I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For

Finally.

A fan remarked today that the layoff between games for the Vancouver Canucks was far, far too long. "Heck, the last time the Vancouver Canucks played a hockey game, Winnipeg didn't even have an NHL team!"

Well, they do now. (congratulations to Winnipeg!) And now, finally, we are sitting on the precipice of the beginning of the Stanley Cup Final. This series has already been dissected to death by people far better at analyzing hockey than myself. The Boston Bruins and the Vancouver Canucks have more than likely scoured hours of video tape on each other, searching for weaknesses that they can exploit in an effort to bring home hockey's Holy Grail.

Everything that can be said about these two teams has been said. Every storyline about the series, every similarity, every difference, every Boston player who has a B.C. connection and every Canuck player who has a Boston connection has been analyzed. Heck, they even traced members of the Boston Bruins team now--today--back to the worst trade in Vancouver Canucks history. You know. The one that saw us ship out B.C. Boy Cam "Seabass" Neely to the Boston Bruins for a big fat pile of nothing. The same Cam Neely that went on to become an NHL Hall of Famer.

Yes. It seems every storyline has been told.

So I'm going to step back and try and be original for a second. I am fully aware that the tale I am about to tell could likely be told by a counterpart of mine in Boston. I am sure that the Bruins' roster is filled with stories of brotherhood, redemption and spirit. But damnit, this is a blog about the Vancouver Canucks. So I'm going to put a hold on delivering lip service to the Boston Bruins for just one night.

I feel the Vancouver Canucks can and will win this series. That is a claim almost any Canuck fan can make. But I am not going to sit here and analyze special teams, goaltending styles, depth of scoring, physicality, impartial vs. partial officiating or what have you. As I said before, that has all been done by writers far better versed than myself.

The reason why I feel the Canucks are going to win this series and win their first Stanley Cup is because, well, they just have to. This is the final chapter in so many stories of redemption, I find myself almost incredulous looking at them all side-by-side. Take a good look at the faces of many of the players wearing Vancouver Canucks colours. Each of their faces, each of their names tells a different story. Each of these men has suffered incredible amounts of blood, sweat, and tears to get to this point. And oh so many of them have something to prove.

Let's start with the new guys. The two cast offs that were acquired at the trade deadline. Two ex-Montreal Canadiens by the names of Christopher Higgins and Maxim Lapierre. It wasn't too long ago, for either of these two, that they were both considered vital players on the most storied franchise in the history of the NHL. Chris Higgins was a high first-round draft pick in 2002. He posted three 20+ goal seasons between 2005 and 2008. He was then dealt away by the Habs at the age of 26 years old. What went wrong?

The popular consensus is that Higgins enjoyed the Montreal night life a bit too much. As a young hockey player whose star was on the rise in one of the biggest hockey hotbeds in the country, he enjoyed a bit too much off-ice extra-cirricular activity. What began as a trade from Montreal to the Big Apple of New York City turned into a two-year exodus that saw him play for five teams in the course of two calendar years. But the Vancouver Canucks saw enough in him that they liked; they rolled the dice and acquired him for a 3rd round draft pick and a defensive prospect (Evan Oberg) who may or may not make an impact on the NHL.

Maxim Lapierre is a similar story. Also an ex-Hab, Lapierre was a vital component of the team that made a surprising run to the Eastern Conference Final last year on the back of sublime goaltending by Jaroslav Halak. The man affectionately referred to by Habs fans as "Yappy Lappy", so dubbed for his propensity for driving opponents bat**** crazy, was considered a keeper. But part way through the 2010-2011 season, he was cast off to Anaheim. The buzz began--he was uncoachable, undisciplined. He bounced from team to team much as Higgins did--he has played for three teams in the 2010-2011 season alone.

But now both of these players are playing in the Stanley Cup Final. And they have both made signifcant contributions along the way. Higgins leads the team in one of the most important departments in which a player can lead a team--game winning goals. He has accounted for three of them. He has also surprised Canuck players, staff and fans alike with a stunning gritty game and teriffic work along the boards. Lapierre, meanwhile, has stepped admirably into the empty skates left by the injured Manny Malhotra. He is far and away the most physical of the Canucks, leading the team in hits thus far on this Stanley Cup run. He has also played a big role on the penalty kill, and is second on the team in faceoff percentage behind only noted defensive demon Ryan Kesler.

From where they came from, to where they are now. Two cast-offs that nobody else wanted, to two vital players on a team endeavouring to win its first Stanley Cup. Do you think these two might, just might, be motivated?

How about Kevin Bieksa? Oh yeah, he's the guy that scored the goal to get us to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since Bill Clinton was President of the United States! Yeah! Everybody loves the man they call "Juice". He's an internet sensation with his "Shot Shot Shot" reference. He's charismatic, he's a leader on the team, and man has he ever scored some big goals for this team. He was great against the Sharks!

We might say that now. But it wasn't always the case.

Flash back to only just last season. For the second time in his career, Bieksa suffered a freak injury--the same injury that caused him to miss significant time in the 2007/2008 season: a laceration to his leg. He returned in time for the playoffs, but he was still somewhat out of sync. Fans lamented what they called a "Jekyll and Hyde" playoff performance last year, perhaps puncuated no better than it was during Games 5 and 6 vs. Chicago in the second round. In Game 5, Bieksa was a force. He scored 2 goals and added an assist in a 4-1 win to extend the life of the Vancouver Canucks. Just two nights later, he committed costly turnover after costly turnover and the Canucks were ventilated 5-1 by the eventual Stanley Cup Champions on home ice.

