Break-up of Burrows and Kesler has been for

team's best

Forwards are players who stir Canucks' drink

By Jason Botchford, The Province

Now we know why Alain Vigneault finally made the decision to split Alex Burrows and Ryan Kesler. He sought

sanity.

At least someone did. Sanity, especially among Vancouver Canucks followers, was in short supply in January. The

Canucks were in the midst of losing nine straight home games. Things looked bleak.

It was in this atmosphere that The Province pointed out, in a panicky Jan. 30 story, a universal definition of insanity:

Those who continue to do the same things while expecting to get different results.

Vigneault, to his credit, didn't press the panic button. He hit abort instead. He broke up his "dynamic duo" --

Burrows and Kesler -- at the end of January. Not since Bruce Willis and Demi Moore has a break-up gone this well.

It changed everything. It cleaned up the Canucks faster than Batman cleans up Gotham.

"As a coach you have to find ways to shake things up," Vigneault said Monday. "I think insanity is doing the same

thing over and over and expecting different results. If your team isn't performing well and you stick with the same

lines, aren't you going to get the same results?"

Maybe coaches do read the newspaper.

Critics of the movie The Break-Up were torn up that Jennifer Aniston's and Vince Vaughn's characters didn't end up

together. The Canucks should be so lucky.

Looking back, Vigneault said he hoped his break-up could get other players going. It worked, but in a way few

expected.

The result was this: Two of the hardest-working players in hockey started using their wheelbarrows to lug around

the team's stars like a bricklayer lugs blocks.

Daniel Sedin is in the midst of a season-worst 10-game goal-less streak. But Burrows has made sure it hasn't

mattered.

Mats Sundin, a potential hall-of-famer, has been called a "work-in-progress" by Vigneault. In recent games, Sundin

has figuratively disappeared. But Kesler has made sure Sundin and his struggles haven't mattered much at all.

Bad goal Luongo? Who cares.

The numbers speak for themselves. They are impossible to ignore. In the 19 games since their divorce, Kesler and

Burrows have combined for 22 goals (11 each), 40 points and a plus-19 rating.

Amicable? You bet.

How well is it going? The pair combined for five points Sunday against Colorado, including Kesler's first-ever

three-assist game.

"Never. Well, I think possibly bantam or maybe junior," said Kesler when asked the last time he had three helpers.

Not bad for a couple checkers who make less than $2.5 million combined. No one could have seen this coming.

"We were a little flabbergasted at first," Kesler said of the split. "But we weren't going to complain. I think both us

can play with anybody on the team. We weren't playing well as a team. We had to switch things up.

"Obviously, you don't want to stop playing with the same guy you've played with for years. But I think it was a good

move. Our chemistry wasn't as good this year as it was last year.

"We needed a spark on our team. That really sparked us."

Does it make Vigneault a genius?

"Yeah, I guess he is," Kesler said.

Playing with Sundin and Pavol Demitra, Kesler does it all. He carries the puck through the neutral zone, is the first

on the forecheck and, most importantly, plays defence.

"I still take a lot of pride in my defence," Kesler said.

It shows. Kesler's recent two-way performance is making him a late season contender for a Selke Trophy

nomination. His numbers aren't as flashy as some of the Selke favourites, including Pavel Datsyuk, Mike Richards,

Jeff Carter, Rene Bourque and Travis Zajac.

But of the contenders only Richards and Carter approach the minutes Kesler plays killing penalties. Kesler has a

plus-10 rating and has spent most of the year matched against the NHL's best forwards.

There are only five forwards who have played more than the 232:50 he's played killing penalties.

"He still plays against the top lines," Burrows said. "Even [Sunday], he jumped all over Paul Stastny early to remind

him it wasn't going to be an easy night.

"If he doesn't get recognized for it this year, he will one day for sure. He's played so well defensively, he really has

proven he's one of the best. And now he's putting up points.

"Who want to play against him? No one. Who would want to play against a player who outworks you and has speed

and skill? You never want to play against a guy like that."

jbotchford@theprovince.com

By the numbers

Since breaking up Alex Burrows and Ryan Kesler at the end of January, the Canucks have gone 14-3-2 and have

outscored their opponents 66-47. Here are the numbers in the 19 games since The Break-Up:

Alex Burrows -- 11 goals,

6 assists, 17 points, plus-13

Ryan Kesler -- 11 goals,

12 assists 23 points, plus-6

Walter and win streaks go way back

By Jim Jamieson, The Province

Many of the players in the Vancouver Canucks dressing room reacted as if the record had been discovered in the

Dead Sea Scrolls, but for assistant coach Ryan Walter there are some interesting parallels between the 1992-93 team

and the current group.

With Sunday's 4-2 win over Colorado at GM Place, the Canucks celebrated their ninth consecutive home-ice win,

tying a record that's stood up since Nov. 6-Dec. 9, 1992. Vancouver can establish a new mark tonight, when Dallas

visits.

Although that seems like a couple of ice ages ago, Walter was a fourth-line centre on that Canucks club of 16

seasons ago. He sees some similarities -- although this club can only dream of having a superstar such as Pavel Bure

in the midst of his first full NHL season where he would score a club record 60 goals.

"That was a very similar team to this team," said Walter. "It was a very close team. [GM/coach] Pat Quinn did a

good job there, but we had some good veteran players, some good young players, the Lindens, the [Peter] Nedveds

and the Courtnalls, and, of course, Pavel. It was a team with good momentum, very similar to now."

It was a tough year for Walter, the last of his 15 NHL seasons. The Burnaby native had signed with the Canucks the

previous season as a free agent and had played most games as a fourth-line centre and penalty killer. But the next

year, with the 1,000-game milestone on the horizon, he was a healthy scratch more often than not and barely made it

to the exclusive club.

"I was thankful, because Pat [Quinn] allowed me to get to 1,003 games," said Walter. "I think I played 25 games that

year. But I knew that going in. My goal that year was to build up other kids who were playing on the team. But it

was never easy."

But the most bitter part was a Canucks team that looked primed for a deep playoff run being upset in the second

round by the Wayne Gretzky-led Los Angeles Kings.

"I was so upset at that because I felt that team really had a chance to win a Stanley Cup," said Walter. "When you

think about it, L.A. went to the Cup final that year and when we lost to L.A. I just thought it shouldn't have

happened."

