Canucks crush Coyotes
Canadian Press
3/30/2004
VANCOUVER (CP) - The Vancouver Canucks are putting Todd Bertuzzi's season-ending suspension farther behind them.
While the hulking winger remains out of the lineup for the attack that hospitalized Steve Moore of the Colorado Avalanche, the Canucks have fashioned a three-game win streak and key players are starting to score again.
``After everything we've been through, it's nice to get some flow back into our game,'' said captain Markus Naslund, who broke a 10-game goal drought Monday as the Canucks routed the Phoenix Coyotes 6-1. ``To get the win really helps the team being able to focus.
``When you lose, you're looking for answers. It makes it easier to go to a game when you're feeling good about your play.''
Matt Cooke, the agitating winger who has taken Bertuzzi's place with Naslund and Brendan Morrison ,is making the most of top-line ice time. He said that confidence is building for the Canucks as they head into their final three regular-season games.
``This group has had a lot to deal with in the last month and we've made a point to really stay on task,'' said Cooke, who scored his second goal in three games to start an impressive Vancouver offensive display that peppered goalie Brian Boucher with 45 shots.
Naslund and Daniel Sedin, who had endured 14 games without a goal until Saturday's 3-2 overtime win against the Dallas Stars, opened the floodgates against Phoenix with goals 27 seconds apart to key a four-goal second period.
``As an offensive player you like to put the puck in the net every once in a while, not just every 20 games,'' said Naslund. ``It was a relief. We haven't done well against the non-playoff teams. Now, finally, we got a few goals and it's good for a lot of guys' confidence. ''
Naslund showed little signs of an elbow injury as he scored a spectacular goal, rifling the puck over Boucher's shoulder as he fell to the ice in the slot.
The Canucks moved into a fourth-place tie with the Stars in the Western Conference and they remained one point behind Northwest Division-leading Colorado.
``It's time for us to do what they did to us last year,'' he said.
Colorado, seeking its 10th consecutive division title, caught the Canucks for the Northwest crown on the final day of last season.
Also getting on the scoresheet was Jason King who had 11 goals in the first two months of the season but lost his touch around the net and spent most of the season in the minors. He showed plenty of touch on his first goal since his demotion with a between-the-legs backhand.
Artem Chubarov, a fourth-line plugger, scored his career-high 11th of the season and third in four games for the Canucks who led 4-0 after 40 minutes when Brent Sopel scored in the final minute of the period.
Ivan Novoseltsev scored with 2:07 remaining in the game as the punchless Coyotes avoided being shutout for the third time in four outings.
Centre Mike Comrie said his Coyotes didn't work hard enough to match the skill level of the Canucks who controlled play at both ends of the ice.
``Our effort is something where we've got to work as hard as we can,'' said Comrie.
``We're not the most skilled team, we have a lot of young players who don't have that much experience and when that's the case you have to work extra hard.''
Comrie was first to put the puck in the ne,t but the apparent goal was waived off after a video review of the play where Dan Cleary crashed into Vancouver netminder Dan Cloutier.
NOTES: Vancouver members of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association have nominated Trevor Linden for the Bill Masterson trophy which goes to the player best exmplifying perseverance, dedication and sportsmanship ... the Canucks were without defenceman Bryan Allen (shoulder) and winger Brad May (knee) who were injured in Saturday's win over Dallas ... Vancouver closes its season with games Wednesday in Anaheim, Friday at San Jose and here Saturday against Edmonton ... left-winger Mike Stutzel of Victoria, played 8:37 in his eighth NHL game against the Canucks, his favourite team growing up ... Vancouver defenceman Ed Jovanovski crunched him hard into the boards twice on the same second-period shift.
Cheers,
Aquaman