Canuck Nation, naturally, was screaming for his head. Fans across the internet were lining up with offers to drive him to the airport. Indeed, when the Canucks acquired Keith Ballard and Dan Hamhuis, it looked like Bieksa's number was up. The media was asking him every day about the possibility of being traded, and Bieksa acknowledged it was all out of his hands. And it was.

And had it not been for another freak injury to fellow Canuck defender Sami Salo, the lasting impression we as Canuck fans might have had of Kevin Bieksa's tenure as a Canuck may well have been that final game against Chicago. A game punctuated by errors. But Bieksa got a reprieve. And here we are, only 1 year later, and he's the man of the hour. He has been the consensus top defender for the Canucks thus far in these playoffs, playing a fantastic blend of physical, in your face hockey. And now he puncutates that with goals rather than errors.

Do you think the defender who many were ready to run out of town only one short year ago might, just might have something to prove?

How about Roberto Luongo? When he played for a nothing team in the middle of the sunbelt, fans across the league agreed he was one of the best goaltenders on the planet. On any given night, he was usually the only reason that the hapless Florida Panthers weren't getting blown out of their rink. Once he was traded to Vancouver, the criticism began. "Reboundo" was a favorite nickname at the time. But Luongo answered his critics with a season to remember in 2006-2007. He was a finalist for both the Vezina Trophy as the league's top goaltender, and the Hart Trophy as the league's MVP. He had a stunning playoff run after making the post-season for the first time in his career. People jokingly referred to the Vancouver Canucks as "the Roberto Luongo". He was, for all intents and purposes, the face of the team. And the most important player.

But perhaps that season built up a bit too much mystique. Flash forward one year, and a difficult pregnancy for his wife lead to a struggle down the stretch for the Canucks--the Northwest Division Champs the previous year--to make the playoffs. They ultimately fell short, and much of the blame fell unfairly at the feet of Luongo.

The next season, he was named Captain of the Vancouver Canucks. A very rare move to make a goaltender Captain, and it was largely a ceremonial duty, but one that he and the team seemed to embrace. He was a man on a mission. In spite of missing time due to injury, he was duly back in form. The Canucks made the playoffs again and swept the St. Louis Blues largely on the strength of Luongo stymying everything that they had to throw at him. He was back in form. But then, the Canucks would run into a nemesis that would haunt them for three years: the Chicago Blackhawks. The 2008/2009 playoff season saw the birth of what many anti-Canucks refer to as "7uongo". Game 6 between the favoured Canucks and the upstart Chicago Blackhawks. A series which the Canucks had lead 2-1 was now lead 3-2 by a young team that had never tasted the playoffs. The Canucks came out hard and poured 5 goals into the Chicago net. 5 goals in front of one of the best goaltenders in the game. It seemed enough to win.

But it wasn't. Luongo allowed 7, and the Canucks were eliminated from the playoffs to the tune of Chelsea Dagger.

The whispers about Luongo began that off-season, and he set out in 2009-2010 to silence them. He started off in teriffic fashion--he was excellent leading up to the Olympic break, and then he got to complete a storybook ending for Team Canada as he came into the net in relief of one of the greatest goaltenders of all-time in Martin Brodeur and helped Team Canada win the Gold Medal for Olympic Hockey on home ice. On Vancouver ice.

But even then, the whispers continued. "The team won in spite of Luongo" was the tune the naysayers were singing. Luongo did little to dispell that down the stretch--he posted his worst statistical season a Canuck. But then the playoffs began and he seemed to have new life; a strong opening round against the Los Angeles Kings, a series the Canucks won in six games, seemed to have him on a role. That is, until the Canucks ran into the Chicago Blackhawks once again in Round 2. One year to the day later, the Blackhawks again eliminated the Canucks in six games. And once again, another round of off-season questions began. Luongo relenquished the captaincy of the team to focus solely on goaltending.

And focus he did. 2010-2011 saw him post the best numbers of his career and he earned his third nomination for the Vezina Trophy as the league's top goaltender. He also won the William M. Jennings Trophy with backup Cory Schneider for allowing the fewest goals against of any team in the league. But when the playoffs began, a familiar nemesis was staring back at him--the Chicago Blackhawks were the Canucks' 1st round opponent. The adversity Luongo had faced in his career combined to this point paled in comparison to what he went through in the first round. Everything went smoothly for the first three games; the Canucks went up 3-0 and a sweep seemed to be in store. The Canucks seemed primed to conquer their playoff demon.

But the Hawks came clawing back. They outscored the Canucks by a whopping 12-2 margin in Games 4 and 5. Luongo took the brunt of the criticism, but the stunning move came in Game 6 when head coach Alain Vigneault opted to start rookie backup Cory Schneider. Luongo was relegated to the dressing room to watch the proceedings from a TV screen. The Vezina goaltender, the Franchise player, the Olympic Gold Medal winner, was not called upon to start the game. Cory Schneider later injured himself and Luongo ended up going in cold; the Canucks lost Game 6 in overtime, and Vigneault turned back to Luongo for Game 7.

This is where Luongo re-wrote the ending to the story. He was a man who had been criticised as being mentally soft. He allowed bad goals and bad games to get to him. He allowed opposing teams into his head. Well, not this time. Luongo shut down the Hawks; only a superhuman effort by Jonathan Toews late in the game beat him. And in overtime of that seventh game, Luongo made a season-saving stop on Patrick Sharp to extend the life of the Canucks just long enough for Alexandre Burrows to score the magic goal to finally, finally, vanquish the Blackhawks.

