Two of the NHL’s best teams will be going head to head when Roberto Luongo and the Vancouver Canucks head to Motown to take on the high-flying Detroit Red Wings. Though they’re once again struggling to score this season, the Canucks have been able to rely on Luongo and their stingy defense to keep them close in every game. Meanwhile, the Red Wings—led by super Swedes Henrik Zetterberg and Nicklas Lidstrom—have been the NHL’s finest team by a wide margin, excelling in every aspect of the game. Check out this exciting Western Conference battle in brilliant 1080i on HDNet, live at 7:30 pm ET.

Canucks to Watch

Luongo is by a wide margin the Canucks’ finest player, and has lived up to and far exceeded the great expectations following his acquisition in the summer of 2006. Incredibly athletic, Luongo’s positioning has improved dramatically during his time in Vancouver, and he was the primary catalyst behind the Canucks’ return to the postseason in the spring of 2007.

Though Luongo deservedly gets the lion’s share of the credit for the Canucks’ miserly goals-against average, the team’s highly underrated defense corps has also played a huge role in their success. From veterans Willie Mitchell and Mattias Ohlund to youngster Alexander Edler (the team’s plus-minus leader), the Canucks’ rearguards are all extremely mobile and very capable puck-movers.

Particularly noteworthy is Finnish blueliner Sami Salo, whose laser-like shot from the point is a key element on the Canucks’ power play. He’s battled injuries throughout his career, but Salo’s shot count (53 shots in 29 games) is a good indication that a turnaround is imminent for the hard-shooting rearguard.

Another key Canuck is captain Markus Naslund. One of the NHL’s most dynamic scoring threats over the past decade, Naslund’s scoring totals dropped precipitously following the trade that sent Todd Bertuzzi to Florida (and imported Luongo). Without Bertuzzi providing a strong physical presence on his line, Naslund foundered badly for over a year, but he’s now taking on a new role, playing on the Canucks’ checking line alongside center Ryan Kesler and Alex Burrows. Getting matched against the opposition’s top line on a nightly basis, Naslund’s offensive totals aren’t likely to improve, but after a year of bad matches—including a failed pairing with the Sedin twins on the top line—it’s time for head coach Alain Vigneault to take drastic action.

The Sedins are exceptional at cycling the puck down low, pinning the opposing defense deep in their own zone and maintaining near-constant offensive pressure. They are both scoring at approximately a point-per-game pace, Daniel the sniper and Henrik the playmaker, and are the focal point of Vancouver’s power play.

Wings to Watch

The Wings’ top offensive stars (Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk up front, Lidstrom and Brian Rafalski on the blue line) have delivered at consistently high levels this season, and that’s why Detroit is far atop the league standings. But just as important have been the contributions from their unheralded role players.

First and foremost is Tomas “Homer” Holmstrom, a gritty Swede who has single-handedly dismantled all negative stereotypes about European players. Holmstrom persistently battles his way to the opposing goal, absorbing massive amounts of abuse to secure a place on the rink’s most coveted real estate. Holmstrom missed some time earlier this season with a knee injury, but is still on pace to have one of the finest seasons of his stellar career.

Another important component of the Wings’ offense is Daniel Cleary, a former Chicago Blackhawks prospect who bounced around the league (from Chicago to Edmonton to Phoenix) before landing what’s turned out to be a permanent role in Motown. Cleary’s on pace to top the 30-goal mark for the first time in his career, and his solid two way play (plus-18 rating) has made him one of Detroit’s most critical contributors.

And on the blue line, ageless veteran Chris Chelios is proving that you can indeed teach old dogs new tricks. Chelios was at one time one of the game’s most fearsome hitters, and though he still doesn’t shy away from contact, he’s evolved into an exceptionally crafty rearguard. A key component of the Wings’ penalty killing, efforts Chelios averages the second-most shorthanded ice time per game for the Wings, behind only the incomparable Lidstrom.

In goal, Chris Osgood’s re-emergence as a top-flight starter has been nothing short of extraordinary. Literally run out of Motown in 2001 to make way for Hasek’s first tour of duty with the Wings, Osgood bounced from the Islanders to the Blues before returning to Detroit following the 2004-05 lockout. There was nothing in his performances in 2005-06 and 2006-07 to suggest this season’s revival, but Osgood has successfully reinvented himself—incorporating the “butterfly” style into his game—and now, with Hasek, forms quite possibly the NHL’s most devastating netminding tandem.

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