Santacapper
Pretty much a regular
GLENDALE, Ariz. - On what he hoped would be his last night off for a very long time, goalie Roberto Luongo was as excited Sunday as any Vancouver Canuck, not because of what the team accomplished on the weekend but by what they may yet achieve.
The goaltender whose absolute lack of National Hockey League playoff experience has been used like a disclaimer against him gets a chance to redefine himself in this year's Stanley Cup tournament, which the Canucks open Wednesday against the Dallas Stars in Vancouver.
Everyone on the Canucks was elated to claim the Northwest Division title with Saturday's fierce 4-3 overtime win in San Jose. But no one was celebrating.
View Larger Image Coyotes goalie Curtis Joseph juggles the puck with Canuck winger Daniel Sedin on the doorstep during Sunday's regular season-ending game in Phoenix.
Roy Dabner, Associated Press
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Many were still sleeping Sunday when the Canucks lost 3-1 to the Phoenix Coyotes in a game that "irrelevant" inadequately describes. The score was actually Phoenix: 3, Vancouver: no further injuries.
Their minds were already on the Stars and the promise of a spring that, for the Canucks, has never included a goaltender like Luongo. He did not play Sunday, but will be the centre of attention from now on.
"I can't wait to get going," Luongo said. "I've been waiting for this a long, long time, and now it's finally here. It will be exciting Wednesday. We did what we set out to do, which was win the division. Now we have home-ice advantage and we have the next couple of days to get ready. I'm really excited."
Luongo has been waiting 28 years or, at least, seven NHL seasons for the playoffs, which were his motivation since training camp when he said: "I feel I need to come here and prove that everything that's been said about me is true, that I can play and I'm one of the best goalies in the league. I'm very hungry. I want to be in the playoffs real bad."
Remarkably, Luongo is even hungrier now. So seem all the Canuck players who have been in the playoffs before but recognize it is different this year because Vancouver has been the NHL's best team since Christmas and its goalkeeper is one of the top two or three on the planet.
"There is a different feeling; I don't know quite what it is," Canuck captain Markus Naslund said. "Obviously, after missing the playoffs last year and me being around for a while, I realize it's a special time. And with this group, too, we have good chemistry and good goaltending, and you can go far."
Many have derided Naslund this season, but he is actually one of the poster boys for the new-and-improved Canucks. No one can reasonably argue that his 24 goals and 60 points met expectations, but he finished the season plus-three and played most of it on the third line. Last year, on the first line, he had 79 points and was minus-19. And those numbers, too, exemplified those Canucks.
"My offensive numbers are not where I hoped they would be," he said Sunday. "That being said, I don't think it's a failure when you're part of a team winning the division and have a chance at winning the Cup. I judge myself: If we're winning, I'm satisfied."
To win in the playoffs, however, Naslund may need to score more frequently. But without fanfare, the Canucks have quietly scored by committee since Christmas, averaging more than three goals per game. And first-liners Daniel and Henrik Sedin remained productive even after the rest of the NHL caught on to them.
They, too, will be under immense pressure starting Wednesday. So will the Canucks' special teams, which against a highly organized, defence-oriented, counter-attacking team like the Stars may make the difference even if Luongo can't. The matchup in goal is no gimme with Luongo facing Canadian Olympic teammate Marty Turco, who also has lots of fine print on his NHL resume and plenty to prove.
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"I think it will be like a chess match. I don't think it will be very high scoring, and special teams will play a big part, too."
Canuck coach Alain Vigneault, happy his team accomplished its goal Sunday by sustaining no new injuries, believes Luongo's playoff inexperience could be as inconsequential as the loss to the Coyotes.
"Patrick Roy won the Stanley Cup; had no experience," Vigneault said. "Ken Dryden won the Stanley Cup; had no experience. Louie's a great goaltender. He has been under pressure situations before. He's been a great player for us all year long and I don't see why it shouldn't continue."
