The Sports Corner

Wellwood the new Naslund in Vancouver?

Whoa! Bandwagon alert! But let’s go over the facts here.

Markus Naslund, playing in the Eastern conference scored his fifth goal Tuesday, in what was his 15th game of this season. Kyle Wellwood scored is fifth and sixth goals Tuesday in his eighth game of the season. And with Naslund playing on a line with Scott Gomez and Chris Drury, we should be able to expect more goals out of him. Wellwood is producing while playing less minutes, usually on the team’s third line.

That being said, five of his six goals have come on the powerplay, where he is normally paired with Daniel and Henrik Sedin. Anyone who is put on this line is bound to score points, especially with a man advantage. 

But this isn’t going to read like a Wellwood hate-fest. This is because Wellwood has brought something to the Vancouver organization that it hasn’t seen since Naslund was able to put up 48 goals in 2002/03, and that’s someone that is able to put the puck in the back of the net.

This isn’t comparing Naslund’s old skillset to Wellwood’s because that’s stupid. All this is, is a statement that Wellwood has the hands and the patience to put the puck in the back of the net when given the opportunity. 

That was the problem in so many of Vancouver’s losses during the Vigneault, post-good Naslund era. How many times did they make an opposing goalie look a hell of a lot better than he really was? 

Who in Vancouver would have predicted that thirteen games into the season, Wellwood would be leading the team in goals (T-17th in league goal scoring), and owning a sure spot when needed in a shootout? He’s definitely come a long way from the picture in The Province by the pool.

This is especially important with the injury to Pavol Demitra, and the complete lack of anything from Taylor Pyatt.