Falling players, flailing play fuel concerns
Struggling squad loses Booth, faith in power play, ground in standings as Wild make key visit
Under the National Hockey League’s new collective bargaining agreement, players must be given four days off a month, two at home and two on the road.
Sometimes the schedule makes that decision for you, which is why the Vancouver Canucks were off Sunday rather than at the rink practising, watching video, gazing at their navels and, in general, prepping for Monday’s crucial Northwest Division game against the visiting Minnesota Wild.
You’d like to think Canuck head coach Alain Vigneault was tempted to bring his beleaguered troops in for an hour, if only to make them watch the power play flailing about. It was 0- for- 6 in Saturday’s 5- 2 loss to the Detroit Red Wings, including a pivotal 5- on- 3 for 1: 21 in the third period that might have made a difference.
The power play hasn’t scored in 34 straight opportunities — that’s 34(!) with an exclamation mark — despite having two Art Ross Trophy winners on its first unit.
The power play goes through Daniel and Henrik Sedin and they haven’t been able to get the job done even though they can’t pass to the departed Christian Ehrhoff and Sami Salo, or the injured Ryan Kesler, integral members of the NHL’s best power play in 2010- 11.
“Obviously it’s not working and that would be an understatement,” Vigneault said following the loss to Detroit. “And those are our top players.”
The Canucks also lost another player to injury Saturday as the unlucky David Booth suffered what appeared to be something major to his left ankle on a late first- period puck battle with Red Wing defenceman Brendan Smith. Booth fell awkwardly and could put no weight on his leg as he glided off the ice.
He was seen leaving Rogers Arena on crutches and wearing a moon boot and Vigneault admitted he expected Booth would be out “for a while.” Booth is scheduled to have an MRI on Monday.
“Losing David is huge,” said fellow winger Alex Burrows. “I think he was starting to play well for us and really bringing a lot of energy and some grit. To see him go down is tough. I hope he’ll get good results and that we’ll see him soon.”
Booth had one goal, an empty- netter, in 12 outings. He’s already missed 15 games, 14 because of a training camp groin injury and another to illness. This is Booth’s third significant injury since he joined the Canucks from Florida in a trade early last season.
Compounding matters, right- winger Zack Kassian was unable to play against the Wings because of a sore back.
“As you all remember, he came to camp with his back tweaked and it seems to be flaring up again,” Vigneault explained. “So we’re going to try and nip this in the bud.”
Kassian is considered day- today but if he’s out even a week, he could miss a half dozen games because of Vancouver’s heavy schedule. Following Monday’s date with the Wild, the Canucks entertain St. Louis on Tuesday, then play Thursday in Phoenix, Saturday in Los Angeles and Sunday in Colorado.
A forward, possibly 2011 firstround pick Nicklas Jensen, will almost certainly be called up from the American Hockey League’s Chicago Wolves.
The Wolves were at home Sunday against the Rockford IceHogs and lost 2- 1. Jensen was in the lineup, had no points and was plus- 1. He has two goals in five appearances with the Wolves since joining them last weekend from AIK Stockholm of the Swedish League.
The Canucks could also recall centre Jordan Schroeder and move Chris Higgins back to the wing. Schroeder was sent down last Monday after a 22- game stint with the big club. In three games since his demotion, Schroeder has responded with a goal and three assists.
Saturday’s events sucked all the feel- good from the Canucks’ tribute to the Vancouver Millionaires and 100 years of hockey in B. C. The Canucks wore replica uniforms and, at the six- second mark, Burrows set a franchise record for the fastest goal to start a game.
Trevor Linden held the previous mark at 0: 09, set Jan. 16, 1994 against Anaheim.
“Personal stats don’t mean anything to me right now,” said Burrows, who snapped a 10- game goal drought. “I just want to make sure we win games.”
Beating the Wild would be a nice start. Although the teams are tied in points at 32, Minnesota is awarded the division lead based on the league’s tiebreaking formula of most regulation and overtime victories. The Wild have 12 and the Canucks 10. Vancouver thus drops to seventh in the Western Conference and will start play Monday just two points above the playoff bar.
“It’s a tough league, man, and there are a lot of good teams,” said Roberto Luongo, who had another wretched night against the Wings, allowing five goals on 26 shots. “There is not much difference between winning and losing on a nightly basis. I thought we were taking it to Detroit for the first half of the game and then things kind of fell apart in the third. I have to put myself in the forefront of that. I have to make some big saves to keep it a one- goal game.”
