Candid Hansen not convinced he’ll score the goal he needs to reach 20
8 years ago
Photo Credit: Sergei Belski/USA TODAY Sports
One
shot, once chance, one lucky bounce is all Jannik Hansen needs to score his 20th
goal of the season. Hell, he’d take an empty netter if the Vancouver Canucks
were ever in position to extend a lead.
shot, once chance, one lucky bounce is all Jannik Hansen needs to score his 20th
goal of the season. Hell, he’d take an empty netter if the Vancouver Canucks
were ever in position to extend a lead.
With just six games to go the Canucks are in the midst of a late-season collapse. They’ve been unable to mount much in the
way of an offensive push and Hansen isn’t convinced he’s going to get the single goal he needs
to reach the 20-goal milestone for the first time in his eighth National Hockey
League season.
way of an offensive push and Hansen isn’t convinced he’s going to get the single goal he needs
to reach the 20-goal milestone for the first time in his eighth National Hockey
League season.
“No,” he says with a nervous
laugh when asked if he is confident he’ll get his 20th before the
season ends on April 9th. “I know how hard it is to score in this
league. You can’t take anything for granted. I thought I was going to get it in
my first game back in Nashville (where he had a partial breakaway) and here we
are four games later and I feel like I’m further away from scoring now than I
was then. You have to be humble. You have to do a lot of things right – dirty areas,
chipping, slashing, hitting and all the little things — and you seem to be
rewarded that way.”
laugh when asked if he is confident he’ll get his 20th before the
season ends on April 9th. “I know how hard it is to score in this
league. You can’t take anything for granted. I thought I was going to get it in
my first game back in Nashville (where he had a partial breakaway) and here we
are four games later and I feel like I’m further away from scoring now than I
was then. You have to be humble. You have to do a lot of things right – dirty areas,
chipping, slashing, hitting and all the little things — and you seem to be
rewarded that way.”
Now,
Hansen knows personal accomplishments mean nothing when a team is spiraling out
of control the way the Canucks are. So in no way is he putting his agenda ahead
of the hockey club’s. He’d like nothing more than for his 20th goal
of the season to be the game winner that could help the Canucks snap out of
their current nine-game losing skid.
Hansen knows personal accomplishments mean nothing when a team is spiraling out
of control the way the Canucks are. So in no way is he putting his agenda ahead
of the hockey club’s. He’d like nothing more than for his 20th goal
of the season to be the game winner that could help the Canucks snap out of
their current nine-game losing skid.
He hasn’t
scored since bagging a pair against Colorado on February 21st. The
drought stands at just six games, though, because a week after his most-recent
goal, Hansen suffered a rib injury that forced him to miss 11 games. As one of
the veterans on a youth-laden roster, the 30-year-old winger wanted nothing
more than to be able to help his hockey club through one of the darkest
stretches in franchise history. He’s healthy now and has returned to the right
side of the team’s top line with Daniel and Henrik Sedin.
scored since bagging a pair against Colorado on February 21st. The
drought stands at just six games, though, because a week after his most-recent
goal, Hansen suffered a rib injury that forced him to miss 11 games. As one of
the veterans on a youth-laden roster, the 30-year-old winger wanted nothing
more than to be able to help his hockey club through one of the darkest
stretches in franchise history. He’s healthy now and has returned to the right
side of the team’s top line with Daniel and Henrik Sedin.
“These
last 15 games we’ve hit a slide so it’s always nicer if the team has success,
if you’re a playoff team and you’re scoring the winning goals and stuff like
that,” he says of playing out the string. “It’s different when you’re down 5-1
and we’re playing for scraps.”
last 15 games we’ve hit a slide so it’s always nicer if the team has success,
if you’re a playoff team and you’re scoring the winning goals and stuff like
that,” he says of playing out the string. “It’s different when you’re down 5-1
and we’re playing for scraps.”
On a
team that’s about to set a franchise record for fewest goals in a season,
Hansen has been one of the few offensive bright spots for the Canucks. In 61 games,
he’s sitting second on the club with 19 goals – 18 of them at even-strength and
one short-handed. With those numbers, Hansen has three more goals than anyone
else in the pack of NHL players without a power play goal this season. Of all
players in the league who’ve played at least 200 minutes this season, Hansen is
seventh in even-strength goals per 60 minutes (1.23) and 24th in the
league in points per 60 (2.13). Had he managed to stay healthy, Hansen would
have been a cinch to score 20 and may have been able to reach 25.
team that’s about to set a franchise record for fewest goals in a season,
Hansen has been one of the few offensive bright spots for the Canucks. In 61 games,
he’s sitting second on the club with 19 goals – 18 of them at even-strength and
one short-handed. With those numbers, Hansen has three more goals than anyone
else in the pack of NHL players without a power play goal this season. Of all
players in the league who’ve played at least 200 minutes this season, Hansen is
seventh in even-strength goals per 60 minutes (1.23) and 24th in the
league in points per 60 (2.13). Had he managed to stay healthy, Hansen would
have been a cinch to score 20 and may have been able to reach 25.
As it is, he’s already set a
career-high surpassing the 16 goals he scored in 2010-11 and matched last
season. While he’s not fixated on
getting to 20, he knows how close he is and he’d certainly like to get the one
he needs to put him over the hump.
career-high surpassing the 16 goals he scored in 2010-11 and matched last
season. While he’s not fixated on
getting to 20, he knows how close he is and he’d certainly like to get the one
he needs to put him over the hump.
“Right now, it wouldn’t mean that
much, but in the off-season it would be nice to be able to say you scored 20
once,” he says. “It’s just a number. It was nice to hit 500 games, too (which
he did earlier this season). It’s a milestone. But I hope to get 600, 700, 800.
When you’re in it, it’s not that much to think about, but it’s something you
look back on.”
much, but in the off-season it would be nice to be able to say you scored 20
once,” he says. “It’s just a number. It was nice to hit 500 games, too (which
he did earlier this season). It’s a milestone. But I hope to get 600, 700, 800.
When you’re in it, it’s not that much to think about, but it’s something you
look back on.”
As time winds down and the finish
line to the season draw near, Hansen is running out of opportunities to
score his 20th. Six games with the Sedins – even if they’re mired in something of a drought themselves, relative to their usual high standard – should
present him with a few more quality scoring chances. Then it’s on him to
pull the trigger.
line to the season draw near, Hansen is running out of opportunities to
score his 20th. Six games with the Sedins – even if they’re mired in something of a drought themselves, relative to their usual high standard – should
present him with a few more quality scoring chances. Then it’s on him to
pull the trigger.
If he comes up short, it will be
a mild disappointment to be sure. It may not seem like much, but for a
goal-scorer there is no doubt that 20 sounds a whole lot better than 19.
a mild disappointment to be sure. It may not seem like much, but for a
goal-scorer there is no doubt that 20 sounds a whole lot better than 19.
“Oh, there’s a difference — a
big difference,” Hansen says emphatically. “Those round numbers are always
significant.”
big difference,” Hansen says emphatically. “Those round numbers are always
significant.”
The way things have gone for the
Canucks this season, it’s hard to imagine they’ll break out offensively at any
point here over the final week and a half. There may only be a half-dozen or so
goals remaining for the group. Hansen has to know that. He also has to be
hoping that one of them is his 20th.
Canucks this season, it’s hard to imagine they’ll break out offensively at any
point here over the final week and a half. There may only be a half-dozen or so
goals remaining for the group. Hansen has to know that. He also has to be
hoping that one of them is his 20th.
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