Kuzma: Canucks underrated Tan Man plays not to get burned (with video) Ben Kuzma, The Province The betting line for a Monday maintenance day favoured Chris Tanev. After valiantly falling in front of an Alex Ovechkin slapshot and taking the one-timer off his right leg in the third period Sunday, the Vancouver Canucks defenceman was back at it Monday. While Brad Richardson, Luca Sbisa and Henrik Sedin took the practice off and are expected to play Tuesday against the winless Carolina Hurricanes, it was Tanev going about his business with a calm demeanour and even a shrug of the shoulders when asked about that Ovechkin blast. It hit my shin pad good thing, said Tanev. He s always hanging out there and I m just trying to get in the way of it because you don t want him shooting from there especially when he can tee it up like that. It hurt a bit, but it wasn t too bad. You never want to get hurt and not be able to help the team or yourself. Sometimes, things happen that you can t help, but you try to minimize situations to put yourself at risk. Tanev s 11 blocked shots in eight games include a key sacrifice at St. Louis on Thursday and it was a Steven Stamkos shot last March that broke three fingers on his right hand and ended his season. It also renewed the debate of his present and future worth to the organization. Hours away from arbitration last summer, the restricted free agent agreed to a bargain oneyear, $2-million-US contract because six goals in 64 games don t buy a lot of leverage even with 20:44 minutes of average playing time. After earning just $1.5 million the previous season, the 24-year-old Tanev is betting on his own value to be that solid and steady top-four performer who should be appreciated and locked up long-term. Canucks general manager Jim Benning wants to witness a complete season from Tanev, to see if eight goals and 22 assists in 164 career games warrant a comparison to Jared Cowen, 23, of the Ottawa Senators. The ninth pick in the 2009 draft is in the second year of a four-year, $12.4-million contract that has a $3.1-million cap hit. You d think the undrafted Tanev is wary of those numbers, but he doesn t pay them much heed. I just want to play. It s hockey. It s fun, shrugged Tanev, who has three assists and is averaging 19:34 of ice time in a pairing with Alex Edler. You go out there and do the best you can and all the rest will fall into place if the team is doing well. New
management may not have seen me as much or know me as much, but in the first few games I had a bunch of chances and could have had a few goals. I ve been on the power play. There s some offensive upside there. His teammates call him Tan Man, but Tanev could also be called the Glue Gun. Last season, when the club struggled with a new defensive-zone system, Tanev helped Dan Hamhuis get his game in check. And it s no coincidence that part of the resurgence in Edler is directly linked to the cool, calm and fleet-footed Tanev taking away much of the angst that comes with defending against top lines and falling in front of shots. He s one of those guys who s willing to put the team first and do whatever it takes to get the job done, said Edler. He s a smart player who sees the ice well and you know he s going to make the right decisions, and he s easy to read off. He s good with the puck and a pretty calm guy. He s not loud, but everyone likes him and he s been taking huge steps the last few years. He s definitely underrated. Part of what makes Tanev tick is taking ownership when his game isn t there, being open to accept the guidance of assistant coach Doug Lidster, and not taking anything for granted. I get rattled once in a while, said Tanev. I gave OV a pass right up the middle (on Sunday) and I wasn t too happy with that, but you ve got to move on. Dougie has done a really good job with us on the back end. He s very calm on the bench, very positive and it s something we all like. He s always giving us bits of info to help our game. He sees little plays in the game that we should try, and we all appreciate that. Ryan Miller handles the puck as well as any goaltender and it s a pleasing aspect of the team s transition game. However, Tanev s ability to retreat quickly and shift gears has even caught the goalie off guard. He s so quick, everything he does is with pace and when he comes back, he s either open for a pass or is on his horse because he sees the ice better than I can, said Miller. That efficiency continues away from the ice. Tanev lives with fellow blueliner Ryan Stanton and admits to doing most of the cooking. Nothing fancy. Slabs of meat on the barbecue. Simple. Effective. Just like Tanev.
