Canucks split up Vrbata, Sedin twins at practice

The Vancouver Canucks have lost three in a row, and the coaching staff on Friday responded to the club's recent struggles by taking a line blender to its usual forward combinations:

So that means the Sedins - Henrik and Daniel - have been split up from Radim Vrbata, who has served as their usual triggerman this season. While Vrbata and the twins have had flashes of chemistry, particularly on the power play, at five-on-five they are manufacturing goals at a rate below what the Sedins achieved with other linemates over the past few years. 

In addition to lagging production, the Sedins' shot attempt differential numbers are down marginally when skating with Vrbata. This, in comparison to how they've performed with linemates such as Jannik Hansen and Alex Burrows in the recent past.

The move might also be designed to give the Burrows-Nick Bonino line some additional scoring punch. Bonino hasn't scored a goal since early November, a stretch that's approaching a quarter of the season in length. As a result, the Canucks' secondary forward group has gone dry after carrying the club offensively at even-strength through the first five weeks of the season.

Derek Dorsett didn't practice with the club Friday, but that's presumed to be maintenance related. The Canucks called up Alex Biega from the AHL's Utica Comets on Friday, but didn't call up a forward, which would suggest that Dorsett isn't injured. 

The only line that remained intact was the third line of Brad Richardson, Shawn Matthias and Linden Vey. Matthias took part in his second consecutive practice and seems likely return to the lineup Saturday against the New York Rangers. The sizable third-line left wing has missed two games with an apparent head injury.