Schneider tunes out the opposition
Netminder hasn’t let the trade talk bother him, choosing instead to let his actions do all the talking
EDMONTON — Al Davis, the late owner of the Oakland Raiders, would have found a spot for Cory Schneider on his team.
All Schneider does is just win, baby.
He did it again on Sunday night, winning his sixth straight start as the Canucks kicked off a six- game road trip with a 5- 2 decision over the Edmonton Oilers at Rexall Place.
Schneider didn’t have to stand on his head in this one as he faced 28 shots, 16 of them in the third period when the game was pretty much over.
“I felt okay, I wasn’t too busy early on, but I was struggling to track the puck a little bit and spit out some pretty bad rebounds,” Schneider said. “But I felt better in the third. I think the shots were a little misleading. A lot of the credit goes to my teammates. I don’t think the game was ever in doubt and every time they got one, then we got one right back.
“It was more just kind of taking care of things as opposed to making a lot of big saves.”
Schneider’s record this season is now 13- 5- 0 and he has won 11 of his last 12 decisions. Over the last two seasons, Schneider has compiled an impressive record of 29- 9- 2.
It’s a refreshing change for the Canucks, who for the longest time couldn’t find a backup who could regularly help get them wins.
Schneider’s other numbers are equally impressive. He boasts a goals- against average of 2.25 and a .928 save percentage.
“For me it’s all about wins,” Schneider said before the game. “The other numbers are nice, but that’s not really what I am too worried about. As a guy who doesn’t play too often, I want to win, I want to be able and come in there and help my team out and not be a guy that throws us off the track.”
Longtime Canucks like Canuck captain Henrik Sedin have a true appreciation for the job Schneider has done the past two seasons.
“We have a lot of confidence in him,” Sedin said. “A lot of times the backup is going to be there for 20 or 25 games in a season and ( with Schneider) it’s not just about trying to survive. We have as good a chance playing him as we do playing Louie ( Roberto Luongo).”
Schneider’s stellar play, of course, has not gone unnoticed and general manager Mike Gillis is certain to get a number of calls before next Monday’s trade deadline from fellow GMS looking for goaltending help.
The Canucks will almost certainly not trade him at the deadline and Schneider insisted Sunday he is able to tune out all the media chatter about him.
“It’s all speculation and rumours,” Schneider said. “It’s easy to pick names and say, oh, this makes sense. I haven’t heard anything from the team in that regard and I don’t expect to. Until Mike Gills comes and tells me I am not a part of the team any more, I am just going to go about my business and be a good teammate and work as hard as I can for this team.” JUST FOR KICKS: The Canucks won 5- 2 Sunday night. It probably should have been 6- 2.
A Manny Malhotra goal in the final minute of the first period was reviewed in Toronto and disallowed. The puck did go in off Malhotra’s skate, but there did not appear to be any distinct kicking motion.
“It didn’t feel like a kicking motion, nor did it look like a kicking motion,” Malhotra said. “I was just stopping on my way to the net. I was a little bit surprised.” NICE RETURN: Winger Dale Weise returned to the lineup after a five- game absence. He replaced Byron Bitz, who was experiencing hip soreness.
Weise set a nice screen on Kevin Bieksa’s second- period goal. He also drew an assist on the goal.
“Obviously we got robbed on the first one there,” Weise said of the Malhotra non- goal. “So we had to go out and get another one. ... We have been doing a lot of work in practice getting in front of the goalie and making sure he can’t see it. I don’t think it was ( Bieksa’s) hardest shot but you can’t stop what you can’t see.”
RENNEY RESTS: Oilers coach Tom Renney missed his third game Sunday night since suffering a concussion after he was struck by a Ladislav Smid shot in practice on Feb. 6.
Associate coach Ralph Krueger filled in and said he is keeping in close contact with Renney during his absence, while trying not to overdo it.
“One of the things we are trying to do is reduce the amount of processing that he has to do,” Krueger said before the game. “But Tom is informed of every move. We are using all the different methods, sometimes it is BBM. sometimes it’s email, Tom uses a different one just about every time so he kind of surprises me.”
Renney did watch Sunday night’s game from the press box.
SCARY THOUGHT: Former Canuck Darcy Hordichuk was scratched for the ninth straight game by the Oilers on Sunday night. He’s been spending some time watching games with injured rookie Ryan Nugent- Hopkins.
Hordichuk joked before the game about being a good influence on last summer’s No. 1 draft pick.
“RNH has got a chance to spend some more time with me,” Hordichuk said. “When he gets back, you’ll see a different player.”