Canucks: My two cents

The Canucks hit the ice tonight in Minnesota versus the Wild aiming to avenge a shoot out loss the last time these two met. The Wild are currently on the top of their division with 18 points while Vancouver lags just behind with 15. The Wild just came off a 4-1 loss to Colorado so the Canucks should be prepared to face a motivated team. The Canucks have won four of their last six and are looking strong. Although it is only the beginning of a long stretch of season, the Canucks have many who have called them a .500 team eating their words. The Canucks are finally displaying a strong work ethic, and it appears that this is the key to success the boys have been lacking all along. Not since their '94 run at the cup with the NY Rangers have fans seen such intensity on the ice. Every battle for the puck is played like it may be a player's last. Even Markus Naslund, who played hurt last season, is finally becoming a true captain. He is not just wearing the 'C' on his jersey, he is finally setting an example. Perhaps this is why the Canucks have been doing so well this season. Naslund has vastly improved his defensive game, which is important within the new system the Canucks have adopted this year. Naslund who was a minus 19 last season is a plus 4 this season. That is a huge improvement. Hurt, Naslund managed to tally 79 points which was his lowest in five years. This year Naslund has managed 11 points in 13 games and if he is able to keep it up, he is well on his way to another huge season. Daniel Sedin is at 14 points in 13 games and Henrik is tied for third with assists in the NHL (13) and is at 15 points in 13 games. The boys are looking good thus far. But one player who does not seem to be living in the limelight this season is Canucks golden boy Trevor Linden. Linden who has never been sat out in over 1,000 games has seen his first benching. In a deal discussed before the season started Alain Vigneault, Dave Nonis, and Linden discussed the likelihood of Linden sitting out the eleven back-to-back games this season. Disappointed but wanting to play Linden agreed. Not only is Linden getting benched 11 games this season he is also seeing a large reduction in playing time. This season Linden averages under 10 minutes per game. Linden has never played below the double digit mark in his 18 seasons in the NHL. Always a fixture on the penalty kill, Linden has only seen 46 seconds of power play time this season. Which is not surprising considering his offensive flair is floundering. Although Linden has never reached an 80 point season his true offensive glory was amassing 25 points in 24 games in the '94 Stanely Cup series. With Linden's reduced playing time, an improvement has been seen on the ice. He looks faster and well adjusted to the new NHL compared to last season and his constant falling behind in the play. Perhaps the reduced playing time, while not good for the ego, is just what the doctor ordered to improve Linden's readjustment to the new NHL. With the Canucks new defensive style of play matching Linden's strong points, it is only a matter of time before Linden's play improves even more. Look to see more ice time and a stronger role on the ice from Linden in the future. With the Canucks 5-3-1 on the road and Chouinard back in his old stomping grounds perhaps the Canucks can teach Jacques Lemaire and the boys of Minnesota a thing or two about how to be a defensive team without playing the trap. Should make for an interesting game if either team can score more than two goals.