Good timing key to Ohlund’s return

Originally published on EuroReport.com in 2000

By Lucas Aykroyd

Timing is everything, especially when you’re a skilled NHL defenseman like Mattias Ohlund. Since taking a puck in the right eye in a preseason game in Ottawa on 21 September 1999, the fourth-year Swedish stalwart has undergone a series of operations to maintain his sight. Returning to the lineup against Anaheim on 28 November, he couldn’t be expected to match the team-leading average ice time of 27:41 that ranked him fifth in the NHL in 1999-2000. But still, the timing was good, since his Vancouver Canucks had fallen to playing .500 hockey after their typically hot start in October. EuroReport spoke with the 24-year-old Pitea native after his third game back, a 5-2 win over the Edmonton Oilers before a raucous sellout crowd at GM Place on 2 December 2000.

EuroReport: What makes these games with the Oilers so intense?

Mattias Ohlund: Well, it’s a conference game, and it means a lot to us to beat these guys. We play them a lot, and we had some problems with them last year, especially playing at home. I think we lost two, and one of them at the end of the season put us out of the playoffs. So it’s a big win for us. We struggled the last few games, so it’s nice to get back on the winning track.

EuroReport: Do you feel like your timing is starting to come back out there?

Ohlund: A little bit. I’m not where I want to be, but I was probably better today than I was in the first couple of games. It’s just going to take some time.

EuroReport: How close are you to your ideal playing weight?

Ohlund: I’m still a good ten pounds from where I was before I got injured. It’s something that will probably take a year before I’m back to the fitness level I want.

EuroReport: What has Marc Crawford told you about the kind of ice time he wants you to handle?

Ohlund: Not too much. I’m just trying to go out there every time I get the call and do my best. If that means playing 20 minutes or 25, that’s fine. Everybody wants to play a lot, including me. It makes my play a little bit easier, too.

EuroReport: What do you think of the way Ed Jovanovski stepped up in your absence?

Ohlund: Eddie’s been playing great. Even last year I thought he played very good and this year he’s playing at a really high level. He’s one of the top defensemen in this league and he’s going to be for a long time.

EuroReport: Two months into the season, how do you like the way Markus Naslund is handling the captaincy?

Ohlund: He’s very good. I was 100 percent sure he was going to handle it well, and he’s been doing a great job on the ice and off the ice. He’s a guy everybody looks up to and a great leader for us.

EuroReport: Can Henrik Sedin be as effective when his brother is out of the lineup?

Ohlund: I think so. Obviously they were playing together for a long time, so it’s going to be a little different for him, playing by himself. But I’m sure that he’ll get used to it, and I don’t think Daniel will be out that long.

EuroReport: How much do the Swedish guys on this team hang out away from the rink?

Ohlund: Not too much, to be honest. We’re on the road a lot, and everybody wants to spend time with their families when we’re at home. We see one another a little bit.

EuroReport: There’s talk that the Swedish national team is going to adopt the “Torpedo Hockey” system Djurgardens uses. How difficult will that be after years of playing the neutral zone trap?

Ohlund: It’s definitely a little bit different from what everyone’s used to. I haven’t seen it too much, but from what I have seen, it seems to be working well. It’s something that I think will benefit the national team.

EuroReport: Finally, tell me why Vancouver fans should believe the Canucks are for real this year.

Ohlund: We’re still a pretty young team, but we have a great group of guys. Everyone is giving 100 percent each and every day, in practices and in games. That’s the thing that’s going to get us in the playoffs. We have enough skill to do it.