Canucks netminder Roberto Luongo denies Los Angeles Kings left-winger Alexander Frolov on a penalty shot during an Oct. 30 game. (Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press)Paying close attention to the little things has paid off in a big way for goaltender Roberto Luongo, making him a hot topic in the NHL and the Vancouver Canucks one of the league's early-season surprises.

Prior to each of his 14 appearances, Luongo has reminded himself of positioning in the crease, challenging the shooter and being mindful of his opponent in the defensive zone.

The results have been extremely favourable: nine wins, five shutouts, a 2.34 goals-against average, .920 save percentage and a current shutout streak of 201 minutes and eight seconds.

Luongo, though, is quick to point out the Canucks' strong start (9-6-0 record) and slight improvement in goals per game and faceoff efficiency from a year ago have been instrumental in his personal success.

"It's nice, [not having] to always be on the edge trying to preserve a one-goal lead," the 29-year-old Montreal native told CBCSports.ca during a conference call Monday. "We've been able to score obviously more goals than last year [3.13 per game from 2.52].

"We've had the lead sometimes in the third period and we were able to extend [it] with maybe a two- or three-goal cushion, which makes life a bit easier for everybody."

Luongo, who was last beaten by Detroit's Henrik Zetterberg with 68 seconds left in the second period of a Nov. 2 game, will be seeking a fourth consecutive shutout Wednesday against the visiting Colorado Avalanche, when the teams meet for the first time this season.

Record could fall Wednesday

Luongo has a chance to best the Canucks' shutout record of 210:34 he established last season. But more importantly, Vancouver has an opportunity to increase its one-point lead on Minnesota and Calgary atop the Northwest Division.

Roberto Luongo makes one of his 29 saves in Saturday's 2-0 win over Minnesota. (Darryl Dyck/Canadian Press)"I'm not going into Wednesday night's game thinking about beating the shutout streak," Luongo said. "I just go in thinking about how I have to play. If I do that, things will take care of itself.

"It's a matter of just building off the last game."

Luongo earned his third shutout in a row on Saturday night, stopping 29 shots in a 2-0 decision over the visiting Wild after blanking Nashville and Phoenix.

"We're building on some good team play right now and obviously we had a big game for first place in our division [against Minnesota]," Luongo told Hockey Night in Canada following Saturday's victory.

While Vancouver has allowed 29.3 shots per start this season — up from 28.9 last year — a bigger difference has been a return to health by defencemen Mattias Ohlund, Kevin Bieksa and Sami Salo, who combined missed more than 100 games in 2007-08.

"When we have a healthy blue-line, it's one of the top in the league," Luongo said. "A huge difference [has been guys] being able to move the puck out of the [defensive] zone quicker and start [an offensive] rush.

"I think, especially in the last couple of weeks, we've really beared down in our own zone and cut down chances off the rush as well. I think that's why we've been seeing more results as far as shutouts and wins."

Strong blue-line players

Each of the Canucks' six regular blue-liners — Ohlund, Bieksa, Salo, Willie Mitchell, Alex Edler and newcomer Shane O'Brien — have an even plus-minus rating or better, with the six-foot-three, 210-pound Mitchell leading the way at plus-8.

With six assists in 15 games, he's well on his way to surpassing his career high of 14 points set in the 2002-03 and 2003-04 seasons as a member of the Wild. But it's Mitchell's work behind the blue-line that impresses Luongo most.

"He's the best defensive defenceman on our team by far," said Luongo of the 31-year-old rearguard. "He takes pride in killing penalties, which is rare.

"He [also] cuts off a lot of passes and when guys are a one-on-one against him, he knocks the puck off of them often. It's nice to see a guy that takes so much pride in his play defensively."

Luongo, on the other hand, has taken as much pride in being Vancouver's spokesperson as team captain since taking over from the departed Markus Naslund on Sept. 30. NHL rules prevent goalies from wearing the "C" on their jersey, so Captain Canuck sports one at the bottom of his mask.

"I don't think it really gives me a lot of added responsibility when I'm on the ice or in the locker room per se," he said. "I do try to speak up in the locker room but only what comes natural to me.

"So far it's really something that I love and that I embrace."