Vancouver Dallas

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Courtesy of TSN

VANCOUVER (22-24-4-1) AT DALLAS (23-16-6-4) 8:30 PM EST
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DALLAS (TICKER) -- THE VANCOUVER CANUCKS LOOK TO CONTINUE THEIR RECENT SUCCESS AGAINST THE DALLAS STARS WHEN THEY CLOSE OUT A FOUR-GAME ROAD TRIP AT THE AMERICAN AIRLINES CENTER. THE TEAMS HAVE SPLIT TWO MEETINGS THIS SEASON AND THE CANUCKS ARE 7-4-2 IN
THEIR LAST 13 GAMES AGAINST THE STARS. VANCOUVER IS 4-1-1 IN ITS LAST SIX VISITS TO DALLAS, INCLUDING A 4-1 VICTORY ON
OCTOBER 11. THE STARS AVENGED THAT DEFEAT WITH A 4-2 ROAD
VICTORY ON DECEMBER 2. THE CANUCKS IMPROVED TO 2-1-0 THEIR TRIP WITH A 7-5 VICTORY OVER THE CAROLINA HURRICANES ON MONDAY AND HAVE WON FOUR OF THEIR LAST FIVE GAMES. DEFENSEMAN BRENT SOPEL AND TREVOR LINDEN EACH HAD TWO GOALS AND AN ASSIST AND BRENDAN
MORRISON COLLECTED THREE ASSISTS FOR VANCOUVER, WHICH HAS OUTSCORED ITS FOES, 32-19, OVER ITS LAST SIX GAMES (4-1-0-1). CANUCKS LEFT WING TODD BERTUZZI HAS FOUR GOALS AND EIGHT ASSISTS DURING A NINE-GAME POINTS STREAK. DALLAS POSTED A 5-3 VICTORY OVER THE COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS ON MONDAY AS BENOIT BRUNET AND PIERRE TURGEON ENDED PROLONGED SCORING DROUGHTS AND MARTY TURCO
STOPPED 28 SHOTS. BRUNET COLLECTED HIS FIRST POINT IN 17 GAMES TO BREAK A 1-1 TIE 4:14 INTO THE CONTEST, THEN SET UP TURGEON'S FIRST GOAL IN 21 GAMES WITH 2:10 LEFT IN THE FIRST PERIOD TO GIVE THE STARS A 3-2 ADVANTAGE. TURGEON ALSO HAD A PAIR OF ASSISTS TO HELP DALLAS REMAIN THREE POINTS BEHIND FIRST-PLACE SAN JOSE IN THE PACIFIC DIVISION. STARS CENTER JOE NIEUWENDYK HAD A GOAL AND AN ASSIST. HE HAS SCORED AT LEAST 20 GOALS IN 13 OF HIS 15 NHL SEASONS. OVER HIS CAREER, NIEUWENDYK HAS PLAYED EXTREMELY WELL AGAINST THE CANUCKS, EARNING 38 GOALS AND 42 ASSISTS FOR 80 POINTS IN 72 CAREER CONTESTS. THAT IS THE MOST POINTS AND THE SECOND MOST GOALS NIEUWENDYK HAS AGAINST ANY ONE NHL OPPONENT IN CAREER. DALLAS CENTER MIKE MODANO ALSO IS HOT. HE SCORED HIS TEAM-LEADING 27TH GOAL MONDAY AND SEVENTH IN AS MANY GAMES.
 
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Skudra suffering from Muscle Soreness

Skudra suffering from Muscle Soreness

DALLAS -- The Vancouver Canucks' goaltending crisis has proved so far to be as real and threatening as the millennium bug -- the billion-dollar computer hoax.

The sky hasn't fallen on the Canucks, mostly because starting goalie Dan Cloutier has held it in place by winning 19 games. But with Cloutier at home injured, the Canucks may be looking apprehensively skyward and ducking storm clouds tonight in Dallas.

Backup goalie Peter Skudra did not practise here Tuesday due to an undisclosed injury, which means the Canucks may be forced tonight to use untried rookie Alex Auld against the Dallas Stars.

Auld has not played a minute in the NHL. Skudra has only three wins this season.

"Good question," Skudra said when asked if he'll play tonight. "I think so. Nothing major is going to keep me out of the game. It's just [sore] muscles. I'm just taking a day easy."

Generally, NHL backup goalies do not get days off to rest muscles. Skudra has played just once in 12 days -- he replaced Cloutier 10 minutes into Vancouver's 7-5 win Monday in Carolina -- and the Canucks had a full day off on Sunday. Allowing four goals on 27 shots against the Hurricanes, Skudra needs the practice.

But he was limping noticeably after Monday's game. Instead of practising in Dallas, Skudra underwent medical treatment for what seems to be a leg injury.

"He had a medical maintenance day today," Canuck coach Marc Crawford told reporters. "He is just a little sore from last night's game."

"There was not really a tweak or anything," Skudra said. "It's just maybe tired and a little tight. Nothing happened in the game that will keep me out. I stressed myself a little bit."

He'll stress Crawford much more if he is unable to play tonight.

Martin Brochu, demoted to the minors after a 0-3 start as Cloutier's backup, has lost the organization's confidence so absolutely that Auld was promoted from the Manitoba Moose despite his inexperience.

Auld, like every goalie in the organization except Cloutier, struggled at the start of the season, although he had a good reason -- a pre-season ankle injury.

Auld was dispatched to Columbia, S.C., of the East Coast League to re-sharpen his skills and is 8-5 with a 3.42 average and 88.2 save percentage in the American League with the Moose.

He sat on the Canucks' bench for games Jan. 8 and Jan. 9, watching Skudra play while Cloutier took a brief leave to be with an ailing family member.

Skudra, 3-4-1-1 with a 3.16 average and .888 save rate, hasn't started a game since then.

"These guys are all capable people, and you have to treat them like they're capable," Crawford said. "[Skudra] has got to be a little bit more controlled in his play. The two games he was great in . . . he was very controlled. The rebounds stopped in front of him and he wasn't overpursuing shots."

Canuck player personnel director Steve Tambellini, accompanying the team on its four game road trip, said there is no need to look for goaltending help outside the organization unless Cloutier's sprained ankle injury proves worse than expected.

Cloutier told reporters in Vancouver that he hopes to be out only a few days, but conceded his recovery could require a week or longer.

Starting tonight, the Canucks play five times in eight days.

"I think the first step is to be clear on Danny's status," said Tambellini, who is of the opinion the Auld displays more maturity and experience than expected from a player less than a year removed from junior hockey.

"Did we expect to have him here this early? I would say 'no,'" Tambellini said. "But it's a great opportunity for Alex. I'm sure it's very exciting."

ICE CHIP -- Defenceman Brent Sopel's plus-six rating in the win against Carolina was the best night by a Canuck since Colin Campbell, now an NHL vice-president, was plus-six during a game in 1981. Ottawa Senators' defenceman Wade Redden was the last to go plus-six in an NHL game, doing so Jan. 4, 2000.

Courtesy of The Vancouver Sun
 
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