Canucks Gameday

By With Jim Jamieson, The Province November 20, 2011

SENATORS (10-9-1) AT CANUCKS (9-9-1), TODAY, 6 P.M., ROGERS ARENA

TV: Sportsnet Pacific, Radio: TEAM 1040

THE SETUP

THE CANUCKS:

Just way too much win-one/lose-one for the Canucks, and now that the team is about to hit the

quarter point of the schedule it's clearly time to get on a roll. From now to mid-December their

schedule is favourable. Of course, they have to actually do it.

THE SENATORS:

After a horrific 1-5-0 start under new head coach Paul MacLean, the Sens looked like they would

live down to predictions of league doormat. But some impressive surges - including a current

three-game winning streak - has Ottawa flirting with a playoff spot.

THREE THINGS TO WATCH

1 Goalie Cory Schneider hasn't played much in November, as the Canucks tried to get Luongo

into a groove, but he'll be getting his second straight start against the Sens, as Louie recovers

from his "upper body" injury. Time for that first win?

2 You always get effort from Ryan Kesler, but even that hasn't pulled him out of his funk after

his return from offseason hip surgery. The Canucks need him to drive their second line, and one

goal in 12 games isn't going to cut it.

3 Sens D-man Erik Karlsson, who led the NHL's defencemen in points heading into Saturday's

games, is 21, has 1-17-18 in 20 games and is a big reason why the Sens' power play is third

overall. By the way, he was taken 15th overall in 2008, five spots behind Cody Hodgson.

BY THE NUMBERS

6: The number of power-play goals the Canucks have surrendered in 17 chances over the past

four games. This, after killing 37 of 38 over the previous 10 games.

INJURIES

CANUCKS: G Roberto Luongo (upper body, day to day); Keith Ballard (back); LW Mason

Raymond (fractured vertebra, cleared for contact); F Andrew Ebbett (broken foot), out

indefinitely.

SENATORS: D Matt Carkner (knee surgery); C Peter Regin (shoulder); RW Chris Neil (high

ankle sprain).

© Copyright (c) The Province

______________________________________

State of hate is 'getting old'

Rampant dislike of the Vancouver team still baffling players

and fans alike

By Jason Botchford, The Province

The last stop on the Canucks first road trip in the 2005-06 season was Minnesota. After one of

the Canucks practices there, a couple of zealous Wild reporters waited patiently to talk to Todd

Bertuzzi. They wanted to know how he coped with being booed in each city he played in.

On this particular day, Bertuzzi made them wait an unusually long time, until he had showered

and changed into his suit. When he finally presented himself and heard the question, he shot back

with a lingering, scornful glare, spat some curse words, turned and left. That was that.

"Well, at least now I know why they're booing him," the reporter said.

That was never a problem. With Bertuzzi, you always understood why he grated on opponents,

media and fans.

With the current edition of the Canucks, it's much less clear. How can a team led by the Sedins,

one which lacks both toughness and bullies, be considered the most hated, arrogant team in

hockey?

That's what Mark Recchi comfortably called the Canucks amidst some prodding on Boston

sports radio this week.

"[In] 22 years they are the most arrogant team I played against and the most hated team I've ever

played against," Recchi said.

At least he didn't seem concerned about hyperbole. Kevin Bieksa handled it Saturday by

swinging a nine iron he pulled out of his bag of one liners.

"Isn't he retired? What's he doing? Tell him to go play a round of golf or take a nap. Why is he

chirping us?"

Then, Bieksa started to pick apart Recchi's assertion.

"You can call us a lot of things, I don't think arrogant would be one of them," Bieksa said. "This

is not even close to the most arrogant team I've even played on.

"The twins are so humble and you may not like playing against guys like [Maxim] Lapierre, and

[Alex] Burrows but they're not arrogant. I just don't get it. Mark Recchi can go take a nap."

Vancouver head coach Alain Vigneault seemed legitimately disappointed in Recchi, a retired

threetime Stanley Cup winner.

"I've known Mark, I've coached Mark, he's a quality person," Vigneault said. "But you can also

win with class. You don't need to rub it in. It was a seven-game series. This team, in my mind, is

about integrity. We play the right way. They won.

"It is not a very classy thing." Recchi's comment was one thing. That it fed into the "everyone

should hate the Canucks" hysteria is quite another. Recchi is just the latest to throw gas on a

forest fire that began building late last season, coincidentally when the Canucks were wrapping

up a historic regular season, running away with the Presidents' Trophy and nearly every

important statistic.

As such, the Canucks were never in the underdog role and were never going to get the warmer,

gentler, dare we say rah-rah coverage the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers got nationally

during their recent, out-of-nowhere runs to the Stanley Cup.

By the time the playoffs started, many in the media were eager to take a run at the perch they

perceived the Canucks to be sitting on.

It became obvious in the delirious reaction to Raffi Torres' hit on Brent Seabrook. As some

media urged the NHL to suspend Torres a day or two short of forever, you knew this year was

going to be different.

Not long after, columns poured in from around the country, suggested Canadians not cheer for

the Canucks. They cited reasons as absurd as the Green Men and as outrageous as Vancouver, as

a city, isn't Canadian enough. It all seemed petty at the time. Embarrassing, even. Now, it seems

like it could have been damaging.

Dan Hamhuis became a scourge for hitting Dave Bolland high, even though it was the

Blackhawks who allowed Bolland to play with concussion-like symptoms.

The Sedins were ripped for keep their composure even while the Bruins tried to bully them. And

the stories about embellishing never ended.

It was Barry Trotz who really got the diving story going when he publicly defended the officials

in some gamesmanship of his own.

"You guys took it and just ran with it," Bieksa said. "San Jose got a hold of it and it was just a

snowball through the playoffs. All of a sudden, we're the most hated team in Canada and all that

stuff.

"Maybe it makes for great stories, but it's getting old."

It's also getting ubiquitous. Many Canucks fans have given up trying to defend their team,

instead choosing to "embrace the hate." They have their own twitter hashtag #embracethehate.

The players aren't quite there yet. "It seems like it's fair game now to take a shot at us," Henrik

Sedin said. "Anyone can say something about our team and everyone just buys into it. It just

keeps building and it's not fair to us. We are a hard-working team. We are no worse than any

other team.

"There are times when you're on the line and you make the wrong decision but that doesn't just

happen to this team."

The irony, as Bieksa touched on, is that the Sedins, Vancouver's leaders, are among the most

humble, appreciative, professional, respectable athletes you will ever come across.

