The Vancouver Canucks have done a great job down the stretch reeling in the Calgary Flames in the battle for the Northwest Division title. The biggest reason why may be the play of a pair of youngsters.
You can colour me surprised because if you had told me at the beginning of the season that Alexandre Burrows and Ryan Kesler would be the top two players on the Vancouver Canucks, I would have said ‘I don't think so.' Valuable guys yes, but most valuable? Well that's exactly what they are.
Alex Burrows has really stepped up his game. He is playing on the Canucks number one line with the Sedin twins. In Sunday night's game against Chicago, Burrows was absolutely terrific. He potted his 25th goal of the season and picked up a pair of assists. Kesler also managed a goal in the contest. Coincidently the Sedins' have been on fire lately and everything for Vancouver is firing on all cylinders right now, and it all goes back to the two straws that stir the drink: Burrows on the first line and Kesler on the second line.
When the season started, these two guys were penciled in as energy guys on the third line. Everyone was wondering who would play with the Sedins? Who would play with Mats Sundin and Pavol Demitra? And how are we going to round out our top two lines? It turns out that Kesler and Burrows were the answer for the Vancouver Canucks and that is a big reason why the Canucks are as good as they are right now.