Luongo leads Canucks into Edmonton
Posted February 4, 2013 11:24 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
EDMONTON, AB (NEWS1130) – The Canucks will give Roberto Luongo his fourth straight start tonight when they visit Edmonton for the first game of a two-game road trip that finishes Thursday in Minnesota.
Luongo, who stopped 27 of 28 shots in Friday’s home ice win over Chicago has also been named the NHL’s third star of the week, putting up a 2-0-1 record, 0.95 goals against average and a .963 save percentage in three games last week.
Edmonton got off to a quick start ,winning four of their first five games, but the young Oilers have started to slump. Losses to Colorado and San Jose this week gives Edmonton its first back-to-back losses of the season.
Edmonton defeated Luongo and the Canucks 3-2 in a shootout in its season opener in Vancouver, but haven’t won their season series against the Canucks since 2005-06.
Extra time tonight wouldn’t be a surprise; both Edmonton and Vancouver have played four overtime/shootout games so far this season.
Special teams continue to be a concern for Vancouver. The Canucks are 1-for-19 on the power play in their last four games and finished 0-for-5 in their loss to Edmonton.
Forward Ryan Kesler has upped his workouts; Kesler took his first full Canucks’ practice of the season Sunday and is making the road trip. Kesler, recovering from offseason shoulder and wrist surgeries would not give a timeline for his return.
Faceoff tonight is 6:30 p.m. on Rogers Sportsnet Pacific.
