The notorious Pittsburgh Penguins forward is off to a good start

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Matt Cooke is trying to use the new NHL season to shed an old reputation. The notorious Pittsburgh Penguins forward is off to a good start.

After finishing last season suspended for the latest indiscretion in a career defined by dangerous hits, Cooke started the new campaign by scoring twice to help lead the Penguins to a 4-3 shootout win over his old team, the Vancouver Canucks, on Thursday night.

Weigh In Corrections? ( The Canadian Press, Jonathan Hayward / Associated Press ) - Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury (29) tries to glove a shot from the Vancouver Canucks as teammate Matt Cooke (24) looks on during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Vancouver, British Columbia, Thursday, Oct. 6, 2011.For Cooke it was nice to be known for shots that went in the net, rather than cheap shots that knock other players out of the game.

Cooke’s early scoring wasn’t enough, as the Penguins blew the two-goal lead he helped forge before Kris Letang and Evgeni Malkin scored the only goals in the shootout. But even in a season that started with star captain Sidney Crosby still out with a concussion, the story was Cooke, who scored his first on a power play, his second short-handed, and was the game’s second star.

“When you go through tough times and are in a situation where it’s desperate, if you have success early it makes it easy to feel good about what you are doing,” Cooke said.

It felt even better coming in Vancouver, a city he embraced his first nine seasons before souring on the Canucks after being traded away in 2008.

“Time heals,” said Cooke, who refused to speak to the media in his only other return. “I felt like I played my whole career here and ingrained myself in the city and I wasn t mentally ready (to talk).”

The Canucks, coming off the shortest offseason in franchise history, were the ones that didn’t look ready to start this season. Especially goalie Roberto Luongo, who was beaten 5 minutes in by James Neal’s power-play shot from below the goal line, gave up Cooke’s second on a 40-foot shot, and was faked by a couple of nice dekes by Letang and Malkin in the shootout.

Marc-Andre Fleury gave up a similarly soft sharp-angle goal late in the first period, but recovered with 33 saves and stopped both in the shootout. He, too, was more interested in talking about Cooke, who has become known for the dangerous hits the NHL is trying to eliminate.

Cooke was suspended the final 10 games and first playoff round last year. But after pledging to change his game amid a crackdown on headshots, he opened this year showing off his offensive touch. After a perfect high shot on his first goal, Cooke backed off defenseman Kevin Bieksa and used him as a screen before snapping the long shot past Luongo’s blocker on the far side.

“I can be real clear we didn’t change Matt Cooke into a goal scorer or make that attempt,” coach Dan Bylsma said. “He’s physical, blocked shots, penalty kill, that is where Matt Cooke is effective. The goals are a bonus.”