8 Games Left: Vancouver at Los Angeles
Coming fresh off a 3-0 win vs. the Colorado Avalanche, the Vancouver Canucks have clinched a birth in the 2006-2007 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
On March 29th, the Canucks look to the L.A Kings in the hope of making their Northwest Division lead a little less stingy. With six games left, Vancouver has a one-point lead over Minnesota for the top spot in the division. The Wild have five games remaining.
While the Canucks are streaking toward the postseason, the Kings (26-37-14) will miss the playoffs for a franchise record-tying fourth straight season. Los Angeles has had four-season playoff droughts twice before, 1969-73 and 1993-97.
With a win tonight, Alain Vigneault will pass Pat Quinn's record of 46 wins in a single season.
Los Angeles hopes to get a defensive lift of its own on Thursday, as University of Michigan defenseman Jack Johnson - the third overall pick in the 2005 draft - is expected to join the team for the first time since signing a multi year contract on Tuesday. He previously declined to sign with the Carolina Hurricanes, for reasons unknown.
Check out the game tonight at Milestones on Robson, or The Shark Club in Langley. Both offer great game atmosphere for any Canucks fan. Gametime is 7:30PM.