Luongo still faced criticism in the second round for not being as good as Pekka Rinne, the goaltender at the other end of the ice. This in spite of the fact that through 6 games, Luongo only allowed 11 goals into the net. Luongo did save his best for the series against the Sharks, as the Canucks were outshot handily in the final two games of that series, particularly in the clinching Game 5. Luongo made 54 saves in the 3-2 victory that propelled the Canucks into the Stanley Cup Finals.

Do you think the goaltender who everyone outside of Canuck Nation--and even some within it--criticised as being mentally soft, as not being a big-game goaltender, as being a guy that teams won in spite of rather than because of, might--just might--have something to prove?

Last, but not least--how about Daniel and Henrik Sedin?

Drafted 2nd and 3rd overall in 1999, the Sedin Twins put up with an inhuman amount of flak over the early parts of their careers. The criticisms were quick from the start and they continued on for seasons to come. The nickname "The Sisters" was coined early, a reference to how the Sedins were supposedly soft. They were easily pushed over, they were slow, and in spite of their sixth sense for where the other was and the added ability to make the play to one another, they lacked offensive punch.

Drafted as the saviours of a franchise coming out of one of the bleakest periods in the team's history, they didn't exactly light up the NHL the way players like Alexander Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Steve Stamkos or John Tavares have since they have been drafted. No; the Sedins' progress was slow. The benefit of hindsight allows us to also add that it was steady.

But for those going through it at the time, it was just plain slow. The Twins were not putting up eye-popping numbers in either the regular season or the playoffs. The fact that they developed something of a penchant for scoring timely goals, especially in the playoffs, was lost in the shuffle.

The lockout came and went, and the Twins suddenly--quite suddenly--came into their own. They started scoring, at a point-a-game pace no less. In the span of a few short years, they went from players that people were writing off as just another couple of busts from a dreadful 1999 draft year to players who were contending for some of the finest hardware the NHL has to offer. Henrik Sedin capped this off with a dream season in 2009-2010, where he won the Art Ross Trophy as the league's top scorer with 112 points--a franchise record that eclipsed the mark of 110 set by the great Pavel Bure--and the Hart Trophy as the league's MVP. Both were first-time wins for a Vancouver Canuck. Henrik Sedin was also named the Captain of the team to start the 2010-2011 season, a season which saw his brother Daniel follow quickly in Henrik's footsteps. Daniel won the Art Ross Trophy this year and is a finalist for the Hart as the league's MVP. Not bad for a couple of busts.

But even more recently, these two were criticised for their playoff performance this year. They were both virtual no-shows against Nashville (for the most part--back to that in a moment). It was rather obvious that Henrik was labouring through some kind of injury that hampered his whole line's effectiveness, but that didn't stop the boo birds from hopping onto their soap boxes and questioning not only his playing ability, but his leadership as the team's Captain.

Lost in the shuffle of Vancouver's Game 6 win over Nashville was the fact that the Twins combined to score the game winning goal; Henrik Sedin put the puck to Kesler who shot it at the net. The rebound came to Daniel who scored the series-clinching goal. In the furor of Ryan Kesler's stunning 2nd round performance, this was lost.

Henrik was able to rest between the second and third rounds, and he attacked the San Jose Sharks in the Conference Final with a vengeance. Ryan Kesler scored 11 points in 6 games against Nashville. Henrik trumped that with 12 points in 5 games against San Jose as he single-handedly devoured the Sharks. He scored the game-winning goal in the first game. He set up the game-winning goal in Game 4, and he set up the dramatic tying goal in Game 5. Daniel was no slouch either, recording 6 points in the 5 games against the Sharks.

Do you think that these two players who endured ridicule from the press, the league, and their own fans might--just might--have something to prove?

This all brings me back to the title of this blog entry. None of these players have found what they are looking for. Hockey's Holy Grail is the Stanley Cup, and only Mikael Samuelsson and Aaron Rome have played for teams that have won Cups. But for all of the above mentioned players--and there are more on the roster than that, but I feel like I've already written more than most can read in one sitting--they just have to win. Their trials and tribulations have lead them to this moment.

A recent advertisement says "this moment is where everything you want will collide with everything standing in your way".

The Boston Bruins are standing in their way. My hunch is that for these players, the Bruins are child's play in comparison to the personal demons they have overcome to reach this moment.

It's time to bring this thing home

It's time to bring the Stanley Cup to Vancouver.

You Could Be Mine

Canuck Nation has now had a few days to digest the fact that our boys in blue are off to the Stanley Cup Final. The screams of joy have faded, the cross-examining of the series against the San Jose Sharks is well underway, but the excitement for the Final is really just beginning.

Tonight the Canucks will find out just who they will be facing on the NHL's biggest stage. The Boston Bruins and the Tampa Bay Lightning will clash in a seventh and deciding game in tonight's conclusion of a tough, back-and-forth series that has seen a surprising amount of offense. Heading into the series, netminders Tim Thomas and Dwayne Roloson were on a roll. Thomas is the favorite to win this year's Vezina Trophy as the league's top goaltender, and Roloson was deep in the discussion of potential Conn Smythe candidates as the Playoff MVP given his sensational play to get the Lightning to the 3rd round.