What can this year's club learn from that?

"Our focus is really good right now -- you guys get sick of hearing this -- but it's all about one game," said Walter.

"Look at Colorado, they're out [of the playoff race], but they play hard. Every team plays hard, so our focus is one

game. And that's a great preparation for the playoffs."

The confounding thing is the Canucks have been at polar opposites at home this season. From late December

through the end of January, they lost nine straight (0-6-3) at the Garage.

"Oh, that must have been a while ago, then," said defenceman Kevin Bieksa on learning that Walter was on the

previous record-holding team. "To me, I could care less about the record, but I obviously prefer it to the losing nine

games at home.

"It's just a good feeling right now, winning games, and we just want to continue it."

Burrows understands way to build Stanley

Cup contender with shrinking salary cap

By Jim Jamieson, The ProvinceMarch 17, 2009

Alex Burrows -- currently morphing from a checker into a sniper, with seven goals in his last seven games -- freely

admits he left some money on the table when he agreed to his recent contract extension that will pay him $2-million-

US annually for four years beginning next season.

Burrows said after practice on Monday that he feels he's done his part to help the Canucks compete for players in an

economic reality where the salary cap is expected to shrink significantly after next season.

And when asked, Burrows said he hoped other players on the team would do the same to give the team a better

chance to win a Stanley Cup.

"That's what I'm hoping," said Burrows. "We've got a really good group of guys in here that understand the salary-

cap world. Obviously, we play this game to win the Stanley Cup and to do that you can't be too greedy when it

comes down to paycheques and contract talks.

"If you look at teams like Detroit, they have guys who could make a lot more money than they're making right now,

but they're taking a little less to win a Stanley Cup.

"So hopefully guys will do the same in this locker-room when they become UFAs [unrestricted free agents] this

summer or in the future. That's how we're going to build a winning team."

But Burrows hedged when asked if that should include his current linemates -- Daniel and Henrik Sedin -- who are

slated to become UFAs on July 1 and whose speculated numbers are in the $5.5-million to $6.5-million range per

annum.

"I think those guys are unbelievable players," said Burrows. "There's maybe five per cent of those kind of players in

the league. Those kind of players deserve their money. They've been around for so long, carrying the offence for this

team.

"They went through a tough time with a lot of pressure early in their career with a lot of media hype and pressure,

but they battled through it. They're top-notch players and whatever their number is, they deserve it."

Hansen practising

Injured winger Jannik Hansen had his third full practice with the team and said he feels ready to return to the lineup

whenever head coach Alain Vigneault calls his number.

Hansen has missed 10 games since fracturing the pinky finger on his right hand on Feb. 19 in Ottawa.

"The finger is coming around," said Hansen, who's still wearing a splint on injured digit. "I feel good right now, but

it's not up to me. It's a matter of playing my game and the coach will figure out if I fit in."

Vigneault said following practice on Monday that he plans no lineup changes for tonight's game against Dallas.

Canucks Gameday

The ProvinceMarch 17, 2009 7:02 AM Dallas (33-28-8) at Vancouver (36-23-9), 7 P.M., Gm Place

TV:

TSN

Radio:

TEAM 1040 AM

The setup

The Stars, riding a 32-save outing by Marty Turco, ended a Canucks four-game win streak last time they met, on

Friday the 13th in February at Dallas.

Canucks last game

They jumped out 3-0 in the first, then held on until Alex Edler's ninth goal of the season insured a 4-2 win over

Colorado.

Stars last game

Minus Jere Lehtinen, Fabian Brunnstrom and Mark Parrish, they edged a point ahead of Minnesota on Nicklas

Grossman's OT goal for a 3-2 win over the Wild.

The word:

A St. Patrick's Day dust-up, then the season series wraps up in a week at American Airlines Centre.

Three things to watch

1 Power outage

The Canucks' power play finally came through on Sunday night, scoring twice in two chances against Colorado's

weak penalty kill. And Dallas's PK (23rd overall) is better than Colorado's (24th) by a skin-of-the-teeth 0.2 per cent.

Before Sunday's PP goals, from Kyle Wellwood and Alex Edler, the Canucks had scored three in March in 28

chances. That's 10.7 per cent. They know they need to be better, but easier said than done, apparently.

2 Why, I Ott to ...

While Dallas beat the Wild for the 10th straight time on Saturday, Steve Ott had an NHL career first -- a two-goal

game. "Every single night is a fight for that playoff spot," he said of the tight spot Dallas is in. Ott spent the last

game against Vancouver driving the Canucks to distraction. Willie Mitchell was in the box for a retaliation cross-

check on Ott when Loui Ereksson made it 1-1 halfway through the second period.

3 Opposite directions

Since they last met, a 2-1 Stars victory at Dallas on Feb. 13 in which Marty Turco stood on his head (and Jason

LaBarbera was almost as good, in his last start), the Canucks are 10-2-1. The Stars, who had been cruising along at a

.650 clip since dumping Sean Avery and lifting themselves out of the Western basement, are

6-8-1 and struggling to hang on to a playoff spot since the Valentine's Eve tilt.

Puck handling? Luongo bristles

Goalie must prefer these questions to those he faced in '08,

writes Gordon McInytre

By Gordon McIntyre, The Province

Two things jump out when Roberto Luongo plays the puck behind the net: There are many goalies better at it than

he is, and he's a lot better at it than he used to be.

On Sunday against Colorado, Luongo gift-wrapped a puck to Darcy Tucker with a one-handed shovel pass behind

the net 14 seconds into the third, which Tucker threw into the net.

That Luongo gets criticized for being a poor puck-handler shows how high expectations are for him.

And you don't hear many people point out how awful Patrick Roy was handling the puck.

"Yeah, I think it's unfair," Luongo said on Monday of the knock against his puck-handling. "I think everybody

makes mistakes behind the net, even Marty Turco does.

"It's not the strongest part of my game ... there's going to be three, four goals a year that are going to go in like that.

"Just because I make mistakes doesn't mean it has to be amplified and suggested I don't know how to play the puck."

A goalie, of course, is just one part of the equation.

His defencemen have to communicate well with him, and Kevin Bieksa said that wasn't the case on Tucker's goal.

"I called for it the way I'd usually call for it as if I was in the corner, when I wasn't," Bieksa said.

