Vancouver
Canucks

"Thank God he's on our team," said new teammate -- and now linemate -- Mikael Samuelsson after tapping in two Kesler rebounds on Tuesday.

Even more impressive he is doing so as a the center -- and driving force -- on a second line that has consistently been the Canucks' best in recent weeks despite a revolving door of wingers, something few thought possible even after last year's offensive breakthrough.

That came on the right wing with since-departed skilled veterans Mats Sundin (retired) and Pavol Demitra (shoulder surgery), who freed Kesler up to drive hard to the net and play a physical role to create time and space while they controlled the puck. But with 16 points in 17 games this season, Kesler is showing he can also dominate at center.

There was no better example of his emergence as a playmaker than the key go-ahead goal midway through the third period of Tuesday's 4-1 win over the Rangers, as Kesler controlled the puck behind the net and along the boards, waiting patiently for a seam to open before making a perfect cross-ice pass to Rick Rypien streaking off the bench to the net. He added two more assists on rebounds of an improving shot, a skill that, much like keeping his head up more than Crawford encouraged him to do, the emerging Canucks' leader worked actively to improve over the summer, throughout training camp, and every day in practice.

"I really wanted to improve that aspect of my game," Kesler said earlier this season of his shot after scoring his second power play goal with a wicked glove-side wrister from the top of the faceoff circles. He spent hours taking shots at his summer home. "I thought in the second half of my year last season, even though I was getting goals, they seemed to be from hash marks in, one-timers or off rebounds. I really wanted to be a threat from the top of the circle in."

While others have played big roles in the Canucks' surprising 7-3-0 record since the injuries started piling up -- they were still missing seven players for Friday's 2-1 loss in Dallas -- Kesler has been the catalyst, killing penalties, taking key faceoffs, chipping in with consistent offense, and, perhaps above all else, leading with his infectious work ethic. He's become a go-to voice for the media, calling out poor efforts, then leading the way to better ones. And he remains tough to play against, getting under the skin of opposing players with his hard work on the puck and non-stop chatter away from it.

"Without a doubt, he's our most efficient player at both ends of the rink and that's why he's playing the most," coach Alain Vigneault said of Kesler. "Every player I seem to put him with, those players seem to go. I've always thought the elite players, the top-notch end, they make the players around them so much better. You can see that in Ryan right now with what he's doing. Whomever he's playing with, those guys are playing real, real well."

Kesler has 50 points in his last 52 games dating back to last season, and despite being blanked in Dallas on Friday after being robbed on a great chance in tight 15 seconds in, he went into the game leading NHL forwards with 22 takeaways and was fifth with 18 blocked shots. Kesler had also taken the fifth-most faceoffs in the league (297), just 11 fewer than teammate Henrik Sedin, who had the same impressive 52.9 winning percentage. If the rest of this season is indication, he can be counted on for a great game Tuesday in St. Louis after failing to record a point in two-straight -- and he'll try to being others with him.

"It doesn't matter who I'm playing with -- it's my job to make the players around me better," Kesler said. "Almost force them to become better players."

The problem now will be keeping Kesler, ironic since many wanted the Canucks to balk at matching Philadelphia's $1.9-million offer sheet in 2006, urging them to take just a second-round pick as compensation for letting him go despite the fact Kesler was a first-round pick, 23rd overall, just three years earlier. Now Kesler is poised to triple his $1.75-million salary in the final year of a three-year contract, and is earning comparisons to Philadelphia captain Mike Richards, who was taken one spot later in the 2003 draft, was a Selke finalist last season, is also 25 years-old and just happens to be making $5.75-million a season through 2019-20 after signing a 12-year/$69-million extension last December. Richards scores more and has led his team to the Eastern Conference finals once, but if nothing else Kesler may be the target of another offer sheet as a Group 2 restricted free agent July 1 with arbitration rights.

STARS 2, CANUCKS 1: Surprise starting goalie Cory Schneider kept the Canucks in a game they didn't deserve to win, but Vancouver's fourth-ranked power play failed to repay the redheaded rookie in the third period, wasting a 45-save effort from the minor-league call up. That included 39 stops, many of them brilliant, in the first two periods as the injury-ravaged, road-weary Canucks were outskated and outplayed badly by the Stars for 40 minutes before rallying in the third period. Schneider, given the nod in back to back games despite the fact Andrew Raycroft continued to be the NHL's hottest goalie with 28 saves in a 4-2 win in Minnesota the night before, robbed Mike Ribeiro twice -- once alone in the slot and again on a breakaway, stopped Loui Ericsson alone in the slot, and stretched out to take a sure goal away from rookie Jamie Benn after being sent in alone by Mike Modano. Only a perfect shot by Brad Richards alone in the slot after a bad giveaway by Aaron Rome behind the net beat him through two periods, but Brendan Morrow doubled the lead on a power play early in the third period on a backdoor tap in after Benn's short-side stuff attempt rolled off his stick perfectly to the Stars captain alone at the far side. Henrik Sedin had an apparent goal disallowed a few minutes later after the referee prematurely blew the whistle when Alex Burrows kicked the puck into goalie Marty Turco from behind the net and the Stars goalie failed to cover, a mistake that became more costly when Mason Raymond jammed in a rebound midway through the period.

