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Canucks aim to duplicate success vs. Flames

Oct 11, 2008 - 10:04 AM Vancouver (1-0-0) at Calgary (0-1-0) 10:00 p.m. EDT

CALGARY, Alberta (Ticker) -- If the Vancouver Canucks continue to play as they did in the season opener, they will be tough to beat in 2008-09.

The Canucks will vie for back-to-back wins on Saturday when they visit the Calgary Flames in the second game of a home-and-home series to start the new campaign.

Alex Burrows scored twice and captain Roberto Luongo stopped all 25 shots he faced as Vancouver notched a 6-0 triumph over the Flames on Thursday in the season opener for both teams.

Henrik Sedin and defenseman Mattias Ohlund each notched a goal and an assist and Steve Bernier and Rick Rypien also scored for the Canucks, who honored the memory of former defenseman Luc Bourdon prior to the game. Bourdon was killed in a motorcycle accident in Lameque, New Brunswick on May 29 at the age of 21.

The emotional boost was too much for Calgary to overcome as it dropped its sixth straight season opener. The skid is only one shy of the all-time mark set by the Minnesota North Stars (1972-78) and matched by the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim (1993-99).

Luongo stopped nine shots in the first period, 10 in the second and six in the third to record his 39th career shutout and 12th with Vancouver.

The Montreal native picked up right where he left off after posting a 35-29-6 record last season while earning the starting spot for the Western Conference All-Star team. Luongo did not play in the All-Star Game, opting to be with his pregnant wife.

The 29-year-old netminder finished with a 2.38 goals-against average and .917 save percentage while setting a franchise record by going 195 minutes, 34 seconds without allowing a goal during a four-game stretch in November.