Kuzma: Canucks' Sestito could see action on California trip Ben Kuzma, The Province Willie Desjardins saw the highlights. So did Tom Sestito. When the San Jose Sharks and Anaheim Ducks combined for 165 penalty minutes Sunday including four fights it indicated a test of will and skill that awaits the Vancouver Canucks next week during a four-game road trip. For Sestito, who has yet to play through eight games, it might be one way to get back in the lineup. It s hard to forget the lunacy that occurred in the opening minute at Los Angeles on Jan. 13. Sestito challenged Jordan Nolan after the Kings winger rammed Henrik Sedin into the Plexiglas. Sestito was deemed the aggressor against an unwilling Nolan and assessed two minutes for instigating, five minutes for fighting, 10 minutes for instigating and a game misconduct. All this in one second of ice time. You re always mindful of how they can play they play hard and we know how we want to play and focus on that, Desjardins said of a Nov. 8 date that awaits at the Staples Center. He (Sestito) is an option, for sure, and looked good in practice. I ve given guys minutes to get their confidence going. Tom needs a chance, for sure. Sestito also needs to play the eight to 10 minutes Desjardins demands from his fourthliners. After leading the NHL in penalty minutes (213) and fights (19) last season, Sestito must turn the 6:27 minutes of average ice time last season into two more reliable minutes or face the prospect of waivers. And, of course, he needs to be a willing enforcer. Fighting has been part of the game for so long, said Sestito, 27, who s on an expiring contract for $850,000 US. The fans enjoy it and I don t think it s going anywhere. I know the media says it s because of injuries, but are they going to take hitting out of the game? I m just doing my thing. It s up to the coaches. Who knows when I get in? I m done worrying about it. If it s here or somewhere else where I get my chance, it is what it is. I m just trying to be a good teammate. It s obviously tough sitting out every game, but it s out of my control.
Jamieson: Hurricanes glad to have Staal back to play Canucks Jim Jamieson, The Province The Carolina Hurricanes will get Eric Staal, their captain and their top player, back in their lineup on Tuesday when they face the Canucks at Rogers Arena. Getting their big No. 1 centre back will be a huge boost for the Canes and will give them a better chance of breaking the embarrassing goose egg in the win column next to their name in the NHL standings. The 0-5-2 Hurricanes are off to the longest winless start in franchise history under rookie NHL head coach Bill Peters. I m excited to get back in there, said Staal, who s missed five games with an upperbody injury. It s been a few games and it s never fun watching, especially when you re not in the win column. It s frustrating when you re losing, because you think you could help. I just need to focus on what I need to do to help this team. Staal knows only too well that getting behind early in an NHL where overtime losers get a point can make it next to impossible to catch up. If you create too big a hole, it s a tough league to get back out of it, said Staal, who was skating with his usual linemates Jiri Tlusty and Alexander Semin during Monday s practice. It s still early, but we re going to focus on tomorrow night and try and get two big points out of here and go from there. Though few expected the Hurricanes to be Stanley Cup contenders this season, none likely saw this horrific start. Defensive play and subsequently goaltending has been spotty, but injuries to key players have been crippling. The Canes are 27th in goals scored and 29th in goals against. It s not a pretty sight. Getting Staal back will help, but the Canes will be without his brother Jordan either the team s No. 2 centre or 1A, depending on who you talk to for the foreseeable future. Jordan Staal suffered a broken fibula in his right leg in the pre-season and will be out at least until January. He had a doctor s appointment today and he texted me to say it went really well and they re happy with the progress he s made, said Eric Staal. He s still got a long way to go, but he s making positive steps. He was texting me a lot during the games. It s always hard to be on the sidelines. Carolina also was without top goal scorer Jeff Skinner for the first four games of the season with the third concussion of his career.
Getting the 6-foot-4, 205-pound Staal back also relieves some of the demands that Peters has had to make to his undermanned roster. He s a big, strong guy and (when he s back) now you re able to bump guys down the lineup where they should be as young guys, said Peters. It gives you more depth at that position and helps on the power play. The Hurricanes, who haven t played since Saturday s 6-3 loss in Edmonton, know that the Oilers had an 0-5-1 start but then won three straight. It s been frustrating, said Skinner. Things start to kind of snowball. But every team runs through injuries in a season. It s up to us to battle through the adversity we re facing right now. There s some positives we can build on. Hopefully, we can get it going in the right direction (on Tuesday) and get on a bit of a roll. Cam Ward will start in goal for Carolina. Canucks' Radim a dream with Daniel and Henrik Elliott Pap, The Vancouver Sun VANCOUVER - Radim Vrbata doesn t mind how you pronounce his first name, whether you go with RA-dim, or Ra-DEEM. Either way is fine, the Czech-born Vancouver Canuck forward said. Whatever works for you. What works for us is Ra-DEEM since it rhymes with dream. Vrbata liked it. And why not? It s been a dream start for him and his new playmates, those rascally red-headed twins Daniel and Henrik Sedin. They have been one of the NHL s hottest lines since the starting gun and, so far, no one has shut them down. Daniel has 11 points while Henrik and Vrbata have 10 apiece in eight outings. They are a combined plus-9 and Vrbata has two game-winning goals in Vancouver s five wins. For Vrbata, who appeared in his 800th NHL regular-season game Sunday, skating alongside two offensive wizards is not something new. It s how he began his career in the 2001-02 season. He remembers every detail of his debut game. I was with Colorado and I was the last one who got sent down on opening night, he recalled Monday after the Canucks finished prepping for Tuesday night s home date against the Carolina Hurricanes. So I spent the first 20 games of the season in Hershey and then Colorado was playing in New York and I got called up. Somebody drove me from Hershey to New York City and my first game was against the New York Rangers. It gets better.
