Keith Ballard fought in successive games when he didn't have to. Chris Higgins played in the last gruelling road trip despite being sweaty, dizzy and nauseous from medication to overcome a staph infection. And Sami Salo returns Tuesday after missing six games with a concussion when he could have easily sat out and eased into the NHL all-star break.

In the course of another long trek toward championship supremacy for the Vancouver Canucks, these sidebars often get lost in the big story, but they matter when you're trying to rekindle Stanley Cup resolve. It's playing when you probably shouldn't and fighting when it's not your calling card.

Ballard used a series of left jabs to get the better of Joe Pavelski in a spirited scrap Saturday and then won the faster-skater title Sunday in the club's annual skills competition. He also beat up Colin Fraser on Jan. 17. And while it's easy to conclude that Ballard did all of the above to gain the coach's favour - especially after being a healthy scratch for a size option in St. Louis on Jan. 12 - the blueliner stressed that's simply not the case. If so, that's good news because Ballard's play has been more consistent and not nearly as erratic as last season. And if he has to drop the gloves to put an exclamation mark on his improvement, so be it.

"I didn't start either one of them and I got asked to fight both times and went ahead with it," Ballard said Monday. "It's not 'look at me, I can fight.' It's more that guys get irritated with you and want to fight. Pav-elski turned and punched me in the face once the play went down the ice and I yelled at him a bit and I thought that was it.

"I'm not looking to fight Pavelski, who's not a dirty player. Sometimes that happens. I'm not Kevin [Bieksa] or someone else who is real comfort-able doing that. I like to think I can hold my own and I haven't got hurt. It's always been something I've been willing to do."

Ballard fought seven times during his 2005-06 rookie season with the Phoenix Coyotes and has to fight the public perception that he's one bad game away from being in Alain Vigneault's doghouse again. That was last season. Ballard struggled after offseason hip surgery and suffered a concussion in his fourth game. He was often scratched and then sustained a February knee injury playing 65 regular-season games with just 10 of 25 in the postseason.

"I would get in a groove but some-times I wasn't doing much and thought I had to do too much," added Ballard. "On this team, if you do your job we're going to be fine. Mine is to be solid and move the puck and play good defensively and for the last few months I've done that."

With three more seasons at $4.2 million US annually, Ballard's play and pay are lightning rods for criticism but he has become more resilient and more confident.

"Keith is probably playing his best hockey since he's been with us," Vigneault said of Ballard's seven points and a plus-2 rating in 15: 35 of average ice time in 42 of the team's 48 games. "He's very competitive in one-on-one situations and with the grit he needs to play with. He's playing with good control with and with-out the puck and his gaps are good. We like his game."

Especially when he fights?

"I didn't know he could use both hands," chuckled Vigneault. "He took care of business real good."

Higgins tried to do the same on a recent 3-1-0 road trip but went pointless with just six shots because of back-to-back staph infections. They first swelled his right foot in early December and then his right hand to such a degree from a cut three weeks later that he spent two nights in hospital. The winger was a mess in Boston, Florida, Tampa and St. Louis. When antibiotics kicked in, it weakened his immune system and it wasn't until Jan. 15 against Anaheim when Higgins started to feel normal again.

"The last three games have been noticeably better since I got off the medication," he said. "I can't really explain how I was feeling but it was dizzy, nauseous and constantly sweating after games - just generally sick. I would just break out in sweats at odd times of the day and I would get dizzy a lot, especially during games and after shifts.

"The energy level and getting my weight back up was a battle."

Now the battle is to maintain a supplement regimen and be wary of any cut or skin abnormalities.

"I've got to be real OCD [Obsessive Compulsive Disorder] about little cuts," he said. "It's kind of annoying because I usually let them heal themselves. Now, any little thing that opens up, I've got to take care of it 100 per cent."

When healthy, the second line can be the first to cause havoc for the opposition. With David Booth back from a knee injury and Higgins healthier, they were much more noticeable between Ryan Kesler in a 4-3 win over San Jose on Saturday.

"When we use our speed and strength, we're a lot to handle," said Higgins.

Vigneault wasn't surprised that Higgins soldiered on in the last road trip. He's leading by example.

"I've really liked everything he's brought," said Vigneault. "He's low maintenance, prepares well and plays through pain and did it throughout the playoffs last year. He's a real quality individual."

bkuzma@theprovince.com

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