8 Dec 2015 The Vancouver Sun Iain MacIntyre

Bert gets a second shot at goodbye Proper tribute: Uncomfortable playing here before and after the Steve Moore incident, Todd’s smile is back — and for one special night at Rogers so was he

Todd Bertuzzi smiled. And anyone who saw it at Monday’s press conference smiled, too, because it

was something no one witnessed during Bertuzzi’s 7½ seasons with the Vancouver Canucks. This was not the cocky smirk through broken teeth or menacing grin Bertuzzi displayed for the media as a player in Vancouver, where he wore a surly disguise so naturally and for so long he eventually forgot how to remove it.

Asked Monday about coaching 15-year-old son Tag’s minor hockey team in Detroit, Bertuzzi, who as a player was nearly as deficient defensively as he was formidable offensively, responded with an unconscious, eyes-crinkling, dazzling, contagious smile. “It might shock you, but I’m actually a 200-foot coach,” Bertuzzi said, losing his composure as he sat beside old friends and linemates Markus Naslund and Brendan Morrison. “I even have a tough time

saying it.” In a quiet moment later, when asked about that joyous smile, Bertuzzi tried on another mask. “Well, I have new teeth,” he quipped.

Then he paused, and said: “I can tell you this: I took it too seriously here in Vancouver. With the

amount of pressure, being a Canadian, the amount of scrutiny and amount of everyday work it took to be a professional athlete here, it took a toll on me. We were young. I wasn’t prepared for anything. “I was just never comfortable with anything. I’ve always been a closed-in person and the only people who really knew me were my teammates and my family. It became an ongoing thing here that I was a certain kind of person, and it took on its own life. Truth be told, it helped me in some ways. But it also took away from me in others.”

Bertuzzi had to be convinced to return to Vancouver for Monday’s ceremony honouring the West Coast Express — the forward line that included Naslund and Morrison and for four years at the start of this century was about the best in the National Hockey League. Naslund’s No. 19 was retired to the rafters at Rogers Arena in 2010 when he hadn’t yet been passed

by Hank and Danny Sedin as the Canucks’ all-time leading scorer. Brendan Morrison, the centre from

Pitt Meadows, was one of the most successful B.C. players in a Canuck uniform. But the star on Monday was always going to be Bertuzzi, the 40-year-old from Sudbury, Ont., who is one of the most complicated and provocative figures in Canuck history. He was both worshipped and reviled, an immensely talented power forward who scored 46 goals in 2002-03 and essentially self-destructed the next season when his sucker-punch ended Steve Moore’s

career and did irreparable harm to Bertuzzi’s.

The winger was a pariah by the time former general manager Dave Nonis traded him to the Florida

Panthers in 2006 for Roberto Luongo in a spectacularly one-sided deal. Bertuzzi bounced between four teams in two seasons before stabilizing his career in Detroit, where he

finished it with the Red Wings in 2014 after 1,159 NHL games. His legal battle with Moore, who started low and finished high in his $68-million lawsuit, dragged on for a decade and ensnared the Canucks as co-defendants. Canuck owner Francesco Aquilini was covered by insurance when the lawsuit was finally settled confidentially and out of court two summers ago, but it was difficult when Bertuzzi was still playing to

honour someone whose actions had brought unresolved legal proceedings against the hockey club. “I don’t think people understood the amount it affected many people,” Bertuzzi said of the legal marathon. “It had a big effect on a lot of people. It’s one of those things, you’ve just got to move on with. I paid the piper and I’m still here.”

Bertuzzi had given up that there would be a night like Monday.

Celebrating 20 years in Rogers Arena, the Canucks planned a video tribute to the West Coast Express as part of a pre-game ceremony. “I’ll be honest, it took some prodding from a lot of people,” to come back, he said. “I was always uncomfortable with the situation. It was always hard to come back here (as a player) with how it

ended. You see other players and they get these nice video tributes and all that, and unfortunately circumstances didn’t allow that to happen. So I’m really looking forward to tonight. “I gave everything to this team and organization. I did. I gave everything I could hockey-wise. It was difficult. The hardest part of my whole career was the goodbye in Vancouver.” Bertuzzi was the first to go from the West Coast Express. Morrison and Naslund left the Canucks as

free agents in 2008. Morrison, 40, works in an oilpatch-related business in Calgary and has a fishing show on television.

Naslund, 42, is developing a ski resort in his native Sweden. Monday was the first time since Bertuzzi was traded that the three of them were together. As

Canucks, they combined for 1,598 points in 1,945 games. “It seems like we affected a lot of people,” Bertuzzi said. “The coolest part is being here with these two guys. For me, the game wasn’t meant to be individual. It was a team thing. I think it’s pretty cool that we’re all coming back here together. You don’t see that very often.” Naslund was looking forward to seeing his friends cheered once more.

“Just for them to have a chance to face the fans,” Naslund said. “And Brendan being from Vancouver and Todd leaving the way he did, it’s going to be a very special night for all of us. You’ll see a lot of people very happy to see (Todd). I think he needs to realize how much they appreciate what he did and how much they enjoyed watching him play.”

Bertuzzi, Naslund and Morrison spoke to Canuck players before Monday’s game against the Buffalo

Sabres. Their message? Enjoy every moment.

8 Dec 2015

The Vancouver Sun BRAD ZIEMER

Vrbata sharp in Sabre-rattler role Forward snaps funk with hat trick, team ends five-game losing skid As noted philosopher Todd Bertuzzi once said — actually, more than once — it is what it is. In this case, it was a win for the Vancouver Canucks, who snapped a five-game losing streak on West Coast Express night at Rogers Arena.

So what if Monday’s 5-2 victory came against the Buffalo Sabres, who aren’t exactly the class of the National Hockey League. It was a win and the Canucks desperately needed one of those. Radim Vrbata got things started with two first-period goals and completed his hat trick late in the third as the Canucks won for just the fourth time on home ice this season.

“We needed it,” Vrbata said. “We were looking for a good performance, for a win, and to start feeling

a little better about ourselves. And even though it was just one game, it’s a good start.” The Canucks won with Bertuzzi and former linemates Markus Naslund and Brendan Morrison in attendance.

The Canucks used to routinely score four or five goals when the West Coast Express line was rolling. This season, especially lately, the goals have been tough to find. During their fivegame skid, the Canucks scored a total of five goals. Monday, they matched that total. Brandon Prust and Henrik Sedin also scored for the Canucks, who improved to 10-11-8 on the season. Vrbata, whose struggles this season have been well documented, tied the game at 8:08 of the first, just over a minute after Brian Gionta had given Buffalo a 1-0 lead.

Vrbata had pretty much the whole net to shoot at after Buffalo goalie Linus Ullmark had stopped a Chris Higgins’ backhand shot. “That always helps on your first or second shift if you get an open net like that,” Vrbata said. “And

then you get a tip there and it seems like everything is falling in place.”

That tip came at 16:42 of the first when Vrbata deflected a Dan Hamhuis point shot by Ullmark to give the Canucks the lead. Prust’s goal was his first as a Canuck. He finished off a nice shift by the fourth line, ripping a one-timer past Ullmark at 4:34 of the second period. Linemates Derek Dorsett and Adam Cracknell earned assists.

“We’re not looking to do anything fancy,” Cracknell said of the line. “We know what our mentality is and what we are out there to do. “We accept our role and anytime we can cycle it, use our strength and get to the net, we just whack away at it. Dorse made a great play from behind the goal-line, it’s something we work on. It’s not going to work every time but when it does we are definitely pretty happy.”

That line was terrific all night and Cracknell set up Vrbata’s third goal late in the third period. The goal was vintage Vrbata, as he rifled a wrist shot from the right faceoff dot past Ullmark for his ninth goal of the season.

“It’s a confidence-builder,” Vrbata said of the win. “The last couple of games you could see that we were not really a confident group and it seemed like every mistake we made turned against us. So it is good to have a game like that where you have a good performance and you get a result for it.”

Of course, it’s just one win. The Canucks have not won consecutive games in more than a month. And

next up are the New York Rangers, who visit Rogers Arena on Wednesday. “We are going to see one of the best teams in the East here on Wednesday,” said winger Jannik

Hansen. “The Rangers are firing on all cylinders. But again, it’s a win. You can see it in the faces of the guys. It was what we needed. We needed two points, we needed a lot of guys getting monkeys off their backs and getting back producing. We had a lot of guys stepping up today and creating opportunities ... the fourth line was huge.”

ICE CHIPS: Defenceman Alex Biega and winger Sven Baertschi drew back into the lineup, while Yannick Weber and Ronalds Kenins were healthy scratches ... Defenceman Luca Sbisa missed his third game with a hand injury. THE DEBRIEF The Canucks took advantage of hot shooting by Radim Vrbata and some cold goaltending by Linus

Ullmark to beat the Sabres 5-2 and end a five-game losing streak. Vrbata had a hat trick to increase

his goals total by 50 per cent, and Brandon Prust and Henrik Sedin also scored by putting pucks through Ullmark. Ryan Miller, pictured, had 32 saves for Vancouver, which went 1-for-6 on the power play and is now 4-6-3 at home. VRBATA UP Tied before the game for the NHL’s worst plus/minus at minus-17, Vrbata broke his slump. He also

scored those three goals. Vrbata, pictured, had been a minus player in four straight games and 10 of his last 14, but finished above zero for second time in 17 games with a hat trick that was greeted by, you know, hats on the ice. Canuck fans embarrassed themselves on Nov. 21 by failing to recognize Danny Sedin’s hat trick. BY THE NUMBERS Canuck centre Adam Cracknell, pictured, had one of his best games of the season, setting up two

goals and going 9-3 on faceoffs in 14:44 of ice time ... Winger Jannik Hansen finished minus-two ... No one under age 29 has scored for the Canucks in 10 games ... The best Sabres were local kids. Vancouver native Evander Kane had six shots on goal and nine hits, while West Vancouver rookie Sam

Reinhart scored a goal and was 24-5 in even-strength shot attempts. WEST COAST EXPRESSED

What could have been a bleak Monday game against Buffalo was enlivened by the Canucks’ pregame recognition of the West Coast Express – early 2000s Canuck heroes Markus Naslund, Todd Bertuzzi, pictured, and Brendan Morrison. The trio, who combined for 1,598 points in Vancouver, were introduced to raucous cheers before the game. Players from both teams stood at the benches and stick-applauded. NEXT UP

The Canucks close their four-game homestand Wednesday against Alain Vigneault’s New York Rangers, who have the league’s third-best record at 18-7-3. The teams split two games last season, with the Rangers hammering the Canucks 5-1 at Rogers Arena. Vancouver opens a six-game road trip Sunday in Chicago. When it ends Dec. 22 in Tampa, the Canucks will have played 17 out of 23 games on the road.

8 Dec 2015 The Province Ben Kuzma

West Coast Express ‘a dream scenario’

Morrison, Naslund and Bertuzzi reflect on their legacy It’s not surprising that Brendan Morrison remembered where he was when the Pitt Meadows native

won the hockey lottery. Who wouldn’t? “I remember the game clearly, the first time I played with these guys — it was in Detroit — and I was put into a phenomenal situation,” he said Monday of being aligned with Canucks teammates Markus Naslund and Todd Bertuzzi on Jan. 9, 2002. “We clicked, and we kind of rolled from there. It was kind of a dream scenario. At that time, I don’t know if there were two better players in their positions.”

The line would score twice in the first period and combine for six points in an overtime loss to the Red Wings on that fateful night. It was only a tease of what would become the following season for the famed West Coast Express. They all hit career highs as rivals hit the panic button trying to contain Naslund’s quick and accurate wrist shot, Morrison’s playmaking and Bertuzzi’s intimidating presence as the game’s premier power

forward.

