Canucks set to host Avalanche in NHL action

Divisional rivals meet just 10 days after an epic shootout in Denver. The way things are going for the home side lately, it wouldn’t be shocking if this matchup also needs extra time to be resolved.

The Colorado Avalanche used to have the Vancouver Canucks’ number, especially in the days when Joe Sakic, ironically a native of Burnaby, B.C., captained the Rocky Mountain squad. Once Joe retired in 2009, though, the tables turned.

On Oct. 1 of that year, Sakic saw his No. 19 raised to the rafters at the Pepsi Center. Exactly one month later, the Canucks shut out the Avs 3-0 with Mason Raymond notching the game-winning goal; Vancouver has gone 12-0-2 against them ever since.

Given that run of success, you can be forgiven for thinking that it shouldn’t be a problem for the West Coasters to handle the visitors from the Centennial State. After all, Vancouver is 7-0-3 in its last 10 games while Colorado is only 4-4-2. The Canucks’ 16-6-4 home record shows they dominate at Rogers Arena, while the Avalanche are only 12-12-3 on the road.

However, there’s the matter of motivation. The Orcas have a huge lead in the Northwest Division and are within spitting distance of the Detroit Red Wings for top spot in the Western Conference. With about two dozen games to go in the regular season, they could likely afford to take a night off every once in a while.

The situation is much more desperate for the Snowmen. There’s a lot of competition for playoff places in the West, and Colorado is trying to hold off the Dallas Stars while battling the Calgary Flames to catch the Phoenix Coyotes, who currently occupy the eighth and final postseason spot.

They could use Matt Duchene back in their lineup. The third-year center is traveling with the team and even took practice, but is not expected to play in Vancouver on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Paul Stastny has had five multi-point games in his last 15, so you can count on him to be on the ice.

The NHL betting line favors the host Canucks, but they’ve gone to a shootout in five of their past six games. One of those was against the Avs and once again it was Mason Raymond making the difference, scoring the only shootout goal in a 3-2 win. The only true surprise here would be a regulation-time victory for either team.