(My Sportsbook) - The
Vancouver Canucks will be shooting for a franchise record for consecutive home victories when the scorching club welcomes the
Dallas Stars to GM Place this evening.
Vancouver has ripped off nine straight wins on home ice following Sunday's 4-2 decision over Colorado, matching the team's longest such streak since a nine- game run from November 6-December 9, 1992. Ironically, the Canucks had lost nine in a row at home prior to this current tear.
The Canucks have done plenty of winning on the road as well in recent weeks. Since ending the month of January on an eight-game losing streak, Vancouver has produced an outstanding 13-3-1 overall mark and now stands just two points in back of Chicago for fourth place in the Western Conference.
Vancouver jumped out to a 3-0 lead against the Avalanche on first-period goals from Kyle Wellwood, Alex Burrows and Taylor Pyatt, while Alexander Edler put the finishing touches on the team's latest win with a late power-play score.
Ryan Kesler racked up three assists to help the Canucks snap a string of eight straight losses to Colorado.
The Stars also appear to have hit their stride after a poor lengthy stretch. After losing eight times in a 10-game span from February 21-March 10, Dallas won both tests of a brief two-game homestand heading into tonight's clash.
Dallas began the brief residency with a 3-2 triumph over Carolina on Thursday, then came through with a much-needed overtime win over Minnesota two nights later. Nicklas Grossman scored the game-winning goal midway through the extra period in a 3-2 victory that kept the Stars among the top eight teams in the West.
Steve Ott had both regulation goals for Dallas and Loui Eriksson assisted on all three of the Stars' tallies. Mike Ribeiro had a pair of helpers on the night and now has 10 points (4 goals, 6 assists) during a seven-game scoring streak.
Dallas is currently holding down the West's eighth and final playoff spot with 74 points, one better than ninth-place Edmonton, as it enters a crucial road trip against three of the conference's top teams. Following tonight's showdown, the Stars visit Northwest Division leader Calgary before taking on Pacific front-runner San Jose on Saturday.
The Stars have gotten the better of the Canucks as of late, with Dallas winning four of the last five matchups in the series and taking both previous encounters between the teams this season. That includes a 3-2 shootout decision in Vancouver on January 4.
