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Canucks-Blackhawks Preview

Oct 20, 2010 - 5:57 AM By NOEY KUPCHAN STATS Writer

Vancouver (2-3-1) at Chicago (4-2-1), 9:00 p.m. EDT

Things are starting to click for the Chicago Blackhawks. They may need all the momentum they can muster as they renew one of their fiercer rivalries of recent seasons.

Chicago (4-2-1) goes for its fourth consecutive win when it hosts the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday night.

The Blackhawks have knocked the Canucks out of the last two postseasons, in six games each time. Even with some key new faces on the ice in 2010-11, there is still likely to be bad blood between the teams.

"Every time we play them it seems to be a heated game whether its the playoffs or the regular season," Chicago forward Patrick Sharp said. "Its gonna be a lot of fun to play them again."

Sharp has been a big part of the Blackhawks' recent surge. He has five goals in his last three games, including the game-winner 3:50 into overtime of Monday night's 3-2 victory over St. Louis.

Chicago trailed 2-0 in the third period before Marian Hossa recorded his sixth and NHL-leading seventh goals of the season.

"He's got the ability to do a lot of different things out there," Sharp said of Hossa. "He's got the size and strength to go through defensemen and he's got the speed and skill to finesse his way around them."

Goaltender Marty Turco was also impressive in the victory, stopping 32 of 34 shots to earn his third consecutive win - a feat he accomplished only once in 52 starts with Dallas last season.

"He was patient, saw the puck. I thought he was very good again (Monday) and a big part of us being in the game," coach Joel Quenneville said.

Turco is 18-7-2 with a 1.92 lifetime goals-against average versus Vancouver.

While Chicago is surging, Vancouver (2-3-1) has dropped three of four.

The Canucks ranked second in the NHL with 3.23 goals per game last season but can't seem to get the puck in the net consistently early in 2010-11, recording more than three goals only once in their first six games.

The goaltending hasn't been much better. Roberto Luongo allowed a season-worst six goals in Vancouver's 6-2 loss to Minnesota on Tuesday night and was pulled after the second period in favor of backup Cory Schneider.

"He was like the rest of our team. Everybody in that room starting with me could do a better job," Canucks coach Alain Vigneault said.

Luongo, who has allowed at least four goals in three straight games, fell to 0-3-0 with a .797 save percentage on the road.

Further marring Tuesday's loss, center Rick Rypien had a physical altercation with a fan on his way to the locker room after receiving a double minor for roughing and a 10-minute misconduct.

"We'll wait and see how the league views it," Vancouver general manager Mike Gillis said. "I'm sure there will be a hearing of some sort."

Daniel Sedin scored both of Vancouver's goals Tuesday night. He has at least one point in all six games.