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It could be the trip to ruin but the Vancouver Canucks are just a “This Car Travelled Down Alligator Alley” sticker short of treating it with the enthusiasm of a bunch of snowbirds.
They kicked off a 14-game run Saturday night against the Maple Leafs; a stretch that could set them up with home ice advantage for the playoffs — but only if all goes well.
“It’s important. We’ve set ourselves up for a good trip. We beat Pittsburgh, Chicago, Washington so we see ourselves as contenders,” Daniel Sedin said. “If we play well on this trip, we’ll be up there (in the race for home advantage).”
This is an Air Miles collectors dream — 20,577 kilometres until the next home game, March 13. But if Vancouver can’t find its road legs, the Olympics could cost them — and Canadian hockey fans — their best chance at having a homebrewed Stanley Cup winner this spring. While the Canucks hold the division lead, it could disappear like a mirage during this trip because they already have played 30 home games while the second-place Colorado Avalanche has seven in hand at home.
Obviously, to maintain their advantage the Canucks’ road record needs honing. They are 11-11-1 away from GM Place after Saturday night’s 5-3 win over the lowly Maple Leafs.
Still, the, “What? Me worry?” approach seems rampant.
“We had a slow start on the road but we’re on a 6-3-1 run,” coach Alain Vigneault said at Saturday’s morning skate. “It’s still the same ice surface; just a different environment.”
Goaltender Roberto Luongo is travelling light. Says all he’s packed is his laptop.
“That’s all I need on the road. It’s not a crazy schedule. We have a couple days off (after playing the Leafs) before Montreal. We start with the eastern Canadian cities, which are always exciting and then go south, which is always a nice break.”
Five days in Florida: Two games and pass the sunscreen, says Kyle Wellwood, who brought the big suitcase.
“Being single I kind of packed everything, cleaned out the apartment, locked the door, almost like I’m not coming back.”
The Canucks finish against Columbus and Minnesota before the Olympic break, then play six in the northwest, Colorado and Phoenix — the longest NHL trip in history spanning 42 days.
“We’re happy with the spot we’re in. When we looked at the calendar a couple months ago,” Wellwood said, “it’s pretty close to where we wanted to be. Now it’s a matter of getting through this without getting hurt.”
Wellwood’s had a star-crossed career so he knows a bit about getting hurt — personally and collectively as a team. Twice he has been placed on waivers. He had a promising rookie season in 2005-06 in Toronto but injuries turned him into an ineffective perimeter player. The Leafs considered him small, slow, pudgy, and waived. Vancouver picked him up, waived him, then brought him back and his renaissance came with 18 goals last season.
“I’m still having up-and-down seasons,” said Wellwood, who broke his toe in October and has struggled to hold his spot as the third-line centre. He was benched three games in December but five games ago was hooked up with Pavol Demitra.
“If they ever play to potential it’ll give us a three good scoring lines,” Vigneault said.
The personal struggle, along with three seasons watching Leafs teams melt down, should make him an expert at trouble spotting. He doesn’t see it happening to Vancouver.
“Our culture in the locker room is a lot different. We have Luongo and the Sedins; three superstars who care every day, every game, every practice. The rest of the players feed off that. I think Toronto’s missing that. Any team that is not doing too well misses those top guys who can carry a team through the year. Mats (Sundin) was that kind of player but you need more than one. We’re fortunate to have that.”
And if that’s not enough, the Canucks will be just more road kill. Someone, plant a cross.
bill.lankhof@sunmedia.ca