CASPER
New member
DENVER – As a spot starter, Vancouver goalie Cory Schneider has proven to be highly successful.
Schneider stymied and stonewalled the highest scoring team in the NHL, propelling the Canucks to a 3-1 win over the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday night.
"He played so well, so confident and smooth in goal," said Canucks coach Alain Vigneault, whose team won its fifth straight.
Not bad for sitting on the bench for nearly two weeks.
Schneider hardly looked rusty as he stepped in for starter Roberto Luongo, stopping 33 shots and shutting down an Avalanche squad that's averaging 3.5 goals.
"I want to be a guy that they can count on winning games, not just go in there and hope you win," said Schneider, who improved to 3-0 this season. "That's been good and that's all I've wanted. Of course stats, they are what they are, but I think it's more of a reflection of how my team is playing in front of me."
Schneider's attempt at his first career shutout was spoiled late in the third by David Van Der Gulik, who scored his first NHL goal.
"I was trying to get to the net, whack away at garbage rebounds," Van Der Gulik explained. "Schneider was playing great and didn't allow too many. But I managed to knock it in with my backhand as I was falling down."
