by Joel Smart (Sports Editor)
Email: joel at ufvcascade dot ca
Prior to being recalled to the Canucks for the January 18 game against the Avalanche, Sergei Shirokov had only played six games in the NHL. He began the 2009-2010 season with Vancouver, but managed just four shots on goal, and found himself with a minus-four plus-minus rating. For a young, Russian player with such promise, it was a huge disappointment.
Further compounding the issue, the 24-year-old failed to meet fitness standards at this year’s training camp, eliminating any hope that he would begin the season with the team. However, through a lot of hard work and great play, the left winger has found himself with another chance to play in the NHL.
Moose coach Claude Noel had noticed a lot of growth in the Moscow-native, and has been double-shifting him for several games now. “He’s checking way better,” Noel said in Monday’s Canucks Report. “Through his checking and defending, he’s getting opportunities to score, which is what we’ve talked about since day one with him.” That is a positive sign for the Canucks, considering that these were areas his game was criticized on in the past.
At just 5’10’’ and 175 lbs., his strengths come not from his size, but from his ability to read plays and move the puck skilfully. In last year’s preseason he showed a flash of brilliance, as he lead pre-season scoring with seven points, despite a knee injury dictating he play only four of the games.
Unfortunately, since that time his only success has come with a Moose on his sweater; three pointless games to open the season found him playing in the AHL, but after 10 games and 10 points he was called back up. Unfortunately, when his next three were equally unsuccessful, he was doomed to a 15-month period without another chance.
His AHL play has been enough to get him noticed, though, and saw him play in the 2010 AHL All-Star game. At the time, he was leading Manitoba with 23 points in 33 games. Currently, he’s got 33 points in 39 games, which is also enough to lead the team. He’s also on a 12-game points streak, a franchise record for the Moose.
He finished last season with 45 points in 76 games, a total he is currently on pace to topple. That is, unless he is able to capitalize on the opportunity that the Canucks have provided him, due to Alexandre Bolduc’s shoulder injury. It should give Shirokov at least a couple weeks to find some of the success he had two pre-seasons ago. If that explosion of skill was any indication, his best results may come from a chance to play with the Sedin twins, rather than on the second or third line.
Shirokov was selected 163rd overall in the sixth round of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft. Previously, he played in the Russian Superleague and the Kontinental Hockey League, where he played for HC CSKA Moscow. He also won three IIHF medals in three consecutive years: in 2004 he won a gold medal with Russia in the IIHF World Under-18 Championship, and then won silver in the Under-20 Championship in 2005 and 2006.
With all of his previous success, he could be just the shot in the arm the floundering Canucks seem to need, after their gargantuan 18-game unbeaten streak came to an unnerving, goalless end against the New York Rangers.