Still, after not doing enough to even create a power play the first two periods, the Canucks got consecutive chances late in the third, including 18 seconds of 5-on-3 time, but their fourth-ranked power play couldn't exploit the Stars' 29th-ranked penalty kill as Turco gloved Sami Salo's rocket on the best chance.

The early result wasn't surprising -- the Canucks were playing their ninth game in 14 days after traveling more than 1,000 miles after a game in Minnesota on Thursday and were never missing fewer than six injured players during that stretch -- but Schneider gave them a chance anyway, and deserved a better fate.

"We had one player who was fresh and that was our goaltender," Canuck coach Alain Vigneault said. "He certainly had a great outing (Friday night)."

Former Canucks GM Dave Nonis flew over to Sweden to try and personally convince Forsberg to play for the Canucks two seasons ago, but the 2003 Hart Trophy winner as NHL MVP returned instead to his old team, the Colorado Avalanche, scoring 14 points in nine games, and has said in the past it would be hard to play for one of their rivals like Vancouver. But most of Forsberg's old Colorado teammates are long gone, and Vancouver hosts the Olympics in February, which is one reason Forsberg reportedly wants to resume playing after the chronic injuries forced him to miss Sweden's gold medal in 2006. The Canucks are also loaded with fellow Swedes, including identical twins Daniel and Henrik Sedin, who are from the same small hometown of Ornskoldsvik, located six hours north of Stockholm.

Forsberg has played just six games the last two seasons with their hometown team, MoDo, in the Swedish Elite League, but was one of the best players in the NHL at the start of the decade and can still be a force with 885 points in 706 career games. As for the salary cap concerns, the Canucks started the season pressed up against it, but reports indicated their injury problems have left them with $2-million in space, and as Gillis mentioned, ownership is willing to park NHL salaries in the minor leagues -- defenseman Brad Lukowich is making $1.8-million down there right now -- to free up space for another elite player.

"We'd be open to talk about any of the parameters. Peter knows what it takes to win and any opportunity we have to add a player of that caliber, we're going to look at it," said Gillis, who lured fellow Swede Mats Sundin last season. "There are a number of issues that we hope would be influential in him making a decision. There's the Olympic experience, the fact we have a competitive team, and other Swedish members on our team will be playing in the Olympics."

--LW Steve Bernier missed a second-straight game Friday in Dallas with the flu, but the biggest issue isn't Bernier's temporary absence but the potential of a flu bug running through a Canucks team already missing five other forwards and star goaltender Roberto Luongo due to injury. With that in mind, Vancouver kept Bernier isolated in his own hotel room and off the team's charter flight from Minnesota to Dallas after Thursday's win over the Wild, forcing the power forward to catch a public flight before again being seconded to his own room. As for fears he may have H1N1, team doctors didn't think that was the case, but the Canucks are also being careful not to upset the public by jumping the queue to get vaccinated, something that landed Calgary in hot water with the press and public -- and cost two health care workers their jobs -- after players and family members got their shots ahead of high-risk public members late last week.

There was some thought about trying to get the vaccine during their five-game, 11-day road trip through the United States, where the health care system is private, but they ran into the same shortage south of the border that has the public panicking back in Canada, and have now abandoned those plans.

"We checked into it, but it's the same situation as back in Canada," Gillis said. "There's a shortage here and it's on a high-priority-need basis. We thought in the event there was extra vaccine or if we had an opportunity to do it in the U.S. we would and we did check it out."

Instead the Canucks will wait until they returns home on Nov. 14 to get the shots, assuming there is still vaccine available and that is still the official date they are eligible as Gillis has made it clear they won't jump and queues to get it earlier. "Absolutely not," he said. "We've looked at it from the outset and taken all the precautions we can and have had one guy get the flu. In my opinion, doing anything different would be inappropriate."

QUOTE TO NOTE: "That's a shot he takes every day in practice and at 10 a.m., you don't want that high glove. I give him grief every day, but I don't know if I'm going to be able to do that (Saturday). It's going to be higher and harder now that he has a little confidence. Listen to him back there. He's Wayne Gretzky." -- G Andrew Raycroft on the high, glove-side slap shot that tough guy Darcy Hordichuk used to score his first goal Thursday in Minnesota.

