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Canucks don’t want to make excuses for mediocrity

Ryan Kesler

Vancouver Canucks center Ryan Kesler warms up before facing the Colorado Avalanche in the first period of an NHL hockey game in Denver on Tuesday, March 9, 2010. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

David Zalubowski

Many expected the Vancouver Canucks to get out of the gate in a sluggish way. For a while, it seemed OK too, as the Boston Bruins stumbled a bit too. Yet as the Bruins surge, the Canucks continue to sleepwalk through the first quarter of the season, producing a record that is the definition of mediocre: 9-9-1.* The Canucks won’t take the bait in making any excuses about their lame start, though, as they told Kevin Woodley of NHL.com.

“I don’t even remember the playoffs last year. Nobody remembers,” Kevin Bieksa said. “There are no more excuses like that. We’re well into our schedule right now. We’re thinking about this year, and that’s not even on our minds right now.”

Bieksa ranks among the Canucks whose results have been very disappointing this season. The Sedin twins are producing like usual and Alexander Edler is making everyone forget about Christian Ehrhoff, but the depth guys need to step up. Ryan Kesler might not be 100 percent right now, but Vancouver needs more than seven points in 14 games from the reigning Selke Trophy winner.

So will the Canucks bounce back? It depends on how far you’re expecting them to go. A playoff spot is reasonably in reach, as they’re only currently three points behind the seventh-ranked St. Louis Blues and eighth place Edmonton Oilers. It might be a little too much to ask them to pillage their way through the NHL’s regular season again, though.

* - Going into tonight’s game, the Canucks were also dead even in goal differential: 56 scored and allowed.