Vancouver Canucks Defeat NY Islanders: 5 Thoughts

1. The Eastern Conference hates Vancouver

At the top of the list, you will recall the borderline hit on Henrik Sedin by Mikhail Grabovski and the Brooklyn boys going after Jared McCann. It’s not the first time the Canucks had tempers flaring against some Eastern Conference foes that they meet twice a year. Remember the Florida Panthers? Remember the Boston Bruins? Remember the Tampa Bay Lightnings?

The East sure likes to play rough-and-tumble with the Nucks. Did the Islanders think that Brandon Prust and Derek Dorsett were going to play undisciplined to put the Canucks on the penalty kill? I don’t blame the Isles, then. Dorsett is the NHL-leader in the penalty department, after all.

But don’t trust my words, trust the stats guys.

The Canucks have played 24 games against Eastern Conference foes, the most out of all Western Conference teams. They also lead the Western Conference in penalty minutes when playing against the East. The Canucks took 257 minutes’ worth of penalties in 24 matches, which rounds off to about 10.7 penalty minutes a game. Vancouver also leads in the most penalties against from playing the Eastern Conference, with 256 penalty minutes against.

But the minutes themselves are not the real issue at stake here.

Next: 2. Sedins get No Respect