FIRST LINE: Alex Burrows, Henrik Sedin, Kevin Bieksa.

SECOND LINE: Mason Raymond, Ryan Kesler, Mikael Samuelsson.

THIRD LINE: Tanner Glass, Kyle Wellwood, Rick Rypien.

FOURTH LINE: Darcy Hordichuk, Ryan Johnson, Matt Pettinger.

PLAYER NOTES:

--G Cory Schneider was a surprise starter Friday in Dallas after the team flew more than 1,000 miles after Andrew Raycroft backstopped them to victory in Minnesota the night before. Despite the travel -- and the fact the Canucks were playing their ninth game in just 14 days, an absurd trip head coach Alain Vigneault identified as problematic before the season even started -- the move received a lot of second-guessing since Raycroft had won four of five since star goalie Roberto Luongo suffered a hairline rib fracture and was leading the league with a 1.60 goals-against average and was third with a .936 save percentage.

Schneider, though, silenced any critics with a brilliant 45-save performance in a 2-1 loss to the Stars, stopping 39 shots through the first two periods to keep the road-weary, injury-ravaged Canucks in the game despite being dominated. It was the best performance of Schneider's young career, and helped erase memories of his disappointing 2-4-1 record and 3.38 goals-against average in an eight-game NHL trial last season. But last year's American Hockey League Goalie of the Year might not be around long to enjoy it, as Luongo could return to action as early as Tuesday in St. Louis, and Schneider will be sent back down.

"I felt it helped my confidence and I learned a lot (Friday night). You never know when you're going to get that next chance," he said. "You have to make the most of it. I was just doing it for my teammates because they've worked so hard on this road trip. Hopefully, you earn a little bit of their trust and respect."

--D Kevin Bieksa played his third-straight game as a forward Friday night in Dallas, and his second in as many nights on the right side of the top line with Henrik Sedin and Alex Burrows after Steve Bernier came down with the flu (seasonal, said the team, not H1N1), becoming the sixth forward out with injury. It's Bieksa's first stint up front since he was 15 years old, but he's been somewhat effective, even picking up an assist on the only goal of a 2-1 loss in Dallas.

"I can actually turn over the puck now and not get in trouble for it," joked Bieksa, who even camped out atop the crease to provide the net presence on the Canucks power play and killed penalties as a forward during his 18:25 of ice time in Minnesota. "Just move the puck and make sure there's a high forward."

--D Shane O'Brien returned from Thursday's one-game suspension for poking Sean Avery with his stick while both were on their respective benches on Tuesday, and replaced veteran Mathieu Schneider, who was a healthy scratch in Dallas on Friday night. Fellow defenseman Aaron Rome played a second-straight game on defense after spending the previous three as a depth forward, playing ahead of Schneider, who has struggled since returning from long-term injury. The 40-year-old Schneider, signed as a free agent for his leadership, playoff experience and power play expertise, isn't expected to play back-to-backs often this season.

--LW Mason Raymond scored the only goal in Friday's 2-1 loss in Dallas, using his speed to beat the defense and goalie Marty Turco to a sloppy rebound on top of the crease, giving the third-year speedster six goals in his last eight games after recording only three in his previous 45 dating back to last season. Raymond's confidence in his shot and willingness to drive into high-traffic areas is finally starting to match his exceptional wheels.

MEDICAL WATCH:

--G Roberto Luongo, out of action since Oct. 28 with a hairline rib fracture, plans to practice with the team on Sunday and could return Tuesday in St. Louis.

--RW Steve Bernier missed a second-straight game Friday in Dallas after coming down with the flu, but should be okay to play Tuesday in St. Louis as the team has said he only has the seasonal flu and not H1N1 virus.

--RW Jannik Hansen resumed skating after having pins removed from his broken right hand, and could return Tuesday in St. Louis.

--LW Daniel Sedin, who led the Canucks in goals the last three seasons, had the cast removed from his fractured left foot, but is wearing a walking boot and not on the current five-game road trip, so he probably won't be back before a Nov. 20 home game against Colorado.

--LW Michael Grabner will be out four to six weeks after breaking his ankle during the warm up soccer game under the stands before a Nov.1 game.

--C Alex Bolduc is out indefinitely after his left shoulder popped out of its socket on a faceoff in an Oct. 28 game in Los Angeles.

--C/RW Pavol Demitra, whose skills as a top-six forward are missed, had a second shoulder surgery on the shoulder that required an operation to repair two rotator cuff tears this summer. Demitra will be out until at least January, if not longer, but is expected back this season.