Alex Burrows has been reunited with his old linemates, the Sedin twins, while winger Radim Vrbata has been taken off the first line with Henrik and Daniel, though not due to poor play.
That was the story today in Vancouver, where Canucks coach Willie Desjardins is hoping his team’s leading goal-scorer, Vrbata, can bring some offensive punch to a second line that hasn’t had any of late.
Vrbata was skating today with center Nick Bonino and winger Chris Higgins.
Desjardins said moving Burrows was to give #Canucks new look, he's excited to see if Vrbata can spark others.
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) January 5, 2015
Burrows, meanwhile, is pumped to be back with the twins, with whom he enjoyed multiple productive seasons in the past. The 33-year-old has nine goals in 32 games this season, on pace to score at least 20 for the fifth time in his career. He’s already scored four more than he did all of last season, when he had just five in 49 games.
"Willie talked to me about the change and it's been a while, but I'm excited" - Burrows, on returning to first line #Canucks
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) January 5, 2015
#Canucks Willie Desjardins on moving Burrows to line with Sedin twins: "I think his history is what influences me more than anything."
— Cam Tucker (@CamTucker_Sport) January 5, 2015
The Canucks, by the way, host the Islanders tomorrow. The last time these two teams met in Vancouver, on March 10, the Isles, minus John Tavares, went into the third period trailing 3-0 and yada, yada, yada came out with a 7-4 victory.
For Vancouver, it was arguably the lowest point of a nightmare season. Which even Canucks fans can now admit was pretty funny, given Kevin Bieksa had said only days earlier following a 6-1 loss in Dallas, “If this isn’t rock bottom, I don’t know what is.”