Canucks not frightened by Avs
Canadian Press
2/12/2003
VANCOUVER (CP) - The Vancouver Canucks can't help but hear the footsteps, but they're not worried.
Instead of chasing, the Canucks find themselves the chased as they prepare for the streaking Colorado Avalanche in a key NHL Northwest Division game Thursday night.
The Canucks - unbeaten in seven (4-0-3) - lead the division and are second overall in the Western Conference with 72 points on a 32-16-8-0 record.
Just six points behind are the Avalanche, who have worked themselves back into the playoff picture with six straight wins and a 10-game unbeaten streak (8-0-2).
``We're riding high, they are riding high,'' forward Todd Bertuzzi said after practice Wednesday. ``You're getting two very good teams going at it. It's exciting.
``Their top guys are playing extremely well and we're going to have to play excellent hockey to beat this club.''
Three weeks ago, the Avs looked like roadkill on the conference highway, sitting ninth and out of the playoffs. Since then, Colorado has turned into the roadrunner, moving into fifth spot with a 25-14-11-5 record.
A win against the Canucks would move the Avs back into striking distance for the division title for the eighth consecutive year.
``We knew they would be coming,'' said centre Brendan Morrison, who anchors Vancouver's high-scoring line of Bertuzzi and Markus Naslund.
``They are coming now and they are coming hard.''
For years the Canucks were the doormat Colorado wiped its feet on while travelling to the playoffs. Now Vancouver has a chance to make its own tracks.
``It's a lot better than chasing,'' Bertuzzi, who has 29 goals and 63 points. ``We're a lot more fresh.
``The thing that motivates you staying on top is you know there's not that much of a difference in points. You have to be on your game very night.''
Naslund, who leads the league with 37 goals, said there's a changing of the guard.
``We're an up-and-coming team that wants to take over,'' he said. ``That's where the rivalry comes in.''
The game will pit two of hockey's best lines.
Colorado's trio of Peter Forsberg, Milan Hejduk and Alex Tanguay have combined for 16 goals and 25 assists over the last eight games.
During that same stretch, Naslund, Morrison and Bertuzzi have nine goals and 15 assists.
The Canucks take a quiet confidence into the game at GM Place. They haven't lost three straight all season and have dropped two in a row just four times.
In four meetings this season, each team has won twice.
``We all knew Colorado was going to get hot and go on a streak,'' said coach Marc Crawford, who was behind the Avs bench when they won their first Stanley Cup in 1996.
``You can't give them a lot of chances. You have to be sharp in your own zone, you want to make sure you don't turn pucks over to them.''
Some have billed the game as a watershed for Vancouver, saying a win can cement the team's confidence while a loss would leave them peaking over their shoulders.
``It's a big game, no question about it,'' agreed Morrison.
``Is this game going to make or break our season? Probably not. We're going to do everything we can to win the game and keep the distance between us.''
The most relaxed man in the Canucks dressing room was goaltender Dan Cloutier.
``For me it's just another game,'' he said with a shrug. ``There's still 20-some games left.
``You can't start putting extra pressure on yourself. They all are going to be big from now on.''
Cheers,
Aquaman