Eriksson’s only goal so far is in his own net
We’ve been had.
The Vancouver Canucks’ $36-million man, Loui Eriksson — 30-goal scorer, first-line National Hockey League winger, offensive saviour, natural sidekick to Daniel and Henrik Sedin — is not a shooter.
“He’s not a shooter,” Hank said, surprised anyone would think otherwise. “He scores a lot of goals around the net — just little plays around the net. I don’t think you’re going to see him come in across the blue-line and snipe a puck from the top of the circle. That’s not the way he plays.”
No, Eriksson likes to hold the puck, find space and make a pass when a linemate is open. In Thursday’s 2-1 win against the Buffalo Sabres, Eriksson passed up a four-footer directly in front of the net to pass to Danny at the side of it. He scored. So Eriksson plays exactly like a Sedin. He may as well be their long-lost triplet.
Well, not quite. The 31-year-old Swede is five years younger than the Sedins and plays more of a 200-foot game. He also lacks red hair.
What he has mainly lacked so far as a Canuck, besides a goal for his team, are shots.
In his first four games since choosing Vancouver as a free agent and accepting that six-year, $6-million-per contract on July 1 for the chance to play with the twins, Eriksson has four shots and no goals that count in his favour. He also has two assists and is a team-worst minus-two.
After one week as a Canuck, Eriksson’s only goal was scored into his own net during a delayed penalty in his debut, a 2-1 shootout win against the Calgary Flames last Saturday.
“That would have been tough to lose 1-0 when you score on your own net,” Eriksson said. “But those things happen.”
You mean he has scored against his own team before?
“Well, no, I don’t think so,” Eriksson said. “So it was kind of funny it happened in my first game here.”
We can laugh about it now, especially since the Canucks are 4-0 and that makes everything bearable. But Eriksson will feel better when he starts scoring.
He averaged 27 goals a season during his last five years with the Dallas Stars, before the Boston Bruins acquired him in 2013.
After his three years there were capped by the 30-goal, 63-point campaign last season, Eriksson was signed by Canuck general manager Jim Benning, who was part of the Bruins’ management team that surrendered Tyler Seguin to get him from the Stars.
Eriksson may not be a natural goal-scorer, but he knows he has to shoot more while playing with the Sedins, who have combined for 1,337 assists in the NHL. The line was briefly broken up in the second period on Thursday.
“My type of play is playing good in all zones, so that’s important to me, too,” Eriksson said. “But of course I want to score goals and produce. I think that will come the more comfortable I am. For now, it’s nice to get wins and get that feeling as a group.
“I definitely need more shots. The thing is if I see a guy open, I like to give him the pass. I’ve never been really a shooting guy before. But for sure, for now, I haven’t been shooting that much and if I put more pucks on net, good things will happen. I think we know we maybe need to step it up a little bit (as a line). We’re kind of the same players. Sure, we can maybe take more pucks to the net. But it’s only been a few games.
“The important thing now is to win games. I know the points will come. Get a few pucks in and we’ll be rolling after that.”
The Sedins and Eriksson were unstoppable as a line for Sweden toward the end of the 2013 world championships at home, amassing nine goals and 21 points in the four games they played together.
No wonder Eriksson came to the West Coast to play with Danny and Hank.
But the trio, despite a few flashes of brilliance at the World Cup in September, generated only six points and a lone goal for Eriksson in four games for Team Sweden.
The widely held notion that they’d sprint from the starting gate for the Canucks was based largely on one great week together 3½ years ago
“I said all along, we had a great tournament at the world championships (in 2013), but that was on big ice,” Daniel said
“That’s a different sport. The World Cup, we were OK, I thought. You’ve got to remember, too, he missed training camp. This is a new system. Everything is new. For him, it might have been good if there wasn’t the World Cup so he could come here (for the start of training camp) and just ease into things. Now he’s got back and played a few games and here we are.”
Danny added that all three know they need to play better and he and Eriksson should each be generating five shots a night.
“For sure this has been much easier for me because we won our games,” Eriksson said of his slow start.
“(But) I’m coming to that age now where all I want to do is win games and go far and win the whole thing. It’s a team game and if you win games, everyone feels good.”
Even when your only goal so far was against the team paying you.