I was on a line with Joe Sakic and Milan Hejduk and we were out there for the opening faceoff against the Eric Lindros line with Mike York and Theo Fleury, Vrbata continued. When I looked around and saw all those all-star players at Madison Square Garden, it was a dream come true. I was able to get two assists in that game and the next day, we played against the Islanders and I scored a goal and two assists so right off the bat, I had five points and I didn t even know how. Vrbata was 20 at the time and now he s 33, a father of two boys -- one is five, the other six months -- and in his 13th NHL season. The years have flown by. Before my first son was born, I didn t realize how much time flies, he said. But my older one is five and a half now and that s when you kind of realize how fast it goes. I remember being the young guy on the team all the time and now it seems like I m one of the older ones here. So that s a change. He is one of the older ones in Vancouver. Only Ryan Miller, the Sedins and Alex Burrows have an edge on him. Kevin Bieksa is three days younger. But age has meant beauty, too, for the line of Sedin, Sedin and Vrbata. I felt that this is the right fit and since Day One we seemed to click on the ice and off the ice, Vrbata said. We think the game the same way and try to play the same way so it s been good and, hopefully, it s going to continue like that. Daniel is hoping for the very same thing. He and Henrik seem rejuvenated skating with their new Czech mate. Last season, it was a revolving door on their right side as former line mate Burrows ran into a calamity of injuries. We knew Radim before and we were excited when we signed him, Daniel said. When you watch guys on other teams, you realize who would be a good fit for our team and for our line and I think he was one of those guys. Sometimes it can be real quick to gel together as a line but it could also take a few weeks. I think we could feel right away in training camp that it was going to work out with Radim. It s only been eight games and we have to keep this going. But it has been a good start. Head coach Willie Desjardins was succinct when asked what he liked about Vrbata. So much, he replied. He s really smart. He sees the game well. He s been a really good fit with the Sedins and he s really good defensively as well. In short, a dream. Rhymes with Radim.
Five Questions: Canucks' Daniel Sedin on resurgence NHL.com What a difference an offseason makes. The Vancouver Canucks changed almost everything around Daniel and Henrik Sedin this past summer, bringing in a new president (Trevor Linden), a new general manager (Jim Benning), a new coach (Willie Desjardins), a new system, and a new linemate for the twins (Radim Vrbata). The difference has been noticeable on the ice as the early returns in Vancouver, particularly for the twins, have been favorable. Daniel Sedin leads the Canucks with 11 points on two goals and nine assists. Henrik Sedin and Vrbata each have 10 points as the line has combined for 11 goals and 31 points. Vancouver's second line of Nick Bonino, acquired from the Anaheim Ducks in the trade that sent Ryan Kesler to Southern California, Chris Higgins and former Sedin linemate Alexandre Burrows has combined for seven goals and 18 points. The Canucks have 10 points (5-3-0). They won their first three games and have won two of their past three after consecutive defeats. They're coming off a 4-2 win against the Washington Capitals in which they scored three goals in a span of 1:47 in the second period. Perhaps most importantly, Daniel Sedin said the Canucks feel they're only scratching the surface of their potential, and the vibes around the team have been fantastic. "First of all, we have a great group of guys here. We work for each other and that goes a long way in having team success," Sedin said. "The coaches have come in and put in a little bit of a new system, but we're getting better and we're close to where we want to be in that department. We're going the right way and we have a group of guys who really want to win together." He talked more about the Canucks development under Desjardins, what went wrong for him and Henrik last season under former coach John Tortorella, and who has helped them get back on track this season in the following Q&A with NHL.com: Here are Five Questions with Daniel Sedin: Do you feel the system Desjardins has brought plays to your strengths similar to the way the team played when Alain Vigneault was the coach? "I would say so. Willie wants us to hold on to pucks. If you have a chance to carry it over the blue line he wants us to carry it instead of dumping it in. He's very big on puck possession and that plays to our team's advantage for sure. "[Last season] we got away from the way we need to play as a team. I don't think Torts [John Tortorella] was against skating the puck over the blue line, but as the season went