But the Eastern Conference Final hasn't really been a game for goaltenders. High scoring affairs have been a hallmark of this series as these two supposedly stingy defensive teams have traded goals with speed and efficiency. Thomas has faired better than Roloson, managing a shutout and a 1-goal against victory. Roloson was also held back from starting in Game 5 in place of backup Mike Smith (sound familiar, Canuck fans?) before returning to guide his team to victory in Game 6.

I use the term "guide" loosely, as Roloson was far from unbeatable in another high-scoring battle. But I digress.

The Boston Bruins are trying to win their first Stanley Cup since the 1970s, when names like Bobby Orr and Phil Esposito were still patrolling the ice for the Bruins. The Tampa Bay Lightning are the most recent Cup winners of the remaining teams, having taken home the grail in 2004. Both also feature a Vancouver connection--for Boston, it is Vancouver bread Milan Lucic. The young power forward, best known amongst Vancouverites for his days as a Vancouver Giant in the WHL, is extremely popular in his home province. His mix of size, skill, intimidation and absolutely formiddable fighting ability is an easy combination for a fan favorite. Many (myself included) fondly remember "the shift" during the Memorial Cup held in Vancouver, where Lucic did his best impersonation of a runaway freight train--flattening several players before accepting a challenge to a fight that he won handily.

On Tampa Bay's side, one of the most recognizable faces in Vancouver Canucks history awaits. Mattias Ohlund--he of the most points scored in the history of the franchise by a defensemen--is enjoying his first lengthy post-season run of his career. While his offense has dried up, the earmarks of Ohlund's game remain--namely calm, cool defensive play, good leadership in the room, and a propensity to destroy oncoming forwards who have the ill fortune of skating with their heads down.

The question has been asked many times--who is the better opponent for the Canucks? My answer is neither. These are two teams that will have fought tooth and nail to arrive in the Finals. These are two teams that can hurt you in any number of ways. Picking and choosing an opponent is not how Cups are won, it is about beating the best in order to be the best.

So the Canucks will continue to wait.

And we can continue to dissect the most beautiful "ugly" goal many of us have ever seen. Kevin Bieksa's "duck shot" from the blueline that fooled the no-longer-unbeaten-in-a-playoff-series Antti Niemi to propel the Canucks into the Finals. A Final where, regardless of the opponent, they will be the favorite.

My darling wife remarked to me that when Bieksa scored, I sounded like I was dying. (hint - a lot of screaming, which may not have sounded entirely masculine, ensued) She didn't think it was possible for me to go any more completely ballistic than I had when Alex Burrows scored the series-clinching goal over the Chicago Blackhawks all the way back in Round 1. But I did.

But I'm hoping that just like the Canucks, I can ramp it up just one more time.

Like A Rolling Stone

In some of my ramblings, I have made a habit of referring to 1994. That, of course, was the last time the Vancouver Canucks made it to the Stanley Cup Finals. 17 years is a very, very long time to wait, but we can now finally add a new point of reference for that feat - 2011.

Seventeen years to the day that Greg Adams scored a double-overtime game winner that launched the Vancouver Canucks into the Stanley Cup Finals, another funny shot from the blueline resulted in a double-overtime game winner that did just the same.

It was not a pretty victory. The Canucks were outshot by a healthy margin, but were fortunate that Roberto Luongo stepped up to join Kirk McLean and Richard Brodeur with perhaps his finest playoff performance to date, making 54 saves in all. The Canucks trailed late in the third and looked as if they would be boarding another flight for San Jose to play a Game 6. Ryan Kesler was labouring on a funny looking injury to one of his legs and lacked the same zip and pop he had had previously. The prospect of a lengthened series did not bode well for that injury.

But with just under 15 seconds left, Canuck Captain Henrik Sedin lobbed a shot at the net. It is something that he and his brother Daniel are sometimes criticised for not doing enough--making the simple play and getting pucks to the net. But Henrik did on this occasion. It wasn't particularly hard or fearsome, but it was accurate and on goal. Ryan Kesler did the rest, getting a stick on it to deflect the puck between Antti Niemi's legs to send the game to overtime.

But once overtime began, the Sharks were swarming again. They came at Roberto Luongo in droves, but the Canuck netminder stood tall and batted pucks aside to his teammates or swallowed them up in his glove with authority. He was in the zone and he gave his team a chance to win this game. A chance they finally capitalized on on perhaps the most bizarre play of the playoffs to this point.

Alex Edler's attempt to dump the puck deep into the San Jose zone deflected off a stanchion directly to Kevin Bieksa. There was no one on the ice apart from Bieksa who knew where the puck was, and he quickly slapped at the puck--nearly missing the bouncing biscuit altogther--at thenet. Before Antti Niemi even realized it was coming, it was behind the Sharks goaltender and Rogers Arena erupted.

It was an unjust end for the Sharks who played arguably their best game of the series. But it was justice served for at few Vancouver Canucks who, at various times, have had their playoff mettle and intensity questioned.

Let's start with Henrik Sedin. It wasn't all that long ago (about a week, to be precise) that people were questioning both his leadership ability and his playoff intensity. He was clearly afflicted with something throughout the first two rounds, but then the best thing possible happened for him--he got a lengthy break between the conclusion of Round 2 and the beginning of Round 3. He then exploded in this series against the Sharks, recording 12 points in just 5 games. He either scored or set up 3 of the Canucks' four game-winning goals in this series. The Captain has now firmly re-established himself amongst the elite players on not just this team, but in the league.

