the other press Sports The Inconsistent Canucks Jordan Cripps Sports Editor Unfortunately, I have come to the conclusion, even this early in the NHL season that my prediction for the Canucks was, if any- thing, overly optimistic. I’m not concerned with their record of 2- 2-1 but rather with the way that they have been playing every game, especially the recent games against Boston and Calgary. To begin the season, the first period has been the strong one for the Canucks. For example, in the game against Boston, after out- shooting the Bruins 10-8 in the first period, they were outshot 22- 15 for the rest of the game. It was even worse for the Canuck in the game before this one, when they faced Calgary. The Canucks had fewer shots in all 3 periods but still had the lead part way into the second period. From there, though Calgary came on and the Canucks folded their tents to prepare for Boston. Then, on Friday night, the Canucks faced a team—the Anaheim Mighty Ducks—that they should be able to beat. All they were able to come away with was a tie. In this game, the Canucks again scored the first goal only to see the lead disappear on 2 goals by Paul Kariya. They only got a point out of the game because Todd Bertuzzi scored late in the 3rd period to send the game into over- time. Anaheim is a team that has little depth despite their offsea- son acquisitions and the Canucks should have been able to exploit this. For some reason, though, they had to claw and scratch to make sure they didn't lose the game. Why are the Canucks so inconsistent? I think it’s because they are a young team that can, at times, suffer from a lack of confi- dence. For instance, when Boston scored to tie the game at the end of the first period, the Canucks never really seemed to recover October 23, 2002 from this although they did manage to get another short lead. The same was true against Calgary. Calgary scored one goal and turned the momentum in their favour and the Canucks couldn't hold up to the pressure. Again, I think this has a lot to do with youth. Someone like Trevor Linden, who is a veteran would provide a steadying force if he were able to play right now. Adversity doesn’t faze him or the other veterans on the team. While youth is certainly a factor for why the Canucks seem to be inconsistent right now, it is also because their first line hasn't stepped up to dominate a game the way it did last year. Yes, Bertuzzi scored twice against Anaheim but he was playing with the Sedins (who, along with Trent Klatt have made up the most con- sistent line for the Canucks so far). Naslund, Bertuzzi and Morrison haven't played poorly; they just haven't played up to the level they achieved last year. Until they do, the Canucks will be inconsistent because the opposition will not have to be as con- cerned with the trio as they might be if they were playing well. Finally, defensive coverage is a real problem for the Canucks. Versus Boston, the pairing of Mattias Ohlund and Brent Sopel was a combined —10. That just can’t happen on a regular basis if the Canucks hope to be successful. They need to do a better job of allowing Cloutier, who’s kept them in a couple of games, to see the puck without the opposition in his face. The players on the current roster will likely not solve these issues and it may be that Brian Burke must make a trade or two to fix some of these issues to ensure that his team returns to the playoffs for the third straight season. classifieds Students advertise for free! For free student classifieds up to 30 words, e-mail: . name, student number, desired sec- Receive 50% off our Fast Cash Ad rate. Fast Cash Ads 3 lines 3 times for $20 (30 words max). Open rate of $5 per line. Enquiries: call our advertising manager at 604-525- 3542. Pictures Classifieds pictures are $10 each printing for all of the above categories. 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