In 2002-03, the West Coast Express exploded for 119 goals, 153 assists and 272 points — which included 48 goals by Naslund and 46 for Bertuzzi, who finished second and fifth respectively in league scoring. Morrison would net 25 and added 46 assists as an underrated centre who knew how to play with and

communicate with two stars who demanded the puck. If that wasn’t enough, playing in his hometown applied additional pressure. “It adds to the accountability because I didn’t want to embarrass myself or my family or friends,” Morrison said. “It was almost an added incentive to motivate you.”

The line was honoured Monday at Rogers Arena and the reunion was of considerable significance to the trio, who arrived in separate trades. Morrison was an afterthought in New Jersey and part of the Alex Mogilny deal. Naslund was acquired from Pittsburgh for Alex Stojanov and at one point requested

a trade when scratched by Mike Keenan. And Bertuzzi arrived from the Islanders, along with Bryan McCabe and a draft pick, in a trade for Trevor Linden.

In today’s game, they would probably be split, as coaches prefer to work with interchangeable wingers. Back then, there was no doubt — put the three on the WCE. “We were given a fair amount of rope and got to be creative and it just worked for us,” Morrison said.

“The brand we emphasized was a good fit and, when we were on top of our games, if felt like you’re going to score every shift. That’s a pretty cool thing.” It wasn’t all roses. For all their scoring, the West Coast Express couldn’t get the Canucks to a Stanley Cup final. In 2003, they blew a 3-1 second-round series lead over Minnesota, which included Bertuzzi telling Wild fans not to bother buying tickets for Game 6 in St. Paul, because the series would be over

by then.

That was pure Bertuzzi. He was loud and proud. He was hard on himself and his linemates. “We weren’t afraid to speak our minds and speak up,” Bertuzzi said. “Some people might have thought it was brash or not the way you’re supposed to do it — but we

respected each other and valued opinions on what we saw out there.

“The one thing is we wanted to be the best. Every game, it was a matter of how many (goals). We

drove our coaching staff nuts, but we would see plays develop before they even happened.” Naslund takes pride in his legacy, and it goes well beyond his No. 19 hanging in the rafters.

The way Henrik and Daniel Sedin perform and conduct themselves comes from their countryman and former captain. They were just 21 years old when the West Coast Express was lighting it up. At 35, they’re playing like they’re 25.

“From Day 1, we knew they were extreme talents, but they’ve earned everything they’ve got by first being the people they are,” Naslund said. “They are two of the top people I’ve met through my career and not only that, but two of the hardest working. It’s impressive, but I’m not surprised.”

The magical mix ended on April 15, 2006. Bertuzzi was traded in the offseason and then Naslund and

Morrison left via free agency in July 2008. Naslund occupies third in Canucks franchise scoring with 756 points in 884 games, Bertuzzi is ninth with 449 points in 518 games, and Morrison 12th with 393 points in 543 games. Jared McCann was seven years old when the West Coast Express was at top speed. The Canucks centre idolized Naslund, but his minor hockey team only had jerseys that went up to No. 16. He

turned the 6 upside down to form No. 19. And on Monday, he finally met Naslund. “He told us we have the greatest job in the world,” McCann said, “and to have fun with it.” Where are they now? Brendan Morrison: Living in Calgary, involved in a commercial real estate venture with a Vancouver-based company, in the oil and gas industry, and with a TV fishing show.

Markus Naslund: After serving as general manager of Modo in the Swedish Elite League, has purchased land for a ski-resort venture in his native Sweden.

Todd Bertuzzi: Coaching son’s travelling triple-A midget team in Detroit. “It might shock you, but I’m actually a 200-foot coach. I even have a tough time saying it.”

8 Dec 2015 The Province ED WILLES

CANUCKS PASS THEIR SMALL TEST A home victory over the Sabres won’t call for a huge celebration, but five goals, including three from Vrbata, is encouraging

Before the parade committee calls for a meeting, it should be pointed out that an early December homeice victory over the Buffalo Sabres isn’t exactly the strictest standard for success in the NHL. But, when you’re 0-forthe-month and you have three Ws to show for your last 16 games, you don’t spend a lot of time picking apart the wins. The plain fact is the Canucks needed a result the way roses need rainwater, and Monday they delivered against the Sabres.

The long-term effect of their 5-2 victory, of course, remains to be seen and this team still has some

serious questions to answer. But it’s nothing like the questions that would have been asked after another loss and another tepid effort.

Against the Sabres, there were a couple of moments when you could have excused the fans for looking skyward and muttering, “Here we go again.” Seven minutes into the first period, Brian Gionta swatted a chesthigh puck past Ryan Miller and, after video review, the goal was upheld. Later in the first, an Alex Burrows goal was wiped out by a quick whistle. And two minutes into the third, Sam Reinhart scored for the Sabres to make a comfortable 4- 1 Canucks lead a lot less comfortable.

But, each time, the Canucks had an answer. The broad strokes? For the first time in eons — OK, two weeks — they got something resembling balanced scoring. Radim Vrbata took the starring role with three goals, but Brandon Prust scored his first goal as a Canuck — and his first in 50 games — and the fourth line did the spade work on Vrbata’s third goal.

In all, 10 different Canucks picked up at least one point. The locals also won the special-teams battle

— the power play was 1-for-6; penalty killing was 3-for-3. And Ryan Miller stopped 32 of 34 shots. See how easy this game can be? The fans even got the celebration for Vrbata’s hatty right, showering the ice with all manner of lids after they’d largely ignored Daniel Sedin’s three goals against Chicago. It’s hard to know exactly what the Canucks’ identity is, but it starts with the skating game and

contributions from everyone in the lineup. As coach Willie Desjardins said in the morning: “These are the things we talk about. We work hard every night. We’re relentless. Maybe we slipped a bit, but we have to get back to who we are and how we play.” And they did for one night. Their next game against the Rangers will be a more demanding test, but at

least they passed the one before them on Monday night.

8 Dec 2015 The Province BEN KUZMA

Vrbata jolts some life into Canucks When you’re linked to a plugger like Jordin Tootoo for all the wrong reasons, something had to give.

Radim Vrbata was tied with the grinder for the NHL’s worst plus-minus rating at minus-17. That’s not a typo. But it was just another startling example of everything that had gone awry for the gifted winger and the tire-fire Vancouver Canucks. A five-game losing skid and just three wins in their last 13 games exposed all the widening gaps in the thin armour.

They were a one-line team that couldn’t score, couldn’t defend and played without any semblance of confidence. They needed GPS to find an identity. Then Vrbata scored Monday. Twice in the first period. It was like a defibrillator because the efforts jolted the Canucks to life in a 5-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres in which the winger capped the scoring in the final frame with his sixth NHL career hat trick. And while all this won’t mean much if the Canucks don’t follow up with a strong effort Wednesday against the New York Rangers, the signs of

life were encouraging, none more than Vrbata.

He scored by getting to the tough area converting a rebound for a tap-in. He then deflected a point shot in the slot with the kind of touch you don’t teach. And then he picked the corner with his trademark quick release. Chemistry means everything to Vrbata and he found some on the last road

trip with Jared McCann. And if what we saw in linemate Chris Higgins — four shots and setting up the first goal — wasn’t a mirage, then maybe the landscape isn’t so bleak. The Canucks had more than 20 shots (31) for the first time in four games, Vrbata had six shots and three of their four lines scored. The West Coast Express would have been impressed. What this means

When the Canucks stopped playing an east-west game and reset their game compass to go north-south, the results were encouraging. They had odd-man rushes in the first period and when Bo Horvat and Sven Baertschi easily wheeled away on a twoon-one break before Horvat put a shot wide, it raised some eyebrows. Could there finally be something cooking there?

They wheeled away on another odd-man rush in the second period and this time Baertschi forced Linus Ullmark to make a tough save. He had a two-shot period and didn’t even have a three-shot game in his previous five outings. Again, it was only a short study and it was the Sabres. But to finally see some speed and some edge and the fourth line respond with some grit, drive and a goal, it was the right kind of one-night

response. However, the Canucks still wound up chasing the game and watching rather than creating in the third period. But they did find a way to finally win. In a word RELIEF Brandon Prust scored for the first time in 50 games after Derek Dorsett did spade work on the

end boards and sent a sweet back pass to his linemate. MIFFED Alex Burrows was ready to slam his helmet in disgust after the winger thought he had

jammed a puck under Linus Ullmark before the whistle blew. STIFFED Matt Bartkowski allowed Jamie McGinn to beat him wide and start a scoring sequence on

Brian Gionta’s crossbar-level swing to open the scoring. Advanced stats +4 - Even-strength Corsi for wingers Brandon Prust and Radim Vrbata after two periods. Prust’s Corsi for was 11 and his Corsi against was 7. Vrbata’s Corsi for was 10 and his Corsi against was 6. 2 - Length in minutes that the first power-play unit was on the ice for a first-period advantage in

which Daniel Sedin nearly pulled the trigger. 8 - Hits after two periods for the fourth line of Derek Dorsett (4), Prust (3) and Adam Cracknell (1). 1 - One magic touch of Prust’s stick by good friend Todd Bertuzzi. The Canucks winger had asked for a pre-game tap of the composite weapon for good luck. It worked.

What we learned Brandon Sutter had sports hernia surgery Dec. 1. Brendan Morrison had the same procedure in May 2007. Timelines for recovery can vary, but it’s at least four to six weeks for full recovery.

“It’s six to eight weeks, but it’s quicker now and the technology has changed in where they (surgeons)

go through,” said the former Canucks centre. “For him (Sutter), it will take longer to get his legs back because he can’t train his legs.”

That could mean Sutter possibly returning during a Jan. 14-22 road trip.

Eric MacKenzie Monday, December 7, 2015 24 Hours

Vrbata's hat trick helps Canucks end skid Let us preface this report on a Vancouver Canucks victory by pointing out that the Buffalo Sabres are no National Hockey League heavyweight.

But after a string of no-show performances that had stretched into a five-game losing streak, Monday’s 5-2 win at Rogers Arena offered at least a glimpse of what’s been missing for the struggling Canucks. For the first time in a while, the game did not hinge on whether the Sedin line could create enough

magic to overcome the opponent. It was Radim Vrbata leading the way for Vancouver (10-11-8) in this one, as he scored twice in the first period and completed a hat trick in the third. Brandon Prust netted his first as a Canuck as part of a two-point night, and Henrik Sedin added a second-period power-play goal as well. “We were looking for a good performance for a win and to start feeling a little better about ourselves,”

said Vrbata. “Even though it’s just one win, it’s a good start.” Ryan Miller also had a tidy performance against his former club, making 32 stops, including some

notable ones in the final frame that kept Buffalo (11-14-3) from constructing any real momentum off an early third-period goal. “Hopefully we can build on it,” said Miller. “We’ve got some tough tests coming up.”

The Sabres opened the scoring when Brian Gionta batted a puck past Miller out of midair 6:48 into the game, but the Canucks responded by scoring four straight. Vrbata put his first into a wide-open net, after a strong effort from Chris Higgins produced a rebound off Buffalo goalie Linus Ullmark. He got his second on a deflection, cruising through the slot to re-

direct a Dan Hamhuis shot. Prust tallied early in the second thanks to strong forechecking work with linemates Derek Dorsett and Adam Cracknell, putting away a pass from Dorsett to make it 3-1. Henrik made it a three-goal lead with a sneaky deflection on a 4-on-3 man-advantage late in the period. Sam Reinhart’s goal 1:51 into the third briefly gave the visitors some life, but Vrbata sealed it with

less than six minutes remaining by beating Ullmark cleanly with a wrister. Notes: -Defenceman Alex Biega and forward Sven Baertschi both returned to the lineup after sitting out Saturday’s loss to the Boston Bruins, replacing Yannick Weber and Ronalds Kenins, respectively.