"I was kind of in behind the net. That can be confusing."

Defencemen know how difficult it is to corral a dump-in and make the right decision with an opponent, unhindered,

thundering toward you.

"You have to make a good read, and most of the time with your back turned," Bieksa said. "Turco's obviously very

good at it and makes it look easy, but it's a tough job to play the puck.

"[Luongo] isn't bad at it and it's not a big deal. It's one goal last game."

Alain Vignault said Luongo does the job well 95 per cent of the time, stopping the puck or moving it five or 10 feet

to break up the opposition's forecheck.

"I mean, he's not a [Martin] Brodeur- or Turco-type puck-moving goaltender, but he does what he needs to do," the

coach said.

"There are going to be bounces off the boards sometimes that goaltenders can't handle, and that's a bit what

happened [Sunday]."

Luongo seemed prickly answering queries Monday. He is, after all, 14-2-1 since getting his groove back, beginning

with a win against Carolina on Feb. 3.

But it must be better than answering the questions of a year ago, when a March-April swoon cost the Canucks a

playoff berth.

"It doesn't really matter, as long as we get the win at the end of the day," Luongo said. "If it was costing us games,

yeah, I'd understand."

Luongo lets in soft goals -- hard fact is, he's

winning

Superstar goaltender takes heat despite his 14-2-1 record in

last 17 games

By Brad Ziemer, Vancouver SunMarch 17, 2009

NEXT GAME

Tonight vs. Dallas Stars

7 p.m. at GM Place

NET/TEAM

- - -

Roberto Luongo, the Vancouver Canucks' last line of defence, went on the offensive Monday when faced with a

series of questions about a recent rash of soft goals and his struggles playing the puck outside his crease.

"I believe my record is 14-2-1 in the last 17 games," a defiant Luongo told reporters after the team's practice at

General Motors Place.

Luongo bristled on a couple of occasions during his locker-room scrum with reporters, especially when his puck-

handling skills were questioned.

Early in the third period of Sunday night's game with the Colorado Avalanche, Luongo gave the puck away behind

his net to Avs' forward Darcy Tucker, who then banked it off the retreating Canuck goalie and into the net.

"Like I said, all the goalies make mistakes behind the net, even the best ones in the league," Luongo said. "So just

because I make mistakes doesn't mean it has to be amplified and suggested I don't know how to play the puck."

As it turned out, Luongo's miscue Sunday night didn't cost the Canucks anything, other than some anxious moments.

Tucker's goal 14 seconds into the third made it a 3-2 game and the Avs had a couple of glorious opportunities to tie

it up. The Canucks prevailed 4-2 in the end as they matched a club record with their ninth straight home-ice win.

But Sunday's game had a familiar feel to it. Luongo, for the most part, provided Vancouver with solid goaltending

and made a number of big saves. He also allowed, however, that one soft goal. It's happened a lot lately, including

the last four games.

Last Monday night at the Staples Center, Los Angles Kings defenceman Denis Gauthier, who is not anything

resembling a sniper, beat Luongo with a 50-foot shot from the left point that the Canuck goalie badly misplayed.

The shot, which appeared to be going wide, bounced off the collar of Luongo's glove and into the net.

Two nights later in Anaheim, Luongo served up a terrible rebound to Petteri Nokelainen, who promptly deposited it

into an empty net. And last Friday, Luongo was beaten short side from a very sharp angle by Kings' centre Anze

Kopitar.

"Obviously, you would like to avoid those, but at the same time sometimes that happens and you kind of get in a

situation where it happens a few games where you feel like you could have one back," Luongo said. "The good news

is we're still winning so it's good that this is happening now instead of where it would be hurting the team and

costing us points."

Canuck coach Alain Vigneault even made reference to Luongo's recent bloopers in his post-game press conference

on Sunday night.

"I think he just wants us to build character as we move forward," Vigneault joked. "And he's doing a pretty good

job."

On Monday, Vigneault insisted he is not at all concerned with Luongo's play.

"Every goaltender sometimes has a goal he'd like to have back," Vigneault said. "Right after they scored that

[Tucker] goal, he made an unbelievable save on [Paul] Stastny. That's the mark of a good goaltender and Louie has

got that down pat."

When it comes to playing the puck, Luongo is no Marty Turco, whom the Canucks will face tonight when the Dallas

Stars visit General Motors Place. But Luongo said he continues to work on that aspect of his game.

"My first job is to stop the puck, but obviously playing the puck is part of goaltending," Luongo said.

Kevin Bieksa said he and his fellow defenceman have to help Luongo when he leaves the crease to play the puck.

"I think at times we as defencemen can communicate with him a little bit better and let him know where to go with

the puck," Bieksa said. "Not all the onus is on Louie, it's on defencemen as well."

Luongo will take all the help he can get.

"Given the fact it's not my forte, when I'm back there I like to know what my D-men want from me and when it's

loud and early and clear there's no problems," he said. "And sometimes when the communication is not there, that's

when I might get into trouble."

Vigneault just wants Luongo to keep doing what he's doing.

"I want him to go out, set it up and I want him to be able to move it to an area where our Ds can break it out clean,"

Vigneault said. "Ninety-five per cent of the time he does that well."

That other five per cent will remain a work in progress.

Johnson fingered for blame

By Iain MacIntyre, Vancouver Sun

Ryan Johnson’s right index finger looks like a woodshop accident or some clown’s half-finished balloon animal.

And this is an improvement. Imagine how it looked before.

A spiral fracture on Nov. 20 forced a piece of bone from the top of Johnson’s finger to slide below the second

knuckle, essentially locking the swollen digit in place so that it is permanently pointing. Down, critics would argue.

The Vancouver Canuck checker needs surgery like the Earth needs a greenhouse-gas-eating machine. But surgery in

November would have ended Johnson’s National Hockey League season, which is why the centre chose rehab

before he finally gave up on the finger getting better and just returned to the lineup in January with a kielbasa

attached to his right hand. He missed 20 games.

Rarely has a player been subjected to so much criticism and scorn for playing through excruciating pain to help his

team win.

“I’m not a guy who’s going to sit here and make excuses,” Johnson said Monday. “Would I like to be able to grip

my stick and have full strength? Yeah, who wouldn’t? If people want to question where we sit numbers-wise on our

penalty kill and my faceoff percentage, they’re completely allowed to do that.

