Tuesday March 9th, 2010
Vancouver Canucks News
Canuck not fat, just happy, heavier Wellwood excels
March 9
Kyle Wellwood is learning to love his body. Even the slightly flabby bits. So what if he's never able to scrub laundry on his abs or model Calvin Klein underwear? The Vancouver Canuck centre, whose public battle with his weight made him hockey's equivalent of Oprah Winfrey, has regained a few of the pounds he lost last summer and he's OK with that. The Canucks should be, too, because since taking it easy over the Olympic break Wellwood has played his best hockey of the season. "At the start of the year, I was a real lean 181," Wellwood said. "Now, I'm not thick, but I have a little more weight. Right now, I feel great. My body feels good. I'm healthy. I'm happy out there." No wonder. ...Vancouver Sun
Canucks prospect Hodgson back on injured list with broken foot
March 9
Cody Hodgson is back on the injured list. No, it's not the famously bad back. It's a fractured bone in his foot, suffered three games into his return to hockey with his Brampton Battalion junior hockey team. The good news is that the back is fine after 13 games (he scored 20 points) with the OHL club, although it's clear that Hodgson's relationship with the Vancouver Canucks – the NHL club that drafted him 10th overall two years ago – is still a work in progress. Hodgson, 20, expects to be back by mid-March to play in the playoffs for the Battalion but, when asked if there are plans for him to join the Canucks' AHL affiliate Manitoba Moose following that, he said: "I don't look too far ...Vancouver Province
Are the twins killing? Not really, as Sedins' slump fails to hurt Canucks
March 9
It finally came to this: Vancouver Canuck coach Alain Vigneault split up the Sedins on Monday. It was the equivalent of an intervention. "Henrik, Daniel, we love and support you. But enough is enough and this co-enabling must stop. You're not playing together today." After watching his top scorers sputter for more than a month, Vigneault made the difficult decision he felt was right. He gave Daniel the day off. Tough love. Naturally, the brothers will be back together tonight when the Vancouver Canucks play the Colorado Avalanche for first place in the National Hockey League's Northwest Division. But Monday's separation – Vigneault said Daniel was excused from practice because he needed a ...Vancouver Sun
Top line? More like third line
March 8
You need a calendar to measure the pace of Daniel and Henrik Sedin's goal output. It was January the last time either of them scored an NHL goal. The Mayans could build a pyramid, the Druids another Stonehenge to chart Danny's and Hank's goals and predict when the next one might come. It's been 10 games for both since either scored, Game 1 of the Canucks' Olympic banishment from GM Place in which both brothers scored and their line, with Alex Burrows, combined for nine points. Since then, nada. "You always want to score, but at the same time we put a lot of focus on being plus players, doing the little things right," Daniel said. "We're not scoring any goals, but our plus/ minus is still ...Vancouver Province
Canucks beat Nashville Predators 4-2
March 8
It was the third period in number, but period number one in their hearts. The Vancouver Canucks rallied again Sunday in the final 20 minutes to beat the Nashville Predators 4-2 and improve to 3-1 on their six-game National Hockey League road trip. Mikael Samuelsson and Jannik Hansen scored goals 4:19 apart in the final half of the third period as the Canucks overcame a 2-1 deficit to win. It was the ninth time this season – and second time on the road trip – the Canucks have won a game when they trailed after 40 minutes. The Canucks lead the NHL in that category. Faced with an empty net, Alex Edler and Henrik Sedin also scored for the Canucks, who travelled post-game to Denver to play the ...Vancouver Sun
Hodgson's foot are trouble
March 8
Reporter: "How many times have. . ." Roberto Luongo: "Two." Reporter: "You never had a puck go in off your knob until Friday?" Luongo: "It never happened once, let alone two games in a row. I mean, geez, I couldn't believe it." Luckily, it was the nob of his goalie stick. Unluckily, it directed Nashville Predator Jason Arnott's sputtering, wayward shot into the net on Sunday in an accident almost identical to Chicago Blackhawk Andrew Ladd's goal on Friday. But this game turned out profoundly better for Luongo. On Friday, he allowed four more goals before getting hooked after the first period. Sunday, Luongo made 33 saves and kept his team in it until a third-period rally gave Vancouver a ...Vancouver Sun
Luongo must make a change against Nashville Predators
March 7
Roberto Luongo could go out Sunday, pitch a shutout with a sensational performance and make any concerns about his recent play with the Vancouver Canucks seem both misplaced and dated. He is that good, and can turn things around that fast. But turning things around is exactly what Luongo needs to do. Everyone around the Canucks, at least publicly when asked, has expressed the belief the Olympics represented a wonderful chance for Luongo, one he could learn from and one which could inspire him. He didn't disappoint. Luongo won gold and did it sensationally with 34 saves in the deciding game against a great Team USA. Any suggestion his performance was diminished because Luongo's saves ...Vancouver Province