Big games for Skudra
Canucks face his former team, the Bruins, as Latvia tries to advance in the Olympics
(Ben Kuzma, the Vancouver Province, 2/12/02)
His current team, his former team and his country's team are all on impressive rolls.
No wonder Canucks backup goaltender Peter Skudra can't wipe the smile off his face as he anticipates two crucial clashes tonight -- Vancouver versus Boston (7 p.m., Sportsnet, CKNW) and Latvia versus Germany (6 p.m., TSN). And while Skudra has an opportunity to stick it to his former employers at GM Place, he plans to stick around town even if upstart Latvia advances to the main Winter Olympics hockey tournament.
"I'm really excited for the guys and I've played with 99 per cent of them through the years back home," Skudra said Monday after joyous calls from his countrymen who rallied Sunday to tie winless Slovakia 6-6 and improve to 1-0-1 in the qualifying tourney at Salt Lake City.
"But, you know, I'm a little banged up. My knee could be in a little better shape and at this point it would be smarter for me just to take the days off and rest."
However, with Arturs Irbe of the Carolina Hurricanes finally made available by the NHL to face Germany, Skudra could be his main tourney backup in place of Sergei Naumov, who allowed six goals on the first 21 shots he faced against Slovakia.
"We keep talking but I don't think I'll go," added Skudra. "You never know how it's going to go with Danny [Cloutier] so I want to be 100 per cent ready for the final 22 [Canucks] games. They're going to be huge for us."
That's exactly what Skudra has been for the Canucks. When Cloutier sprained his left ankle on Jan. 21 at Carolina, the 28-year-old Riga native fashioned a 6-0-1 record to fuel the club's nine-game unbeaten streak that was snapped here Saturday in a 4-3 loss to Calgary. Add the fact the Bruins chose not to exercise their contract option on Skudra -- he went 6-12-1 with a 3.33 goals-against average in 25 appearances while Byron Dafoe and John Grahame nursed injuries -- and there's no shortage of incentive. Especially knowing that Grahame had another year left on his contract.
You might say tonight is Skudra's very own mini-Olympics.
The Bruins edged the Canucks 3-2 in Beantown on Nov. 23 and were unbeaten in six games heading into Monday's matchup at Colorado. They're also the only NHL club with five 20-goal scorers in Bill Guerin, Glen Murray, Brian Rolston, Joe Thornton and Sergei Samsonov.
"They're extremely well balanced and they don't have a weakness," stressed Skudra. "You have to outsmart them and outwork them."
Skudra talked contract last summer with Vancouver and Chicago but opted for the Rangers. New York had Mike Richter coming off knee surgery and 18-year-old Dan Blackburn, who won the backup job. Skudra was playing for Hartford of the AHL when the Canucks came calling on Nov. 7.
Skudra's one-year, $450,000-US deal includes a club option for next season and is $75,000 less than he earned with the Bruins. Needless to say, it's been money well spent.
"Peter has been a great addition," said Canucks captain Markus Naslund. "He's really well liked by the guys and has shown he's a quality goaltender, too."
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