“But by no means will I feel like I’ve let anybody down for what they brought me in here to do.”

New general manager Mike Gillis brought Johnson to the Canucks for his speed and character and experience. More

tangibly, Johnson’s faceoff and penalty-killing abilities were key elements the Canucks sought when they gave the

32-year-old from Thunder Bay a two-year, $2.3-million-US free-agent contract in July.

In the last four seasons, Johnson averaged a 54.9-per-cent faceoff success rate and last year was second in the NHL

in shorthanded draws, winning 54.5 per cent of those. He was a key part of the St. Louis Blues’ penalty-killing unit

that was seventh in the league at 84.4 per cent.

After the Canucks’ 4-2 win Sunday against the Colorado Avalanche, Johnson’s faceoff percentage was a career-low

45.2 per cent and the Canucks were 21st shorthanded at 79.7 per cent.

It would be naive to think Johnson’s injured hand isn’t a paramount factor in these numbers.

He can’t get the leverage he needs on faceoffs nor put the velocity on the puck he’d like.

He has been an easy target for critics in the media and on radio. It was suggested last week the Canucks might even

buy out the final year of Johnson’s contract.

He is having a difficult season, but is hardly a liability on the fourth line except when he is sent out for a

shorthanded, defensive-zone faceoff.

Johnson is the kind of player who, even when he is excelling, will never be appreciated by fans the way he is by

coaches and teammates. His offensive numbers — two goals this season and an average of four annually in his

career — should never impress anyone. He doesn’t fight, isn’t physical and isn’t loud.

So what have you to measure him in the next 10 seconds? Faceoffs and penalty killing.

“I don’t need praise,” Johnson said. “I want to feel respected and valued by my teammates and the coaching staff

and management. I’m a little-things player. I pride myself on a lot of the little things that people wouldn’t even

notice watching a game from above.”

Such as?

“You see the blocks,” Canuck assistant coach Rick Bowness said. “You see the good reads on the backcheck,

supporting the puck, backing up his teammates in terms of reads. He could do five or six really good things and then

make a mistake and the focus is on the mistake.”

Such as last week in Los Angeles, when Johnson allowed Jarret Stoll to get behind him during a Kings’ power play.

With Johnson, as with any player, Bowness said the coaching staff asks: Is he helping more than he is hurting?

“Johnny has always done more to help this hockey club,” Bowness said.

Still, Johnson must wonder sometimes if he should have just bailed in November, had the surgery and come back

next fall with two hands that work.

“When I hurt it, I played three games with it basically hanging by a thread and was prepared to play like that the rest

of the season,” Johnson said. “Surgery was no option. That wasn’t going to happen. When I have it fixed [this

summer] and get back next season with a full hand, I think I’ll realize how difficult it is right now.”

Johnson said he came back because he wanted to be part of the group, wanted to go to the playoffs for the first time

since 2004 and wanted to help the Canucks win.

They are 14-3-1 since January.

Amicable split for the 'caped crusaders'

Kesler, Burrows playing 'super' apart

By Brad Ziemer, Vancouver SunMarch 17, 2009

A new Canuck promotional poster appearing at select area SkyTrain stations features photos of forwards Ryan

Kesler and Alex Burrows and the caption, The Dynamic Duo.

Which, of course, begs the question, which one is Batman?

"He looks more like Robin, I think," Kesler said, motioning toward Burrows, who sits next to him in the Canuck

dressing room. "He has the baby face and hasn't shaved in three months."

Kesler and Burrows are no longer a duo on the ice.

Coach Alain Vigneault split up the longtime linemates in late January and that seemed to be when the season turned

for the Canucks.

Kesler admitted Monday the change caught him by surprise.

"We were a little flabbergasted at first, but we weren't going to complain," Kesler said. "I think both of us would

play with anybody on this team."

Kesler had three assists in Sunday night's 4-2 win over Colorado.

"First time since junior, I think," Kesler said of his three helpers.

Burrows added a goal and an assist. He now has 22 goals on the season, just three fewer than team leader Daniel

Sedin.

TIME TO TALK: Winger Darcy Hordichuk huddled with coach Alain Vigneault after Monday's practice.

Hordichuk's ice time, or lack thereof, was the topic of conversation.

The Canuck enforcer logged just three shifts and 2:14 of ice time on Sunday night.

"I just wanted to see if there's anything more they want me to do or where I'm at," Hordichuk said.

Vigneault said he is not unhappy with Hordichuk's play and suggested he was a victim of circumstance on Sunday

night.

"I think I had his line called up four or five times and either we took a penalty or the opposition took a penalty,"

Vigneault said.

Hordichuk is averaging 5:29 of ice time a night, but has received much less than that the last six games.

"He's like every other player," Vigneault said. "The twins want more ice time, everybody wants more ice time, but I

only have so much to give out."

ICE CHIPS: The Canucks signed defenceman Taylor Ellington on Monday. Ellington, Vancouver's second-round

pick (33rd overall) in the 2007 entry draft, has six goals, 25 points and 124 penalty minutes this season with the

WHL's Everett Silvertips ... Forward Jannik Hansen, out since Feb. 19 with a broken finger, practised with the

Canucks on Monday, but will not play tonight.

Dobber's Crunch Number

Burrows continues to hold the hot stick for the Canucks

By Darryl Dobbs, Vancouver SunMarch 17, 2009

Each week through the NHL season, Darryl Dobbs -- a.k.a. The Dobber -- of fantasy hockey website

DobberHockey.com, breaks down the numbers and produces his Crunch Number, an enhanced snapshot of player

effectiveness. The formula for calculation is below the chart.

If Mike Gillis knew Alex Burrows would respond to a new contract like this, he would have re-signed him in

October instead of March. Since signing the four-year deal, Burrows has seven points and 10 penalty minutes in six

games. He has 15 points in his last 13 games and is a plus-11 in that span. So it's no surprise, then, that Mr. Burrows

led his teammates in the weekly crunch number for the third time in four weeks.

Taylor Pyatt had his best week of the season in the week spanning March 9-15, with a 14.7 crunch number. He had

three points in four games and finished a plus-3, while playing just over 12 minutes a contest. Kyle Wellwood (11.8)

finished fourth on the team, having his second strongest week of the last three months. His amazing November

seems like such a distant memory now, but continued play like this down the stretch will endear him to 'Nucks fans

once again.