True, other Canucks are not nearly as easy to like. But they're not easy to hate, either. Roberto

Luongo has a knack for occasionally saying the wrong thing. No one has had as many poorly

timed jokes backfire. But any overconfidence he had is long gone. Burrows and Lapierre can be

immature, and have that reputation for diving and whining. But they're annoying, not arrogant.

Ryan Kesler has some arrogance, but to hockey fans, it's hard not to love the way he plays when

he's on, even if it's for Team USA. The rest of the team is nondescript.

Who does that leave? Sami Salo? Is someone really willing to say they hate Salo? Sure they are.

He's a Canuck.

Blueline to online with Kbieksa3

Defenceman joins the growing ranks of athletes with

something to share

By Terry Bell, The Province

If you're not already tweeting 'em, then join 'em.

After some prodding from teammates - well, one at least - and fans, Vancouver Canucks

defenceman Kevin Bieksa joined the growing ranks of NHL players who've taken the plunge

into Twitter. And Kbieksa3 has solid stats, racking up 44,102 followers after just 34 tweets.

"Kes kinda threw me under the bus when he tweeted that I was on Twitter before I even had the

chance to decide whether or not I wanted to do it," Bieksa said earlier this season, referring, of

course, to teammate Ryan Kesler (Ryan_Kesler, 100,909 followers).

"The next thing you know I had 10,000 followers and I had people asking when my first tweet

was going to come and telling me to come through with my side of the bargain that I didn't

make," he added with a grin.

"You know what, I've had fun with it so far and we'll see where it goes."

The world of social media can be a scary place. Especially for athletes and other celebrities who

attract legions of followers. It's important to think b4 U tweet.

Case in point - Canucks farmhand Mike Duco. During the 2011 Stanley Cup playoffs Duco, then

a member of the Florida Panthers, tweeted that he was "sick of watching the Sedins dive and lay

on the ice."

After goalie Roberto Luongo had one of his shaky postseason games, Duco offered this insight:

"HA ... solid night, Luongo."

Then the Canucks traded Sergei Shirokov for Duco on July 9. And the on-ice agitator quickly

changed his tune.

"To the players, fans and organization I would like to apologize and I hope that you can forgive

me," Duco told TSN. "I had no reason to say anything bad about them.

"As a player, I should never publicly say anything negative about another player," he continued.

"To say it on the ice is one thing, but online is something completely different and I realize this

now."

By the way ... Duco no longer tweets.

Bieksa is well aware that Twitter is a potential minefield. But he's not worried about a trip to the

social media penalty box.

"We have a social media policy implemented by the NHL so I'm aware of that," he said. "I only

have about 11 tweets now and maybe a few of them already I'd like to take back. I think you

learn that you really have to think about it before you send it, and you have to think about how

other people are going to take it. You just have to use your head."

Bieksa said he got interested in Twitter because he wanted to be informed about current events.

"I got into it originally just so I could follow some other people," he said. "It's nice to have

information at your finger tips. I follow current events and CNN breaking news, things like that.

I'm up to date with current events.

"I'll tweet about things that I'm passionate about, which is obviously hockey. Most fans want to

hear about hockey and what's going on here. They want to hear me ribbing some teammates. I'll

have fun with it but I'll mostly use it as a platform for important topics that I think need to be

heard."

And those would be?

"Current events, charity events, signings and things like that," he said. "If I have any political

views I want to share then so be it."

Bieksa, a gregarious guy around the rink, is protective of his privacy when he's away from the

game.

"I was definitely skeptical," he said. "There's not much privacy out there and when you have a

Twitter account and you're tweeting your personal thoughts and where you are with your

location, that's the one thing I was skeptical about. I'm actually a pretty private guy away from

the rink. At the rink I do my thing and I enjoy doing the media, but after I go home I enjoy

spending time with my family and I'll keep that private."

The NHL has a social media policy. Players aren't allowed to post from two hours before game

time until they've finished with their postgame media interviews.

Players can be disciplined if their posts damage the league, a team or the game of hockey. They

can't criticize officials. NHL referees and linesmen aren't allowed to use social media. The NBA

and NFL had social media policies in place before the start of their 2009 seasons.

There are some fake Twitter accounts out there but Kesler, Bieksa, Dale Weise, Andrew Ebbett

and David Booth are the only Canucks players currently tweeting. General manager Mike Gillis

tweets at GMMikeGillis. Forward Alex Burrows said he's thinking about it.

"Since my good friends Ryan and Kevin have joined Twitter it's been something I've been

following a little bit," Burrows said earlier this season. "I think it's a lot of fun.

"They asked me to join but I'm still not sure. I was thinking about it but I still haven't made my

decision yet. It takes a lot of your time to keep your fans interested. It's something I'll look in to.

"I don't think I'd be too scared of it. I don't think I'd get into trouble. I'd think twice before

pressing the send button but at the same time there are so many people out there moving into the

social media world so it would give me a chance to interact with the fans."

Fans, of course, love this stuff and tweeting-athletes.com lists 1,256 NFL players who tweet. The

site's numbers say the NBA has 398 tweeters and Major League Baseball has 278. The LPGA

and PGA have 178 in total and pro tennis has 96.

According to the website, 224 NHL players are now tweeting.

Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin has a league-leading 246,437 followers. Phoenix

Coyotes tough guy and funny man Paul Bissonnette has 170,513 glued to his winning formula of

quick wit and self- deprecating humour at BizNasty2point0.

But the NHL's tweet beat isn't as busy as other sports. As of Thursday afternoon, retired hoop

star Shaquille O'Neal had 4,549,042 followers, third among the world's athletes to Real Madrid

stars Kaka, who had 6,974,173, and Cristiano Ronaldo (5,285,967). Retired cyclist Lance

Armstrong had 3,128,827. Tennis star Serena Williams had 2,333,033, with golfer Tiger Woods

in at 1,399,103. New England receiver Chad Ochocinco had 2,940,818.

But compared to pop stars sports stars remain relatively ignored. Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber

have the equivalent of small countries following them. Gaga's at 15,978,243. Bieber has

14,567,527.

"It's getting up there," Bieksa said of his band of followers. "It's growing. There are a lot of fans

out there and social media is really picking up. It started as a younger generation thing but now

you have everybody tweeting. It's going to be fun."

Tested by adversity early, Sens finding their

groove

Improved power play and more goals key to success

By Jim Jamieson, The Province November 20, 2011

Paul MacLean brought a new, upbeat message and an uptempo approach to the Ottawa Senators

when he was hired as head coach last spring.