along, we had some injuries, and we started to get away from the way we need to play to be successful. If you look, last year before Christmas we were a really good team, winning a lot of games, but after the new year we got away from the way we need to play." Personally, last season you went through a tough stretch with no goals in 23 games, only three in your last 32. Do you feel your game is back to where it used to be and needs to be? "We talked right after the season, myself and Henrik, about getting back to playing the way we need to to be successful. Last year we got away from that for sure. I've told the media here this too, that was up to us. Torts didn't put any pressure on us to change our game; we did that to ourselves. Probably the biggest disappointment for us is that we allowed ourselves to get away from our game. Like I said, Torts had nothing to do with that, it was on us. That was disappointing. So we talked this summer and said, 'Let's get back to playing the way we need to play to be successful.' That's holding onto pucks, having a lot of offensive zone time, and being strong around their net. So far it's been successful." Hindsight being what it is, do you now know why you guys got away from your game last season? "I think with a new coach coming in you want to buy into the system and all that. Torts never told us to change our game. I think a lot of people think he was the reason we got away from our game, but that wasn't the reason. That was all myself and Henrik. It was our mindset. That was the No. 1 thing. It was more our mindset. The only way for us to be successful is to play the way we always play. It might not always work out, but it's our only way of being successful." Does the pressure feel like it's been lightened because the second line with Bonino, Higgins and Burrows has produced as well? "Yes, it's huge. Not only their line, and they've been good all year, but we can roll four lines. We've had games this year already where we're playing 14 minutes or 17 minutes, and that was rarely the case last year. We were always pushing over 20 minutes. We still can play those minutes this year, but we do feel we can roll four lines and that's huge. We have a deeper lineup, no question about that." Why has it worked so well so quickly with yourself, Henrik and Radim Vrbata? What is clicking with Vrbata? "Every time you get a new linemate, who knows what could happen. It could be a worldclass player and it might not work out. You could put a grinder there and it might work out. It all depends on how you fit in, and watching him from afar when he was in Phoenix we always liked his game, and when we signed him this summer we were really excited because we thought he would fit in well on our team and on our line. From day one of training camp it's been a really good fit. He's a smart player and he does everything really well. He has a great shot. That's the No. 1 thing, I think. He's the main shooter on our line. Both me and Henrik like to pass the puck, so it's working well. He
understands the game so well, so he knows when to get involved and when to stay away. Me and Henrik are at our best when we use our linemate and have him involved in the cycle. It's worked out really well." Hurricanes' Eric Staal excited to return to lineup Kevin Woodley, NHL.com VANCOUVER -- After shedding his yellow non-contact jersey for practice Monday, Carolina Hurricanes captain Eric Staal said he plans to return against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena on Tuesday (10 p.m. ET, FS-CR, SNV). Staal, who has missed five games because of an upper-body injury, is eager to help Carolina win its first game after a team-worst 0-5-2 start. "It's never fun watching, especially when you are not in the win column," Staal said. "I'm excited to get back in there." Watching the Hurricanes struggle hasn't been easy for Staal or his brother and fellow Carolina center Jordan Staal, who broke his leg during a preseason game and is expected to miss the first three or four months of the season. The two have been exchanging text messages while watching games, Eric from the press box and Jordan at home. "It's no fun for either of us," Eric said. "It's probably harder on him. I am back out there with guys and I'm excited for that." First-year coach Bill Peters is happy to have at least one Staal back, especially after a start that also included top-six forward Jeff Skinner missing the first four games of the season because of a concussion. But Peters cautioned not to expect too much from Staal, who had a goal and an assist in his first two games before getting hurt in a game at the New York Islanders on Oct. 11. "To get your leader back and a real good player it helps," Peters said. "So we're looking forward to it and we're realistic. He's been out a while and we'll have to manage his minutes properly." Hurricanes forward Nathan Gerbe, who was fourth on the team in goals last season, was still in a non-contact yellow jersey Monday, but is close to returning after missing three games because of a lower-body injury. The additions should help a young, inexperienced lineup that is still learning a new system. "Now you are able to bump guys down the lineup to where they should be as young guys and it gives you a little more depth and helps your power play," Peters said. Staal insisted he was seeing some good things from the press box despite the poor start, but admitted injuries to key veterans has made it harder for the team to adjust to a new system under Peters.
