from Ed Willes of the Vancouver Province,

Some musings on the NHL’s hottest team not coached by John Tortorella.

• There may be prettier sights — the all-you-can-eat buffet line at The Hungry Heifer pops to mind — but in forging their five-game win streak the Canucks have succeeded in creating an identity that is churning out results and tedium in equal measure.

Loosely stated, that identity is built around their goaltending, which is giving them a chance to win every night and a defence that is starting to exert its influence on games. Upfront, they still struggle to produce goals, but given their defensive structure, they don’t need a lot of offence.

It was all on display during Wednesday’s eyesore of a game at The Rog, a 3-0 win for Vancouver. Through two periods, the Canucks amassed just 14 shots on Arizona goalie Mike Smith, but Sven Baertschi’s first-period goal held up until Brandon Sutter’s penalty-shot score in the third period.

True, it isn’t going to sell a lot of tickets. But given their current resources, it’s doubtful the Canucks can have success playing any other way.

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