His team got off to a 1-5-0 start.

No, he wasn't fired faster than you can say Barry Melrose - the Sens reeled off six straight wins

after the putrid start and have managed to keep themselves around .500 through the first 20

games of the season.

They're riding a three-game winning streak on their current six-game road trip and the team

many picked to finish last in the Eastern Conference is feeling very good about themselves

heading into today's meeting with the Canucks at Rogers Arena.

"It was a test of our leadership as a group, which includes me and my coaching staff," said

MacLean, following his team's practice on Saturday at the Pacific Coliseum. "You might as well

be tested early.

I think part of it, too, was the opponents we played. We played six pretty elite teams (Detroit,

Washington, Philadelphia as well as Toronto and Colorado, who were red-hot at the time) and

that was a factor. It was growing pains."

MacLean, who spent six seasons as an assistant to Mike Babcock in Detroit, brought with him a

high-tempo, full-ice approach that's been a challenge to a group used to playing a more passive

style, but it's paying dividends.

"We're skating more, putting more pressure on the other team," said Senators captain Daniel

Alfredsson. "We've found we can create more chances that way. Early on, we didn't do a good

job on the other side of the puck and we gave up a lot of goals. We've got better at that. We have

four lines that are contributing, good goaltending and a lot of energy on the team."

Ottawa finished 29th in goals scored last season, but currently sits at seventh, with a third overall

power play.

"He's really made us push the pace," said Senators' first-line centre Jason Spezza. "We have

shorter shifts, we're more intense as a group and I think that's helped our whole team. We've

been a quicker team this year. We had a really hard training camp and had a tough start. We got

blown out a couple of times but it turned out to be a real good wake-up call for us and a good

time for us to figure out how to be better."

Spezza is off to a point-a-game pace and leads Ottawa with six goals and 19 points, while his

winger, Milan Michalek, has 12 goals already. Michalek, who came over in the Dany Heatley

deal two seasons ago, is finally enjoying a run of good health after two knee injuries and one to

his foot since coming to the Sens. As well, young defenceman Erik Karlsson, 21, led NHL

defencemen in points (1-17-18) heading into Saturday's games.

"We've had good chemistry in the past," said Spezza of Michalek. "His legs are going right now

and he's healthy. A lot of times health can be a big deterrent in this league."

Today's game will be an early season measuring stick for his group, said MacLean.

"We're playing an elite team and our record against the elite teams hasn't been good," he said.

"We like to think we're getting a little better every day and this will be a test to see how much

progress we're making."

Surging Senators haven't won here in eight

years

Postmedia News November 20, 2011

Never have the Ottawa Senators swept a western Canadian road trip.

To do so they'll have to accomplish something they haven't done since the 2003-04 season - win

in Vancouver.

Ottawa finds itself with a rare opportunity to conquer the west after sweeping Alberta with a 3-1

victory against the Calgary Flames and a 5-2 triumph over the Edmonton Oilers.

It looks possible, too, with the defending Western Conference-champion Canucks struggling at

.500.

Senators coach Paul MacLean preached caution on Saturday.

"Well, they're an elite team, and we've had some struggles against elite teams to this point in the

season, and that's not surprising, I guess," MacLean said. "But, against other teams that are closer

to us, we've played real well.

"This is an opportunity for us, I guess, to measure ourselves with the Stanley Cup finalists and

see where we are. The last time we played the Stanley Cup champions, it didn't go real good (a

5-3 loss to the Boston Bruins on Nov. 1), so this could be another test for us.

"But I think we're going to be ready for it. They're a good team ... and they're going to be

difficult."

This stretch in which the Senators play six consecutive games and nine of 10 on the road

appeared to set up as a defining moment for the team.

They started it with a loss to the Buffalo Sabres, their fifth in a row. It could have easily gone

downhill from there.

However, the Senators beat the Toronto Maple Leafs the next night and then swept through

Alberta, improving to 10-9-1 for the season.

General manager Bryan Murray conceded he had some concerns when he looked at this part of

the schedule. A long losing streak at the start of the season can devastate morale.

"You look at some of these trips during the year and you say, 'Oh, boy, this could be tough,'"

Murray said. "But this has been real satisfying for us."

_____________________________________________________________________________

No illusions about tightrope act

Job's always on the line, coach says

By Gordon McIntyre, The Province

Being the head coach of an NHL team is to breathe rarefied air.

There are only 30 of them. It's just about the toughest gig to land in sports, outside of maybe

Formula One driver, although you can buy your way onto that circuit.

The hours are insane, the work can be thankless and marriages are often sacrificed.

Like a climber on Everest you never know when that lungful of rarefied air might be your last

gasp.

And if you are one of the seven NHL head coaches in Canada, the scrutiny is magnified to the

molecular level. You'd have to be nuts to take a job like that, eh?

For attention, the three hottest [NHL] markets have to be Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto.

They could be 1a, 1b and 1c, Alain Vigneault, who's coached in two of them, said this week. "I

think as a player or as a coach, I don't see why you wouldn't want to be in one of those markets

because it's so passionate."

"Every game is fun, is interesting. That's the way I see it anyway."

Yeah, interesting. That's a word the Chinese use to curse each other.

Vigneault knows, despite the backing of Mike Gillis and the Aquilinis to date, he could be fired

at any time. Coaching a .500 hockey club at Christmas isn't going to get Bodog to increase the

odds of him finishing the season.

Had Roberto Luongo not stopped Patrick Sharp in overtime in Game 7 of the opening round last

year, would he have been back this season?

"Nope," he says without hesitation. "I understand how the game works.

"And I understand the window organizations have. We're in our window here where we've got a

real good team, veteran guys that are coming together at the right time.

"I knew last year was part of our window, so I understand the consequences that come with that."

Luongo was the one using his athletic ability and reflexes, but there was more involved, the

behind the scenes stuff wherein coaches earn their money.

Alex Burrows, the eventual hero who along with Luongo, Vigneault figures saved his job, was in

the penalty box. Patrick Kane fed Jonathan Toews behind the goal line to Luongo's left and the

Hawks captain drew Kevin Bieksa past him in a slide, then fed Sharp in the circle to Luongo's

right.

The goalie glided over and made the stop on the one-timer 48 seconds into OT.

It was a play the Canucks coaching staff had noticed the Hawks using and they'd drilled it into

their penalty killers' heads, including Luongo's.

That prep by the coaches, along with Luongo's instincts and ability, then Burrows' heroics, meant

Gillis didn't have to make a coaching decision last summer.