-Coupled with Daniel Sedin’s three-goal performance against Chicago on Nov. 21, a Canucks forward

has notched a hat trick in each of Vancouver’s past two home wins. Unlike on Daniel’s night, the 18,278 in attendance sent dozens of hats to the ice to acknowledge Vrbata’s effort.

"Maybe (hats) went on sale before Christmas," Vrbata laughed when asked why he got so many more than Daniel did. After leading the Canucks with 31 goals a season ago, Vrbata is now up to nine on the year. But it's been a strange season for him the way they've come in bunches -- his previous three came over a two-game span, the three before that in a four-game stretch. On the flipside, that's meant he's already endured goal-scoring droughts of five or more games on three occasions, the longest lasting

nine contests. So for Vrbata to be rewarded with his first hat trick in more than two years on Monday was a good reminder for him to keep faith in his game through stretches when the bounces aren't going his way. "You have to stick with it and look for something positive," he said. "The last couple games, there

wasn't much positive in our game or in my game. When something like this happens, you're happy

with it and it's a confidence builder, not just for myself but for the group." -The Canucks play their final pre-Christmas home game on Wednesday, hosting the New York Rangers (18-7-3).

Eric MacKenzie

Monday, December 7, 2015 24 Hours

'Each one of us brought something different' Brendan Morrison clearly remembers the first time he formed a line with Markus Naslund and Todd Bertuzzi.

“It was in Detroit,” said Morrison. “I think that first game we clicked and our line had a couple goals and it just kind of rolled from there.

“(It was) kind of a dream scenario for a centreman to step into a situation to play with these two guys. At that time, early 2000s, I don’t know if there were two better players in their position.” Naslund and Bertuzzi did, in fact, both score that night in a 5-4 overtime loss to the Red Wings on Jan. 9, 2002, while Morrison notched two assists. And the West Coast Express, as the Naslund-Morrison-Bertuzzi trio came to be known, turned into one of the greatest combinations the Vancouver Canucks

ever put on the ice. The franchise honoured the line during Monday’s game against the Buffalo Sabres as part of ongoing celebrations of Rogers Arena’s 20th season. It had been quite some time since all three were together in one place until Monday, when they reminisced about their years playing together in Vancouver before each went on to finish their NHL

careers elsewhere. “I think it’s very special on very many different levels,” said Naslund, the former Canucks captain who had his No. 19 retired by the franchise five years ago this week. “Just having the opportunity to spend some time with Brendan and Todd hasn’t happened in many years, and just to catch up and talk old memories is definitely special.”

The threesome produced their share of memorable moments during their heyday, but their first full

season together in 2002-03 was when they were at their most dominant. All three players had career-best seasons in that campaign – Naslund with 46 goals and 104 points, Bertuzzi with 48 goals and 97 points, while Morrison posted 25 goals and 71 points during the infamous “Dead Puck Era.” They

combined to score 55 power-play markers between the three of them in that season alone. “You watch documentaries and shows of athletes saying what it’s like to be in the zone, and it’s tough to describe unless you’re that athlete or you’ve been in those situations,” said Bertuzzi, now 40. “But I can speak for the three of us that every game we went into, we knew it was a matter of how many, not a matter of (if we’d score), and we knew that at any given time if we needed a goal, we’d

go out there and get it done. “The scores might have been 7-5 and drove our coaching staff nuts, but it was just one of those things where we saw the play develop before it even happened and we had that instant chemistry.” Asked to pinpoint what sparked that chemistry, all three players agreed it was a combination of

enjoying playing together while keeping each other accountable.

“I think each one of us brought something different to the line and I think we found a way to challenge each other every night,” said Morrison, 40. “We expected each other to be at our best and … we had a lot of fun together. We enjoyed being around each other. But I think (it came from) challenging each other and pushing each other to kind of reach our potential.”

These days, Bertuzzi is the one most connected to hockey, just one season removed from playing his final professional game. Naslund, now 42, had been general manager of Modo, the Swedish Elite League team based in his and the Sedin twins’ hometown of Ornskoldsvik, until a year and a half ago. He’s now involved in the development of a ski resort in Sweden. Morrison, who was born in Pitt Meadows, hosts “Sportfishing Adventures,” a TV show in which he and other retired athletes visit angling destinations around North America.

But Bertuzzi has delved into coaching, guiding his son’s minor midget team with former NHL defenceman Paul Cavallini in the Detroit area. Given the way in which Bertuzzi played his 1,159 career

games, he’s surprised even himself with his coaching style. “I might shock you, but I’m actually a 200-foot coach,” he said with a laugh. “I even have a tough

time saying it. “It’s up to me now to kind of give my knowledge and information to these kids trying to get them to the next level.” The three franchise greats visited with the current Canucks before Monday’s morning skate, and Naslund said his message to a struggling group – which includes a few former teammates – was to

remember to enjoy playing the game. “There’s definitely a lot of pressure playing hockey at this level and playing in a passionate market,” he said. “For us, I think a big key in my mind was we just tried to enjoy the game and the results would come. It’s easier said than done, but I think that was my main message.”

Cam Tucker

Metro Sun Dec 06 2015

A Stanley Cup was the one thing Canucks'

exhilarating West Coast Express line couldn't score

The famous West Coast Express line of Todd Bertuzzi, Brendan Morrison and Markus Naslund has long since been permanently parked in hockey’s train yard. It was more than a decade ago that trio weaved magic on the ice. They could score goals – often

times beautiful works of hockey artistry – at will. That they were the stars foremost responsible for wooing fans back in droves to the point where the Canucks vaulted to the No. 1 ticket in town following the doldrums of the late-1990s, is an easy argument to make.

The only thing missing from their hay day, particularly at their peak in 2003, was a Stanley Cup.

In fact, those electrifying regular season Canucks teams never got closer to the ultimate prize than a second-round Game 7. During that 2002-2003 season, which ended with a loss to Minnesota in the conference semifinals, Naslund scored 48 goals and 104 points, Bertuzzi scored 46 goals and 97 points, and Morrison had 25

goals and 71 points. Bertuzzi’s infamous suspension in the spring of 2004 and Vancouver’s first-round ouster several weeks later, a lockout the following season, and the Canucks missing the playoffs completely in 2005-06 all signified the downward trend of one of hockey’s most exhilarating lines. It was officially disbanded at the 2006 NHL Draft, when Bertuzzi was traded to Florida for Roberto

Luongo.

“I thought we had a couple of other years, too, where we believed that we had a chance of winning,” Naslund said Monday. “And not going further than we did, or putting ourselves in a situation where we could’ve won, is something that is tougher now when you look back and you try to summarize everything.”

The Canucks host the Buffalo Sabres at Rogers Arena on Monday. It’s West Coast Express Night. The band is back together, at least for one night, as Bertuzzi, Morrison and Naslund will be honoured. “It just clicked. It just worked for us,” said Morrison, adding the style of play employed by then-head coach Marc Crawford also benefited that line.

Perhaps what’s most impressive about their success was that it came in the waning years of the Dead Puck Era, when defensive strategies, such as the neutral zone trap, and feverish obstruction were dragging down scoring and, in the grand perspective, the on-ice product.

“It was just, ‘Let’s go out and play and have fun and try and score goals,’” said Morrison.

“Obviously there are times when it doesn’t happen. But when you go out and when these guys (Bertuzzi and Naslund) are at the top of their game … you feel like you’re going to score every shift. I mean that’s a pretty cool thing.”

SEDIN TWINS IMPRESSIVE, BUT NOT SURPRISING

While the West Coast Express was tearing up the NHL, the Sedin twins – Daniel and Henrik – were developing before the very eyes of a fan base you could suggest was on the fence about how dynamic that duo could eventually be.

Now 35 years old, the Sedin twins are in the twilight years of their careers. You wouldn’t really know it by their current point production. Much like the West Coast Express line, the Sedin twins were central to another exciting Canucks team loaded with talent, but one that again came up short of a Stanley Cup.

Whether the Sedin twins get close to a championship series again in their careers remains to be seen, given the team’s transition to a younger core. But their current run as individuals – Daniel has 29 points in 28 games and Henrik has 26 points in 28 games, which puts them sixth and 11th in league scoring, respectively – isn’t much of a surprise to Naslund.

“I find it’s very difficult to know where the young players’ careers are going to take off to because there’s such a fine line between being very successful or not reaching your potential because you need to be put in a situation where you can show it,” said the former Canucks captain. “We knew from Day One that they had extreme talent – both of them. I think they’ve earned everything they’ve gotten by first off being the people they are.

“Not only that but they’re probably two of the top hardest working players I’ve played with as well. If you can mix that together with the amount of talent, I think that’s the reason. Plus they have each other. I think that’s a big help, too. But that, mixed into together, is why I’m not overly surprised – I think it’s impressive but I’m not surprised because I know them.” MARCHAND RESPONDS TO PRUST SPEAR, COMMENTS

On Sunday, Brandon Prust had his say for the spear he delivered to the groin area of Boston Bruins forward Brad Marchand on Saturday.

Prust was fined $5,000 for the incident – “Best money I ever spent,” he said. On Monday, Marchand responded.

“Part of my game is to get under people’s skin, and I thought he played with a lot more class in his game. I thought he was a hard worker, but clearly he doesn’t have that integrity that a lot of people thought he had,” Marchand said, according to CSNNE.com. “If anyone has ever been hit in the ‘fun spot’, they know that it doesn’t feel good. It hurts for a while.”

As of Monday, an online search showed at least six GoFundMe crowd-sourcing campaigns had started online, claiming their intentions of raising the $5,000 for Prust or, as one such campaign asserts, to be used in a testicular cancer fundraiser in honour of Prust. BOESER NAMED TO U.S. JUNIOR SELECTION CAMP Canucks’ 2015 first-round pick Brock Boeser was named to the U.S. national junior team selection

camp for the upcoming World Junior Championships.

Boeser has 11 goals and 19 points in 18 games so far in his freshman year at North Dakota. He has 12 points in his last eight games and four goals in his last three games.

The Canadian Press December 7

Josh Clipperton

Vrbata, Canucks down Sabres to snap skid VANCOUVER - Pulsating post-game music in the home locker-room at Rogers Arena has been far from the norm this season. For at least one night, the Vancouver Canucks could relax.

Radim Vrbata recorded the sixth hat trick of his career Monday as the Canucks snapped a five-game losing streak with a 5-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres. "We were looking for a good performance for a win and to feel a little better about ourselves," said Vrbata. "Even though it's just one game it's a good start."

Brandon Prust, with a goal and an assist, and Henrik Sedin also scored for Vancouver (10-11-8) and Ryan Miller stopped 32 shots against his former team as the Canucks picked up just their fourth

victory in the last 17 games. "It's a good feeling for sure coming in here and seeing a lot of smiles on guys that haven't been scoring," said Henrik Sedin. "Hopefully we can build on this one."

Daniel Sedin and Adam Cracknell added two assists each as Vancouver also won at home for just the fourth time this season (4-6-3). Vrbata steps up when the Canucks needed a spark With the Canucks struggling offensively, scoring only three goals in their last four games, Vancouver really needed someone to step up other than the Sedins and Radem Vrbata answered the call Monday.

