It's playoffs that count for Hawks-Canucks

When the Vancouver Canucks skate into the United Center on Wednesday night they're sure to see that freshly hung Stanley Cup banner above the ice.

Watching the Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup had to be torture for the Canucks, who have failed to get past their bitter rivals in the second round of each of the last two playoffs.

The Hawks and Canucks play the first of four regular-season games Wednesday night on the West Side, and they are sure to be entertaining. But the games that truly count will be those played in April and May, if we're lucky enough to get another matchup in the playoffs.

That's when the Canucks, picked by many to win the Cup, will need to show the hockey world they can finally get past the Hawks.

“I know that they feel good about their team, Hawks center Patrick Sharp said. “They made some moves in the off-season and should be right there in the thick of things.

“It's no secret it's two teams that probably don't like each other very much, but there's a lot of respect on both sides.

You can bet the Canucks didn't mind seeing so much of the Hawks' roster dismantled over the summer.

Dustin Byfuglien, the guy the Canucks probably disliked the most, is gone, and goalie Roberto Luongo certainly won't miss him. Now it's up to Tomas Kopecky to bug the heck out of Luongo in front of the net.

“Kopey watched one of the masters for a long time in Detroit in (Tomas) Holmstrom, Hawks coach Joel Quenneville said. “So I think he's pretty adept and aware of where he needs to go and he's willing to fight that traffic and abuse (that) you face when you get to the front of the net.

One for the team:

San Jose Sharks captain Joe Thornton took a pay cut over the weekend when he signed a three-year contract extension for $21 million.

It worked out to be a $200,000 pay cut per year.

“You take a little less to win a Cup, Thornton told the San Jose Mercury News. “We haven't gotten there yet, but we're going to get there.

Like the Hawks, the Sharks now have their key core players locked up in Thornton, Patrick Marleau, Dany Heatley, Joe Pavelski and Dan Boyle. They all are signed through 2013-14.

“I think we've got a great four-year window here, general manager Doug Wilson said.

Wild things:

Minnesota was off to a 1-2-1 start before hosting Vancouver on Tuesday, and already there are whispers coach Todd Richards could be in trouble.

Following a 3-2 home loss to Columbus on Saturday, Richards skated his team without pucks or a break for 20 minutes Sunday.

“It's not a good time right now, Wild forward Andrew Brunette told the St. Paul Pioneer Press. “There's been a storm brewing. There's been a cloud over this team from the start of the year.

Hello, Ken Hitchcock?

Goal drought:

Through their first five games the Flyers have yet to get a goal from Mike Richards, Scott Hartnell, Ville Leino, James van Riemsdyk or any of their defensemen.

Injury report:

ŸThe Rangers are in trouble with three of their top forwards out in Marian Gaborik, Chris Drury and Vaclav Prospal.

Gaborik is out at least a month with a separated shoulder, while Drury will miss six weeks with a broken finger and Prospal is out indefinitely following knee surgery.

ŸPhiladelphia defenseman Matt Walker will miss 10-12 weeks following hip surgery.

Ex-Hawk watch:

Andrew Ladd has been Atlanta's best player through the first five games. He is plus-3 with 2 goals and 3 assists. He's also one of the Thrashers' assistant captains.