"It was probably the same for Claude [Julien] in Boston if he doesn't win his Game 7 against

Montreal," Vigneault says. "He'll probably give the same answer.

"We know how this game works. You accept the good and you accept the challenges that go

with it."

Vigneault was hired in Montreal because Mario Tremblay was fired; he was hired by the

Canucks, promoted from Manitoba, because Marc Crawford was fired.

You can probably count on one hand the number of major-sport coaches who have retired in the

place they began. Even Joe Paterno didn't leave gracefully.

"That's a good point," Vigneault says. "I remember last year after we lost Game 7 against

Boston, I think a couple of days after that a reporter from your paper said I should be fired."

And he has a good chuckle.

"The people back home in Montreal and Gatineau, the French TSN [RDS], they made a big thing

out of that, saying 'You think it's tough in Montreal, here's a guy that just got his team to Game 7

of the Stanley Cup final and somebody's suggesting he's not the right guy for the job and should

be fired.'"

The most obvious time Vigneault might have been fired was during an 11-game stretch in

January 2009, when the Canucks went 1-5-5.

But Gillis liked the calm air Vigneault brought to work every day. Vigneault says he never had a

sense he might be let go.

"I never looked over my shoulder wondering if ..."

Vigneault makes mistakes. Like any coach, he has his guys. But he doesn't stick blindly with

them; just ask Tanner Glass.

Vigneault made a decision to enjoy coaching more in Vancouver than he did in Montreal and

such homilies as 'I take my job seriously, I don't take myself seriously,' come easily to his lips

and can sound like bromides.

But it does seem true. He's relaxed, joking with the media, accepting the advice he gets while

wandering around town from fans with a smile, and dead serious about winning.

"For me, I've considered myself real privileged and fortunate to be doing this job and to be doing

it in the markets I have," Vigneault says. "I mean, everyone's got an opinion, everyone thinks

their opinion is the right one, people are so passionate.

"I know there are responsibilities that come with this job and I do them the best I can every day."

Not just Canucks coaches 'hired to be fired'

The departures of some can be messy - just ask ex-Canucks

bench boss, Rick Ley

By Gordon McIntyre, The Province

Lord knows the Canucks have run enough coaches out of town, none faster than Bill LaForge (he

lasted 20 games to start the 1984-85 season).

But perhaps the most messy parting of ways was Rick Ley's dismissal with six games to go in

the 1995-96 season.

A close friend of general manager Pat Quinn, Ley suffered the indignity of having his firing

announced prematurely, by weeks, on the late lamented Sports Page, then the humiliation of a

Province backpage headline that read: 'Go Ley Go! Blowout loss to Leafs further erodes Canuck

coach's job security.'

That appeared on March 28, 1996; Ley was let go later that day, sparking then-Province

columnist Don Cherry to ruminate thusly on the slings and arrows suffered by coaches:

"Here's a guy who dedicated his life to hockey, honest to a fault, always gave 100 per cent. And

because he couldn't get 20 guys to stop floating, his world has come crashing down.

Ricky knew that when he got into coaching. It's the nature of the beast. What other profession,

when you lose your job, do you have your face plastered all over the TV with the word FIRED

under it. Or have a newspaper headline GO LEY GO.

I remember the first time I got hired to coach the Rochester Americans of the AHL. They were a

farm team of the Vancouver Canucks. General manager and coach Doug Adams was having a

tough time with the fans. One attacked him on the way to the bench before a game.

As Rochester was 18 points out of a playoff spot, Doug thought he'd make me a coach instead of

a player. I was 36 and at the end of the trail, so why not?

At a press conference to announce my hiring, I heard a reporter ask Doug if he thought I'd last

and Doug said, 'I don't know. They're hired to be fired.'"

Welcome to the coaching profession, Grapes.

When Canucks management had a different

style

It was good then, but the team's a bit more sophisticated

these days

By Tony Gallagher, The Province

Mike Gillis and Laurence Gilman are almost certainly the best management team the Vancouver

Canucks have ever been blessed with, and over the years you could probably make the claim it's

been a progressive, steady improvement throughout the franchise history.

And over the years that management style has most certainly shifted in and out of different eras

of the game as well as with the different styles of the various managers in place. Our White

Towel is a perfect opportunity to walk down memory lane and give you some insight into how

some of those earlier GMs conducted themselves.

The first general manager was Bud Poile followed fairly quickly by a two-headed monster of Hal

Laycoe (the team's first coach) and Phil Maloney for a year and then Maloney by himself for

four seasons. Their styles were certainly different than what we see now, and who better to tell

us about the lay of the land then than Greg Douglas, the now Sun columnist who was the public

relations director and jack of all trades with those regimes.

"I'm not really too sure of where he learned it, but Bud [Poile, the father of now Predators GM

David Poile] was a great showman and he really knew how to look after the media," says

Douglas, who was the most popular p.r. director in club history by a country mile. "He instituted

the Tuesday press conference in a downtown hotel when the team was in town during the season

and there were all kinds of things that happened. There was the time they brought in the

hypnotist to talk to [struggling rightwinger] Rosaire Paiement at one of them and another time

when they had a 60-yearold Coley Hall [head of the team's board of directors] compare biceps

with Dennis Ververgaert with the pictures all appearing in the papers.

There was always some sort of promotion going on and Bud was the guy who started that end-

of-season media charter down to L.A. for the last regular season road game when all the media

went on this junket."

In those years, the Canucks would host a media hospitality suite in the team hotel when the club

was on the road. The media was frequently plied with booze Don Draper style, Douglas

occasionally having to write the hockey story in the Sun or Province himself on the days when

some of the reporters would get too carried away on the sauce in the suite.

Douglas told the story at the funeral of Clancy Loranger of the time when the dear departed

Province columnist got blitzed one night and Douglas wrote his story for him. The next morning,

Loranger phoned him and said: "Greg, thanks but the lede (opening paragraph) was horsebleep."

To say it was a different era in the sports media is an understatement.

"As far as players on the ice were concerned, it was pretty much the bottom of the barrel,

whatever they could scrape together in the early years," Douglas continues, "the only guy we had

really was [Orland] Kurtenbach. He pretty much carried the team on his shoulders in those first

years."

Laycoe and Maloney took over in 1973-74 and the latter had recently retired as a player himself

so he still liked to put on the skates and go out and practise with the team he was managing. As a

great Western League player, Maloney still loved the game, so I guess you could say he was as

close as you could get to the concerns of the players in an era when for the first time in hockey

history they had options on where they could play. He was in the dressing room with them most

days.