"We've talked about getting our confidence back, getting our swagger back where you're going into games and you're feeling like you're going to win," said Prust. "That's what this does." Brian Gionta and Sam Reinhart had the goals for Buffalo (11-14-3), which got 26 saves from Linus

Ullmark.

"We want better within this room," said Gionta. "We know we're capable of that so that's why it's so disappointing." The Sabres grabbed a 1-0 lead at 6:48 of the first when Gionta batted a puck out of the air for his third on a play that stood up after video review. The Canucks responded just 80 seconds later on a Vrbata rebound before he deflected another home with 3:18 left in the period for a 2-1 lead.

"It always helps when on your first or second shift you get an open net," said Vrbata. "Then you get a tip there and it seems like everything's falling in place." Prust made it 3-1 at 4:34 of the second with his first of the season off a nice pass in front from Derek Dorsett. Prust, who was fined $5,000 for his spear on Brad Marchand in Saturday's 4-0 loss to Boston, celebrated his first goal in 50 games.

"We have been frustrated a little bit with our game," said Prust. "We have done some good things, but haven't been rewarded. It's good to finally be rewarded." Vancouver then made it 4-1 with 2:42 left in the period on a 4-on-3 power play when Henrik Sedin tipped Alexander Edler's shot past Ullmark for his ninth.

"There has been a stretch here you can tell there's been guys that have been thinking hockey differently," said Henrik Sedin. "Some guys want to get it deep and work it down low and other guys want to make plays. Tonight we were on the same page."

Playing their third game in four nights following Sunday's 4-2 loss in Edmonton, the Sabres got one

back at 1:51 of the final period when Ryan O'Reilly stole the puck from Canucks defenceman Dan Hamhuis behind the Vancouver goal and fed Reinhart, who fired past Miller for his eighth.

But Vrbata rounded things out with his first hat trick for the Canucks — and first since Oct. 3, 2013, when he was a member of the Phoenix Coyotes — by ripping a shot past Ullmark for his ninth of the campaign with 5:32 left on the clock. "The last couple games you could see we were not a very confident group," said Vrbata. "It seemed like every mistake we made, it turned against us. It's good to have a game like that where you have a good performance and you get a result."

Notes: Miller, who was traded by Buffalo to St. Louis at the 2014 trade deadline before he signed with Vancouver that summer, is now 2-1-0 against the Sabres. ... Prust's last goal prior to Monday came for Montreal against Buffalo on Feb. 3. ... Vancouver concludes a four-game homestand Wednesday against the New York Rangers. ... Buffalo visits Calgary on Thursday.

Jason Brough Dec 7, 2015 NBC Sports

Sedin: ‘I would love to play against us

right now’

The Vancouver Canucks are reeling. They’ve lost five straight and are 3-9-4 since starting 6-2-4. Not surprisingly, the fans are beginning to get flashbacks to 2013-14. In the moments after Saturday’s 4-0 home loss to Boston — arguably the Canucks’ worst defeat of the season — captain Henrik Sedin offered a scathing assessment of his team’s recent play.

“I would love to play against us right now,” he said. “That’s the bottom line.”

Sedin did not say that it was an effort issue; he insisted that the Canucks were working hard. His point was that they needed to work smarter. “Make the easy play. Get it deep,” he said. “We can’t keep turning pucks over like we are.” Sedin was asked if it felt like two years ago, when the Canucks started 23-11-6 under coach John Tortorella before collapsing and missing the playoffs.

“I don’t think it’s the same feeling. It’s two totally different teams,” he said. “A few years back, we ran into a lot of injury problems. We have injuries now, too, but as a team we’re built differently. We have a lot of young guys coming up. “We’ve got to realize, maybe it’s not about winning tomorrow’s game. Maybe it’s about getting back

on track and focusing on playing the right way.”

Translation: Don’t worry about the results; you can’t force those. It’s all about the process. “We keep talking about, ‘We gotta get a win, we gotta get a win,'” he said. “But if you keep thinking that way in your head, as a scorer or an offensive guy when you haven’t produced in a while, it puts too much pressure on you.”

Now, it should be noted that Canucks coach Willie Desjardins had called the Boston game a “must” for his team.

Though Desjardins didn’t go so far as to call it a “must win,” Sedin clearly feels that the Canucks have

been going about things the wrong way. Vancouver hosts Buffalo tonight and the Rangers Wednesday. After that, it’s a six-game road trip,

followed by the Christmas break. Amazingly, the Canucks are just one point out of a playoff spot in the woeful Pacific Division.

James O'Brien Dec 8, 2015 NBC Sports

Well, at least Radim Vrbata wasn’t easy to play against for Canucks

For at least one night, the Vancouver Canucks weren’t that easy to play against … or at least Radim Vrbata was tough to stop.

He generated his first hat trick as a member of the Canucks on Monday, powering a 5-2 win against the Buffalo Sabres. In the process, the Canucks ended an odious five-game losing streak that prompted captain Henrik Sedin to say that he’d love to play against Vancouver in its current state.

Does one win against a franchise that’s still finding itself in Buffalo really erase that? Nah, but it still must have been a relief to end the skid, especially with Ryan Miller beating his old cronies. And, hey, as of this moment they’d be a playoff team, so it’s not all bad for the Canucks.

Jason Brough Dec 7, 2015

NBC Sports

Marchand kinda defended Prust today — ‘It’s part of the game’

Brad Marchand understands that Brandon Prust was frustrated. He gets why Prust did what he did Saturday in Vancouver. It happens sometimes. Hockey is an emotional game.

“If you’re down by a few goals, or you’re having a bad game, somebody takes a shot at you, someone says the wrong thing, guys get upset and they take shots at guys,” Marchand told reporters today.

“I think it’s just human nature. There’s a lot of good players that take jabs at guys. People can say whatever they want. I’m not overly upset about what happened. It’s part of the game. I’ve done it, and I’m sure he’s done it before. I’m sure it won’t be the last, and it won’t be the last time I do it.

“It is what it is. It’s part of hockey.”

Marchand is obviously aware that a former teammate of his, Milan Lucic, was fined just last year for

doing exactly what Prust was fined for doing. He’s also well aware of his own reputation. He’s no angel and he doesn’t pretend to be.

If anything, what bothered Marchand was the notion that Prust was a player that followed The Code. “I thought that he played with a lot more class in his game,” said Marchand. “Clearly he doesn’t have that integrity that a lot of people thought he had.” Yesterday, Prust joked that the $5,000 he was fined for spearing Marchand was the “best money I ever spent.”

About that, Marchand said: “Brandon’s got lots of money. I know he’s not worried about his five grand. If he wants to act cool about it, that’s fine. I’m not concerned about how he feels.”

Oh, and Marchand denied that he was faking:

“I think if anyone has ever been hit in the fun spot, they know that it doesn’t feel good.”

THOMAS DRANCE DECEMBER 7, 2015 NBC Sports

December could force Canucks to make tough choices Canucks’ Jannik Hansen sits down with Dan Murphy to talk about Vancouver’s lack of scoring troubles, the latest loss and much more.

The Vancouver Canucks were built to contend for a playoff spot this season, but with an eye towards

building for the future. With the club rapidly spiralling out of contention – they’ve lost 13 of their past 16 games – it’s the uncertain future that has to begin to take more precedence. The balance between this club’s short-term and long-term moves seemed contradictory this summer, but there was a rough sort of logic behind the talk of developing young players at the NHL-level and

having them learn in a winning environment. Having structure in place and mentors for young players isn’t necessarily imprudent. You never want to go full Oilers. It’s become increasingly obvious that the Canucks’ blueprint of developing the likes of Bo Horvat, Jared McCann, Jake Virtanen and Ben Hutton in a ‘winning environment’ isn’t going according to plan.

McCann and Horvat are struggling to play secondary roles while Brandon Sutter recuperates from sports hernia surgery. Virtanen is out with a hip pointer and seems likely to be loaned out to Canada’s side for the World Junior Championships if he recovers in time. Hutton has impressed enormously in his rookie campaign, but he’s in some ways a one-man distillation of a Canucks defence corps that has been moving the puck better, but isn’t nearly good enough at preventing five-alarm scoring chances in their own end of the rink.

As a result of a lengthy streak of ineptitude, Vancouver now finds itself in a very weird place. The

Canucks are still only one point out of a playoff spot in the weakest division in hockey, but they’re also only four points clear of the Calgary Flames for last place in the NHL.

This season could still go either way. The Canucks will host the Buffalo Sabres and the New York Rangers at Rogers Arena this week before heading out east for a six-game road trip that will make or break their season. December is shaping up to be a watershed month for the organization. The club’s confidence is low, but this is still a team that may have just enough to sneak into the playoffs in the meek Pacific Division. Or more likely, they have just enough to avoid sinking to the standard level of NHL lottery teams.

Vancouver’s special teams have been a mess, there is no secondary scoring to speak of and the defence is far too permissive. Still, the Canucks possess a legitimate top pair with Alex Edler and Chris Tanev, and a dynamic first forward-line that includes two of the league’s top-10 scorers in Henrik Sedin and Daniel Sedin.

Combine a sturdy top-end of the roster with league average goaltending, and it’s still too soon to

pronounce Vancouver’s quickly fading playoff hopes dead on arrival. That could change over the next 14 days if the Canucks don’t get this sorted out. Truthfully, we’ve reached that point where it may be better for the organization’s long-term future if the Canucks go the other way and fade into the inglorious oblivion of the NHL draft lottery.

If the Canucks get this ship righted they may be tempted to hold on to a smattering of useful veteran pieces on expiring contracts. No matter how the balance of December plays out, that would probably be a mistake. The Canucks have right wing Radim Vrbata and defenceman Dan Hamhuis on expiring contracts, and though both players are on deals that include no-trade protection, they could garner considerable interest at the trade deadline. As could fourth-line tough guy Brandon Prust.

Based on the way the first eight weeks of the season have unfolded, netting quality future assets for veteran pieces who don’t fit into the club’s long-range plans should be a necessity. Exploring the

possibility of swapping out an inconvenient contract with a longer-term commitment to an aging player, like Chris Higgins or Alex Burrows, could also add some worthwhile flexibility going forward.

The rewards for being awful aren’t quite what they used to be, but the top of the draft is where NHL teams are still most likely to find elite talent. And there’s a large handful of intriguing names that will be called in the top-five at the 2016 draft, even beyond consensus first-overall selection Auston Matthews. Horvat, McCann, Virtanen and Hutton have been established as young NHL players with bright futures, even potential core pieces of the next Canucks contender. There should be no doubt that Vancouver

needs more going forward, and could use a player like Matthews, Matthew Tkachuk, Alex DeBrincat or Jacob Chychrun. Those are rare pieces; pieces this organization is still searching for. The Canucks organization has never picked first overall at the draft and haven’t picked in the top-5

since 1999. They’ve generally eschewed the tear-it-down rebuild. That’s fair enough to a point.

Tearing it all down is a bridge too far, but as this season unfolds, the Canucks could be forced to lean in to the inevitable. They shouldn’t resist that call. It might be the right thing to do for the franchise.

SCOTT LEWIS

DECEMBER 8, 2015

Sportsnet

Canucks fans start campaign to pay Prust’s

fine

Watch as Brandon Prust of the Vancouver Canucks spears Boston Bruins pest Brad Marchand in the groin. Some Vancouver Canucks fans, who apparently may still harbour some ill feelings toward Brad Marchand from the 2011 Stanley Cup Final, took it upon themselves to set up a GoFundMe page to

pay for Brandon Prust’s fine for spearing the Bruins agitator. Prust was levied a $5,000 fine for spearing Marchand in the groin area late in a 4-0 Canucks loss

Saturday night. A war of words between Prust and Marchand waged on Monday.