Secondly, let's look at Kevin Bieksa. This was a player whom many assumed had punched his ticket out of Vancouver last year. He had just come off an up and down season, marred by both injury and inconsistency. He turned in a truly Jekyll and Hyde performance in the 2010 playoffs, and looked to be a victim of a cap crunch once the Canucks went out and acquired both Keith Ballard and Dan Hamhuis via trade and free agency. Indeed, the popular consensus was that the Canucks came very close to dealing the blueliner.

But then Sami Salo tore his Achilles' tendon and Bieksa got a reprieve. He went on to play arguably the best season of his career, but the real story has been his coming out party in these 2011 playoffs. He scored 4 goals in this series and was a force to be reckoned with at both ends of the ice. He physically manhandled any Sharks forward who came his way and played with the even blend of nastiness and talent that you would expect out of a top defensemen. And for a player who many fans were lining up to ship out of town just 1 short year ago, the turnaround has been remarkable.

Last but not least, there is Roberto Luongo. The criticisms directed his way were bizarre, and there is perhaps not a goaltender or player in the league who most call overrated who has actually become underrated. Luongo backstopped Team Canada to an Olympic Gold Medal on home soil, no easy task. His detractors say anyone could have played goal on that team and won (future Hall of Famer Martin Brodeur couldn't). He bounced back from being benched in Game 6 of the first round against the Chicago Blackhawks with a teriffic Game 7 performance, punctuated by a goal-line save off Patrick Sharp in overtime. To his detractors, he still wasn't as good as his counter part at the other end of the ice (Corey Crawford). In the second round, Pekka Rinne was better. And in the 3rd round, he was facing "Mr. Undefeated in a 7-Game Series" Antti Niemi.

Well, Luongo answered those critics last night with a 54-save effort. He was a wall when the Sharks had an early 5-on-3, and he made several difficult stops in overtime. He was undoubtedly the best player on the ice last night and is the reason that the Canucks are taking a well-earned break before playing for the Stanley Cup.

There will be complaints. Already, Canuck detractors are decrying what they feel should have been a non-icing call that lead to Kesler's tying goal. (this writer slowed the play down on PVR and looked. I do not find it definitive at all that the puck struck Daniel, in fact, I think it hit the same stanchion that would later result in Bieksa's game winner). There is the fact that the Canucks were handily outshot. Anything they can say to put down the Canucks will be said.

But right now, their voices are falling on deaf ears. Because nothing they say can take away from the fact that the Vancouver Canucks will play in the Stanley Cup Finals.

And yeah, that feels pretty good.

Just Came Back

17 years ago tomorrow, the Vancouver Canucks soared into the Stanley Cup Final to the sounds of Jim Robson's call of "Greg Adams! Greg Adams!" while Vancouver and British Columbia celebrated. It was Game 5 of the Western Conference Final against the Toronto Maple Leafs, a double overtime affair that ended with Greg Adams jamming home a Felix Potvin rebound.

And now, 17 years to the day later, in another Game 5, the Canucks can once again vanquish an opponent and move on to play for Lord Stanley's Cup.

It's an interesting storyline headed into Tuesday evening's Game 5. The Canucks have shown an impressive killer instinct and resilience through the first four games of this series. Perhaps it was on its best display on Sunday afternoon, where in spite of giving up five consecutive power play opportunites (several of the calls being of the questionable variet), the Canucks rebounded to capitalize on their own power play chances.

Sami Salo looked like a young stud on the blueline again as he pelted consecutive one-time blasts past fellow countrymen Antti Niemi. He also picked up a helper on Ryan Kesler's game opening goal, and that sequence of three set a franchise record for the fastest set of goals a Canucks team had ever recorded in the post-season.

Another storyline was centered around Raffi Torres. He has had a very interesting playoffs for the Canucks. Most people remember his opening game in the first round against the Blackhawks, where he caught Chicago defensemen Brent Seabrook with his head down and rocked his world. It was a play many expected would warrant a suspension, but none came. That seemed to give Torres' physical play a much needed resuscitating breath, as he has once again been a wrecking ball since then.

That was on full display on Sunday in two instances; when he caught San Jose Mac Truck Douglas Murray with his head down along the boards and exploded into him (it was called charging, but that's debateable). But the second and more important instances was where he caught Shark captain Joe Thornton in a vulnerable position along the boards and sent him crashing to the ice, too.

Thornton did not finish the game, although he is expected to suit up in Game 5. But what kind of condition is he really in? No one knows for sure.

The Canucks are about to have their killer instinct tested once again. It took them four tries to vanquish the Chicago Blackhawks in Round 1. They halved that to two tries against the Nashville Predators in Round 2. They would sure like to halve it again tomorrow night on home ice. The Sharks are banged up, they are asking troubling questions to the reflections they see in the mirror. There is a seed of doubt in their collective psyches that the Canucks simply must exploit.

The Sharks will more than likely bring their best effort of the series tomorrow night at Rogers Arena. The Canucks must keep on marching to the beat that has gotten them this far--wait for your opponent to make a mistake, pounce, and make them pay for that mistake.

If they can do that, they could be on their way to the big dance for the first time in 17 years, with someone else's name in place of "Greg Adams, Greg Adams".

T.N.T.

