shots in anovertime period set back on December 6, 1931, when the Blackhawks had 10 shots in overtime against the Ottawa Senators.
JUST RECENTLY: The Blackhawks have a record of 2-6-2-0 in their last 10 games. Their only wins came in that span came on January 30th when they defeated the Boston Bruins by the score of 3-1 and the Edmonton Oilers by the score of 3-0 on February 8th.They are also 4-6-4-3 in their last 17 games.
BLACKHAWKS PLAY 'EM TIGHT: Of the 55 games the Blackhawks have played this season, 43 of those contests have been decided by three goals or less. The Blackhawks have a record of 8-10 in one-goal games, 9-6 in two-goal games, and are 6-4 in three-goal games.
EAST VS. WEST: The Blackhawks have played 16 games versus Eastern Conference teams this season. In those 16 games, the Blackhawks have a record of 9-3-4-0. The Blackhawks have a record of 14-16-6-3 versus Western Conference teams in 39 games this season. They are 8-4-6-3 in their last 21 Western Conference games.
BRIAN SUTTER AMONG COACHING ELITE: Brian Sutter comes into tonight's game with a career coaching record of 424-360-126-9 in 919 games. The 424 career coaching wins ranks him 12th on the all-time coaching list having recently surpassed the legendary Jack Adams who had 413 career coaching wins. He recorded his 400th career win last season on April 7th with a 3-2 win over the Calgary Flames becoming only the 15th coach in NHL history to achieve that mark. He coached his 900th career game in a 3-3 tie at San Jose on December 28th.
TOUGH AFTER TWO: The Blackhawks have a record of 50-0-9-1 in their last 60 games when they lead after two periods. The Blackhawks dropped a 4-3 overtime decision to Detroit on January 5th after leading 2-0 heading into the third period. The last time the Blackhawks lost a game in regulation time when leading after two periods was back on March 4, 2001, when they led 3-2 over Carolina after two periods and dropped a 6-3 decision.
ON THE OTHER HAND: On the other side of the coin, the Blackhawks have trailed after two periods in 20 games this season and have managed to get at least one point in six of those games posting one win, four ties, and one overtime loss for seven points. The Blackhawks salvaged a 3-3 tie in Carolina on October 26th after trailing 3-2 after two periods, they came back to defeat the Los Angeles Kings 2-1 in overtime after trailing 1-0 after two periods on October 31st, they came back to gain a 2-2 tie with Washington on November 15th after trailing 2-1 after two periods, they rallied for a 2-2 tie versus Minnesota on December 26th after trailing 2-1 after two periods, they picked up a point in a 4-3 overtime loss at Dallas on January 9th after trailing 3-2 after two periods, and they rallied to tie the Calgary Flames 2-2 on February 6th after trailing 1-0 after two periods.
MILESTONES:
Phil Housley: Needs 6 assists for 900 career assists.
Steve Thomas: Needs 1 goal to reach the 400 goal mark.
Needs 7 assists to reach the 500 assist mark.
Needs 8 points to reach the 900 point mark.
WHO'S HOT: Alex Zhamnov has 1-3=4 in his last 6 games, has 2-7=9 in his last 12 games, has 2-13=15 in his last 16 games, and 2-17=19 in his last 22 games...Theo Fleury has 2-2=4 in his last 6 games...Kyle Calder has a 4-game point streak (2-3=5) and has 4-7=11 in his last 13 games...Tyler Arnason has 4-1=5 in his last 8 games...Eric Daze has 4-2=6 in his last 9 games and 5-7=12 in his last 16 games...Sergei Berezin has 6-2=8 in his last 12 games.
BLACKHAWKS DEFENSE GETS OFFENSIVE: The Blackhawks are 6th in the NHL in team defense though the first 55 games with a 2.32 goals against average. This has not stopped the defensemen from gettting involved in the offense this year. Through the first 55 games of the season, the Blackhawks have scored 132 goals. Of those 132 goals, 22 have been scored by defensemen. Last season, the Blackhawks defensemen accounted for 29 of the 216 goals scored.
TYLER ARNASON AMONG ROOKIE LEADERS.....Tyler Arnason has 14-13=27 in his first 54 games this season. He scored his first career hat trick on December 28th at San Jose. The three point game was also a career high. Arnason is among the NHL rookie leaders in all of the following categories:
Goals: 15 (1st)
Assists: 13 (T-4th)
Points: 28 (1st)
PPG: 3 (T-4th)
PPA: 3 (T-14th)
PP/PTS: 6 (T-8th)
GWG: 5 (1st)
Plus/Minus: +15 (T-2nd)
Shots: 118 (1st)
TYLER ARNASON NAMED NHL "ROOKIE OF THE MONTH" FOR OCTOBER/DECEMBER: Tyler Arnason was named the NHL "Rookie of the Month" for the month of October. Arnason led all rookies in scoring with eight points on four goals and four assists in nine games. Of his four goals, two were on the power play and two were game winners. He finished the month of October with goals in three straight games and a four-game scoring streak (3-2=5). Arnason followed that up by winning the award for the second time in the month of December. In being named "Rookie of the Month" for the second time this season, Arnason had 5-3=8 in December, including his first career hat trick against San Jose on December 28th. He also led all rookies in plus/minus with a +7 rating for ther month while helping the Blackhawks post a monthly record of 8-3-3-0.
THIBAULT GETS 200TH WIN: With the Blackhawks 3-2 win over Columbus on October 29th, Jocelyn Thibault became the 54th goaltender in NHL history to win 200 career games. He also become the 7th fastest goaltender to accomplish this feat at 27 years and nine months old. The six goaltenders who have accomplished this feat faster than Thibault are Terry Sawchuk (25.10 years old), Harry Lumley (26 years old), Grant Fuhr (26.4 years old), Martin Brodeur (26.11 years old), Tom Barrasso (26.11 years old), and Patrick Roy (27.9 years old).
