Who is the Canucks Mr. Clutch?

Yesterday morning, on his regular game day interview spot on the Team 1040, John Shorthouse was asked which Canuck will be this year’s Alex Burrows. Who will score all those clutch goals; make key plays when the team needs them most. His answer was that it had to be a collective effort, a team response. Don’t listen to him. The real answer to the question is Mikael Samuelson.

Brought in to fill the void left by Mats Sundin, Samuelson has had big shoes to fill. Yes, even Sundin detractors have to admit that he added an offensive dimension to the Canucks. On the powerplay Sundin was a force, he dominated the sideboards and rarely made an error, and his presence on the ice, even at even strength was formidable. Samuelson may not be as big as Sundin, or have the hands that seemed to settle down any puck in his vicinity, but he is apparently just as strong. Add to that the Swede’s skill – that was apparently underrated as he played on the third line on a very deep Detroit Red Wings team – and a tenaciousness that is second to none, and the Canucks have got themselves a gem.

Write this down: Mikael Samuelson will be an impact player for the Vancouver Canucks in the 2009-2010 season. Come playoffs, he will only get better, because he has been there with the NHL’s best organization many times and he has won. He knows what it takes, and he’s already shown that he’s prepared to bring it to each and every game.

While we’re talking about radio personalities, do note that Dave Tomlinson, Canucks analyst, predicted a 3-2 Vancouver win, directly before the game started.