Well, Mats Sundin’s first two games with the Vancouver Canucks were two of the most forgettable games of his career. Media and fans alike had been grousing about how terrible Sundin looked in those first two games. The scrutiny wasn’t really fair to Sundin, who can’t really faulted for being rusty after a 7 month layoff. Well, he silenced his critics tonight when he ripped a one-timer into a gaping net to score his first goal as a Vancouver Canuck. The fans at GM Place erupted when the puck went in, and they gave Sundin a roaring standing ovation. Canucks fans no doubt hope this will give Sundin confidence going forward and pucks will be going in off his stick on a regular basis from here on out, but they will likely be disappointed if that is their expectation. Sundin is still getting in shape, and finding his timing, and it will likely be another 5 games or so before he really starts to hit his stride. Once he does though, other Western Conference teams can really start to worry. The big Swede still has a lot of game left in him, and once Vancouver gets Luongo back they will be poised for a huge charge in the second half of the season.
See the video of Mats Sundin’s first goal as a Canuck here: