Steve Yzerman an inspiration, even to the Vancouver Canucks

By RON SUDLOW -- Canadian Press

 VANCOUVER -- Even the Vancouver Canucks can't help but admire the inspiring play of Steve Yzerman.

 While hampered by a sore right knee that's encased in a brace, Yzerman has scored two power-play goals and set up three other scores to lead the Detroit Red Wings in their Stanley Cup playoff series against the Vancouver Canucks. That put the 37-year-old veteran at the top of NHL playoff scoring leaders going into Monday night's games.

 While Detroit trails the series 2-1, if the Wings need any inspiration to even the best-of-seven series in Tuesday night's Game 4, they only have to look to their captain.

 The Canucks are also impressed by Yzerman after arthroscopic surgery on the knee allowed him to return just before the Olympics but didn't stop the pain.

 "We all respect the way he plays the game and to play on one leg is very impressive," said Vancouver captain Markus Naslund who wants to follow that example.

 "I've got to pick my game up and I'm the first one to admit that. I'm not pleased with the way I've played the first three games and it's time to turn it up.

 Yzerman's skating has been hobbled during the series -- he didn't practise again on Monday -- but he hasn't shied away from the physical contact.

 He won 11 of 15 face-offs In Sunday night's 3-1 victory. He beat a defender to the puck to score a wrap-around goal on a first-period power play to give Detroit a 1-0 lead and take a noisy crowd out of the game.

 In the third period, he helped dig the puck out of a corner scrum to teammate Brendan Shanahan who produced the final Detroit goal. That work hasn't gone unnoticed by Naslund.

 "I think I have to play more physical, obviously, drive the net and create things that way," Naslund said after being asked about the example set by Yzerman.

 The 16-year Wings captain has picked up at least one point in every game of the series after a disappointing season limited him to 52 games where he scored 13 goals and added 35 assists for 48 points and a plus-11 rating.

 "It's amazing what he's doing out there, playing on almost one leg," said Luc Robitaille who scored the first goal of the series.

 "It just shows what kind of player he is and what kind of character he is," said Robitaille who joined the Wings this season.

 "I've played against him for many years and always hated him (then). Especially in the playoffs, he's a real special player. He finishes every hit and he really doesn't make any mistakes. You win with guys like that."

 Kirk Maltby can take Yzerman's work ethic into his battles with big Vancouver winger Todd Bertuzzi.

 "It's easy to go out there and follow his example and play as hard as you can," said Maltby."You see him going out and blocking shots and playing through pain, you can't help but try and do the same thing."

 So far the so-called home-ice advantage has had little bearing in this series as Vancouver goalie Dan Cloutier, who turned 26 on Monday, outplayed counterpart Dominik Hasek as the Canucks won two in Detroit.

 Veteran Wings defenceman Steve Duchesne said it's the way the game develops that gives teams an advantage in the playoffs, rather than home ice.

 "In the playoffs, it doesn't really matter," he said. If a goal goes in, you build confidence from that goal, things turn around.

 "It could be a big save, it could be a goal from the middle of the ice."

 Canucks centre Brendan Morrison said there might have been a disadvantage when the Canucks appeared in front of a raucous crowd for the first period of Sunday's Game 3.

 "It was tremendous with the crowd and everything and maybe we felt we had to put on a show for everybody instead of just keeping it simple like we did on the road."

 Vancouver coach Marc Crawford said execution has been the key rather than having the last line change.

 "I don't think it comes down to where you're playing," he said.

 But Trevor Linden, the Canuck with the most playoff experience, said he hopes home ice becomes a factor on Tuesday night.

 "They say the fourth game of a series is the most important. Just the swing is amazing. You're up 3-1 or even 2-2 and back to Detroit.

 "We just want to focus on playing well in the first period and taking it from there."