Mason Raymond and Steve Bernier were the most disappointing. Besides tough guy Darcy Hordichuk, they were

the only two forwards who failed to produce a point in Week 23, despite a combined 94 minutes of ice time.

For the second consecutive week, Sami Salo led the Vancouver defence corps. His combination of shots (9) and

points (2), while posting a plus-2 rating gave him an 8.5. Kevin Bieksa also had two points and he fired 10 shots on

next, but a disappointing minus-3 hurt him.

Tonight: Canucks vs. Stars

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Tuesday, March 17 @ 7 p.m. PT

NHL scoreboard

Western Conference standings

Stars Team Pages Canucks

Get interactive: Game in the Game

More hockey news

Preview The last time the Anaheim Ducks played the Vancouver Canucks, Teemu Selanne had his best performance of the season. For Monday's game at the General Motors Place, the Ducks (18-12-3) will face the Canucks (18-12-3) without their leading goal scorer. In January, the Vancouver Canucks went weeks without winning and were in danger of falling out of the playoff race. They've put that slide far behind and are now moving closer to securing home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs. The surging Canucks look to set a franchise record with their 10th straight home win Tuesday night when they face the Dallas Stars, who are opening a difficult three-game road trip. Vancouver (36-23-9) ended January on an eight-game losing streak (0-5-3) to fall into 11th in the Western Conference but very little has gone wrong for the Canucks since. They are a league-best 14-3-1 since the start of February and matched a franchise record for consecutive home victories with Sunday's 4-2 win over Colorado. Kyle Wellwood, Alex Burrows and Taylor Pyatt scored first-period goals, while Ryan Kesler had three assists for Vancouver, which last won nine straight home games Nov. 6-Dec. 9, 1992. The Canucks' turnaround has been astonishing, considering their winning streak at GM Place came on the heels of a nine-game skid there. "It's crazy, we couldn't buy a win a month and a half ago, we always found a way to lose every game," said Burrows, who has scored in each of his last four games. "But we turned it around, and right now we have a lot of confidence in our own building. "That's a good thing heading into the playoffs." The playoffs seemed like a long shot at the end of January, but now the Canucks are five points back of Northwest Division-leading Calgary and only two behind slumping Chicago in the race for fourth and home-ice advantage. "We wanted to exclude ourselves from the bottom three or four teams that are fighting for a playoff spot," said Kesler, who has seven goals and 11 assists in his last 10 home games. "Now we're trying to catch Calgary and Chicago. We have them worried about us now which is a good thing."

Roberto Luongo has been in net for each game of the home streak, posting a 1.89 goals-against average in those contests. He has started all but one game for the Canucks since the start of February - a 2-1 loss at Dallas (33-28-8) on Feb. 13. Luongo also missed Vancouver's first game of the season against the Stars - a 3-2 shootout home loss on Jan. 4 - because of a strained groin that sidelined him 24 games. He is 4-1-2 with a 1.81 GAA against the Stars since the start of the 2006-07 season. Dallas is one of seven teams in the mix for the final two playoff spots in the West. The Stars defeated Minnesota 3-2 in overtime Saturday for their second straight victory after going 2-7-1 in their previous 10. They have not won three straight since a season-high five-game streak Jan. 21-Feb. 3. Winning on this road trip won't be easy for Dallas, which travels to Calgary on Wednesday and Pacific-leading San Jose on Saturday. "Right now this is the playoffs," said Steve Ott, who had his first career two-goal game against the Wild. "Every single night is a fight for that playoff spot." Ott's linemates Mike Ribeiro and Loui Eriksson assisted on both of his goals, giving that trio 24 points in the last six games. Marty Turco made 28 saves Saturday and has stopped 57 of 61 shots in winning his last two games after stopping five of eight shots before being pulled in last Tuesday's 5-2 loss to St. Louis. Turco has a 1.44 GAA in winning both starts against Vancouver this season.

Spector: On Spec Mark Spector Should the Canucks and Flames be the only Canadian teams to make the post-season, at least they're capable of doing some damage. Will four Canadian teams make the National Hockey League playoffs? Or, the way Montreal and Edmonton are leaking oil, are we looking at Calgary, Vancouver, and a bunch of American teams in what would comprise the worst springtime ratings in Canadian TV history? The more the merrier, sure. But at least the Canucks and Flames look like two teams that could do something once they get in. Both are worth investing some hope in. If the Canadiens and Oilers hang on for the post-season, what then? Think of all the qualities you want to see in a playoff team, and then think of how many apply to the Habs and Oilers. Not a long list, is it? ---------- As it turns out, former Oilers owner Peter Pocklington was a pioneer. In a league where you can’t swing a cat without hitting a financially-insolvent or under-investigation owner, Pocklington has already been there and bought the t-shirt. Now he’s walking around in an FBI-issued ankle bracelet, sprung by a financial file-in-a-cake provided by old friend Glen Sather. It tells you everything you need to know about Sather. Like him or not, at a time when the rest of Peter Puck’s friends were thanking the heavens for call display, Sather stepped up with a deed to some land he owns in Minnesota, providing $1 million in bail for his old boss.