The World Hockey Association was nicely under way at that point and by the standards of the

day salaries were the highest ever because the players could jump to the other league if they

didn't like the offer from their NHL team. And frequently they did just that. So keeping your

players was a GM's biggest concern. Known as the Silver Fox from his playing days, Maloney

had success taking the Canucks to their first Divisional title in '75 led by goalie Gary Smith.

"They got a real break when they got Smith in that trade with Chicago," says Douglas with

reference to the deal that brought Smith with Jerry Korab here for Dale Tallon. "I think it must

have been Laycoe behind that deal, although Phil may have been involved too, but Smith was

great that one year especially. But the rock in management in those years was Larry Popein. He

was the assistant GM and had come from the New York Rangers and he took care of all the

details. I don't think the franchise could have survived without him."

This is the first in a series of columns looking back at past Canuck GMs. It will be continued in

the next White Towel when the Jake Milford and Harry Neale regimes will be examined.

Game plan comes from 'above'

Canucks winger David Booth cites religious faith in dealing

with life's obstacles

By Ben Kuzma, The Province November 20, 2011

It's customary for a newcomer to any professional franchise to trot out familiar phrases.

There's the elation of a new opportunity, the disappointment over what had previously gone

wrong, the adventure of discovering a new city and a chance to dispose of old career baggage.

David Booth referenced all of the above when acquired in a multi-player trade with the Florida

Panthers last month.

However, the Vancouver Canucks winger also mentioned another source of inspiration that was

met with the odd arch of a media eyebrow.

It was Booth's strong connection to the Christian faith and the belief that God has a plan. He's not

alone. Dan Hamhuis has religious convictions and organizes chapel services for teammates,

while other NHL players have spoken of the direction and determination afforded by adhering to

the Bible. How all this plays out in the room and on the ice is a growing dynamic because Booth

put it to the test in his first address.

"When it's a part of you and the most important thing in your life, you want to show that," said

Booth. "There's nothing to hide. I'm proud of who I am and there's no shame in being a Christian.

You have to be bold in your faith and guys respect it when somebody has conviction like that.

When guys have a passion for things, that's very convincing and you can change peoples' lives.

And that's when people believe in you and follow you."

Booth was born in Detroit and raised in a Christian household. Ryan Kesler was his minor

hockey linemate before Booth graduated to the National Team Development Program and then

attended Michigan State. It was by developing a sense of direction at the college level that

enabled Booth to rationalize two serious concussions and a roller-coaster career.

Booth scored 31 goals in the 2008-09 season but has just two in 11 games with the Canucks.

A layman could question Booth's beliefs because it would be easy to play the blame game when

adversity strikes and wonder where that Holy guidance is coming from when injury strikes.

That's when the 26-yearold Booth responds with scripture: 'To whom much is given, much is

required.'

"A lot of times we have our plans and we think everything is going to be easygoing in life,"

added Booth, who has travelled to Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Switzerland in the

offseason to work with Hockey Ministries International and has also started a summer hockey

camp in Florida. "The Bible says: 'In this world you will have trouble, but take heart, I have

overcome this world.'

"That was a very encouraging verse for me. We want to make it easier and we keep getting away

from the real joy and knowing Christ and the joy he has for you. Maybe, I was getting a little

away and maybe they [concussions] were just a wake-up call in Christ saying: 'Hey, I'm No. 1 in

your life.' I'm happy I took a positive spin out of it because being a Christian makes you work

harder for the Lord and not for man's goals or expectations. You're going to fall short because

there's not always a coach watching and when you can do things on your own accord, it gives

you an extra boost of motivation to give back."

There are dressing rooms where all this could be met with a roll of the eyes. Cory Schneider said

the faith that Booth and Hamhuis and others express is accepted because of the means by which

the message is delivered. Attending chapel service is optional and nobody is on a pedestal

breathing fire and brimstone.

"They don't push it on anybody or force it down anybody's throat and have a holier-than-thou

view of themselves," said the 25-year-old Canucks goalie.

"They just believe in it and it gets them to where they want to be. I haven't been to chapel yet,

but some guys really find comfort and share some thoughts, too. It's not something I draw

motivation from, but to each their own and whatever helps make you a better person and player,

I'm all for it."

Being immersed in a hockey-mad market can take a toll on players and Booth believes the chapel

service helps widen the scope of understanding for his teammates.

"We get to talk about real-life issues, not what did you have for dinner last night," he said. "It's

more what are you struggling with?

It's not uncommon for opposition football players to huddle post-game for a brief prayer. There

seems to be a better respect in professional sports for religious beliefs rather than belittling them.

When Dale Weise was acquired off waivers from the New York Rangers before the start of this

season, he quickly gravitated to Booth because they were newcomers and also live at the same

downtown hotel.

Booth's beliefs are also OK by Weise.

"He's a regular person," said the 23-year-old Weise. "He's no different than a person who is not a

man of faith and you just treat him the same. I didn't grow up in a religious family, but we're

Christian and didn't go to church every Sunday because I was playing hockey and it was tough to

get there . . . I enjoy going here.

"We have guys who go to chapel and I go myself, too. I'm not afraid to say it. This is such a good

group of guys and I've never been around a group like it. There are no judgments. I'm sure there

are a lot of teams where a couple of guys would have an opinion on it [religion] and say

something, too, about it.

"The way I was raised is to each his own. If that's what you strongly believe in it, I'm happy for

you because you've found that. That's all you can ask for."

For all the scrutiny Booth is under due to his lack of offensive production and having a contract

that pays $4.25 million US for three more seasons, he still always manages to do extra work on

and off the ice with a big smile plastered on his mug.

It's as if he has it all figured out on how he wants to live his life. How many of us can say the

same?

"There comes a time when you really understand that this is a lifestyle and not something you do

once a week," he said.

"It's part of you every day and it made sense to me that Christ had a plan for me and I was going

to walk in his plan and not my plan."

How a young Dane became great

Innocent from Copenhagen who was taught to be tough -

and now knows how

By Jason Botchford, The Province November 20, 2011

Jannik Hansen is quick to correct a reporter when he tries to remind the Dane he was drafted in

the sixth round in 2004.

"Ninth, actually," Hansen says, quickly interrupting. "Just about last overall, too. It's a wonder I

made it."

Those last seven words are said with his eyes twinkling, and a sly smile. He's joking. But his

point is not lost. His ride from the streets of a Copenhagen suburb to one of the NHL's best lines

remains a remarkable one.