The Vancouver Canucks have been called a lot of things by their opponents in this NHL playoff season. It all started with Chicago captain Jonathan Toews in the first round when the Blackhawks were down 3-0 to the Canucks in the series. Toews angrily expressed to the media that the Canucks were not as good as everyone (outside of the Blackhawks' dressing room) was making them out to be and that the Blackhawks had not "exposed them for what they are".

What they are remains to be seen, but the Canucks ended up edging the Blackhawks out of the playoffs.

In the second round, Nashville Predators' coach Barry Trotz accused the Canucks of diving and embellishing. He specifically highlighted Ryan Kesler's play in Game 3 in overtime that lead to the game winning goal, where he "chickenwinged" (trademark pending) the stick of Nashville defensemen Shea Weber to draw a hooking penalty. The NHL became aware of embellishment going on in the playoffs and warned the remaining teams that it would be called more closely.

In an ironic twist, Daniel Sedin's series-clinching goal against Nashville was scored on a power play, with Jordin Tootoo sitting two minutes for--you guessed it--embellishing.

So now it's the Vancouver Canucks and the San Jose Sharks. The Canucks have arrived in San Jose holding a 2-0 series lead against a Shark team that is seeing red. The venom spewing from the mouths of the Sharks' players makes the comments from Toews and Trotz seem like child's play in comparison.

It began after Game 1. Logan Couture said the Canucks had been ordinary, and that the Sharks had lost themselves the game. Dan Boyle jumped on the embellishment bandwagon and accused the Canucks of "snapping their heads back like they've been shot with a gun".

It only got worse after the Game 2 blowout. Ben Eager was able to bang rocks together to the press to communicate that he thought Kevin Bieksa was a phony. Ryan Clowe called Canuck agitator Maxim Lapierre a coward.

Throughout all of this, the Canucks have been calm, both on the ice and off it. Roberto Luongo said on Thursday that the Canucks will take a punch in the face in order to get ahead in these playoffs, and he isn't lying.

The Canucks have a major opportunity ahead of them tonight to put the San Jose Sharks on the ropes. San Jose--like Vancouver--has had a reputation of wilting under pressure. This is the second straight season they have been in the Conference Final, and thus far between those two seasons, they are 0-6 in Conference Final games.

The Canucks can further plant a seed of doubt tonight with a win that would put the Sharks on the brink. That win has to come in the HP Pavillion, affectionately known as "the Shark Tank". It's a building that has not been friendly to the Canucks in recent years, although they are 2-0 in visits this season. The caveat to that is that Roberto Luongo hasn't started a game there this year--Cory Schneider got both the starts in San Jose.

I would guess that the Canucks see a lot of themselves in their opponent. It was just last year that the Canucks were coming apart at the seams playing against the Chicago Blackhawks in the second round. They were frustrated, they were angry. They took a number of bad penalties and the Blackhawks made them pay dearly on the scoreboard. They voiced their frustration to the media, they accused the Blackhawks of showboating and playing dirty hockey.

The Blackhawks' response was to shrug it off and remain focussed on hockey.

Now--at least through two games--the tables are turned. If the Sharks are to come back in this series, it is critical that they keep their composure and stick to the game on the ice. They certainly have the talent to do it, and the Canucks need to be extremely wary of that fact.

For the Canucks, there are two keys. The first is to improve their penalty kill, which has a 100% failure rate thus far in this series (0-for-3). But the second is to keep doing what they are doing: play hard, don't get down after goals, and try to light the powder keg that is San Jose's temper.

We'll find out who is more successful in their execution tonight.

One Wild Night

There is an old joke that goes "I went to the fights and a hockey game broke out".

Okay, so there was only 1 full-fledged fight in last night's 7-3 clubbing of the San Jose Sharks by the Vancouver Canucks, but the game was filled with animosity and bad blood. It extended well beyond the final horn of the game as well.

But let's back up a bit and start from the beginning. The San Jose Sharks once again jumped out to an early 1-0 lead on a slick power play goal by rookie Logan Couture. But the Vancouver Canucks--as they did in Game 1--thundered back with two goals in quick succession. It took just over a minute in Game 1, and just under a minute last night. Daniel Sedin struck first with his first goal of the Western Final, and Raffi Torres potted his second of the playoffs just moments later.

The Sharks would eventually tie the game again on another power play goal, making their power play a perfect 3-for-3 in the series to this point, but that's where Kevin Bieksa took over.

First, the Canuck blueliner put his team ahead again with a slippery five-hole shot on a breakaway. Then, to his surprise, he was challenged to a fight by noted (non) pugilist Patrick Marleau. Bieksa was happy to oblige and proceeded to tune the Sharks' forward fairly badly.

On the Sharks bench, Ben Eager was going insane. Sharks coach Todd McLellan mistook this loss of sanity for a player who could show some emotion and proceeded to put him on the ice, where Eager promptly charged star Canuck Daniel Sedin from behind and stapled him to the boards, a play that should have been a five minute major and a game misconduct.

Fortunately for the Canucks, he received only a minor penalty. But we'll come back to that in a moment.

Defenders of Eager will say he was just following the hockey "code", an eye for an eye if you will. Eager has his own code, it seems, and if anyone has found it, color me impressed. I say that because I believe his code is written in his own excrement on the wall of a cave somewhere.

But this did not follow any code at all. Patrick Marleau was the one who challenged Bieksa to scrap, not the other way around. Marleau knows he is not a fighter and was hoping to inspire his team with a gutsy performance. He admitted all of this after the game. But perhaps the only person he inspired was Bieksa, who tipped his hat to his dance partner and praised the gutsy move.