"It's not like we just snuck in at the end," senior Canuck Trevor Linden said. "We worked hard to be here. We deserve to be here. Now it's about enjoying the moment. I think the guys are focused."
imacintyre@png.canwest.com
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The goaltender whose absolute lack of National Hockey League playoff experience has been used like a disclaimer against him gets a chance to redefine himself in this year's Stanley Cup tournament, which the Canucks open Wednesday against the Dallas Stars in Vancouver.
Everyone on the Canucks was elated to claim the Northwest Division title with Saturday's fierce 4-3 overtime win in San Jose. But no one was celebrating.
View Larger Image Coyotes goalie Curtis Joseph juggles the puck with Canuck winger Daniel Sedin on the doorstep during Sunday's regular season-ending game in Phoenix.Roy Dabner, Associated Press
Email to a friendPrinter friendly Font: - *
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Many were still sleeping Sunday when the Canucks lost 3-1 to the Phoenix Coyotes in a game that "irrelevant" inadequately describes. The score was actually Phoenix: 3, Vancouver: no further injuries.
Their minds were already on the Stars and the promise of a spring that, for the Canucks, has never included a goaltender like Luongo. He did not play Sunday, but will be the centre of attention from now on.
"I can't wait to get going," Luongo said. "I've been waiting for this a long, long time, and now it's finally here. It will be exciting Wednesday. We did what we set out to do, which was win the division. Now we have home-ice advantage and we have the next couple of days to get ready. I'm really excited."
Luongo has been waiting 28 years or, at least, seven NHL seasons for the playoffs, which were his motivation since training camp when he said: "I feel I need to come here and prove that everything that's been said about me is true, that I can play and I'm one of the best goalies in the league. I'm very hungry. I want to be in the playoffs real bad."
Remarkably, Luongo is even hungrier now. So seem all the Canuck players who have been in the playoffs before but recognize it is different this year because Vancouver has been the NHL's best team since Christmas and its goalkeeper is one of the top two or three on the planet.
"There is a different feeling; I don't know quite what it is," Canuck captain Markus Naslund said. "Obviously, after missing the playoffs last year and me being around for a while, I realize it's a special time. And with this group, too, we have good chemistry and good goaltending, and you can go far."
Many have derided Naslund this season, but he is actually one of the poster boys for the new-and-improved Canucks. No one can reasonably argue that his 24 goals and 60 points met expectations, but he finished the season plus-three and played most of it on the third line. Last year, on the first line, he had 79 points and was minus-19. And those numbers, too, exemplified those Canucks.
"My offensive numbers are not where I hoped they would be," he said Sunday. "That being said, I don't think it's a failure when you're part of a team winning the division and have a chance at winning the Cup. I judge myself: If we're winning, I'm satisfied."
To win in the playoffs, however, Naslund may need to score more frequently. But without fanfare, the Canucks have quietly scored by committee since Christmas, averaging more than three goals per game. And first-liners Daniel and Henrik Sedin remained productive even after the rest of the NHL caught on to them.
They, too, will be under immense pressure starting Wednesday. So will the Canucks' special teams, which against a highly organized, defence-oriented, counter-attacking team like the Stars may make the difference even if Luongo can't. The matchup in goal is no gimme with Luongo facing Canadian Olympic teammate Marty Turco, who also has lots of fine print on his NHL resume and plenty to prove.
Email to a friendPrinter friendly Font: - *
- *
- *
- *
"I think it will be like a chess match. I don't think it will be very high scoring, and special teams will play a big part, too."
Canuck coach Alain Vigneault, happy his team accomplished its goal Sunday by sustaining no new injuries, believes Luongo's playoff inexperience could be as inconsequential as the loss to the Coyotes.
"Patrick Roy won the Stanley Cup; had no experience," Vigneault said. "Ken Dryden won the Stanley Cup; had no experience. Louie's a great goaltender. He has been under pressure situations before. He's been a great player for us all year long and I don't see why it shouldn't continue."
"It's not like we just snuck in at the end," senior Canuck Trevor Linden said. "We worked hard to be here. We deserve to be here. Now it's about enjoying the moment. I think the guys are focused."
imacintyre@png.canwest.com
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