It wasn’t pretty, but it was exactly what the Canucks needed. Coming off yet another disappointing performance against their #1 rival in Calgary, the Canucks returned to GM Place looking for answers. The performance they turned in against a very weak Minnesota team is a blueprint for success for this Daniel Sedin-less team- they stood tall in front of Roberto Luongo, clogged the neutral zone and threw pucks at the net all night long. The “top” line of Henrik, Burrows and Samuelsson played well and generated chances. Henrik stills looks a little lost without his twin brother, but he continues to make plays and work hard in the corners. The second line of Kessler, Raymond and Grabner combined for 17 shots and the most exciting plays of the night. Finish continues to be an issue for this team, but this is not the team that will compete for top spot in the Western Conference. This is the team that has to keep the Canucks in contention while Daniel Sedin, Sami Salo and Pavol Demitra heal up and Luongo comes through his annual slow start. The always elusive second tier scores are proving they can make plays and get chances, the defense is looking tighter and more responsible. For the next few weeks the Canucks have to be a boring team. Good forechecking, tight defensive coverage and getting pucks on net will be key. The Canucks do not have a sniper or a game breaker that will steal points, they will win low scoring games decided on deflections and second chance goals- just like tonight.
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