After spending a season with a rotating cast of wingers, Vancouver Canucks centre Bo Horvat is looking forward to a little consistency.
B次元官网网址淟ast year, with injuries and stuff, playing with pretty much everybody and every combination you can think of, it was tough to get chemistry,B次元官网网址� Horvat told reporters on Tuesday.
B次元官网网址淏eing together with guys for a long period of time, you know each otherB次元官网网址檚 tendencies and where weB次元官网网址檙e going to be on the ice. And I think (consistent linemates) would be huge for my game and help the team out as well.B次元官网网址�
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Vancouver finished last year with a 35-36-11 record, missing the playoffs for the fourth season in a row. But some big roster changes have ignited new hope.
Canucks general manager Jim Benning spent the off-season trying to make dreams of depth and lineup stability come true, acquiring forwards J.T. Miller and Micheal Ferland, and defencemen Tyler Myers and Jordie Benn.
B次元官网网址淚 think our teamB次元官网网址檚 better than it was last year,B次元官网网址� said coach Travis Green. B次元官网网址滻 think weB次元官网网址檒l be better equipped in a lot of areas.B次元官网网址�
With the Canucks set to open training camp in Victoria on Friday, exactly who will skate alongside Horvat and last yearB次元官网网址檚 star rookie Elias Pettersson remains to be seen. But Green is looking forward to having options.
B次元官网网址淚 would love to have set lines from day one right through the whole season. That would be a coachB次元官网网址檚 dream. And that usually means you win a lot of hockey games,B次元官网网址� he said.
Adding players has also created more competition for ice time. The Canucks are taking 64 players to training camp, including 35 forwards, 22 defencemen and seven goalies.
Benning has previously said jobs are on the line this year, and heB次元官网网址檚 already spoken to the clubB次元官网网址檚 owners about the possibility of sending some big-ticket players to the clubB次元官网网址檚 American Hockey League affiliate in Utica, N.Y., if necessary.
Defence Troy Stecher is embracing the challenge of increased competition.
B次元官网网址淲ith the additions we made, obviously I think playoffs is a huge focus for our group,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淎ny time you can add depth and make your team better in the long run, I think itB次元官网网址檚 going to make every individual player better as well. Friendly competition is a good thing. It pushes you to be better and pushes you to be at the top of your game at all times.B次元官网网址�
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Many of the new additions are big bodies who are expected to help ease VancouverB次元官网网址檚 scoring woes. The Canucks finished last season with 225 goals for, good for 10th in the Western Conference.
Miller put up 47 points for the Tampa Bay Lightning before he was dealt to the Canucks at the end of June. Myers B次元官网网址� who signed a five-year, US$30-million deal on July 1 B次元官网网址� had 31 points for the Winnipeg Jets last year.
B次元官网网址淚 think last year we didnB次元官网网址檛 get to the net. We werenB次元官网网址檛 big and strong enough to get to the net,B次元官网网址� Benning said, adding that the squad needs more B次元官网网址渄irty goalsB次元官网网址� from rebounds and deflections.
B次元官网网址淲e need to score more goals, but I think weB次元官网网址檝e added players that can get to the net, defencemen that can get pucks through to score the goals. So thatB次元官网网址檚 kind of our plan.B次元官网网址�
The newest Canucks are eager to chip in. Miller has already skated with both Horvat and Pettersson and is B次元官网网址渂ig fan of the way they play.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淚 think the biggest thing is how well-rounded the team is now,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址漁bviously as a guy on another team, you see how much young talent this team has and how hard they were to play against last year. So IB次元官网网址檓 really excited to bring to the table what I can and get everything going here.B次元官网网址�
Pettersson, who was crowned the NHLB次元官网网址檚 rookie of the year last season, is looking forward to his sophomore campaign, too.
B次元官网网址淚 think coming into last year, I didnB次元官网网址檛 know maybe how I would do and teams werenB次元官网网址檛 paying that much attention to me,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址滲ut I think that will change now and I know what IB次元官网网址檓 heading into.B次元官网网址�
The 20-year-old led the Canucks in scoring last year, tallying 28 goals and 38 assists in 71 games en route to winning the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year. Knowing that he wanted to play a full 82-game regular season this year, Pettersson spent his summer working on conditioning, and getting stronger and faster with his strength coach.
Still, the Swedish centre doesnB次元官网网址檛 have any specific goals heading into the year, saying instead that he just wants to play his best hockey.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 never satisfied,B次元官网网址� Pettersson said. B次元官网网址淚 want to get better every day. I want to win and do my best to help the team to win.B次元官网网址�
Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press
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