So when one of your teammates seeks out a fight and loses, it is most certainly not a situation where you charge out to injure an opposing team's star player.

But now we come back to "fortunately, he received only a minor penalty". Becuase from that point on, Eager completely undid the San Jose Sharks. The game was still 3-2 at that point. The Sharks killed off the minor penalty to Eager to start the third period and a tense 20 minutes looked to be in order. But as soon as Eager was free from the penalty box, he slewfooted Mason Raymond. Back to the box he went. And this time, the Canucks made him pay.

Chris Higgins scored his first goal of the series to make the score 4-2. The Sharks then took a "too many men on the ice" penalty. Daniel Sedin made it 5-2.  Then, with Eager and his line on the ice, the Twins made minced meat of the big oaf and set up Aaron Rome--no, that is not a typo--for his first ever playoff goal. 6-2. Ryan Clowe then mixed it up with Maxim Lapierre, whose response was to make a sequence of silly faces at the frustrated Sharks forward. Mason Raymond scored on the ensuing power play. 7-2.

Eager would eventually score for the Sharks, making it 7-3. But after doing so he kicked off a fracas by taunting Roberto Luongo (while your team is losing by 4 goals? Seriously.) And he spent another two minutes in the penalty box. Immediately after he got out, he took yet another penalty for cross checking and was also awarded a misconduct.

The venom continued after the game. Eager (again ignoring the fact that Marleau challenged Bieksa, not the other way around) called Bieksa a "phony" and said it was unfortunate that someone was going to pay him a lot of money this summer given that he is an unrestricted free agent. (jealous, Ben?)

Ryan Clowe called Maxim Lapierre a "coward". Clowe had challenged Lapierre to a fight, and Lapierre--showing a bit of the side that made him so reviled when he played for Montreal and earned him the nickname "Yappy Lappy" just made faces and whispered sweet nothings to him.

While humorous, the Canucks do not need Lapierre doing that. The Sharks are doing just dandy in taking penalties all by themselves. Captain Henrik Sedin had a quick chat with Lapierre after the play, presumably telling him to tone it down.

But the namecalling was in full flight after the game from the Sharks' side. But from the Canucks side? Calm. Professional. To a man, they shrugged off the Sharks' antics both on the ice and off it. This might be the single biggest difference in this team from years' past, as they are not the ones coming unglued. They are letting the remarks slide and they are getting the job done on the ice.

Maybe if Ben Eager and his teammates realize they are playing hockey and not trying to be a poor approximation of WWE wrestlers, they'll have a shot in this series.

But as the series shifts to San Jose, Vancouver is going to enjoy their 2-0 series lead. They are also going to enjoy the fact that not only did they make the Sharks unravel yesterday evening, but they penalized them in the best way possible for doing so--by putting pucks in the net.

Now the question becomes, can they do it in the Shark Tank?

Life In The Fast Lane

After a long stretch where the Vancouver Canucks played 1 game over the course of a week, Game 2 of the Western Conference Final goes tonight and the "every other day" playoff schedule resumes. For the Vancouver Canucks, this is a good thing.

For the San Jose Sharks? It seems to be a different question.

If the Canucks were looking for bulletin board material after their 3-2 victory in Game 1, they've got it in spades right now. Excuses poured out of the Sharks' players. Ryan Clowe hinted that the Sharks were tired and worn down from a long series with the Red Wings. Dan Boyle accused the Canucks en masse of diving. Logan Couture said that the Canucks didn't have to do anything out of the ordinary to win as the Sharks lost that game all by themselves.

Only coach Todd McLellan seemed willing to direct any credit towards the Canucks, with the double edged statement - "They found their legs while we lost ours."

So was Game 1 a situation where the Sharks jumped out to a 2-1 lead, the Canucks turned it on and came back and won? Or was it that the Sharks started strong and simply gave up, allowing the Canucks to steal a win that rightfully belonged to the visitors in teal?

It's all a little reminiscent of Jonathan Toews stating that the Chicago Blackhawks had not "exposed the Canucks for what they are" back in Round 1, a statement that had Canuck Nation aflap.

Lost in the parade of "reasons" why the Sharks lost Game 1 that were offered up by their players was the fact that Daniel and Henrik Sedin had their best game in some time. Henrik in particular, who has battled speculation that he is playing hurt since the playoffs began. He made a great play to get the puck deep to Alexandre Burrows on the tying goal, and made a slick move in front of the net to bury the game winner just minutes later. He looked strong on the puck, he looked involved in the play, he looked rejuvenated. The break had clearly done him some good.

Another thing that the Sharks might want to consider before they blame Game 1 on their long, seven game series with the Detroit Red Wings too much, is how the Vancouver Canucks played in Game 1 of Round 2 after a seven game series against the Blackhawks.

It seems like years ago when Roberto Luongo and the Canucks shutout Nashville 1-0 in Game 1, a game where Pekka Rinne seemed to be the only Predator on the ice and his team couldn't get anything going against a hard charging, physical Canucks team. Nashville coach Barry Trotz alluded to the fact that there was some emotional carryover for Vancouver from having played Game 7 just two nights before. So where was it for San Jose?

It would just seem easier to blame fatigue for the loss rather than look in the mirror.

But this all brings us to tonight. Both teams have had a couple of days to rest, their last lengthened break of this round. The Canucks hold a 1-0 series lead and have the chance to head to San Jose with double that tonight. The Sharks have a 2-9 all-time record in Western Conference Final games, and you have to think the Canucks could plant a big seed of doubt in their head should they manage to strike again tonight.

