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Vancouver Canucks CALGARY They didn #39;t flip out. They just needed a flip of the calendar.At a loss to explain why the Vancouver Canucks walked through another October and have sprinted through so many Novembers, coach Alain Vigneault reasoned that all that practice in opening month of the season would eventually pay off. How about on the first day of November?In a dominant 5-1 victory over football tables the Calgary Flames on Tuesday to open a six-game road trip, the Canucks were far from the plodding and hesitant bunch that stumbled to a 5-5-1 mark in October. In building off a 7-4 victory over the Washington Capitals to close out last month, they once again didn #39;t over-think situations. They acted on instinct, they owned the boards and took it to the Flames in every conceivable category by b football tables uilding a 3-0 cushion in the first period. Alex Edler had a goal and two assists and has amassed 11 points in his last six games.-It #39;s good when you get the points and good for confidence,- said Edler. -But it starts with playing good defence all over the ice not just in our zone and being on them with the forecheck in the neutral zone to create turnovers. The forwards are doing a great jo football tables b beating guys, winning battles and getting the puck.- In making it five-straight Saddledome victories and outscoring the Flames 24-9 in the process the highlight reel should include a sequence that proved how the Canucks can play when the spirit moves them as they pushed their dominant run over the Flames to 9-0-2.Instead of sitting on a 3-0 lead after one period, a shift by Maxim Lapier football tables re(notes) showed how the Canucks can shift into overdrive when desire matches ability. In a sprint to a loose puck in the Flames zone, the centre beat Tom Kostopoulos(notes) to the puck on the sideboards before spinning and snapping a laser-like pass across the slot right on to the stick of Cody Hodgson(notes). All he had to do was snap it into a yawning net to make it a four-goal bulge.-I #39;ll football tables take those any day,- said Hodgson. -That was an unbelievable play by Max to suck everyone over and throw it to me. That #39;s all I need, an open net. You don #39;t even have to raise it. It was a pretty solid full team effort.-That was just one dimension on display. There was a breakaway goal by Chris Higgins(notes). There was Alex Burrows burying a power-play chance while being cross-checked to football tables the ice by Jay Bouwmeester(notes). There was Daniel Sedin(notes) snapping a shot from a sharp angle after a dominant power-play shift from the top unit and Edler finding the net again. They chased Miikka Kiprusoff(notes) from the crease following 40 minutes in favour of Henrik Karlsson(notes) after the starter allowed five goals on 18 shots.Roberto Luongo(notes) looked like October was a mirage an football tables d that the real starter had arrived with 28 saves to nearly record his first shutout of the season before Alex Tanguay(notes) tipped a shot with just 32 seconds remaining. In fact, one of the toughest saves he had to make was when Rene Bourque(notes) barrelled into him with a right shoulder when he dove out to corral a loose puck in the third period. He then had his stick knocked loose by a Mark G football tables iordano(notes) shot that just drifted over the net.More importantly, the Canucks are continuing a pleasing trend. They have amassed an eye-popping 32-14-5 record in November the previous four seasons and Luongo has gone 24-10-4 in the same time span.Despite Brendan Morrison(notes) hitting a crossbar early and Olli Jokinen(notes) doing the same in the second period, there were indications in the fi football tables rst period that this was going to be the Canucks #39; night.The Flames were flat-footed when Jannik Hansen(notes) sprung Higgins between Giordano and Scott Hannan(notes) for a breakaway. The winger calmly faked a forehand and went to a backhand deke for his team-leading sixth goal of the season.-It was a great pass by Jannik,- said Higgins. -We haven #39;t been satisfied with the way we played ear football tables ly in the year and it was no time to let our guard down. We #39;re doing all the little things behind the goals, playing a little bit more simple through the neutral zone and more simple at offensive blueline. I #39;ve said all along the talent is there.-The Canucks tried to thread the perfect 5-on-3 goal before Burrows was credited with a power-play marker by crashing the crease. The Sedins then football tables calmly went to work again on another power play. With Henrik allowed to work out of the corner, he threaded a pass through Morrison and right on to the tape of Daniel. From a sharp angle, he found the top of the net to make it 3-0. After Hodgson #39;s marker in second period, Edler #39;s point shot found a body and then the net to put the game far out of reach.-Our focus and execution and determin football tables ation was evident right off the hop,- said Vigneault. -We knew we wanted a strong start and carried the play.-It must be November.bkuzma@theprovince.comtwitter.com/benkuzma Play Fantasy Hockey, now with Pro Leagues! And follow Yahoo! Sports' NHL coverage on Twitter. Updated 5 hours, 15 minutes ago football tables
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