Markstrom finds solace in family
Swedish netminder has athletic relatives on speed dial during season
You don’t have to be a goaltender to feel like you’re on a competitive island. Everyone will feel pressure when the Vancouver Canucks open their regular-season schedule on Saturday night against the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Arena. Performance anxiety and scrutiny are professional pitfalls and have led many to seek guidance to maintain focus and balance.
Some have found solace in Canucks sports psychologist Dr. David Cox. Jacob Markstrom found it in late-night calls to his athletic family in Gavle, Sweden. The timing couldn’t be better with what awaits the towering stopper.
He knows what needs to play out between the pipes is as crucial as wondering where the offence is coming from and if anybody can spark the power play.
He knows there must be calm and competitive performances on the ice and reasonable post-game responses to sub-par outings. No outbursts. No scrum bolting.
Markstrom is better prepared for all of that. Witnessing the Zen-like approach Ryan Miller took with meticulous examination of his equipment and his pre-practice and game routines rubbed off. So did the manner is which he methodically answered repetitive questions about loss after loss. That’s hard. Was Miller peeved? Absolutely. Did he show it in his three years here? Seldom.
“He really helped me with the mental part,” said Markstrom. “He has his routines and they never changed. I was playing one game a week and it’s not what I prefer because once you’re in games and you keep playing, you keep that rhythm going.
“When you don’t play a lot and have a choppy game, you keep that feeling for four or five days. And that’s a challenge.”
So is being The Guy. An open competition for the cage is going to mean open season on both stoppers.
Every soft goal and loss will be dissected and could determine who gets the next start. Is Markstrom equipped to handle that as much as facing Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl on Saturday?
The obvious answer is yes and it’s more than just a conditioned response.
Markstrom has a vital support group that’s readily available during post-game FaceTime calls home. After all, midnight here is 9 a.m. in Sweden, so that connection works on all fronts.
Markstrom comes from a competitive family — his mother was a handball goalie and his father and brother soccer keepers — so looking for perspective after a rough night is easier from those who know your personality and your plight as a professional athlete living a fishbowl existence.
“I’ve been in a lot of different situations in my career and I talk to family a lot — and it doesn’t even have to be about the game,” stressed Markstrom. “It’s more about getting the comfort back after a tough game and feeling good about yourself again.
“I love being here. It’s a Canadian team and the interest is huge. You want to be where people care and where hockey is like a religion.”
The faithful may want to light a few candles.
If the Canucks are going to amass more than 75 projected points, they’ll need steady play and occasionally spectacular play from Markstrom and Anders Nilsson. And while the 27-year-old Markstrom is the rightful designated starter — his three-year, US$11-million contract extension kicks in this season — this is not Willie’s World. Former Canucks coach Desjardins leaned on Miller to face 40 or more shots on nine occasions just to keep the club in games.
Markstrom logged just 26 games last season. A freak knee injury in the SuperSkills competition on Feb. 26 required surgery and curtailed the start of his off-season regimen to build on what did go right last season.
His goals-against average (2.63) was actually better than Miller’s (2.80) and his .910 save percentage was near Miller’s .914. Markstrom had his moments — three straight wins to start the season and just five goals allowed on 73 shots and a season-high 42 saves in a 3-2 shootout win at Edmonton on Dec. 31 — and a bad moment Nov. 15 when he allowed seven goals on 25 shots here.
“The last two or three years, I’ve been deeper in the crease and always trying to give yourself a chance,” said Markstrom. “I’ve changed up some things and if you move a lot, those holes are going to get bigger. But I’m just feeling more comfortable at this level.”
Nobody makes goalies feel more uncomfortable than McDavid.
With a jaw-dropping combination of speed, passing wizardry and a quick and accurate release, he’s a multi-dimensional demon in the slot. Goalies are trained to track the shooter, but McDavid can look one way and put the puck right on the tape in the other direction with a flick of the wrist. He did that last Saturday here with a deft touch to set up a Draisaitl one-timer goal.
“You have McDavid coming down the slot and you’ve got to respect him,” said Markstrom. “Skilled players are going to make skilled plays and sometimes you just have to tip your hat, move forward and don’t let it bug you too much.”