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VANCOUVER — Todd Bertuzzi's long-awaited return to Vancouver was anything but fulfilling last night for the former Canucks star swashbuckler.
Bertuzzi witnessed his newest team, the Anaheim Ducks, fall 4-0 to the Canucks in a penalty-punctuated NHL contest in which the visitors lost their composure on several occasions, hardly befitting defending Stanley Cup champions.
Bertuzzi was given a warm reception before the opening faceoff by fans he entertained for 71/2 seasons before being traded in June of 2006 in a multiplayer deal involving netminder Roberto Luongo. It was Bertuzzi's first game back at General Motors Place and hardly one to remember fondly.
The Canucks scored three times in the second period and evened their home record at 6-6-1, while Anaheim dropped to 3-7-3 on the road, playing two men short five times.
Daniel Sedin of the Vancouver Canucks is stopped by Anaheim Ducks goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere in close during the third period of action Tuesday night. (Richard Lam/The Canadian Press)
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Ryan Kesler scored two power-play goals, with singles by Markus Naslund and Matt Cooke as the Canucks improved to 13-9-2 to top the Northwest Division.
“It's a great challenge ahead of us,” Canucks coach Alain Vigneault said after the morning skate, noting Bertuzzi's still a power forward with great hands. “They didn't win the Stanley Cup by chance.”
On this night, the best hands belonged to the Canucks, who were 1-3 against the Ducks in the regular season last campaign and went down in five games to the Ducks in the second round of the Western Conference playoffs.
Luongo recorded his second consecutive shutout with 26 saves in the matchup of traded star players.
After being outshot 15-5 in the first period, the Canucks found their offensive game in the second, ringing up three goals on 17 shots while going on the power play four times when the Ducks persisted in taking penalties.
After Bertuzzi shot high on a breakaway, Naslund got his fifth goal in six games with a whistling wrist shot to the far corner at 3:20 on a pass from Daniel Sedin. Naslund gave Ducks netminder Jean-Sébastien Giguère little chance with the shot just under the crossbar of the net.
Kesler made the score 2-0 on a rebound off a Naslund point shot at 12:38 while Anaheim played two men short. Kesler also paid a price when decked by the cross-check of Ducks captain Chris Pronger after the whistle, drawing boos from the sellout crowd.
Cooke made the score 3-0 with a deflection at 16:33 on a one-timer from the point by Alexander Edler after a sharp cross-ice pass by Mattias Ohlund.
The Ducks tried to throw the Canucks off their game in the second by finishing checks and trying to start fights. Instead, Anaheim drew seven penalties in the period.
Anaheim had controlled the goalless opening period using size and strength along the boards to create possessions. The Ducks played a strong north-south game, preferring to dump and chase, while the Canucks did their best work cycling from the corners in the offensive zone.
Bertuzzi began the affair on right wing alongside speedsters Andy McDonald and Chris Kunitz. On power plays, Bertuzzi moved to the other wing with Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry.
The Ducks went on the first power play in the opening period when Alexandre Burrows was penalized for interference for his hold on the fore-checking Bertuzzi.
Luongo made two huge saves in the first, initially stopping Travis Moen on a 3-on-1 break after a turnover, then against McDonald on a quick break after another turnover by the Vancouver defence.
Vancouver continued to use Edler as a regular on defence, sitting out more seasoned Mike Weaver. Edler has developed into a reliable defender and got increased ice time earlier while three veteran defencemen were sidelined.
Edler often was paired with Ohlund, and sometimes the Canucks had five players from Sweden on the ice at the same time when Edler and Ohlund played in a fivesome with Naslund and the Sedin twins, Daniel and Henrik.
Special to The Globe and Mail