Prust did not extend an apology for his actions when he was asked about the incident Sunday. He jokingly called it the “best money I’ve ever spent.” Marchand fired back Monday, telling reporters "he's Brandon Prust, I'm not too concerned about him." A message on the GoFundMe page reads:

This ones for Brandon Prust of the Vancouver Canucks. We the fans of the Vancouver Canucks, agree to pay for the fine against Brad Marchand of the Boston Bruins. Will surrender account to Brandon or Maripier Morin. As well as any NHL or Canucks department that anything donated will go to Brandons charity Prusty 4 Kids. Lets spread some holiday cheer to the families of Montreal and Vancouver! There will be a reciept sent after the big donation is made. I intend to do this as a hockey community its up to us to look out for those who need it most and the

charity listed could really use the help.

The campaign has a long way to go with just $175 contributed late Monday night. Prust is in the final year of a four-year, $10-million contract, so he might be able to cover this one himself before he hits free agency.

SCOTT LEWIS DECEMBER 8, 2015

Sportsnet

Four things we learned in the NHL: Vrbata breaks out

Radim Vrbata got a hat trick and Ryan Miller was solid against his former team as the Canucks beat up on the Sabres, winning 5-2.

The Vancouver Canucks have been dealing with a secondary scoring problem. Enter Radim Vrbata. Vrbata broke out Monday, registering the sixth hat trick of his career in the Canucks’ 5-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres. The Canucks avoided losing their sixth straight game with the victory.

The 34-year-old winger entered Monday’s game with six goals and nine points in 26 games. He was

demoted from his post on the Sedin twins’ line earlier this season after a disappointing start to the campaign. Vrbata totaled 31 goals and 63 points in 79 games last season. While Jannik Hansen appears to have settled in with Daniel and Henrik Sedin, Vrbata's hat trick was a

much-needed boost to the Canucks' secondary scoring. They're going to need more of that. Much more. Josi had himself a game Roman Josi paced the Nashville Predators past the Boston Bruins Monday night with two power-play goals. He also engaged in the first fight of his NHL career when he squared off with Brad Marchand. Josi had played 279 games before dropping the gloves, and he held his own. It was Marchand's first

scrap of the 2015-16 campaign. Josi sure had the Bruins' number Monday. He even turned in a heck of a Bobby Orr impression when he potted his second goal of the game. The salary cap could reach $74.5 million next season The NHL salary cap could rise as much as $3.1 million for the 2016-17 season. A range was provided

at the NHL board of governors meeting in Pebble Beach, Calif., Monday, with $74.5 million

representing the high mark. Several factors, including the strength of the Canadian dollar, will help determine how much the cap goes up. Now prepare for months of speculation around potential unrestricted free agents like Steven Stamkos, Dustin Byfuglien, Andrew Ladd and Eric Staal.

The struggling Hurricanes are "totally different" than the Atlanta Thrashers Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman shed some light on the Carolina Hurricanes' struggles to fill PNC Arena and keep their finances in order in speaking with Don Waddell Monday. Waddell, who worked in the former Atlanta Thrashers organization before they moved to Winnipeg, said the Hurricanes are "not even comparable" to the Thrashers. “Since I left Atlanta, revenues are way up across the NHL,” Waddell said. “Revenue sharing has improved considerably. Teams can still lose money, but it’s nothing like it was from 2008 until the new

CBA. We don’t own PNC Arena, but we operate the lease, and it is profitable for us. That’s an important factor, and it runs until 2024.” The Hurricanes have diminished their free ticket campaigns, which has led to more empty seats.

Regardless of ownership's desire to sell, the plan remains to make it work in Raleigh, North Carolina.

CANADIAN PRESS

DECEMBER 8, 2015 Sportsnet

Vrbata scores 3 as Canucks top Sabres to

snap 5-game skid

Radim Vrbata got a hat trick and Ryan Miller was solid against his former team as the Canucks beat up on the Sabres, winning 5-2.

VANCOUVER — Radim Vrbata recorded the sixth hat trick of his career as the Vancouver Canucks snapped a five-game losing streak with a 5-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Monday night. Brandon Prust, with a goal and an assist, and Henrik Sedin also scored for Vancouver (10-11-8) and Ryan Miller stopped 32 shots against his former team as the Canucks won for just the fourth time in

their last 17 games. Daniel Sedin and Adam Cracknell added two assists each. Brian Gionta and Sam Reinhart replied for Buffalo (11-14-3), which got 26 saves from Linus Ullmark.

The Canucks led 2-1 after the first period and stretched that advantage at 4:34 of the second when

Prust scored his first of the season off a nice pass in front from Derek Dorsett. Prust, who was fined $5,000 for his spear on Brad Marchand in Saturday’s 4-0 loss to Boston, celebrated his first goal in 50 games.

Vancouver then made it 4-1 with 2:42 left in the period on a 4-on-3 power play when Henrik Sedin tipped Alexander Edler's shot past Ullmark for his ninth. Playing their third game in four nights following Sunday's 4-2 loss in Edmonton, the Sabres got one back at 1:51 of the final period when Ryan O'Reilly stole the puck from Canucks defenceman Dan Hamhuis behind the Vancouver goal and fed Reinhart, who fired past Miller for his eighth.

Vrbata scored two in the first period and rounded things out with his first hat trick for the Canucks -- and first since Oct. 3, 2013, when he was a member of the Phoenix Coyotes -- by firing a shot past Ullmark for his ninth of the season with 5:32 left on the clock. Bo Horvat and Chris Higgins had great chances for the Canucks early, but the Sabres grabbed the lead

at 6:48 of the first period when Gionta batted a puck out of the air past Miller for his third on a play

that stood up after video review. Vancouver has been guilty of a number of turnovers in recent weeks, and defenceman Matt Bartkowski was the culprit in the lead up to the opener after being stripped by Buffalo's Jamie McGinn. The Canucks got that one back just 80 seconds later when Vrbata scored his seventh after the Sabres

couldn't clear their zone. Higgins saw his shot stopped by Ullmark, but the rebound spilled out to Vrbata. Vancouver looked to have taken the lead with 6:32 left in the period, however Alexandre Burrows' goal off a scramble was waved off after the referee lost sight of the puck and blew his whistle. But the Canucks wouldn't be denied with 3:18 remaining when Vrbata scored on a slick deflection.

Notes: Miller, who was traded by Buffalo to St. Louis at the 2014 trade deadline before he signed with Vancouver that summer, is now 2-1-0 against the Sabres. ... Prust's last goal prior to Monday came for Montreal against Buffalo on Feb. 3. ... Vancouver concludes a four-game homestand Wednesday

against the New York Rangers. ... Buffalo visits Calgary on Thursday. ... The Canucks honoured former players Markus Naslund, Todd Bertuzzi and Brendan Morrison -- who made up the West Coast Express line during their time in Vancouver -- prior to the game.

Tuesday, 12.08.2015 Kevin Woodley NHL.com Correspondent

Vrbata's hat trick leads Canucks past Sabres 1ST - RADIM VRBATA RW G: 3 Shots: 6 A: 0 Hits: 0

PTS: 3 PIM: 0 +/-: 3 TOI: 15:04

2ND - RYAN O'REILLY C G: 0 Shots: 3

A: 1 Hits: 2

PTS: 1 PIM: 0 +/-: 1 TOI: 20:56

3RD - BRANDON PRUST LW G: 1 Shots: 1 A: 1 Hits: 3 PTS: 2 PIM: 0 +/-: 1 TOI: 15:51

VANCOUVER -- The Vancouver Canucks were desperate for something, anything, to finally go their

way.

They got that break when a rebound bounced right to Radim Vrbata in front of an empty net eight minutes into the game against the Buffalo Sabres on Monday. It was what Vrbata needed to jump start his first hat trick since joining the Canucks as a free agent before last season and help Vancouver end a five-game losing streak with a 5-2 win at Rogers Arena.

"It always helps when on your first or second shift you get an open net like that," Vrbata said. "Then you get a tip there and it seems like everything's falling in place." Vrbata used that tip from the slot to score his second goal and put the Canucks ahead for good with 3:13 left in the first period. He completed his sixth career hat trick with 5:32 left, taking a pass from Adam Cracknell out of the corner and quickly putting a low shot past Linus Ullmark's blocker

from the right faceoff circle. It was Vrbata's first three-goal game since Oct. 3, 2013 while playing for the Arizona Coyotes, and the Canucks' fourth win in 17 games dating back to early November.

"It is a big relief, something positive you want to build off," Vrbata said. "That hasn't happened much this year. This can help you going forward, for me individually and as a group for everybody."

Ryan Miller made 32 saves against his former team, Henrik Sedin had a power-play goal and Brandon Prust scored his first goal for the Canucks and first in 50 games for Vancouver (10-11-8), which won at home for the fourth time in 13 games. "We needed it," Vrbata said, "to feel a little better about ourselves."

Brian Gionta and Sam Reinhart scored and Ullmark made 26 saves for the Sabres (11-14-3), who were coming off a 4-2 loss against the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday. Buffalo came into this three-game Western Canada road trip, which wraps up against the Calgary Flames on Thursday, on a 3-0-1 streak before losing the first two games. "We want better within this room and we know we are capable of that, so that's why it's so

disappointing," Gionta said. "We gotta find ways not to shoot ourselves in the foot and right now we're doing that, whether it's too many men on the ice or a bad penalty at a bad time, not getting power

play momentum, things like that are hurting us." The game started well, with Gionta opening the scoring 6:48 into the first period after Jamie McGinn's centering pass bounced up off the stick of Vancouver defenseman Ben Hutton and Gionta batted it out of the air and over Miller. The goal counted after a video review determined Gionta's stick wasn't

above the crossbar when it made contact with the puck, and the assist extended McGinn's point streak to six games, a career-high.

Vrbata tied it on the fortunate rebound bounce 80 seconds later, and the Sabres seemed to come

undone after a too many men on the ice penalty three minutes after that. Vancouver had an apparent goal called off shortly after the power play expired because the whistle

blew before the puck went in. But the Canucks, who had been shut out twice in their previous four games and held below 20 shots in three straight, seemed to get momentum from their power play and Vrbata scored again five minutes later. "We end up taking too many penalties," Sabres coach Dan Bylsma said. "They were 1-for-6 in the game but were real dominant with their power play and we gave them too many opportunities to do it. They got momentum and carried the play because of it."

Promoted to the top line with Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin for a shift, Vrbata redirected a Dan Hamhuis point shot from the slot up and over Ullmark's glove at 16:42 of the first period. Vrbata, who led the Canucks with 31 goals last season, scored three in his first 19 games this season but has six goals in his past eight games.

Prust made it 3-1 at 4:34 of the second period after a nice pass from Derek Dorsett behind the net,

one-timing it between Ullmark's legs for his first goal since scoring against the Sabres on Feb. 3 while playing for the Montreal Canadiens. "Hopefully the floodgates open and I can get some more," Prust said. Henrik Sedin tipped a pass from Alexander Edler between Ullmark's legs on a 4-on-3 per play with

2:42 left in the second period. But Reinhart, whose father, Paul Reinart, played for the Canucks from 1988-1990, closed the gap 1:51 into the third. "It gave us a little more jump the rest of the period, but it would have been nice to have it a little earlier," said Reinhart, who had two suites of friends and family at his first game in his hometown. "It was fun, but it would have been nice to have a different result."

