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Canwest News Service
In snooker, it’s not the shots you make. It’s the shots you leave.
In an NHL game of snooker against the league’s top team on Sunday at GM Place, it was the same scenario for the Vancouver Canucks. They knew it wasn’t so much the offence they mustered against the San Jose Sharks, it was making sure they didn’t leave the Money Line of Patrick Marleau, Joe Thornton and Dany Heatley ample opportunity to cash in.
In a 4-2 loss to the Sharks that dropped the Canucks to 5-5-0 in back-to-back games this season, they can take some solace. They held a trio that had already combined for 97 points to one shot and one assist through two periods and they finished with just five shots collectively.
Not bad against a trio that is occupying the top-six spots in NHL scoring, is making a strong statement for Team Canada roster spots for the 2010 Olympics and is a $21 million US salary cap hit.
“I felt good about that,” said defenceman Willie Mitchell, who drew the tough assignment with Kevin Bieksa and logged a game high 24:30. “It was probably the best game of the year for Kevin and me and we got good sticks on them and I’m not sure they had anything tonight. But they found a way. And we’ve got to find that as a group to score that timely goal. We’ve got to find a way to get over that hump.”
Good teams do find ways to win. The Sharks found a way to grind out a victory because their second, third and fourth lines were the story. With the Canucks trailing 2-1 in the third period, they allowed Manny Malholtra and Jamie McGinn to put the game out of reach.
“We did a good job against their top line, but their other lines beat our guys,” said Canucks coach Alain Vigneault. “They’re the No. 1 team in the NHL and you can see why.”
Vigneault played the line of Henrik and Daniel Sedin and Alex Burrows against the Money Line. He also played Mason Raymond, Ryan Kesler and Mikael Samuelsson against the trio.
“You don’t want to trade chances with those three guys,” said Burrows. “But we’ve got to find a way to create more chances and that comes with winning more faceoffs.”
The only point that the Money Line produced came on a second period power play that looked like it was going to form for the Canucks.
Instead of allowing Thornton to thread a perfect pass — he entered the game leading the league in points (36) and assists (29) — the centre sent a wrist shot that Roberto Luongo coughed up a rebound on. A pinching Dan Boyle got position behind Bieksa at the side of the crease and tapped it in to snap a 1-1 draw after Kyle Wellwood and rookie Frazer McLaren had exchanged goals in the first period.
bkuzma@theprovince.com