Consider; Hansen didn't start playing hockey until he was 11 years old. That was in Denmark, a

country of about 5.4 million. Hansen was one of about 3,500 in the entire country who played the

game. That's at any level. Only 20 cities even had hockey rinks. Only 10 of those had organized

leagues. Ten . . . Hansen's suburb, Herlev, was one of them. He didn't dream about the NHL. It

was impossible. No one born and raised in Denmark had ever made it.

"Everyone grew up wanting to play in Sweden, or Germany, or Finland," Hansen said. "The

NHL would not even enter your mind. Even if you ever thought, 'One day, I'll be drafted.' You

followed it up, by thinking, 'Big deal, you're never going to make it.'"

That's changed and Hansen is one of the reasons why. He was the first Dane to play in an NHL

postseason game. He was the first to record a playoff point and the first to ever sit in the penalty

box. He's also the first to play with the Sedin twins. That's some serious trail-blazing. And that's

not just important to him, it's important to Denmark. One doesn't have to look much further than

the Canucks' 2011 first-round pick, Denmark's Nicklas Jensen.

"I don't think scouts look at Denmark as some huge chance when they think about picking a

player from there any more," Hansen said. "There have been lots of guys now who have proven

they're willing to come over here, they're willing to work and they're willing to do whatever it

takes to give it a shot.

"It's not like we're going to stay home. We're coming because back home, we don't have

anywhere to play."

Hansen is coming off a mixed week. He has three goals in three games and has held his own

since head coach Alain Vigneault decided to bump him up to the first line with the Sedins. But

he also missed a couple of chances against Chicago Wednesday. On the first, the puck rolled on

him. On the next, he couldn't finish a breakaway attempt that would have tied the game. When

he talks about the week and playing with the Sedins, he talks about forechecking hard, dogging

the puck in the corners and being unrelenting in and around the net.

He sounds nothing like the player who made his NHL debut in the 2007 playoffs. That's because

he isn't anything like that player. Then, he appeared to come out of nowhere when a series of

injuries forced the Canucks to dig deep into their farm system for help. Then, he still thought he

was going to be skilled player who won with his moves, not his guts.

"It was overwhelming," Hansen said. "I was so surprised. I thought I was fourth or fifth in line

for a call-up and all of a sudden, I'm sitting next to Markus Naslund and the Sedin twins. It was a

big eye opener. I was skating, playing and practising with these guys I had looked up to.

"Going through that made me a much better player. I played a different style than I do now. I

wasn't physical or direct. I thought I was going to play with this skill game as a pro. I was this

go-to guy in Portland [in the WHL]. I was relied on to score. I played the power play and I had

that mentality when I first got here. I was going to be this skater, a big goal scorer. What I saw

then was a wake-up call for me."

What Hansen will be remembered for most during his first run is the Rob Niedermayer hit which

rocked him and ended the Canucks' 2007 playoff run. Roberto Luongo was distracted calling for

the penalty with his arm up when the gamewinner slid by him in double overtime of Game 5

against the Anaheim Ducks.

"That would be a penalty now," Hansen said. "It wasn't so much the hit that bothered me, it was

that it led to the play which ended the series."

Hansen was criticized then for keeping his head down. One thing he's never been criticized for is

his skating. He first got on blades when he was just two years old. His dad Bent had played

hockey on Denmark's national team and was seriously into the sport.

"I could barely walk and he'd drag me on to the ice," Hansen recalled.

It explains why Hansen's skating has long been one of the best parts of his game.

The player you see now, the one the Canucks nicknamed Honey Badger for his tenacity, took a

long time to form. When he first went from Europe to play for Portland in 2005 in the WHL, he

had barely been hit.

"It would happen every once in a while, but you never even thought about it," Hansen said. "The

WHL was the first taste of it I got. That's when coaches started telling me that's the way I needed

to play. I didn't understand what they were talking about. Now, I see they were trying to groom

me as the type of player I've become.

"I had to figure out it wasn't just going to be about scoring goals and making plays. It was about

the little things. Being physical and winning puck battles.

"I understand that now. It's why I had this great opportunity to play with the Sedins. I know what

I have to do with them - create havoc, create space and make plays."

______________________________________________________________________________

Q&A... with Dale Wiese

Dale Weise has helped solidify a solid fourth line for the

Canucks since being claimed off waivers from the Rangers.

The Winnpeg native sat down to talk about his whirlwind

move to Van City with Gord McIntyre

The Province November 20, 2011

McINTYRE: Tell me about your first NHL game, last December against the Flyers. You had a

goal that didn't count and you got in a fight with Daniel Carcillo, didn't you?

WEISE: Yep. It was a real whirlwind for me. We [Connecticut Whale] had a morning skate and

the coach asked me to hang around, which I thought was a little weird - normally when he wants

to see you, it's not good. He brought me into his office and said I was getting called up. I flew to

Philly, it was an 11 a.m. game the next day, a Saturday, I didn't have a lot of time to think about

it, just hopped in and played pretty well. I hit a post on a partial break, scored one that should

have counted as a goal, then had the fight with Carcillo.

McINTYRE: Why wasn't the goal allowed?

WEISE: They said I kicked it in. I mean, on one angle you can see my foot does come up after it,

but it's really a gray area with the kicking for whoever's looking at it. The ruling on the ice was it

was not a goal, so it would have been tough to overturn it.

McINTYRE: Speaking of whirlwinds, tell me about coming to Vancouver.

WEISE: It was crazy for me. I thought I'd had a really good camp in New York. In the back of

my mind I knew I had to clear waivers and thought that might force their hand, at least keep me

on the team for a couple of weeks or something. We flew to New York [from Sweden], I drove

to Hartford and practised, and right after that the coach - it was the same kind of scenario - the

coach said "I've got to see you." When they told me I'd been claimed, I was elated. When I found

out it was Vancouver, oh my goodness, a Canadian team, Western Canadian team. Any Canadian

team would have been an honour, but to come to a team of this calibre and the year they had last

year, the people and players around this locker room, I'm just ecstatic.

McINTYRE: In your seventh game as a Canuck, your 17th game overall, you scored your first

NHL goal, that counted anyway. A tip-in of an Alex Edler shot.

WEISE: That was exciting for me. I didn't have a lot of chances in New York, I might have

averaged 3½, four minutes when I did get to play.

McINTYRE: You're averaging nine minutes here.

WEISE: AV shows a lot of confidence in me, not just me but my whole line. I've got a lot more

confidence, feeling really comfortable playing more.

McINTYRE: Fourteen guys played on the fourth line last year. It hasn't been that stable, put it

that way.