Ryan O'Reilly fought off a check at the side of the net and while falling he slid the puck out front to Reinhart, who one-timed his eighth goal over Miller's blocker. The assist extended O’Reilly’s point streak to five games, but he was more concerned with how his team played, gathering players at the

bench during the second period. "We came out with good jump, we were executing and I think we caught them a bit off guard and

then once that (too many men) penalty happened we sat back and deviated from our game plan and didn't know what to do with their speed and it killed us," O'Reilly said. "The power play gives their good players time and they are going to find their confidence and start to make plays and they gained so much momentum off that."

December 7, 2015 The White Towel

Patrick Johnston

Canucks prospects watch: Brock Boeser invited to USA world junior camp At least one young Canucks hot shot will probably feature at the WJC. A week after Czech centre Lukas Jasek (a 2016 6th rounder) was included in his country’s short list,

2015 first-rounder Brock Boeser is among 29 players invited to the Team USA world junior championship selection camp.

There are sixteen forwards in the USA camp. You figure Ron Wilson (yes, ex-Ducks & Capitals &

Sharks & Leafs & USA Olympic coach Ron Wilson) will cut three. He’s allowed a 23-man roster, so you figure two defencemen and a goalie will go as well. Boeser, a forward for the University of North Dakota, has 19 points in 18 games this season, his first

as a collegian. Last year the 18 year old had 68 points in 57 games for the Waterloo Black Hawks of the USHL. The other Canucks prospect with a shot at the world juniors is Dimitry Zhukenov, who has played at the U18 WJC for Russia.

December 7, 2015. 2:31 pm

The White Towel The Province

Canucks Game Day: ‘Must’ game aftermath,

West Coast Express, and Evander Kane back in town 1. ‘What’s next, Willy?’ Head Coach Willie Desjardins pulled out the dreaded ‘must-win’ card before the Bruins’ visit this past Saturday. The Canucks, naturally, responded with a big goose egg in response to the coach’s demands. It’s been a recurring theme for the team this season and in particular during their most recent five-game losing

streak. “It’s starting to become a little bit more like work. When you got to grind through it – it’s a little bit tough,” said Desjardins, whose team has been outscored 17-5 by its opponents in its current five-game skid. “But the only way to get out of it is to get a few wins and take care of it yourself.” In the midst of the doom and gloom, rookie Jared McCann is seeing the glass half full.

“We have the best job in the world,” McCann said, who’s getting plenty of ice time in the absence of Brandon Sutter. “We come to the rink everyday and do what we love to do. “It doesn’t get any better than that and we’re really thankful what we get to do everyday and you just have to look at that side of it.” 2. West Coast Express makes one last stop Maybe it was the West Coast Express that got through to McCann.

In the latest instalment of the Rogers Arena 20-year anniversary celebration this season, dubbed #20in20, the franchise will celebrate Markus Naslund, Brendan Morrison and Todd Bertuzzi tonight before puck-drop. The trio met with the current Canucks squad this morning and share a few words of encouragement. The West Coast Express were one of the best lines in hockey between 2002-2006 and is are widely considered one of the best lines in Canucks’ history, so the words weren’t taken lightly said Desjardins.

“Every one of them tried to say something that would help out team right now,” he said. “In their message they all knew exactly where we were at as a team. They had all gone through slumps and

tough times before. “Every one one of them tried to say something to the team of ‘things will work out, you got to enjoy yourself coming to the rink.’” Named after the commuter train in B.C.’s Lower Mainland, the trio was equal parts entertaining as it

was polarizing for the way it ended. But we’ll let Ben Kuzma tell you the story on that one. 3. Citizen Kane

Evander Kane makes his first trip back home in his new duds. The Vancouver native has had an up-

and–down season in his first year with the Sabres. Following last year’s season-ending left shoulder surgery, the left winger missed 10 games early on this season because of an MCL injury.

Injuries and off-ice distractions have been a recurring theme for the one-time 30-goal scorer but Kane has some serious upside and looks to be picking up steam of late. He’s tallied four goals and two assists in his last four games. And although he was held pointless last night in Buffalo’s 4-2 loss to the Edmonton Oilers, Daniel Sedin knows he will be a focal point tonight. “He’s a great skater and he brings a lot of speed to his line,” he said. “Like any other player who comes with a lot of speed, you have to know where he is always and respect that. “I think it’s not only for our defence but for the other lines to not turn the puck over because that’s

what he feeds off.” 4. Jack Eichel Speaking of untapped potential, Jack Eichel — the man who was supposed to play one half of an epic rookie of the year race with Connor McDavid — strolls into Vancouver with nine goals and five assists in 27 games.

That puts the American in sixth place for rookie point leaders but you can’t help but imagine that had

McDavid not gone down early to a broken clavicle bone, the chatter surrounding the two would have simmered a little more by this point. In twice as many games, Eichel’s only just passed McDavid’s point totals (12 points in 13 games). Nonetheless, Eichel’s numbers are pretty solid for a first-year pro — something his fellow rookie, McCann, has admired from afar. “I’ve seen some of the goals he’s scored, he’s just made some incredible plays,” he said. “He’s the full

package. He’s a big guy that can shoot, skate – he’s overall just a great player.” 5. Stick work or prick work? Brandon Prust called it “the best money he’s ever spent,” Jack Edwards — the Bruins play-by-play announcer for the New England Sports Network — called it “suspendable” and a “cheap shot” on-air before taking his tirade to Twitter. However it goes down in Canucks lore, we know two things — Prust is $5,000 lighter in the wallet

after the weekend and nothing may make a hockey-fan cringe more than a swift spear to the groin. Interestingly enough, it was Milan Lucic of the Bruins who saw himself in the headlines less than two seasons ago when he speared Danny Dekeyser similarly. That ended in a $5,000 fine as well.

Most recently, the Dallas Stars’ Jamie Benn did the stick-wandering act on Nazem Kadri a little over a month ago. So was Prust’s fine justifiable? Have you say below.

December 7, 2015. 11:21 pm The White Towel Wyatt Arndt

The Provies: Buzz kill, Vrbata’s Hat-eful play,

and ice cream tastes better when you win

The Canucks find themselves in a bind right now.

Not good enough to be leading the chase into the playoffs, not bad enough to be re-naming streets “Auston Matthews Boulevard” quite yet. Which is what makes games like tonight hard to judge. On one hand, they beat Buffalo. Not exactly a parade planning victory. On the other hand, they lost to Buffalo earlier in the year. which is the road you take to get to Jacob Chychrun Avenue.

Assuming the Canucks play hard for the playoffs (after they thank the Gods for being in the Pacific Division), at least they have the blue print of how to do it. Beat the teams you’re supposed to.

And give the Canucks credit. After hearing Coach Willie call out their effort level, and captain Henrik

call out their decision making skills, both were vastly improved in tonight’s game. Again, it was only against Buffalo. But two points is two points, so this is where the Canucks need to start if they plan on making the playoffs.

Best Safe Work Environment No staged fights (Prust didn’t challenge Sheamus for the NHL title tonight, sadly). No cheapshots. This game was in fact devoid of the usual shenanigans Dorsett and Prust have been using to try and prove their value to the team recently. In its place were actual body checks. Not just from Dorsett and Prust, but everyone.

Bartkwoski was cross checking people out of the way like he was trying to make it onto the Skytrain first. Who knew he had it in him? Biega resembled the bulldog Ray Ferraro fell in love with at the pet store when he raved about his play last year. Daniel Sedin, well, he’s been living the thug life so long that we no longer bat an eye when he starts laying down wood.

Even Ryan Miller got into the game, going after people for poking at the puck late.

Hell, even the whole team decided to finally protect Miller from late whacks: The Canucks, who have looked more soulless than the 7th man banner, finally showed some of that vaunted “push back” that has been on everyone’s mind: And to be honest, it looked good on them. The Dorsett/Cracknell/Prust line even earned their extra ice time tonight, chipping in with what looked like a Sedin goal, quite frankly: Full disclosure, Todd Bertuzzi admitted during an intermission panel that Prust asked Todd to touch his

stick for good luck, so it’s possible Prust’s three star performance was due to the big man. And yes, the third period was horrifyingly boring, but let’s be honest, if the team is going to win games, they’ll most likely do it by clamping down in the third period. It may have been a night to celebrate the West Coast Express line, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. So you might not need to buckle yourself in, but at least roll up the window as the Canucks take you on a drive in their attempt at making the playoffs.

Best Summary It feels like the entire night is going to begin with statements like “OK, I know it’s the Sabres…”, but

regardless, the Canucks power play looked better than it has all season tonight. And of course, the Sabres awful penalty killing played a role in that. But how many times have we seen the Canucks in positions to kill where all they do is slowly move

the puck around the perimeter? Tonight the puck was moving so fast on the powerplay, it may have actually hit the double digits in miles per hour. They made the Sabres chase them, they made the Sabres get out of position, they made the goalie lose track of the puck. Now, the Canucks only ended up going 1/6 on the powerplay, but anyone watching will tell you they will take that Canucks power play over anything they’ve seen this year so far.

Best Battling Adversity: Remember when the game started off like it was going to be another typical night at the office? First the Sabres go up 1-0 on what looked like a high stick: It looks kind of high and it feels kind of high, but the call on the ice was a goal, so you can see how they would just stick with the initial call.

Then, with the Canucks pressing for the go ahead goal, on what was probably the most amazing

power play of the season, it ended with what looked like it should have been a goal: As you can see, though, the ref lost site of the puck, and intent to blow came into play, and the goal was waived off. Should the ref have been in a better position? Probably. Luckily for Vancouver this didn’t come back to haunt them. They didn’t mope or throw a tantrum, they just kept working. Maybe the six power plays to Buffalo’s three was the refs way of saying sorry.

Best Glass Half Full J-Patty Award (Guest Award by Jeff Paterson)

At last, at long last, Chris Higgins finally picked up his first assist of the season. He set up Radim

Vrbata for the 1-1 goal eight minutes into the first period. And make no mistake it was a big goal given the fact the Sabres had opened the scoring moments earlier and the Canucks – fragile as they are these days — absolutely had to have a response.

The helper snapped an 11-game pointless drought for Higgins who finished the night with four shots on goal and six shot attempts. He was skating, he was battling – he was noticeable on a line with Vrbata and rookie Jared McCann. And it was a welcome sight for the Canucks considering Higgins was held without a shot and was on the ice for three of the four Boston goals just two nights ago. There been too much of that from the veteran winger this season. But tonight was one of Higgins better games and he needs to back it up with another on Wednesday against the Rangers

Best Glass Half Empty (Guest Award by Jeff Paterson) Chris Higgins has just three points in 15 games this season and two of them have now come against the Buffalo Sabres. The problem there is that Higgins and the Canucks don’t see the Sabres again until next season. His other point came against New Jersey.

So all three times Higgins has found the scoresheet it’s been against Eastern opponents.

The second half of the season is loaded with Western foes and the Canucks will need a whole lot more of what they got from Higgins tonight — especially if he remains on that line with shooters Vrbata and McCann who need the puck to pull the trigger.. Best Drance Shade: That’s about as mean as Drance gets. Unless you’re talking about Edler’s worth. Then he just gets flat

out vicious. Best and Worst of Baertschi: Baertschi was brought in to produce offense. Not to chip it off the glass, not to throw elbows in the corners, but to produce offense. You can see why the coaches want him doing “the little things” of course. But you always want Baertschi to retain some of his flair for the creative.

Unfortunately, when you’re on a tight leash, the flair for the creative can lead to things like this: That’s the kind of mistake that would have gotten you flogged by Mike Keenan. Or he would have made you stay on the ice the rest of the game.