You may be a fan of Sather’s, and you may not. But in a world of frontrunners, he is one loyal son of a gun. As for Pocklington, it seems the biggest loser here is wife Eva, who admits to never having worked a day in her life, yet somehow has assets worth millions. As a sports writer, there is one thing in common with Eva. Sadly, not the other. ---------- News Flash: Keith Tkachuk passes Joe Sakic in career powerplay goals on Sunday. He has 206 to Sakic’s 205. The Real Story: Sakic, who has been around three seasons longer than Tkachuk, has played 172 playoff games. Tkachuk has played 85. If we’re making comparisons, here’s the one that truly matters: In 17 NHL seasons, Tkachuk has only made it out of the first round twice. Sakic has won two Cups. ---------- Give Darryl Sutter credit. He is the only one of six Canadian National Hockey League GMs who has built a team in his own image. The Flames play an honest, responsible (most nights), competitive game that leaves their opponent fully aware that they’ve been in a battle, win or lose. Which is exactly the way Darryl played the game. In Montreal, the Selke Award winner Bob Gainey has a club that on many nights can’t check its hat. Nor does it get 115 per cent out of its God-given talent the way Gainey the player did. It’s early for Brian Burke in Toronto, but right now the Maple Leafs couldn’t be further from a Burke team. They’re not big. They’re not tough. They’re not good. Bryan Murray? Who knows what he’s got in Ottawa. And though the Canucks looked awfully good, we’ll give Mike Gillis some time before making pronouncements on the job he’s doing in Vancouver. In Edmonton, Kevin Lowe and Craig MacTavish were similar as players in that they both had grit, gamesmanship, and accomplished what they did largely due to their intense competitive nature. Yet somehow, they’ve put together a team that, as veteran Edmonton Journal writer Jim Matheson noted the other day, "has no will to win." The Oilers’ level of competitiveness is appalling on many nights. Simply put, it is a perimeter team that has no guts most nights. Did you ever hear anyone talk that way about Lowe or MacTavish when they played? ---------- Lots of negative reaction from a piece on Dustin Penner this week. We’ll admit --aybe all those fat jokes were a little insensitive. But we can’t believe the level of acceptance for a professional athlete who does not do the work necessary to be in top physical condition.

Players get hurt, they endure slumps, they get traded or find themselves with a coach whose game plan doesn’t suit them. The player can control none of that. Being in top physical condition is the one area that lies totally within the player’s command. When a player takes the cheque -- however small, or in Penner’s case, large -- and doesn’t even put in the commensurate effort to show up in the best possible shape, we can’t see any defence for it. ---------- Just his luck: Old friend Paul Hunter writes a piece in Saturday’s Toronto Star about the Leafs offence having gone AWOL, with eight goals in five games since the trade deadline. That night, the Leafs score eight against Calgary … I’ll remember retired referee Rob Shick as much for his consistent work on the ice over 23 NHL seasons, as I will for his consistent attendance at the same post-game hangouts that us sports writers end up at. Turns out scribes aren’t the only ones who don’t want to drink where the players do after games. He was a real good ref and even a better guy … Don Koharski will hang up his whistle and go full-time into the doughnut business after this season (just kidding), and word is that Kerry Fraser, Dan Marouelli and Bill McCreary will make next season their last. Talk about a talent

drain -- let’s hope NHL head of officials Stephen Walkom’s farm system is better than the Maple Leafs’.

Vancouver games this week : Canucks target

Turco

By Elliott Pap, Vancouver Sun

STARS @ CANUCKS

Today 7 p.m. TSN

Gotta beat, Marty. Gotta figure out, Marty. Gotta make Marty look like a mortal.

Dallas Stars netminder Marty Turco has been superman this season against the Canucks, stopping 65 of 68 shots in

two Stars' victories, one of them by shootout. He even helped set up Joel Lundqvist's winning goal in the teams'

most recent meeting -- 2-1 in Dallas Feb. 13 --with one of his precision long-bomb passes down the ice.

He is arguably the league's best goalie playing the puck. So what's an opponent supposed to do?

"Different goalies have different things they're good at but Turco might be the total package right now," noted

Canuck centre Henrik Sedin. "He's playing extremely well. He's like a third defenceman back there. He can find

forwards coming down the wing. So it's tough to play against him, for sure.

"We've played Dallas pretty good this year and they've been close games but Turco has been unbelievable, like he

was against us in the playoff two years ago."

According to Henrik, Turco's unique style does pose problems.

"He doesn't really have a butterfly or that kind of game," he said. "I think the way you have to play him is to try to

shoot a lot at his feet."

Don't expect a rout either way. In their last 10 meetings, the Canucks and Stars have decided every game by one

goal. Two were settled by shootout, one was settled in overtime and five were settled by a 2-1 score.

One area tonight where the Canucks have a distinct advantage is health. Vancouver will be missing only fourth-liner

Jannik Hansen (finger) while the Stars will be without impact players Brad Richards (broken wrist), captain Brenden

Morrow (torn ACL) and Sergei Zubov (shoulder). They've also been without key veteran Jere Lehtinen for their last

six games although the Finn is expected back tonight.

To compensate for Richards' absence, Dallas picked up old friend Brendan Morrison on waivers after the Ducks

ditched him. Morrison practised Monday as a left winger on a line with Mike Modano and Lehtinen.

Mike Ribeiro continues to centre the Stars' top unit with wingers Loui Eriksson and Steve Ott. The fact both

Eriksson and Ott are having career years is a testament to Ribeiro's playmaking ability. Eriksson, in particular, has

been a revelation with 32 goals after netting just 14 last season and six the year before. Willie Mitchell, you have

your assignment.

- - -

BLUES @ CANUCKS

Thursday 7 p.m. NET

While Vancouver has gone ga-ga over the Canucks' 14-3-1 mark since the start of February, the Blues have been

riding similar success with a 12-5-4 record during the same span. John Davidson's doughty band of over-achievers

weren't supposed to be a factor in the Western Conference playoff chase but now find themselves only one point out

with 13 games remaining.

The Blues' visit to GM Place will be their second stop in a three-games-in-four-nights excursion to western Canada.

They're in Edmonton tonight and not even thinking about the Canucks.

"We've just got to worry about Edmonton now," Blues warhorse forward Keith Tkachuk told the St. Louis Post-

Dispatch. "They've beaten us pretty good three times. We've got to come out and find a way in a tough environment

and keep this thing going. We've won quite a few away games in the last little bit."

The Blues are 13-16-3 on the road, one of those 13 wins coming in a wild 6-4 decision over the Canucks on Jan. 9 in

which St. Louis scored three times in the final six minutes. The Canucks promptly returned the favour a month later

in Missouri when they scored four third-period goals in a 6-4 victory of their own.

Neither team has been able to stop the other's power play. St. Louis is 3-for-8 and the Canucks 3-for-7.

- - -

CANUCKS @ COYOTES

Saturday 7 p.m. CBC

Most teams and players look forward to the January all-star break but the Coyotes, in retrospect, are likely rueing the

vacation. Coach Wayne Gretzky's young crew was in playoff contention heading into the break and came out the

other side incapable of winning hockey games.

