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CANUCKS 3, Mighty Ducks 1
Potvin hot as Canucks beat Anaheim
VANCOUVER (CP) -- The clouds of another dreary season are beginning to lift for the Vancouver Canucks, who are starting to believe they can make the the NHL playoffs for the first time in four years.
"Everybody cares for each other right now and everybody feels we're getting back in the (playoff) race and the guys are having fun," goalie Felix Potvin said after a 3-1 victory Thursday night over the Anaheim Mighty Ducks.
Potvin was spectacular for the third straight game, making 29 saves, including 24 over the final two periods when his club was outshot 25-10.
"Every game I start, I just try to keep my team in the game and try to give them a chance to win," said Potvin, who was obtained in a December trade with the New York Islanders.
"I'm trying to make the first save but I'm getting a lot of help from my defencemen, especially the forwards coming back."
Mark Messier, who has more spring in his 39-year-old legs now than he had all season, scored the winner for his 1,700th career point after winger Trent Klatt caused a neutral zone turnover.
"They're starting to add up, you know, but more important than that it's fun playing the game right now," Messier said of his milestone after playing nearly 25 minutes and winning 22 of 35 faceoffs.
"We're back in the hunt and there's a good feeling on the team."
Alex Mogilny, capitalizing on another turnover, and Brad May, who scored after a big forechecking hit by Matt Cooke, also scored for the Canucks.
Kip Miller scored for Anaheim with nine minutes left in the third when his shot from the corner changed direction twice. He later missed another opportunity when he couldn't lift the puck over a prone Potvin.
The win was the fifth in the last eight games for Vancouver, which has lost only once in that span. The Ducks lost for the first time after two wins and a tie.
"It's getting interesting now," Messier said of Vancouver's playoff chances. "We've been playing pretty well the last few games.
"There's a pretty good feeling on the team right now. We're not beating ourselves. On any team I've ever been on everyone's felt responsible for the wins and the losses and that's the way it is right now."
Ducks coach Craig Hartsburg said turnovers by veteran players and the play of Potvin made the difference.
"In the second and third period he stopped everything and the one we did score was probably the worst shot on net we had," Hartsburg said.
Teemu Selanne, who was stopped five times by Potvin, said he was Vancouver's key to the win.
"The way Potvin played tonight ... I don't know how far those guys can go. I'm surprised they're down in the bottom of the standings."
Notes: Garth Snow is expected to play goal for Vancouver on Saturday against the New Jersey Devils ... Paul Kariya of the Ducks missed his fifth straight game with a bruised foot ... Steve Kariya and centre Josh Holden were returned to AHL Syracuse.
Summary
-----------------------------
Anaheim 0 0 1--1
Vancouver 1 2 0--3
-----------------------------
FIRST PERIOD -- Scoring: 1, Vancouver, Mogilny 16 (Cassels, Ohlund),
15:28.
SECOND PERIOD -- Scoring: 2, Vancouver, Messier 13 (Klatt), 11:49. 3,
Vancouver, May 6 (unassisted), 15:02. Penalties: T Bertuzzi, Van
(slashing), 4:21; Ohlund, Van (high sticking), 8:23; Klatt, Van ( double
high sticking minor), 16:23.
THIRD PERIOD -- Scoring: 4, Anaheim, Miller 7 (Tverdovsky, Donato),
11:01.
Shots on goal:
---------------------------------
Anaheim 5 12 13--30
Vancouver 10 5 5--20
--------------------------------
Power-play Conversions: Ana - 0 of 4, Van - 0 of 0. Goalies: Anaheim, G
Hebert (20 shots, 17 saves; record: 21-24-7). Vancouver, Potvin (30, 29;
record: 11-21-8). A:13,918. Referees: Angus, Marouelli. Linesmen:
Henderson, Knox.
INDIVIDUAL PLAYER STATISTICS
Anaheim Vancouver
G A +/- Shots G A +/- Shots
Cullen 0 0 +1 0 Baron 0 0 +2 0
Donato 0 1 +1 3 Cassels 0 1 even 1
Grimson 0 0 even 0 Cooke 0 0 +1 3
Haller 0 0 +1 0 Druken 0 0 +1 2
Hrkac 0 0 -1 1 Hawgood 0 0 -1 0
J Nielsen 0 0 even 0 Hendrickson 0 0 -1 0
Ja Marshall 0 0 -1 3 Jovanovski 0 0 +1 2
Kohn 0 0 -1 1 Klatt 0 1 +1 1
Leclerc 0 0 -1 0 M Naslund 0 0 +1 0
Mcinnis 0 0 -2 0 May 1 0 +1 2
Miller 1 0 +1 3 Messier 1 0 +2 3
Olausson 0 0 -2 1 Mogilny 1 0 +1 2
P Trepanier 0 0 even 2 Ohlund 0 1 +3 1
Rucchin 0 0 -2 3 Ruutu 0 0 -1 0
Salei 0 0 even 5 Sopel 0 0 even 1
Selanne 0 0 -2 5 Strudwick 0 0 -1 0
Tverdovsky 0 1 -1 3 T Bertuzzi 0 0 even 2
Vishnevski 0 0 -1 0 York 0 0 even 0
Trnka Healthy Aucoin Finger Injury
P Kariya Foot Injury Brashear Concussion
Aalto Healthy Chubarov Hip Injury
Havelid Finger Injury V Sharifijanov Hip Injury
Joseph Groin
P Schaefer Knee Injury
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