Rookie Jensen a bright light in a dark time
Winger learning on the fly with a shot on first line
WINNIPEG — Maybe in another time, Vancouver Canucks rookie Nick Jensen would have been banished to the minors — or at least stapled to the end of the bench — for a bad penalty that led to an opposition power- play goal that led to a total team meltdown that led to a crushing defeat.
Jensen’s offensive- zone holding penalty Monday against the New York Islanders was an unforgivable mistake but the 21- year- old Dane has apparently been forgiven.
In Wednesday’s 3- 2 shootout victory here over the Jets, Jensen played 19: 57, most of that on the team’s first line with Henrik Sedin and Alex Burrows. He looked big, confident and played during the 4- on- 4 overtime. For a Canucks organization desperately seeking to become younger, Jensen’s performance in the ’ Peg might have been the best news, aside from the win, of course.
“It was our original intention to leave Nicklas down in Utica because he was becoming a more complete player, but his development has escalated and it’s happening at a time where we need goal scoring,” Canucks assistant GM Laurence Gilman said Thursday before the Canucks flew to Washington for tonight’s date with Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals.
“Nicklas has a decent amount of size, he’s picked up a step or two in his pace and he likes to shoot from all angles. Those are attributes we need right now.”
The question for Jensen is: Can he maintain this level tonight and then maintain it beyond that?
“I’m so happy to be getting this chance,” said Jensen, listed at 6- 2 and 202 pounds. “Obviously, it’s huge that they’re showing faith in me. I know I took a bad penalty in the Islander game and the fact I got another chance to play on a line like this, I needed to show up. You can’t just take a chance like that for granted.”
Jensen appeared in two games last year during a brief call- up and didn’t look even close to being ready. This time around he does, despite some of the penalties he has taken.
“For me, personally, just being able to play a few games has helped me for every time I step on the ice,” Jensen said. “I’m playing with great linemates, which helps me out a lot. I feel more confident and strong on the puck and more into it, like, in a good way. I think it’s just going to get better and better.”
Henrik Sedin thinks so, too. “Nick is going to be a very good player and you can tell he’s taken a huge step,” said the captain. “I mean, what a difference from when he came up last year. He’s big, he’s strong and he’s not afraid to make plays. His penalties, that’s one thing about being a young player, there are going to be mistakes.”
“He is very impressive to me. There are small things, like protecting pucks, but there is an upside there and that’s something we really want to work with,” said embattled head coach John Tortorella