The Desert Dogs lost six straight and nine of 10. They are a dreadful 4-16-1 post all-star game and have sunk to the

bottom of the Western Conference. They disposed of veterans Olli Jokinen and Derek Morris at the trade deadline

and became even younger by adding Scottie Upshall, Matthew Lombardi, Nigel Dawes and Petr Prucha.

Since the deadline, they are 1-4-1 and have been outscored 17-9. It's wait until next year and maybe even in a new

city if their financial woes aren't sorted out. In their most recent outing Saturday, the 'Yotes were blanked 2-0 by

Nashville and rookie goalie Pekka Rinne. They had only eight shots in the first two periods.

"Obviously our confidence is shattered a little bit as a team," the Great One told the Arizona Republic. "It's a little

frustrating that we can't put together 60 minutes of effort. Times are tough right now for everybody."

Captain Shane Doan was appalled at the lack of offence against Nashville.

"Eight shots after two periods in your home building, it's embarrassing," Doan muttered. "It's got to be better

moving forward. It will be better."

This is the fourth and final meeting of the season between the Canucks and Coyotes. Vancouver won the first 1-0,

Phoenix the second 4-1 and Vancouver the third 4-3 on the wings of a three-goal third period.

New Westminster's Kyle Turris has been a non-factor for Gretzky this season. In 54 games, the 19-year-old rookie

centre has six goals and is a minus-13. Turris was even dispatched to the minors last month to regain his scoring

touch. He had seven points in eight outings with San Antonio but has nothing since his return four games ago.

One-on-one with Canuck Taylor Pyatt

By Elliott Pap, Vancouver Sun

The big winger on his mother, ex-NHLer father and all the pro hockey players from Thunder

Bay:

Q. Last week your mom was among the group of 13 who travelled with the team to southern California. Despite the

fact you didn’t win either game, what did she think of the whole deal?

A. It was great. It was nice for her to get away from the cold winter that they’ve had back in Thunder Bay. She

enjoyed the warm weather, she saw some hockey games, she enjoyed herself on the plane and in the nice hotels. She

really had a blast.

Q. How much time did you actually spend with her considering you had two games in three days?

A. As players, we were still pretty busy with our routine but we were able to go out for dinner a few times and hang

out around the hotel and get out for a walk to the marina in Anaheim. So it was a good couple or three days.

Q. Your dad Nelson played in the NHL and was a big influence on your career. Was your mom there all the way,

too?

A. Absolutely. You kind of hear a lot about the dads, but she made a lot of sacrifices over the years. I had two

brothers involved in hockey as well so she spent a lot of time bringing us to and from the rink — and a lot of time in

the backyard helping us shovel snow off the ice. She had a huge influence on my hockey career and my upbringing.

Q. Speaking of brothers, 22-year-old Tom Pyatt is playing in the New York Rangers’ system with the Hartford Wolf

Pack. He had a pretty notorious teammate for two weeks last month in Sean Avery. Have you spoken to Tom about

that experience?

A. Yeah, he said it was a little bit of a circus but that Sean was pretty quiet. He actually sat next to him in the locker

room and said Sean didn’t say a whole lot. I guess Sean was just sort of biding his time, waiting to get the call back

to New York.

Q. In 2007-08, Tom split time between the American League and the ECHL and this year’s he’s been with Hartford

all season. What kind of year is he having?

A. Things have been a lot better for him lately. He’s getting more ice time on the power play and penalty kill and

things have sort of turned around for him after a slow start. It’s been a tough situation there because it seemed New

York was picking up someone new every other week and they were ending up in Hartford. So it’s been hard for him

to work his way up to the top two lines.

Q. The NHL is currently loaded with players from Thunder Bay, including the three Staal brothers, Patrick Sharp,

Alex Auld, Ryan Johnson and yourself. Do you guys hang out during the summer?

A. Absolutely. We have a golf tournament and we train and skate together. It’s great to have so many local guys

playing in the NHL and a lot of them are around my age [28], so I grew up with them and I’ve known them for a

long time. Everyone is really proud to have the number of NHL players we have from a small community.

Henrik proves he's not just a passing fancy

Vancouver Sun; with files from Reuters

Henrik Sedin's wonder twin power has always been passing the puck.

He's the John Stockton of the NHL.

His mantra is pass first, shoot only when absolutely necessary.

Henrik's brother Daniel, with 173 career goals, has been the main recipient of Henrik's delicious dishes during their

eight years in a Canucks uniform.

But on Friday night, Henrik called his own number twice, scoring two quick third-period goals -- the winner and

insurance marker -- in Vancouver's 4-2 win over the L.A. Kings at GM Place.

"[On the second goal] I saw the defence coming; it was a weak shot but it was able to go in," Henrik said. "We were

able to get the first couple goals of the game, which was huge for us."

With his first goal, the classy centre recorded his 100th career NHL goal. That's a pretty lofty milestone for a guy

who has never met a passing lane he didn't like.

The Canucks, who entered the contest on a two-game losing skid, had squandered an early 2-0 lead against the

Kings and needed someone to step up and provide an offensive spark.

In the locker room after the game, Henrik's sniping display was the subject of ribbing from Daniel.

"Too bad it only happens every 100 games," Daniel said.

"Third time," Henrik said of his double.

It couldn't have come at a better time for the Canucks.

Dallas Stars Clippings

Tests abound for Dallas Stars

03:17 AM CDT on Tuesday, March 17, 2009

By MIKE HEIKA / The Dallas Morning News

FRISCO - It would be easy to tap the Dallas Stars’ three-game road trip this week as a perfect pre-playoff test.

If they make the playoffs, the Stars will start on the road in mid-April, and Vancouver, Calgary and San Jose are among their possible hosts. So, of course, visiting those three barns could be educational.

The problem with that theory is this team doesn’t have the hubris to be that bold.

“To be honest, we can’t think beyond the first shift of the Vancouver game,” coach Dave Tippett said. “We are not in the position to look at anything in regards to a month from now. We’re in the playoffs right now. We’re in the battle every night, every game.”

The Stars are among six teams divided by four points fighting for two playoff spots. That, of course, can change daily as teams below could join the group with a hot streak or teams above could fall back with a slump.

The bottom line is the Stars have some serious business to take care of - and it doesn’t matter who is the opponent.

