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HEAD COACH
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Mike Keenan
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ROSTER
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C - Mark Messier, Peter Zezel, Dave Scatchard, Josh Holden.
LW - Todd Bertuzzi, Brad May, Markus Naslund, Donald Brashear,
Peter Schaefer. RW - Alexander Mogilny, Bill Muckalt, Trent Klatt,
Steve Staios. D - Adrian Aucoin, Murray Baron, Bret Hedican, Jamie
Huscroft, Bryan McCabe, Dana Murzyn, Mattias Ohlund, Jason
Strudwick, Chris McAllister. G - Garth Snow, Corey Hirsch.
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INJURIES
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Todd Bertuzzi, lw (broken leg, indefinite); Alexander
Mogilny, rw (strained knee, 4-6 weeks).
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TRANSACTIONS
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Assigned Bert Robertsson, lw, and Matt Cooke, c, to
Syracuse ( AHL ); placed Brandon Convery, c, on waivers (claimed by
Los Angeles ); recalled Chris McAllister, d, from two-week
conditioning assignment in Syracuse; signed Bryan McCabe, d, to a
three-year contract.
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GAME RESULTS
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11/12 at Calgary W 4-3
11/13 Anaheim W 5-2
10/15 Colorado L 2-1
10/18 at Phoenix L 4-2
10/19 at Colorado W 5-0
10/21 Detroit L 4-2
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STANDINGS
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Northwest Division GP W L T PTS GF GA
Edmonton 19 10 8 1 21 60 50
Vancouver 20 9 10 1 19 62 53
Colorado 19 8 9 2 18 51 56
Calgary 20 7 11 2 16 53 59
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TEAM NEWS
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by Jeff Dubois, Vancouver Correspondent
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As the Canucks embark on a five-game road trip, they do so without
their top two wingers. Todd Bertuzzi will be out another three weeks
with a broken leg, but he won't be alone, as Alex Mogilny will out at
least that long with a strained knee. These injuries only increase
the pressure on GM Brian Burke to deal Pavel Bure, and though Burke
says he will not be pressured into making a deal, the Canucks' need
for scoring punch should heighten his enthusiasm to complete a trade.
Burke is currently on the East Coast and has personally met with
Islanders boss Mike Milbury. Reports have Burke turning down a
one-for one swap of Bure for Palffy, but there are other names
being thrown around, including those of defencemen Bryan Berard and
Zdeno Chara, or even a three-way deal involving Philadelphia that
would see Rod Brind'Amour and prospect Brian Boucher come to
Vancouver. The Islanders are just one of many teams in the Bure
race that Burke has described as "heating up". It is believed that
the Kings, Rangers, and possibly the Devils and Flyers are also
interested.
The Rangers may have the best shot, as Neil Smith has been promised
the opportunity to beat any offer should a trade with another team
be imminent. The Rangers would likely have to include two of Dan
Cloutier, Niklas Sundstrom and Alexei Kovalev, or possibly all
three if the bidding becomes high for a deal to be done. New York
City seems a reasonable destination for the Rocket. The Rangers
need someone who has already been introduced to inserting a puck
into a net, and Wayne Gretzky certainly isn't going to hit maximum
production passing to the likes of Mike Knuble. Bure's need for
anonymity would be satisfied in the Big Apple and he'd certainly be
a big draw at MSG.
But if the Rangers are interested, so will the rest of the Atlantic
Division. However it seems unlikely that New Jersey, always
financially responsible, would acquire a player who would drive up
the cost of other Devils (Hello, Mr. Lamoriello, it's Martin
Brodeur's agent calling) and it seems doubtful that the Flyers
would be able to throw big money at Bure and Lindros.
So besides the Islanders and Rangers, the third bidder would seem to
be the LA Kings. Any deal that the Kings would make would probably
be geared towards youth. Olli Jokinen, who has found himself a spot
with the big club, would almost certainly be included. Aki Berg
would also look swell in a Canucks uniform, but he is signed in
Europe and therefore cannot play in the NHL this season without
clearing waivers (not gonna happen). With the emergence of Manny
Legace, the Kings now have three capable goalies, so Jamie Storr
might also attract the Canucks attention if they are not content
with Garth Snow (29 years young). Burke originally predicted that
the trade would be completed by Christmas, but the end of November
seems a more likely scenario if the team's on ice play has any
influence.
While the Canucks lost Mogilny this passed week, they were also able
to add a core player, re-signing Bryan McCabe to a three-year deal
that includes a club option. McCabe rejoined the team for a game in
Calgary, in which he made an immediate impact, scoring his first of
the season. The gritty blueliner will solidify the defensive core
that includes Mattias Ohlund, Adrian Aucoin, Bret Hedican and Murray
Baron. Offensive contribution from the back end has been one of the
keys to the Canucks' success this year, and McCabe's presence can
only help, as he will often join the rush and sees action on the
second power-play unit.
Solid play from rookie Josh Holden left the Canucks with one too
many centres on the roster. The victim of the Canucks first glut of
depth down the middle since the days of Igor Larionov was young
Brandon Convery. Convery had looked impressive in the 11 games he
played, netting nine points. He was put on waivers and picked up by
Los Angeles after two days in limbo. Many wondered why the Canucks
would let Convery, one of their few scoring threats lately, leave
for nothing, and the answer may be his inability to work under Mike
Keenan's rigid coaching style. When asked if personal conflicts
with Keenan influenced his departure, Convery answered, " You'd
have to talk to him". But really folks, Mike Keenan running a
player out of town? I can't see it.
On the ice the Canucks play remains inconsistent. They continue to
hover around the .500 level and remain behind Edmonton for the
division lead. They have not yet suffered the prolonged losing
streak that was expected of such a young team, but they haven't put
three wins together all season either. After a close game at GM
Place, both Joe Sakic and Adam Deadmarsh concluded that the Canucks
are for real this year and that their improved conditioning and
effort are quite visible on the ice. Though only a quarter in, it's
looking as though the Canucks may make something of this season
and...dare we say it, make the playoffs.
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