The Vancouver Canucks are in town tonight to face the reeling Flyers. Losers of 5 of their last six, the Flyers will start Brian Boucher in goal tonight. Ray Emery had lost his previous 4 starts and allowed 16 goals in those contests. Despite the fact Boucher backstopped a loss to Atlanta on Saturday, he surrendered only one goal in the effort against the NHL’s most potent offense. Boucher has allowed 3 goals in his last three starts which is a good thing since Ray Emery is going through his Ray Emery stretch.

The Sedin twins, led by team points leader, Henrik, are coming off an impressive 5-2 win last night in New Jersey. If you’re a Flyers fan, you’re hoping the two-consecutive-road-games-in-two-days theory works in the Flyers favor tonight, which it certainly may. I don’t know that they’re such a great team (3rd in their division, 30 points) but they’ve won 3 of their last 4 and they’re going against a squad tonight that has smelled of vinegar lately.

Because I’m an expert in the boutique study of the quaint Canadian culture, people often ask me what a Canuck is. Well, there are competing explanations including one that ascribes the name to Hawaiian speakers mispronouncing what they perceived to be the French word for Canadian traders. Another theory goes to freezing soldiers trying to say “quelle canule” while laying siege to Quebec City in 1776. Either way, it should be thought of as an affectionate name for our neighbors to the north. Their nifty nicknames won’t help them tonight, however, as the Flyers get off the schnide with a 4-2 win.