“We just have to concentrate on the game at hand and try to get two points every night,” defenseman Stephane Robidas said. “It would be nice to study things, but it just gets too much sometimes. If you win, you’ll be fine. If you lose, then you start to study things.”

That said, this is a test-worthy trip. The Canucks have won nine straight at home and hope to set a franchise record tonight against the Stars.

The Flames are returning home after a season-long seven-game road trip and are hoping to establish some positive vibes on home ice to hold off the hard-charging Canucks in the Northwest Division.

And the Sharks’ worst home loss of the season came at the hands of the Stars in a 4-1 defeat March 3, so they should be looking not only for revenge, but also for key points in their battle with Detroit for the top seed in the West.

“They all have their reasons for playing well and playing hard, and we have our reasons, too,” Robidas said. “It’s to the point where you have to be ready to play a playoff game every night, because you know that’s what the other team is doing.”

The Stars, meanwhile, are concentrating on their own issues. Jere Lehtinen (upper body injury) could return to the lineup after a six-game absence, and Tippett will probably place him on a line with Mike Modano. That would push James Neal to a line with Brian Sutherby.

But, as it is in the playoffs, the Stars have to be ready to adjust quickly.

Dallas has had great luck in Western Canada in the regular season. It is 11-4-2 in its last 17 trips to Vancouver and 6-3-0 in its last nine visits to Calgary. This team has done well in San Jose, too, going 7-2-1 in its last 10 trips.

During a normal season, with the Stars simply worried about which playoff seed they might get, this could be seen as a fun time to look forward and a fun time to look back. But fun seems out of the mix as fans watch nervously.

Then again, maybe that’s the wrong approach.

“I think it’s great,” Stars winger Krys Barch said. “I mean it’s really like we’re in the playoffs every night, and every team we play against feels the same way. They always say the playoffs are the best time of the year, and we’ve pretty much been in the playoffs since January or February. Who wouldn’t want to watch that?”

Dallas Morning News LOADED 03.17.2009

435056 Dallas Stars

Dallas Stars at Vancouver Canucks preview

9 p.m. Tuesday; Ch. 27, WBAP-AM (820)

By MIKE HEIKA / The Dallas Morning News

Key matchup: Alex Burrows vs. Steve Ott

Who would have ever thought these two agitators would be so important to their teams? Burrows has eight goals, one assist and is plus-8 in his last 10 games. Ott has three goals and six assists and is plus-5 in his last 10.

Key stat: 9

The Canucks have won nine straight at home and can set a franchise record by winning tonight.

Injuries

Dallas: RW Mark Parrish (head), RW Jere Lehtinen (upper body) and LW Fabian Brunnstrom (upper body) are probable. C Toby Petersen (foot), C Brad Richards (wrist), LW Brenden Morrow (knee) and D Sergei Zubov (hip) are out.

Vancouver: RW Jannik Hansen (finger) and C Rick Rypien (hernia) are questionable.

Notable

Lehtinen, Brunnstrom and Parrish are available for selection, but Lehtinen might be the only one inserted into the lineup. ... The Stars are coming off a 3-2 overtime win against Minnesota on Sunday. ...They are 2-0-0 against the Canucks this season and 11-4-2 in their last 17 regular-season visits to Vancouver. ... The Stars have faced G Jason Labarbera in both games this season.

Dallas Morning News LOADED 03.17.2009

435057 Dallas Stars

Dallas Stars head out on crucial road test

By MIKE HEIKA

FRISCO - It would be easy to tap the Dallas Stars’ three-game road trip this week as a perfect pre-playoff test.

The Stars would start on the road if they make the playoffs in mid-April, and could begin in Vancouver, Calgary or San Jose. So, of course, visiting those three barns would be downright educational.

The problem with that theory is this team doesn’t have the hubris to be that bold.

“To be honest, we can’t think beyond the first shift of the Vancouver game,” Stars coach Dave Tippett said. “We are not in the position to look at anything in regards to a month from now. We’re in the playoffs right now. We’re in the battle every night, every game.”

The Stars are among six teams separated by four points fighting for two playoff spots. That, of course, can change on a daily basis as teams below could jump into the battle with a hot streak or teams above could fall into the fray with a slump.

But the bottom line is the Stars have some serious business to take care of - and it doesn’t matter who is the opponent if they are playing teams directly in the battle, on the outside looking in or in the other conference.

“We just have to concentrate on the game at hand and try to get two points every night,” defenseman Stephane Robidas said. “It would be nice to study things, but it just gets too much sometimes. If you win, you’ll be fine. If you lose, then you start to study things.”

That said, this is a test-worthy road trip. The Canucks have won nine in a row at home and hope to set a franchise record tonight against the Stars.

The Flames are returning home after a seasonlong, seven-game road trip and are hoping to establish some positive vibes on home ice to hold off the hard-charging Canucks in the Northwest Division. And the Sharks’ worst home loss of the season came at the hands of the Stars in a 4-1 defeat March 3, so they should not only be looking for revenge, but also for key points in their battle with Detroit for the top seed in the West.

“They all have their reasons for playing well and playing hard, and we have our reasons, too,” Robidas said. “It’s to the point where you have to be ready to play a playoff game every night, because you know that’s what the other team is doing.”

The Stars, meanwhile, are concentrating on their own issues. Jere Lehtinen (upper-body injury) could return to the lineup after a six-game absence, and Tippett will probably shuffle him on a line with Mike Modano. That would push James Neal to a line with Brian Sutherby.

But, as it is in the playoffs, the Stars have to be ready to adjust quickly.

Dallas has had great luck in Western Canada in the regular season. It is 11-4-2 in its past 17 trips to Vancouver and 6-3-0 in its past nine visits to Calgary. This team hasn’t been bad in San Jose either, going 7-2-1 in its past 10 trips.

During a normal season, with the Stars simply worried about which playoff seed they might get, this could be seen as a fun time to look forward and a fun time to look back. But fun seems out of the mix at a time when many fans will be chewing their fingernails down.

Then again, maybe that’s the wrong approach to be taking.

“I think it’s great,” Stars winger Krys Barch said. “I mean it’s really like we’re in the playoffs every night, and every team we play against feels the same way. They always say the playoffs are the best time of the year, and we’ve pretty much been in the playoffs since January or February. Who wouldn’t want to watch that?”

Star-Telegram LOADED 03.17.2009