He was weird in his punishments. That being said, when Baertschi gets going, he can do stuff like this: Yes, that is Baertschi leading a rush, gaining a controlled entry, then cutting back to give himself room

to make a pass to Burrows. That was followed up with him almost getting a goal on a nice pass from Horvat. That is the kind of Baertschi that will get more ice time, and will eventually get points. Baertschi even got over the 10 minute mark tonight. In fact, not a single Canuck played under 10 minutes tonight. Except Fin. Because he’s lazy. And yes, everyone say it with me now “OK, I know it was against Buffalo, but….”

Best Let There Be Hats One of the funniest/saddest storylines of the season was Daniel’s one hat hat trick. It’s not often that the amount of hats actually thrown on the ice becomes mystery the internet needs to solve. “Actually it was two hats. One of them hit my buddy in the head and didn’t make it.”

“No, it was three hats, two of them got thrown late.”

“They edited out the hats, I’ve seen quite a few photoshops in my day, so I could tell.” Luckily tonight there was no cause for alarm as Radim Vrbata showered in hats like Scrooge McDuck swimming through gold. Vrbata, aka “Streaky” as he’s become known, had himself a good game, which was bound to happen. He is, after all, 11th in the league in shots (Daniel is 6th, but that’s how thug life Daniel rolls). Vrbata’s ability to elevate the line he’s playing on (something he did last year) is where the question

marks come into play, but after a hat trick, maybe he can stop squeezing the stick so hard and focus on some passes.

With his 9 goals, Vrbata is now on pace for 25 goals, which is pretty much a normal season for him.

Best of the Nut Cracker:

Best Response: “Why did you get so many more hats than Daniel?” “I don’t know, maybe they went on sale before Christmas?” Best Way to Lose a Game: Best Pessimoptimist:

Yes, we created a new word. Best Tribute: Yep.

Best Zeimer Shade:

On Brandon Prust’s new buzz haircut: Best Straight Shooter: Ex-Canuck turned Sportsnet personality Corey Hirsch on if Coach Willie should shoulder most of the blame for the team’s up and down play this season: “No. They’re a bad team. It’s not on the coach. Hire a new coach, doesn’t matter. The Sedins handcuff

them, they are too good for that team to be able to tank.” Best Silver Lining: Best of the West Coast Express: Who knew Bertuzzi would end up being the most stylish of the three when they retired? The West Coast Express era is a hard one to define. Going by the books, they didn’t have much

success in traditional hockey terms. No deep playoff runs, and their success in the regular season was brief. The WCE era also sputtered out on the most sour of notes when Todd Bertuzzi went Clubber Lang on

Steve Moore. But there is a reason the WCE era is remembered so fondly in this city. They were, for a couple of years, the most exciting line in hockey.

And that hasn’t happened a lot in Vancouver. When Bure was rocketing into the league, they were a hot ticket for a bit. The Sedins, for all their majesty, aren’t a traditionally exciting duo to watch. They play the game on such an incredible level, but it’s very methodical. It’s like watching Floyd Mayweather fight. Boxing enthusiasts will extol the intricacy of his skills, but to a lot of casual fans, they just see a boring fighter. It’s not a chaotic style that keeps you on the edge of your seat, essentially.

The West Coast Express was so much fun to watch because they were just as likely to go down four goals as they were to go up by four. Compare that to the current team where being down a goal is as depressing as dropping your phone in the toilet; usually there’s no going back. The defense wasn’t particularly iron clad, and with Dan Cloutier in net, any shot was an adventure. But they could score their way out of most problems (except the playoffs and long distance Lidstrom

shots).

It was an era of hockey that officially signaled the end of the dark era of Mark Messier. An era that brought playoff hockey back to Vancouver. Naslund was a guy you could mention having a wrist shot like Sakic and it didn’t sound crazy. Brendan Morrison was a home town boy who actually knew where his end of the rink was, and knew to get the puck to the big boys. Bertuzzi? He had two glorious years of being the power forward Vancouver was always looking for

(and is still searching for).

Bertuzzi was a guy who could score goals, could injure a player that turned a series around (sorry Al

MacInnis), and had the soft hands of a young Zack Kassian. There’s a reason why so many people pine for “the next Todd Bertuzzi”, because he was a guy who could do it all (except back check, but shhh).

So yes, while the cynic in us might question yet another celebration of something that never won it all (much less a 2nd round playoff series), it was nice to see Todd Bertuzzi, Markus Naslund and Brendan Morrison again, as they were honestly once the “hottest show on ice” in the NHL. Bertuzzi, especially, was nice to see in Vancouver. He got the loudest cheer of the night in what had to be a therapeutic moment for both the fans, and the player himself. Best Follicle Award:

Best T-Mart Shade: Best WTF Sportsnet Moment If it isn’t the panel dressing up in goalie gear, it’s throwing to a sausage commercial while a player lays hurt on the ice.

Tonight’s “WTF” moment came when John Shannon called out a girl in the front row and explained

how even ice cream tastes better when the team is winning. Yes, ice cream analysis is real, and it’s beautiful. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I like off the wall things, but that was….weird. And to use a magnification of the ice cream eating?? Think of the poor girl at school tomorrow!

Best Psychotic Stare Best Runner Up Psychotic Stare Best Get This Guy a Job Canucks Is there anyone else who puts out the high end, great videos that Johnny Canuck does? Do you know how hard it is to make a lumberjack seem cool and bad ass? Monty Python set them

back YEARS. Johnny Canuck has been making amazing videos for years, and if the Canucks really want to ramp up their in arena experience, then give this guy more air time.

December 7, 2015. 11:27 pm The White Towel

Ben Kuzma

Canucks Post Game: Hats off to Vrbata, Bertuzzi helps remove Prust rust, Miller likes

the view

Points to ponder after the Canucks ended a five-game losing streak Monday as Radim Vrbata found his scoring touch with his sixth career hat-trick, Brandon Prust got a good-luck stick touch from Todd

Bertuzzi to score his first goal in 50 games and Ryan Miller finally got to stick it to his old club: 1. HATS OFF TO VRBATA FOR FINDING ZONE: Radim Vrbata’s first goal looked like a tap-in for a birdie, his second was a deft touch deflection of a point shot and his third was a patented wrist shot to

the far corner. The way they all came is where you have to score — in front of the crease and tight in the slot. When is the last time you saw anybody whip down the wing and rip home a shot? Doesn’t happen in today’s game. And if this is what Vrbata intends to do — get into the dirty areas and stay there — then he’s not going to have streaks of five, six or seven games without a goal.

“I needed this the same as everybody else — we were all looking for something,” said Vrbata, who

had six shots. “You could see the last couple of games that we weren’t ready as a group and it seemed like every mistake turned against us. Tonight, it was good to get an open net like that (first goal) and you need to get those once in a while because I’ve been there and the puck would go the

other way. Then I get a tip and it feels like everything is falling into place. “In a game like that, you just go and the puck finds you and it was a good pass from Cracks (Adam Cracknell on hat-trick goal) right on the tape and I was all alone there.” Chemistry is also a big deal for Vrbata. He’s starting to develop some with Jared McCann and Chris Higgins had a four-shot night, went hard to the net to set up Vrbata’s first goal. He was much more visible. “The simpler we play, the better we play,” added Vrbata. “If we know where the puck is going, we can

have people there and the energy to create something offensively. We did that tonight.” 2. BERTUZZI HELPS REMOVE PRUST RUST: Brandon Prust and Todd Bertuzzi played together in Calgary. After the former hulking presence with the famed West Coast Express was introduced before the game Monday, he spotted Prust at the bench and gave him some good luck. “We played together my first year in Calgary and Bert was one of my favourites — I looked up to him

when I was growing up,” said Prust. “And when I started playing with him, I kind of latched on to him

whether he liked it or not. And as they (West Coast Express) were coming off the ice tonight, I said: ‘Bert, give me a little love here.’ He grabbed my stick.” It’s easy to forget Prust’s ankle was swollen halfway through the summer from irritation caused by the rubbing of his skate against the bone. He required surgery to remove a cyst. It not only curtailed critical offseason conditioning, he wasn’t able to skate until the end of August. And when Prust arrived in Prince George for training camp, his agenda was different than most. He was behind the eight-ball

and had the use the preseason for conditioning. So, when Prust scored his first NHL goal in 50 games — a sweet Derek Dorsett backhand feed from behind the net to give the Canucks a 3-1 lead on the Sabres — there was a sense of relief. He had been releasing some pretty good one-timers on the last road trip, but had nothing to show from it. Then came the goal, his first since Feb, 3, also against Buffalo. “I was ready for it (pass) and I knew he saw me,” Prust said of the Dorsett effort. “We don’t make too many pretty plays but we’re still capable. This gives us a little bit of confidence and hopefully the

hands will loosen up a little bit. I’ve been getting some chances and defections and I’ve been going to the net.”

3. MILLER LIKES VIEW FROM CREASE: A Brian Gionta baseball-like swing at about the crossbar level after the puck bounced off Ben Hutton’s shoulder and a third-period breakdown behind the net were the only goals to beat Ryan Miller. He made 32 saves against his former club and the level of

satisfaction was evident. He got some run support and ended a run where he had won just two of his previous 11 starts and had only an .894 saves percentage. “They get the (Gionta) call going their way early on and I was happy the guys didn’t say: ‘Here we go again,'” said Miller. “They went for it and capitalized on good plays down low. We were pretty good all night. You have to start with one (win) and build on it but we don’t have the option of see-sawing back and forth (between wins and loses). We just have to take the positives and our power play moved it well tonight and it translated into our 5-on-5 play and all lines were able to move the puck.

Good things happen when we play a direct game and take it to their net.”

New York Rangers Pat Leonard

Tuesday, December 8, 2015

New York Daily News

Rangers look to continue road trip success in Western Canada

VANCOUVER — Alain Vigneault’s Rangers have thrived on extended road trips such as this week’s Western Canada tour through Vancouver, Edmonton and Calgary.

They own a staggering 32-8-2 record on road stretches through three or more stops since the ex-

Canucks coach took over in New York in the fall of 2013.

In the last two-plus years, Vigneault’s Rangers have used these trips to draw closer as teammates, uniting against hostile crowds and opponents.

Emotions will run high this week, too.

On Wednesday, Vigneault will return to Vancouver, which is always special.

Then, the French-Canadian will be coaching his 1,000th career NHL game Friday night in Edmonton, and that same night, coincidentally, the Oilers will raise a banner at Rexall Place to honor Rangers

president Glen Sather, the architect of the Oilers’ five Stanley Cup championship teams from 1984 through 1990. The trip concludes Saturday in Calgary.

By now, though, these Rangers (18-7-3, 39 points) are in no need of learning more about each other. The Blueshirts are all set in intangibles, which they have in spades. What they need from this week is concrete evidence that they can play a better brand of hockey, and do it consistently.

Henrik Lundqvist said after Monday night’s 4-1 home win over the Ottawa Senators that “step by step we are building something and we are coming closer to where we need to be,” but that only will be

true if the Rangers stay the course of the crisp, fundamental, hard and straight-ahead hockey they displayed last Wednesday in Brooklyn and Monday at the Garden.

If the Rangers’ focus slips again, well, it will be more of the same from the 1-4-1 slump that preceded Monday night’s win, which concluded with a lifeless 2-1 home loss last Thursday night to the Colorado Avalanche.

The Blueshirts have excelled on long trips, though, at least in part due to Vigneault’s keen awareness

of his players’ energy level. He limits practice time and optimizes off time, down to the flight schedule, a science he learned and applied while coaching seven seasons in the spread-out Western Conference.