In two starts against the Wings this season, Luongo has been ventilated for 13 goals on 54 shots, a save percentage of just .759. Put money on Cory Schneider starting against the Wild even though Schneider is winless in his last three starts, including a 4- 2 loss in Minnesota on March 10. ICE CHIPS: Red Wing centre Pavel Datsyuk was the undisputed star of Saturday’s game with three assists, four shots on goal, eight shots directed at the net, one hit, one blocked shot, numerous takeaways, 15- for- 24 on faceoffs and plus- 2.
As a U. S. college free agent, Kellan Lain could have signed anywhere. He spoke to 10 teams, narrowed it down to four, and then chose the Vancouver Canucks.
“It was a tough choice, picking an NHL team is never easy when more than one wants you,” said Lain, a 6- 6, 220- pound, left- shot centreman from Oakville, Ont. “Growing up in Canada, it’s the same story: we all want to play in the NHL. Now that it’s a possibility, it’s really exciting, especially coming to an organization like Vancouver. It’s a special city and they have a great team.”
Lain, 23, played the last three seasons with the Lake Superior State Lakers of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association. He had eight goals, eight assists and 111 penalty minutes during the 2012- 13 campaign. The Canucks intend to assign him to the American Hockey League’s Chicago Wolves. His signing was announced Saturday.
Lain’s contract is for one year only, a requirement of the collective bargaining agreement based on his age. He received a $ 92,500 signing bonus and will be paid a $ 70,000 salary ( prorated) in the AHL and $ 832,500 ( pro- rated) if he is called up to the Canucks. He will then become a restricted free agent in the summer, assuming the Canucks qualify him.
“We hope he likes us,” said Canuck assistant GM Lorne Henning when asked about the prospect of keeping Lain beyond the rest of the season.
Lain is projected to be a bottomsix forward at the NHL level. He is good on the draw and won 56 per cent of faceoffs this past season for the Lakers. The Canucks are desperate for a top left- handed faceoff man since Manny Malhotra ( vision) was shut down.
“I’m pretty much described as a big centreman who can skate, is good in his own end, is good on faceoffs, can kill penalties and chip in once in a while offensively,” Lain said. “So that’s pretty much how I’m described and I agree. I also like to play feisty. I’ve played feisty my whole life.”
According to Laurence Gilman, the Canucks’ other assistant GM, Lain had been heavily scouted by Canuck senior adviser Stan Smyl, whose duties include scouring the U. S. colleges for late bloomers.
“He’s been on Stan’s radar for quite some time and we have followed him very, very closely,” Gilman said. “He has a good blend of both speed and skill. We’re going to bring him to Vancouver, as we usually do with new players, to get him acclimated to our organization and he will then join Chicago sometime in the mid- week.”
Plans called for Lain to fly to Vancouver on Sunday and watch the Canucks play Monday against Minnesota and Tuesday against St. Louis before he heads off to the Wolves. The Canucks top U. S. college free agent to date is defenceman Chris Tanev, who was signed by the Mike Gillis regime three years ago. Lain is four months older than Tanev and played against him “a little bit” in greater Toronto minor hockey but doesn’t know him personally. WILD THINGS: The Wild have won two straight, four of their last five and seven of their last 10. They have scored the first goal in seven straight games while defenceman Ryan Suter has 14 points in his last 10 games and leads the Wild in points with 23. Left- winger Zach Parise has 10 points in his last 10 games. Included in that was a three- point night against the Canucks on March 10, a 4- 2 Wild victory. BY THE NUMBERS: The Canucks were dismal in the faceoff dot again Saturday, winning 24 of 60 draws ( 40 per cent) against the Red Wings. This followed a 42- per- cent performance against Nashville on Thursday. The Canucks, in fact, have been below 50 per cent in faceoffs for six consecutive games and 10 of their last 11.
Not a single Canuck centreman was above 50 per cent against the Wings. Henrik Sedin was the best at 12- for- 25 while Chris Higgins was 5- for- 14, minorleague call- up Andrew Ebbett 4- for- 11 and Max Lapierre 3- for- 10.
QUOTABLE: “Which team is this?” – Red Wings’ coach Mike Babcock watching, but not recognizing, the Canucks skating in their Vancouver Millionaire uniforms at the morning practice Saturday.