Canucks aim to snap five game losing streak, up against the Sabres

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – The Canucks look to get things back on track tonight hosting the Buffalo Sabres. Vancouver is stuck in a losing streak in which the team has turned in several flat performances. In each of the three December losses, the Canucks have failed to get more then 20-shots on net.

Coach Willie Desjardins says Vancouver has to improve in a bevy of areas and it starts with his defenceman.

“I think we have to play more direct. We have to try get pucks behind their defenceman and get in on the forecheck and establish a good forecheck. We have to break out of our end. If you don’t break out clean, you will only have two guys attack and it is tough to be successful.”

Desjardins isn’t expecting miracles overnight, but he says his team can’t afford to have sloppy performances, especially against young teams like Buffalo.

“It is a process. Sometimes you can’t go from not your best to your best over night. There is a process in between, but we have to get that process and start working on it. We can at least be consistent with our effort every night and I don’t think we have been doing that.”

The Canucks will honor the West Coast Express Line tonight. Markus Naslund, Todd Bertuzzi and Brendan Morrison will all be in attendance. The trio met with the team this morning and Jared McCann says they left the Canucks with some great advice.

“I grew up idolizing Naslund so it was pretty incredible. They just said have fun with the game. We are trying to see in to much of the media side of it and that we need to focus on what we can control and the rest will take care of itself.”

Ryan Miller will get the start in net tonight. Alex Biega is expected to draw in to the lineup, taking the place of Yannick Weber or Matt Bartkowski.

History is on the Canucks side for this game. The Sabres have only one win in their last nine visits to Vancouver.

The puck drops at 7 p.m. and you can watch the game on Sportsnet.