This week’s schedule positions the Rangers to make a push. None of their opponents are in the West playoff picture right now, including the Canucks in 10th place (9-9-8, 26 points), the Oilers in dead last at 14th place (9-15-2, 20 points), and the Flames just ahead in 13th place (9-14-2, 20 points).

The Blueshirts own first place in the Metropolitan Division one point ahead of Washington (18-5-2, 38

points), but the Capitals hold three games in hand.

EXPANSION TALK: The NHL’s Board of Governors began two days of their annual winter meetings in Pebble Beach, Calif., on Monday, with an update on potential future league expansion on the docket.

Brett Cyrgalis

December 7, 2015

New York Post

Rangers’ sudden clampdown brings smile to most important face

What 'R-rated' thing did Rangers' Brassard say to infuriate ref?

Henrik Lundqvist kind of smiled and rolled his eyes when he thought about it Sunday night, having just backstopped his Rangers to a 4-1 win over the Senators after a tough six-game stretch of 1-4-1

that preceded it.

“It’s funny how quick things change in sports,” Lundqvist said, “especially in hockey.”

But things have changed for the Rangers (18-7-3) with just one performance, a flashback to the type of defensively stout and responsible hockey that has defined them for years and was absent during the recent run that was plagued with turnovers and coverage gaps.

So they left Monday in high spirits as they traveled to Vancouver for the beginning of the three-game swing through Western Canada, starting with a game Wednesday against the Canucks. It could have

been a trip that began morose and serious, staring up from a rather large hole the team had dug over the past two weeks. But instead the Blueshirts put together a very tidy performance against an Ottawa team that came in ranked fourth in the league in goals per game — and got just three shots in the third period as they tried to come back from a 2-1 deficit.

“The third period felt like the first couple weeks of the season,” Lundqvist said. “We were back to making good decisions with and without the puck.”

The win also got the Rangers back on top of the Metropolitan Division, now in a constant leapfrog with

the Capitals, who are one point behind with three games in hand. Yet the focus on the standings isn’t quite there yet with the calendar not even turned to 2016.

The focus, for the Rangers at least, is on their own game. Though they have piled up the wins to start this season, they knew their game was deficient in some areas, and they needed to improve if they wanted the victories to keep coming. They are also finally starting to have to deal with some injuries: Center Derek Stepan is expected to be out until about the beginning of January with two broken ribs, and defenseman Kevin Klein is out another two weeks with a strained oblique muscle.

That has put even more stress on the top-tier defensemen to play better. The big three of Ryan McDonagh, Dan Girardi and Marc Staal have long joined with Lundqvist to create the foundation of this team, and coach Alain Vigneault had been explicit in saying he needed more from them.

“I felt pretty good,” Staal said after Sunday’s game, a sturdy performance in response (intentional or not) to a couple of pointed comments from Vigneault about his play after Saturday’s practice. “I felt I made some good plays with the puck. … We didn’t give them much. I thought we were making pretty

solid plays with the puck most of the night. We weren’t forcing anything, making the safe plays when

they need to be made. It’s a big part of them not getting opportunities and getting momentum. So it was a step in the right direction.”

That type of confidence could do the Rangers well out West, where the Canucks, Oilers and Flames are the bottom three teams in the Pacific Division with a combined record of 30-40-12 before play on Monday night. Despite the records, there is a lot of offensive talent on the three teams, which could have posed some trouble for the Rangers if they were still struggling to not turn the puck over and

cover the area in front of Lundqvist’s net.

But now it looks like a trip that is ripe for the picking, and could get the Rangers back on track.

“I feel like the last few games, we’ve been moving in the right direction,” Lundqvist said. “Step by

step were are bundling something and we are coming closer to where we need to be.”

Rick Carpiniello

December 8, 2015

Rockland Journal News

Rangers prospect report Nov. 30-Dec.6

BANNER THREE STARS OF THE WEEK

1. Igor Shesterkin, G, SKA St. Petersburg (KHL) – Shesterkin made his KHL season debut during the past week with SKA St. Petersburg. In two appearances with SKA, the Rangers fourth round pick (118th overall) in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft posted a 2-0-0 record, along with a 0.98 GAA, a .968 SV%, and 1 SO. Shesterkin was selected as one of the KHL Players of the Week for the past week.

Shesterkin made 30 saves in his first KHL game of the season on Nov. 30 against HC Sochi, and

helped SKA earn a 3-2 win in overtime. He stopped all 31 shots he faced to earn the win/shutout on Dec. 2 against Spartak. Shesterkin concluded the week with a 96:39 shutout streak from 5:28 of the second period against HC Sochi through the conclusion of the game against Spartak.

Including appearances in the VHL, Shesterkin has posted a 13-2-3 record, along with a 0.98 GAA, a .962 SV%, and 5 SO in his last 18 appearances this season. He has allowed two goals or fewer in all 18 appearances, and he has allowed one goal or fewer in 13 of those 18 appearances.

2. Pavel Buchnevich, LW, Severstal Cherepovets (KHL) – Buchnevich tallied two assists in three games during the past week. The Rangers’ third round pick (75th overall) in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft has recorded nine points (five goals, four assists) in the last nine games, including five points (two goals,

three assists) in the last five games.

In addition, Buchnevich has registered a point in 12 of his last 20 games (six goals, 10 assists over the span). Buchnevich has tallied a point in 16 of his last 24 games (eight goals, 12 assists) and in 20 of his last 30 contests (11 goals, 15 assists). Dating back to last season, Buchnevich has registered 43

points (18 goals, 25 assists) in his last 61 games in the KHL. Buchnevich has recorded 37 points (15 goals, 22 assists) in his last 51 KHL contests, including 32 points (14 goals, 18 assists) in his last 42 games in the KHL.

In his first 137 KHL regular season games, Buchnevich has tallied 33 goals and 45 assists for 78 points. Here is where Buchnevich ranks compared to Through their first 137 KHL games, Evgeny Kuznetsov had 43-49-92 and Vladimir Tarasenko had 38—71.

3. Brad Morrison, C, Prince George Cougars (WHL) –Morrison tallied an assist/point in all three games

he played during the past week (three assists over the span). The Rangers’ fourth round pick (113th overall) in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft has recorded six points (one goal, five assists) in the last five games, seven points (one goal, six assists) in the last seven games, and 14 points (three goals, 11 assists) in the last 15 contests. Morrison ranks second on Prince George – and leads team forwards –

in assists (13), is tied for third on the team in points (20), and is tied for fifth on the team in goals (seven) this season.

BANNER EMERGING FROM THE PACK

The Wolf Pack posted a 2-1-0-0 record in three games during the past week. All three contests were decided by two goals or fewer.

Adam Tambellini registered the game-deciding goal in the shootout on Dec. 4 vs. Hershey and recorded the game-winning goal on Dec. 5 at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. The Rangers’ third round pick

(65th overall) in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft is tied for second on the Wolf Pack in goals in 2015-16

(six).

wolfpack 2Brady Skjei recorded a goal on Dec. 4 vs. Hershey. The Rangers’ first round pick (28th overall) in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft has tallied a point in six of the last 11 games (two goals, four

assists over the span), and he has notched seven points (two goals, five assists) in the last 15 games. Skjei leads Wolf Pack defensemen in assists (seven) and points (nine) this season.

Steven Fogarty, C, University of Notre Dame (NCAA) – Fogarty registered a goal/point in each of the two games he played during the past week. The Rangers’ third round pick (72nd overall) in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft helped Notre Dame earn two wins against UMass on Dec. 4 and Dec. 5. He has registered a point in eight of 16 games this season, and Notre Dame has posted a 6-0-2 record when he has tallied a point. Fogarty is tied for second on the team in goals (six), is tied for fourth in points

(12), and is tied for sixth in assists (six) this season.

BANNER QUICK HITS

Ryan Gropp, LW, Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL) – Gropp tallied a point in each of the two games he played during the past week. The Rangers’ second round pick (41st overall) in the 2015 NHL Entry

Draft has recorded a point in 10 of the last 13 games, including a goal in nine of those contests, tallying 17 points (11 goals, six assists) over the span. In addition, he has registered a point in 12 of

the last 17 contests, including a goal in 11 of those games, notching 22 points (14 goals, eight assists) during the stretch. In his last 26 WHL regular season games (dating back to last season), Gropp has registered 22 goals and 11 assists for 33 points. Including last year’s playoffs, Gropp has tallied 41 points (23 goals, 18 assists) in his last 32 contests. He is tied for 12th in the WHL in goals (16) this season. Gropp also leads Seattle in goals, is tied for second in plus/minus rating (plus-11), and ranks fourth in points (26) this season.

Brandon Halverson, G, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHL) – Halverson appeared in three games

during the past week, posting a 3-0-0 record, along with a 2.69 GAA and a .908 SV%. The Rangers’ second round pick (59th overall) in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft has made at least 30 saves in nine of his 17 starts this season.

Adam Huska, G, Green Bay Gamblers (USHL) – Huska stopped 34 of 35 shots he faced on Dec. 6 at Bloomington. The Rangers’ seventh round pick (184th overall) in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft has posted a 9-4-0 record, along with a 1.61 GAA, a .947 SV%, and 2 SO in his last 13 appearances. Huska leads the USHL in GAA (1.88) and SV% (.936), is tied for second in shutouts (two), ranks fourth in wins

(nine), and ranks fifth in saves (396) this season.

Robin Kovacs, RW, AIK (Allsvenskan) – Kovacs registered three points (two goals, one assist) in two games over the past week. The Rangers’ third round pick (62nd overall) in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft leads all players 20 years old or younger in Allsvenskan in goals (11) and points (17) this season. In addition, Kovacs is tied for eighth among all players in the league in goals in 2015-16.

Ryan Mantha, D, Niagara IceDogs (OHL) – Mantha registered an assist/point in each of the two

games he played during the past week (two assists), and he posted a plus-three rating in the two contests. The Rangers’ fourth round pick (104th overall) in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft has tallied three assists/points in the last six games and six assists/points in the last 10 contests.

Cristoval Nieves, C, University of Michigan (NCAA) – Nieves tallied three points (one goal, two assists) and posted a plus-three rating on Dec. 5 vs. Wisconsin. The Rangers’ second round pick (59th overall) in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft has recorded five points (two goals, three assists) and has posted a plus-six rating over the last four games. Nieves has notched nine points (three goals, six assists)

and has posted a plus-seven rating in 10 games this season, and Michigan has registered a 6-1-3

record when Nieves has been in the lineup. Dating back to last season, Nieves has tallied 35 points (10 goals, 25 assists) in his last 39 games.

Aleksi Saarela, C, Ässät (Liiga) – Saarela registered two goals, recorded nine shots on goal, won 10 of 18 faceoffs (55.6%), and posted a plus-one rating in 17:48 of ice time on Dec. 5 against JYP. The Rangers’ third round pick (89th overall) in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft has tallied a point in seven of his last nine games – including a goal in six of those contests – registering nine points (eight goals, one

assist) over the span. The 18-year-old is tied for first among all players 20 years old or younger in

Liiga in goals (10) and is tied for second among all players 20 years old or younger in Liiga in points

(15) this season.

BANNER QUOTE BOOK

“He is in the top 10 in the league in terms of speed. He is competing well and has had possession of

the puck more this season. From year-to-year, he is getting physically stronger and his confidence with the puck is increasing.” Seattle Thunderbirds head coach Steve Konowalchuk on Ryan Gropp