|
|
 |
 |
|
| |
Friday, Jan. 28 10:00pm ET
Messier helps Canucks end slump | |||||
|
| ||||||
|
RECAP
|
BOX SCORE
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) -- It took Mark Messier's best game in nearly two years to snap the Vancouver Canucks out of their slump. Messier scored two goals as the Canucks ended an 0-4-2 slide -- and won for only the fifth time in 29 games (5-18-6) -- in beating the San Jose Sharks 4-1 on Friday night. "I'm starting to feel a little bit better," said Messier, who missed 15 games earlier this season with a knee injury. "My knee bothered me a bit coming back, but slowly the pain's going out of it and I'm feeling stronger and skating a little more freely." Messier, the NHL's leading active goal-scorer and points-producer, scored both of his goals on the power play, marking his first multiple-goal performance since he scored twice in Vancouver's 6-4 loss to Ottawa on Feb. 28, 1998. With nine goals on the season, Messier has 619 for his career. Shrugging his shoulders, Messier said he would rather credit the team for its effort, as the win ended Vancouver's 0-6-2 home winless streak, going back to Dec. 22. "We just didn't make the big mistakes that turned into goals tonight," said Messier. "I can't really say that we played better tonight than we have in the past. But obviously the two points is the most important thing and we got that because we didn't beat ourselves." The Canucks' fortunes were also bolstered by the return of Alexander Mogilny, who had a goal in his first game back since missing seven with a groin injury. "It's huge. He really balances our team out," said Messier of Mogilny's presence. "He just makes our team more complete and gives us a lot more weapons." The game was decided in the opening period, and after Todd Harvey scored 28 seconds into the game to put the Sharks ahead 1-0. The tide, however, turned against the Sharks when they failed to capitalize on a two-minute, two-man advantage. San Jose managed just two shots on net over the two-minute span and, to make matters worse, Mogilny wound up tying the game 35 seconds after the penalties expired. Messier then put the Canucks ahead for good when he scored with 14 seconds remaining in the period. Mattias Ohlund, who had two assists, set up the play. Going after his own rebound, Ohlund kicked the puck free to Messier who, waiting alone just left of the net, flipped it in the open side. Canucks coach Marc Crawford said the difference in the game was Mogilny's goal. "His goal was huge," said Crawford. "We talked about it before the game as coaches, saying, 'Boy, if Alex can get into the game very early.' That's kind of exactly what we had been hoping for. ... He showed great jump tonight." Donald Brashear made it 3-1 when he beat San Jose goalie Steve Shields with a weak 40-footer with 2:51 left in the second period, while Messier capped his night by scoring 5:48 into the third period. Brashear's goal drew the ire of Sharks coach Darryl Sutter, who pulled Shields in favor of backup Evgeni Nabokov. "I didn't like the third goal," said Sutter. "At that point, when you are struggling to score and they score an easy goal, you're in tough, you're down two." The Sharks are 2-6-2 in their last 10 games. Shields, who gave up three goals on 18 shots, has struggled, going 2-5-1 in his last eight starts. With the loss, the Sharks (22-25-6) dropped three games under .500 for the first time this season. | ALSO SEE NHL Scoreboard San Jose Clubhouse Vancouver Clubhouse RECAPS Buffalo 1 Ottawa 0
Vancouver 4
  | |||||