The Little Call-Ups That Could

Reid, whose road back to the NHL was blocked by a rock slide in Winnipeg last fall when he was a healthy scratch for the American League's Manitoba Moose, relished every shift with Markus Naslund and fellow call-up Brad Moran in the Canucks' 3-2 win against the Atlanta Thrashers. Reid is desperate for another chance Wednesday in Minnesota.

He blew past Atlanta defenceman Steve McCarthy on one memorable rush, which would have produced the goal-of-the-season had Naslund had a little better angle to convert Reid's whirling, goalmouth pass.

The waterbug from Montreal, 25 years old and seven years removed from the draft that saw Vancouver claim him with the 208th pick, injected some energy into the Canucks with his exuberant play.

"It brought energy to our group," coach Alain Vigneault agreed of Reid and Moran, a 27-year-old from Abbotsford. "A lot of times, [players] can do it long term. Sometimes they can only do it short term. Their performance will dictate that."

"There was excitement," Moran said. "This is what I've been playing for, to try and get here. It's nice to be back."

Of the two, Moran has the better chance to stay for a while. Almost 28 years old, he has proven to be a real find for the Canucks organization, which is seen by some to be lean on high-scoring forwards.

Coming off a season in which he missed three months because of shoulder surgery, few expected Moran to challenge for the Moose scoring lead. His play (52 points in 45 games) has turned heads, a formidable accomplishment for a player who won't be found on many, if any, lists of Vancouver's top-20 prospects.

"Moran is a really good passer," Canucks coach Alain Vigneault said. "He's the best offensive player in our minor system right now. He needs to get a chance."