"Bill is and is going to be a very good coach," Staal said. "He is very detailed, very black and white as to what he wants, and it's tough when we have some bigger names not in our lineup out and we're working to get through things. He's done a good job making sure everyone is prepared and on the same page and now we have to keep building and gaining that confidence in each other and the things we have to do. That has to stay consistent. It has been there at times, but it had to be consistent for 60 minutes." Preview: Eric Staal Returns to the Lineup as the Carolina Hurricanes Take on the Vancouver Canucks Brett Finger, Cardiaccane.com Preview The Carolina Hurricanes look for their first win of the 2014-2015 season as they take on the Vancouver Canucks in Western Canada on Tuesday night. Hurricanes captain Eric Staal is expected to return to the lineup on Tuesday against the Vancouver Canucks. Staal said Monday night that he will play in Vancouver. As for other injured players, Carolina Hurricanes head coach Bill Peters touched on those situations. We ve got some guys getting closer. We won t know until after tomorrow, Peters said. I thought Nathan Gerbe looked real good here today. Patty Dwyer was able to push a little bit when he came out and joined us. The Carolina Hurricanes need important players like Eric Staal and Nathan Gerbe back in the lineup. The Carolina Hurricanes rank last in the NHL with 2 points this year through 7 games. They are the only winless team left in the league. The Carolina Hurricanes are 0-3-1 through the first 4 games of their 5 game road trip and 0-3-0 since heading out West. A win for the Carolina Hurricanes against the Canucks would be big. They take 3 days off after Tuesday s game before they hit the ice again on Friday at home against the Coyotes. The Carolina Hurricanes will hope that captain Eric Staal can provide a boost on offense. The Canes rank 28th in the league in goals scored this season. The Vancouver Canucks have gotten off to a pretty good start in the 2014-2015 season. They have a 5-3-0 record through 8 games and rank 7th in the Western Conference. The Canucks have had one of the most productive first lines in the league. Daniel Sedin (11 points), Henrik Sedin (10 points) and Radim Vrbata (10 points) are all over point per game so far. The offense has been the best part of the Canucks team this year. Vancouver ranks 6th in the league in goals scored this year.
The Vancouver Canucks will be a very tough test for the Carolina Hurricanes, especially on the road. An impressive showing from the Hurricanes with Eric Staal back in the lineup could be a big confidence booster for the team and the fan base before they head back home for two games at the PNC Arena on Saturday and Sunday. Carolina Hurricanes (0-5-2) at Vancouver Canucks (5-3-0), 10 p.m. (ET) Staff, TSN The winless Carolina Hurricanes will welcome Eric Staal back into the lineup on Tuesday night. It couldn't come any sooner. The Hurricanes try to avoid an eighth straight setback to begin the season on Tuesday night as they visit the Vancouver Canucks. Staal has missed the past five games with an upper-body injury, one of several players to miss time already this season. Staal's brother Jordan has not played yet due to a broken right fibula, while a concussion sidelined Jeff Skinner for a few games earlier in the month. Eric Staal, who has proven rather durable over his career with just 20 games missed due to injury, figures to return right the first line between Jiri Tlusty and Alexander Semin. "He's a big, strong guy," Hurricanes coach Bill Peters said on his team's website. "Now you're able to bump guys down in the lineup to where they should be as young guys, and it just gives you a little more depth at that position." Carolina's 0-5-2 start in the worst in franchise history and the club was bested 6-3 by the Edmonton Oilers last time out on Friday. Skinner, Riley Nash and Jay Harrison all scored, but the Oilers finished the game with three unanswered goals in the third period. Harrison also had an assist and Anton Khudobin made 23 saves. "The effort was fine. I thought we competed and did good things," Peters said. "We need a win here sooner rather than later." Cam Ward will start for Carolina tonight and is 2-3-1 with a 3.33 goals against average and.882 save percentage in six prior meetings with Vancouver. While the return of Staal should provide a boost, the Hurricanes will be looking to win in Vancouver for the first time since Oct. 15, 1999. They have lost six straight as the guest in this series since.
The Canucks look to make it two victories in a row overall tonight as they bested the Washington Capitals 4-2 on Sunday. Henrik Sedin, Nick Bonino and Luca Sbisa all scored during a 1:47 span late in the second period. Ryan Miller made 20 saves and Radim Vrbata added an empty-net goal for the Canucks, who had dropped three of their last four games coming in. Chris Higgins added two assists. "I thought we defended pretty well," Canucks head coach Willie Desjardins said. "Miller came up with some big saves for sure." Miller is 13-9-4 with a 2.67 GAA and.914 save percentage lifetime versus Carolina.