Booth takes advantage of team resources
Left winger, who has five points in as many games, says work with skills coach is paying off
David Booth hit the ice early for a session with Canucks skills coach Glenn Carnegie before Monday’s practice, an opportunity that was not afforded to him when he was with the Florida Panthers.
“We didn’t have that so I’m trying to take advantage of that now,” said Booth, who had a goal and an assist in the Canucks’ 4- 3 win against the Sharks on Saturday.
“It definitely helps me out getting into a rhythm and making it happen out there.”
Once in five seasons with the Panthers did Booth benefit from a skills coach — Tomas Pacina out of Calgary. That was in 2008- 09, when the winger scored 31 goals and 60 points.
“He came in and helped my game out a lot and I’m surprised that we never did that stuff,” said Booth, who has seven goals and 16 points in 28 games with the Canucks.
After a sluggish start to his time in Vancouver — Booth was acquired in a deal with the Panthers that sent Mikael Samuelsson and Marco Sturm to Florida on Oct. 22 — and a six- week stint on the injured reserve list, the 27- year- old has six points in his last five games.
“It still takes time to get that rhythm back, to get that feel back and that’s why I was out there earlier [ on Monday] to get that edge back and the hands.”
Cody Hodgson also took part in the pre- practice skills session. Despite averaging 12: 41 of ice time per game — good enough for 59th among all NHL rookies — the Canucks’ third- line centre has been on an impressive offensive pace.
He has five points in his last five games, and has shown that he’s just as affective shooting the puck as he is distributing it. But Hodgson isn’t about to let complacency set into his game.
“It’s the little things,” said Hodgson. “Glenn likes to work on some of the offensive skills of the game ... shooting, stickhandling, moving, twisting, agility stuff and I think that helps me.” WHICH SEDIN GOES FIRST? It’s a question that’s been bantered around before, and it will be brought up again Thursday when NHL All- Star captains Zdeno Chara and Daniel Alfredsson select who will play for which team in this year’s over- hyped game of shinny.
So, which Sedin — Henrik or Daniel — goes first in the draft? Alex Burrows has the answer. Sort of.
“If I need a shooter, I take Daniel. If I need a passer, I take Hank,” said Burrows, who for the past three years has been the main benefactor of the Sedins’ playmaking abilities.
One has to think that with Alfredsson and his all- star assistant Henrik Lundqvist, who both hail from Sweden, making the picks, the Sedins and Alex Edler are guaranteed a spot with their countrymen.
“We got the same agent so I’m pushing it a little bit,” said Henrik of Alfredsson. SCHNEIDER TAKES PATS: Cory Schneider wasted no time when asked who he was picking in the upcoming Super Bowl between the New England Patriots and New York Giants. The native of Marblehead, Mass., is, without hesitation, taking the Pats to win the rematch of the 2008 Super Bowl. As if choosing a team from New York was ever an option.