Canucks spoil Great One's coaching debut
Associated Press
10/6/2005 12:41:50 AM
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) - Markus Naslund scored two goals and Dan Cloutier made 16 of his 30 saves in the first period to lead the Vancouver Canucks to a 3-2 victory over the Phoenix Coyotes on Wednesday night.
The Coyotes almost provided a great ending for head coach Wayne Gretzky, pulling within 3-2 with 43 seconds left, but Gretzky's success as a player against Vancouver didn't continue in his first game behind the bench.
Mattias Ohlund also scored and Brendan Morrison had two assists for the Canucks, who led 2-0 after two periods.
Keith Ballard - one of two rookie defensemen Gretzky chose to play ahead of healthy veterans Cale Hulse and Sean O'Donnell - made it 2-1 midway through the third period. But Naslund scored his second of the game on a 2-on-1 break 19 seconds later.
Oleg Saprykin scored the power-play goal in the final minute with Phoenix goalie Curtis Joseph pulled for an extra attacker.
Gretzky, owner of 61 NHL records as a player, had always enjoyed success against Vancouver. He scored his first, 200th, 500th and 802nd goals (breaking Gordie Howe's all-time record) against the Canucks.
Phoenix outshot Vancouver 16-12 in the opening period, but Cloutier made great saves against Mike Ricci, Oleg Saprykin and Tyson Nash early. He saved his best for Boyd Devereaux with six minutes left in the period, sprawling across to get his left toe on a one-timer from Mike Comrie's feed on a 2-on-1.
Gretzky wasn't the only one making a highly publicized return.
Canucks forward Todd Bertuzzi was back after serving a 17-month suspension for his March 8, 2004 blindside attack that left Colorado's Steve Moore with a concussion and broken bones in his neck.
Bertuzzi, who received the loudest roars during a raucous introduction, sprung Naslund for a breakaway with a quick pass at the Coyotes blue line and he beat Joseph with a quick move to his backhand for a 2-0 lead at 7:59.
Ohlund, playing his first game after missing the entire preseason with back spasms, opened the scoring with a harmless looking wrist shot off the left boards that hit traffic in front and bounced between Joseph's legs.
Joseph finished with 27 saves.
Notes:
Coyotes C Petr Nedved left the game with a groin strain in the third period and did not return. ... Coyotes RW Brett Hull wore number 16, but will switch to father Bobby's 9 at a ceremony to un-retire the number before Phoenix's home opener against Minnesota on Saturday. ... Canucks RW Lee Goren played in place of Tyler Bouck, who injured his groin in Tuesday's practice.
Cheers,
Aquaman