WEISE: I'm not too familiar with all the guys they've had here, but I watched the playoffs down

the stretch and you look at Boston, they were rolling four lines and they looked pretty fresh in

the final. If you've got four lines that can roll you're a tough team to stop.

McINTYRE: What do you remember about playing against Jonathan Toews growing up?

WEISE: He was the Next One since he was seven years old. I think his teams won the city

championship from the time he was seven until the time we were 14, every single year. The guy

would pretty much put his team on his back, like he does now, just take over games. Everybody

knows how serious he is. He trains hard, he's a good guy, he deserves all the success he gets.

McINTYRE: Here's what he said about you: "Dale was definitely a skilled player."

WEISE: Uh huh [waits to hear more].

McINTYRE: He said: "Dale was also an antagonizer, one of those guys even at a young age who

wasn't afraid to lip off and try to get other players off their game."

WEISE: [Laughs.] Yeah, I always kind of played that way. We were two of the better guys on

our respective teams and, you know, you've got to go after, try to get under the skin, of a guy like

that, get him off his game. But he's a worldclass player and it's hard to get him off his game.

McINTYRE: He also said: "It's good to see a fellow Winnipegger having some success now,

too."

WEISE: Yeah, you know what? Anytime you get a Winnipeg guy making it, it's great for the

city. We only have, off the top of my head, Darren Helm [Detroit], Cam Barker [Edmonton], me,

Jonny - that might be it, the only Winnipeggers in the NHL.

SENS CAN PROVE THEY’RE FOR REAL

Win in Vancouver would help convince doubters

VANCOUVER — Pretenders or contenders?

The Senators will get an idea where they stand when they face the Vancouver Canucks Sunday at Rogers Arena.

With a win, Ottawa would sweep a three-game Western Canada road swing for the first time in team history.

“They‟re an elite team and we‟ve had some struggles against elite teams,” said Senators coach Paul MacLean.

“Against the other teams in the league that are closer to us, we‟ve played pretty well. This is an opportunity for us to measure ourselves against the Stanley Cup finalists from last year and see where we are.

“The last time we played the Stanley Cup champions (a 5-3 loss to the Bruins on Nov. 1) it didn‟t go very (well), so this is going to be another test for us. I think we‟re going to be ready for it because (the Canucks are) a good team.”

Ottawa has a 3-3-1 record against teams above them in the standings. The three victories have come vs. Minnesota, Florida and the Rangers, while they‟ve suffered two losses to Buffalo and one each to Philly and Washington.

The Canucks haven‟t hit full stride this season — with a .500 record at 9-9-1, but they‟re better than their record indicates.

Not only do the Senators have to find a way to shut down Henrik and Daniel Sedin, the Canucks have the NHL‟s No. 1-ranked power play. Cory Schneider is a more-than- capable backup goalie and he‟ll make the start with Roberto Luongo injured.

“We have a tremendous amount of respect for them and their abilities to play the game,” said MacLean. “We know that we‟re going to have our hands full.”

With victories in Toronto (5-2) last Saturday, Calgary (3-1) Tuesday and Edmonton (5-2) Thursday, this has already been a successful trip. They have the opportunity to make it a great one if they can find a way to get a victory here.

“It would mean a lot (to win),” said captain Daniel Alfredsson. “We‟ve done a great job here and we want to keep it going. This will be a tough test because we know they‟re a good team.”

The Canucks are 7-1 in their last eight games against the Senators and Ottawa hasn‟t won here since the lockout ended in 2004. The last win in Vancouver was March 13, 2004, with Martin Prusek in net.

“This game will tell us a lot,” said Senators GM Bryan Murray. “This (trip) has been satisfying for us so far. We‟re starting to show what we have.

“If you look at some of these trips during the year and you say, „Oh boy, this could be tough.‟ To have won three (straight) games so far really is a positive.”

SENS HAVE HIGHER EXPECTATIONS

Bruce Garrioch, Ottawa Sun

VANCOUVER — It was back to work Saturday afternoon for the Senators.

After enjoying Friday off and holding their annual rookie dinner — with seven newcomers paying the bill — the Senators have a long road ahead if they want to stay in the playoff position they hold.

While the Senators are one of the NHL‟s biggest surprises at the 20-game mark, they‟re aware the challenge is only going to get tougher as they prepare to take on the Canucks Sunday at Rogers Arena.

“We had higher expectations for ourselves than other people had for us,” said centre Jason Spezza. “We‟re being very short-sighted, very short-minded and everybody has bought in. That‟s why we‟ve had the results we‟ve had.

“I don‟t feel that we‟re ever out of games, besides those two early (in the season). That‟s what we‟re trying to do, just hang around.

“We‟re taking it one game at a time. I know it‟s a cliche, but that‟s how we have to approach it.”

Keeping goals short-term has been an idea coach Paul MacLean has been selling.

“We knew there were going to be some humps to get over, some bumps and bruises,” said goalie Craig Anderson. “To be able to throw some games together after going through some adversity has been a terrific builder for us.

“It‟s just great for the young guys to get their feet wet in the first 20 games. It‟s time for them to pitch in a little bit more and for everybody to give a little bit more because after the 20-game mark, teams know their systems and they‟re playing pretty well. You‟ve got to be there every night.”

The wake-up call for the Senators was back-to-back beatings at home to Colorado (7-1) and Philadelphia (7-2) in early October. After giving up what MacLean calls “two touchdowns” the players held a wake-up call meeting.

The message was: Start giving a better effort.

“Sometimes you need to be booted for a couple of games to kind of wake up a little bit,” said Anderson. “I remember a couple of years back in Colorado, we got beat pretty good on home ice by Vancouver, and we got booed off the ice.

“We‟ve got great leaders in our room to boost morale when things aren‟t going right. We‟ve got a coach who has come in and simplified things to make guys feel more comfortable. There‟s not a „Here we go again‟ mentality when things don‟t go right. He‟s been great keeping things positive to keep our confidence up.”

THIS ‟N‟ THAT

D Chris Phillips, who left Thursday‟s 5-2 victory over Edmonton with seven minutes left in the third, was back on the ice Saturday. He will suit up against the Canucks and MacLean doesn‟t expect to make any lineup changes. D David Rundblad will be a scratch and Anderson will start in goal ... Asked why people hate the Canucks so much after Mark Recchi called them arrogant on Boston radio, captain Daniel Alfredsson said: “I don‟t.” ... No timetable for D Matt Carkner. He continues to skate, but the Senators haven‟t circled a date for his return from a knee injury.