THIBAULT RECORDS 2ND CONSECUTIVE SHUTOUT: Jocelyn Thibault recorded his second consecutive shutout when the Blackhawks defeated the Atlanta Thrashers 5-0 on November 7th. Thibault had shutout the Detroit Red Wings in the previous game by the score of 2-0 at Joe Louis Arena on November 5th. It marks the sceond time in Thibault's career that he has recorded shutouts in consecutive games. He turned the trick last season when he shutout Tampa Bay 2-0 on January 4th and blanked the Pittsburgh Penguins 2-0 on January 6th. Thibault was named NHL "Player of the Week" for the week of Nov. 4th-10th posting a 3-0-0-0 record including 2 shutouts, a 0.66 avg., and a .973 save %.
JOCELYN THIBAULT AMONG NHL'S GOALTENDING LEADERS: Jocelyn Thibault comes into tonight's game with a record of 23-16-7 which includes 7 shutouts. Thibault currently is 6th in the NHL in wins with 23, is 1st in the NHL in shutouts with 7, is 8th in the NHL in GAA at 2.11, and is 6th in save % at .921.
LEIGHTON PITCHES SHUTOUT IN FIRST GAME: Goaltender Michael Leighton made his NHL debut on January 8, 2003, versus the Phoenix Coyotes and recorded his first career shutout in a 0-0 tie. In so doing, he became the first goaltender in the history of the Chicago Blackhawks to record a shutout in his NHL debut. He also became only the 5th goaltender since 1984 to record a shutout in his first ever NHL game. The other goaltenders who have accomplished this feat are; Jussi Markkanen of Edmonton in a 2-0 win over Anaheim on November 28, 2001, Mike Fountain of Vancouver in a 3-0 win over New Jersey on November 14, 1996, Daren Puppa of Buffalo in a 2-0 win over Edmonton on November 1, 1985, and Mario Goselin of Quebec in a 5-0 win over St. Louis on February 26, 1984. Five other goaltenders recorded shutouts in their first NHL start, but had already seen action in a relief role earlier in the season (Mathieu Garon of Montreal, Evgeni Nabokov of San Jose, Rich Parent of St. Louis, Kevin Hodson of Detroit, and Sam St. Laurent of New Jersey). Only 21 goaltenders in the modern era of the NHL (i.e. since 1943-44) have recorded a shutout in their first NHL start. (This information is courtesy of Elias Sports Bureau).
BLACKHAWKS ALL-TIME RECORD: The Blackhawks have played 5,211 games and have a record of 2,149 wins, 2,251 losses, 800 ties, and 11 overtime losses for 5,109 points.
GP
W
L
T
OTL
PTS
GF
GA
Home:
2,603
1,292
905
401
5
2,990
8,399
7,067
Road:
2,608
857
1,346
399
6
2,119
7,181
8,710
Totals:
5,211
2,149
2,251
800
11
5,109
15,580
15,777
HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS: In franchise history, the Blackhawks have had three homes, the Chicago Coliseum, the Chicago Stadium, and the United Center. The Blackhawks had a record of 21-41-10 in 72 games played at the Coliseum. They were 1,116-731-348 in 2,195 games played at the Chicago Stadium. They are 155-138-43 in 336 games played at the United Center.
BLACKHAWKS ALL-TIME OVERTIME RECORD: In team history, the Blackhawks have played 456 regular season overtime games and have a record of 56-84-316. They are 32-38-151 in 221 overtime games played at home and 24-46-165 in 235 road overtime games.
NEW FACES: The Blackhawks lineup has seen 11 new faces in it for the 2002-03 season:
Shawn Thornton (F) was acquired from Toronto in exchange for defenseman Marty Wilford on September 30, 2001.
Sergei Berezin (F) was acquired from Montreal on June 30, 2002, in exchange for a 4th round pick in the 2004 entry draft.
Nathan Dempsey (D) was signed as a free agent on July 12, 2002.
Jason Strudwick (D) was signed as a free agent on July 15, 2002.
Theo Fleury (F) was signed as a free agent on August 15, 2002.
Louie De Brusk (F) was signed as a free agent on August 30, 2002.
Garry Valk (F) was signed as a free agent on October 9, 2002.
Andrei Nikolishin (F) was acquired from Washington on November 1st along with Chris SImon in exchange for Michael Nylander, a 3rd round pick in 2003, and a conditional 3rd round pick in 2004.
Chris Simon (F) was acquired from Washington on November 1st along with Andrei Nikolishin in exchange for Michael Nylander, a 3rd round pick in 2003, and a conditional 3rd round pick in 2004.
Craig Andersson (G) was the Blackhawks' 3rd round draft pick in the 2001 NHL entry draft.
Mike Eastwood (F) acquired off waivers from St. Louis on December 11th.
AT HOME: The Blackhawks are 14-6-4-1 at home this season for 33 points (The Blackhawks finished with a record of 28-7-5-1 for 62 points at home last year which tied the Detroit Red Wings for the best home record in the NHL). The Blackhawks are 5-1-3-1 in their last 10 home games and are 9-3-4-1 in their last 17 home games.
ON THE ROAD: The Blackhawks are 9-13-6-2 on the road this season for 26 points. (The Blackhawks finished with a record of 13-20-8-0 for 34 points on the road last year). The Blackhawks are 2-5-2-2 in their last 11 road games but are 6-5-4-2 in their last 17 road games.
5 ON 3 ADVANTAGES: FOR - 8 GOALS - 2
AGAINST - 15 GOALS - 1
SHORTHANDED GOALS: FOR - 3
AGAINST - 5
