The Province
October 7, 2002
By GORDON MCINTYRE

Bryan Allen didn't do anything Sunday to clear up who will start the season as the Vancouver Canucks' sixth defenceman.

Allen, who had more even-strength minutes (15:41) than any other Canucks defenceman in the game, came into the preseason with a starting spot his to lose. He wasn't able to step up and claim that spot, but then neither were Bryan Helmer or Nolan Baumgartner, neither of whom dressed.

Allen likely will be pencilled in as Murray Baron's partner on the third pairing when the Canucks season opens Thursday at Calgary.

According to coach Marc Crawford, the jury's still out, with two days to go before rosters have to be declared, over how many defencemen the Canucks will carry.

Going with six "isn't out of the question," the coach said after the Canucks' 3-2 win over San Jose.

"But then, eight's not out of the question, either," Crawford said.

None of the three defencemen on the bubble have to clear waivers prior to demotion.

Allen coughed up the puck a couple of times Sunday, the most glaring example with just under a minute left. Mike Ricci took the puck off him at the Vancouver blueline and Allen was forced to grab his sweater to prevent a breakaway, and got a holding penalty.

Allen said, "I've had a few down moments [in the preseason], but I try to stay positive."

Allen wasn't the only one giving away the puck. Brent Sopel and Trevor Linden had turnovers in their own zone during the same power play midway through the second.

And, after holding the Sharks to seven shots with 15 minutes to go in the game, sloppy play allowed San Jose to finish the game with 16.

Dan Cloutier was solid, making a tough leg save on a Chad Wiseman breakaway in his toughest test. His only blunder came during a Canucks power play with 11:54 to go in the third as he flubbed a clearing attempt, allowing Ricci to score into an empty net.

"I left it there for [Mattias Ohlund] to go to it, but I left it too far from him," a sheepish Cloutier said.

The defence played a big part in Canucks' offence.

Ed Jovanovski rushed to the net to convert a Markus Naslund feed 2:39 into the game.

And Brent Sopel's nifty little drop pass against the grain allowed Fedor Fedorov to dipsy-doodle to the Sharks net for the winning goal.



BACK