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VANCOUVER — For the umpteenth time since he was a 30-goal rookie back in the 1988-89 NHL season, Trevor Linden has bailed out the Vancouver Canucks when it seemed all was lost.
This time he scored two goals in the second period to break open a critical game and inspire the Canucks to a 6-2 romp over the Calgary Flames to further complicate the race for playoff positions in the Western Conference.
The thankful home crowd sensed, or at least hoped, Linden would get another goal in the third period last night.
A teammate sent a cross-ice pass to Linden but instead of risking a wild shot, Linden wisely passed back to a defenceman when the first pass wasn't in his wheelhouse for a one-timer.
Vancouver's Alex Burrows gets his glove up into the face of Flames defenceman Dion Phaneuf during the first period. (Lyle Stafford/Reuters)
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- Washington Capitals
- Luc Bourdon
- Dustin Boyd
- Jarome Iginla
- Curtis Joseph
- Miikka Kiprusoff
- Daymond Langkow
- Matthew Lombardi
- Roberto Luongo
- David Moss
- Markus Naslund
- Owen Nolan
- Eric Nystrom
- Matt Pettinger
- Taylor Pyatt
- Byron Ritchie
- Sami Salo
- Daniel Sedin
- Ryan Shannon
- Mike Weaver
He's played with that conviction for years and now the 37-year-old from Medicine Hat, Alta., completes his 20th NHL campaign. He doesn't have the stride or shot of his prime, but Linden remains a warrior and fans recognize his value.
The two-goal game was the first for Linden since Feb. 23, 2003, and couldn't have come at a better time as it helped end a four-game losing streak and keep the Canucks in the race with three games remaining in the schedule.
"The next most important game of the season is [tomorrow] night," the modest Linden told fans after the game. "I feel pretty fortunate to play in Vancouver, the best city in the league."
As for the all-important standings, the Canucks are eighth in the west, three points back of the Colorado Avalanche and two behind Calgary, with the Nashville Predators a point back of Vancouver.
Calgary lost twice on the weekend, (2-1 Saturday to the Edmonton Oilers) to fall four back of the leading Minnesota Wild in the Northwest Division. Edmonton, with only two games left, sits two back of Vancouver.
The Canucks took charge in the second period when Linden scored twice and Matt Pettinger added his fourth goal since being acquired at the trade deadline last month from the Washington Capitals.
Linden broke a 2-2 deadlock with a crowd-pleasing, spin-around move near the goal crease at 1:53 after taking a pass from Byron Ritchie.
The General Motors Place sellout erupted into a standing ovation when Linden scored again at 6:49 on a juicy rebound after a point shot by Mike Weaver was partially blocked by Flames netminder Miikka Kiprusoff.
Calgary coach Mike Keenan immediately pulled Kiprusoff and replaced him with backup Curtis Joseph. Pettinger beat Joseph at 12:16 from the side of the net on a pass from Ryan Shannon after Taylor Pyatt disrupted coverage by jamming the crease.
The wild and crazy opening period produced four goals, 12 minor penalties and inevitable after-whistle scrums when crashing the crease was the offensive tactic of choice.
David Moss opened scoring at 1:13 with a deflection just outside the goal crease after two Vancouver defenders elected not to tie up the stick of the Calgary player on the second shift of the game.
Vancouver pulled even on a power-play blast by Sami Salo at 11:54 when Calgary forward Owen Nolan screened his netminder more than any of the Canuck forwards.
The Flames led again when Matthew Lombardi converted a pass-out from Jarome Iginla on a power play at 18:42, just a few seconds after Iginla ran into Vancouver netminder Roberto Luongo without penalty.
The Canucks responded with some crease crashing of their own 27 seconds later when Markus Naslund dived to poke home a rebound after Kiprusoff stopped a muffed shot by Daniel Sedin.
Calgary made two changes at forward, using Dustin Boyd and Moss in place of Daymond Langkow and Eric Nystrom. Langkow stayed in Alberta after a death in the family.