YORK: FILATOV NEEDS TO SUCK IT UP

Jason York, Ottawa Sun

When the news came out that Nikita Filatov was unhappy to be playing for the Senators‟ farm team in Binghamton, I was surprised.

And when there were further rumours of Filatov wanting to play in the Kontinental Hockey League instead of working on his game and showing some character to get back to the NHL, I was disappointed, then a little ticked off.

First things first.

Nobody is happy to be in the minors. If you are, there‟s something wrong with you.

Every player wants to be in the NHL.

I played in the minors for three years before I became a full-time NHLer and I played with and against many players who put in their time, worked hard and didn‟t complain, at least not to the media, that they weren‟t getting a fair shake.

To be fair, Filatov is only 21 and sometimes things get out or you say things that can be misconstrued or twisted.

The Filatov I saw earlier this year with the Senators was one that was working really hard, trying to create some offence and trying to play the right way. When I spoke with him, he struck me as a very good person who cared and wanted to succeed.

When you look at it through his eyes, I can understand that Filatov is disappointed to be playing in the AHL. He was the 2008 NHL draft‟s sixth overall draft pick for Columbus and he ended up playing more games for its minor affiliate than the big club.

I get the disappointment, but at the same time young players like Filatov need to give their head a shake.

If playing for the Senators and in the NHL is a goal of Filatov‟s, and I think it is, then playing in Binghamton is the best spot for him as a player right now.

The Senators are rebuilding and they need high-end skill, Filatov has that and he will never get a better opportunity to play in the NHL if he goes back to Russia.

Right now, the Senators are hot. They‟re playing well so unless there‟s an injury, Filatov will probably not be recalled. In the meantime, he needs to stop talking and continue to play like he did Friday night against Hamilton, picking up two goals and an assist.

He will get his chance. Many great players, some of them high draft picks, had to put in some time in the minors. Bobby Ryan, Jason Spezza and Ryan Getzlaf come to mind.

All were first-round draft picks and all of them tore it up offensively in the minors and proved through their play that they were too good for the minors.

Some guys have to put a little more time in than others. Just ask Matt Carkner, who spent eight years in the AHL, or Kris Draper who played more than 180 games in the minors and was traded for a dollar to the Red Wings, before eventually persevering and playing more than 1,000 NHL games and winning multiple Stanley Cups through hard work and determination.

I have no doubt Filatov has the skill to play in the NHL. Right now, he needs to show he has the character.

TOP FIVE PLAYERS WHO BATTLED IT OUT IN THE MINORS

1. Zdeno Chara: The Big Z was a work in progress as he patrolled the blue line for the Lowell Lock Monsters.

2. Shea Weber: He didn‟t become great overnight.

3. Marty St Louis: The Flames didn‟t want him. Dohhhh!!!

4. Tim Thomas: The feel-good story of the NHL last season took a lot of long years to come together for the made-for-TV after-school special.

5. Danny Briere: One of the NHL‟s top offensive players had nothing handed to him early in his career.

Sens seek one more for the road

Team has chance to make smash hit of tricky trip west

By Allen Panzeri, The Ottawa Citizen November 20, 2011 8:44 AM

VANCOUVER — Never have the Ottawa Senators swept a Western Canada road trip.

They haven't even won here in Vancouver since the 2003-04 National Hockey League season.

So they find themselves with a rare opportunity to conquer the west after sweeping Alberta with

a 3-1 victory against the Calgary Flames on Tuesday and a 5-2 triumph over the Edmonton

Oilers on Thursday.

It looks enticingly possible, too, with the defending Western Conference-champion Canucks

struggling at .500.

However, Senators coach Paul MacLean preached caution on Saturday.

The Canucks may have been ripped 5-1 by the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday, prompting

coach Alain Vigneault to put them through a punishing skate on Thursday, but they're still not,

say, the Columbus Blue Jackets or the Winnipeg Jets.

"Well, they're an elite team, and we've had some struggles against elite teams to this point in the

season, and that's not surprising, I guess," Mac-Lean said. "But, against other teams that are

closer to us, we've played real well.

"This is an opportunity for us, I guess, to measure ourselves with the Stanley Cup finalists and

see where we are. The last time we played the Stanley Cup champions, it didn't go real good (a

5-3 loss to the Boston Bruins on Nov. 1), so this could be another test for us.

"But I think we're going to be ready for it. They're a good team - and they're going to be

difficult."

This stretch in which the Senators play six consecutive games and nine of 10 on the road

appeared to set up as a defining moment for the team.

They started it with a loss to the Buffalo Sabres, their fifth in a row. It could have easily gone

sideways from there.

However, the Senators beat the Toronto Maple Leafs the next night and then swept through

Alberta, improving to 10-9-1 for the season.

General manager Bryan Murray conceded he had some concerns when he looked at this part of

the schedule. A long losing streak at the start of the season can devastate morale.

"You look at some of these trips during the year and you say, 'Oh, boy, this could be tough,' "

Murray said.

"But this has been real satisfying for us: the Toronto game and the Calgary and Edmonton

games."

"In Calgary, in a 0-0 game, we had great poise, we didn't give up much, and we had to get

goaltending, and obviously we got goaltending," Murray said. "Then the fourth line, Bobby

Butler, gets two goals for us. That's starting to show what we have in the lineup.

"It's good to have your top two guys or top three players carry the ball, but, when you have those

secondary guys scoring goals and showing (that) they belong in the league and that they're

starting to play, then you're starting to be a good team."

What Murray likes even more is that the Senators are starting to be more consistent. The wild

swings have been levelled out, and players are paying greater attention to what they're supposed

to be doing.

"We're not giving up the scoring chances that we were early on," Murray said.

"We're having people get to the net. It looks we're having fun in the game.

"It looks like there's good chemistry on the team, and I think that in itself grows into something

better as we go forward - grows into wins, we hope."

If the Senators win tonight, this will be considered a great road trip. Even if they don't, it will

still be a good road trip, though MacLean won't call it a defining moment.

"For me, it's too much," he said.

"We want to go game by game.

"When we started this road trip, we had lost five in a row. We lost our fifth in Buffalo. Then we

went into Toronto and we win one. Now we've won three in a row.

"Sometimes when you go on the road, it's a little bit easier. I think our team has played with good

patience, and (the players have) had an opportunity to get together and spend some time with one

another, the bonding part of it.

"I think this trip has helped us grow as a team, and you can grow both (winning and losing), but

it's way better to grow when you're winning."

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