The Sharks are promising more energy and a more physical presence. The Canucks were easily the dominant physical team in Game 1 long before they came back on the scoreboard. Joe Pavelski (poor guy) was the recipient of two earth-shattering bodychecks from Alexander Edler and Chris Higgins. Kevin Bieksa made life truly uncomfortable for anyone who came down the boards on his side of the ice. The the third line of Jannik Hansen, Maxim Lapierre and Raffi Torres were doing their best impressions of wrecking balls all evening.

The Canucks will sport a slightly different look to their lineup, and it might have something to do with the above. Tanner Glass will come out of the lineup after delivering only 1 bodycheck in his last three games. For a player who relies on physical play as his bread and butter, that simply isn't good. Speed demon Jeff Tambellini will take his place in the lineup, his first start since the Canucks' series clinching victory over Nashville in Round 2. Tambellini is no slouch in the hitting department either, having delivered over 100 hits in just 62 regular season games this year. His speed could also give the bigger, slower Sharks some issues.

Meanwhile, between the pipes, two goaltenders will both try to rebound from Game 1. Antti Niemi was the best Shark on the ice, but he allowed some juicy rebounds and seemed to struggle when the Canucks started putting pucks high on him. Roberto Luongo gift-wrapped a goal that Joe Thornton was only to happy to deposit into the net behind him, and while Luongo has had a solid playoff, his penchant for letting in iffy goals really needs to stop. The silver lining here is that he did not crumble after the give away, but instead remained in form to make several key stops which allowed the Canucks to come back in the game.

In the end, both teams are promising to be better tonight and there will be some slightly different looks to the game. It should be a treat.

You Shook Me All Night Long

Prior to Game 1 of the Western Conference Final, San Jose forward and ex-Canuck Kyle Wellwood mused that when the Sharks were down a goal in a game, they almost seemed to play better than they did at any other time.

Perhaps he confused his current team with his old one.

The Vancouver Canucks trailed after the second period by a score of 2-1 in a physical opening matchup between the two West Coast superpowers. But they came at the Sharks much like Orcas attack in reality--in packs they converged on puck carriers, beat them into submission with thunderous bodychecks, and moved on to other prey.

The Canucks outhit the Sharks 38-26 and it showed in a big way. The Sharks wore down as the game went on and the Canucks just seemed to get better. Everyone was in on the act; Roberto Luongo made a key save early in the 3rd on Joe Thornton, who was the best Shark last night that wasn't wearing goalie pads. The third line of Raffi Torres, Maxim Lapierre and Jannik Hansen hemmed the Sharks in their own zone shift after shift.

But the real story here was the (re) emergence of the brothers Sedin. Henrik in particular played his best game of the playoffs. It was Henrik who made a nifty chip play with the puck to send Alex Burrows into the San Jose end behind the defensemen. Burrows then made a teriffic pass to a hard-charging Kevin Bieksa, who did what other Canuck defenders to that point had failed to do--put the puck high on Niemi.

Then the third line struck again. Or was struck again, depending on your point of view. A good hustle by Raffi Torres lead to an ill-timed elbowing penalty against Dany Heatley, as he tried to impede the Canuck forward by smashing his elbow into his face. The result was a Canucks power play, and that was where the final blow was dealt.

Ryan Kesler (of course) started the play with a great cross-ice pass to Christian Ehrhoff at the blueline. Henrik Sedin--skating hard to the front of the net--beaver tapped his stick and Ehrhoff passed it tape to tape. Henrik held the puck while Antti Niemi frantically contorted himself in every way possible to no avail--Henrik tucked the puck into the yawning cage and the Canucks had a 3-2 lead that they never relinquished.

San Jose coach Todd McLellan summed it up quite well after the game; he said that as the game went on, the Sharks lost their legs while the Canucks found theirs. The Sharks were probably battling some fatigue from the long, grinding series against Detroit. But it certainly didn't help that any time their head wasn't up and in the play, they were being sent flying by the hard hitting Canucks.

There is now another long break before Game 2. The last break seems to have served the Canucks--Henrik Sedin in particular--quite well. But with how well the Canucks have performed on the road this season in the playoffs, the Sharks will be desperate to get a victory in Game 2. The Canucks will need the same tempo they exuded at the end of the second period and throughout the third for the entirety of Game 2 if they are to win.

Until then, once again, it is hurry up and wait.

Who Are You

On the eve of puckdrop for the Western Conference Final, most have now had time to digest the fact that the Vancouver Canucks and the San Jose Sharks will go tete a tete with the winner moving on to the big dance for Lord Stanley's Mug. Everyone has had their say, everyone has written their piece. It is now essentially a waiting game for 5:00PM tomorrow when the puck will finally drop and it will all come down to the players to determine who shall go on, and who shall go home.

To say this series is something of a dead heat would be an understatement. As has been noted many times (by myself included) these teams could almost be mirror images of each other, both in terms of their rosters and the accomplishments of the players on them, as well as the disappointments they have experienced to get to this point.

Ex-Canuck Kyle Wellwood touched on that earlier this season, when he questioned the mentality of the Vancouver Canucks. He questioned the Canucks' maturity and felt that they played as if they were "afraid to lose".

You may remember in Round 1 against Chicago that Canuck defensemen Kevin Bieksa got into a war of words with Chicago tree trunk John Scott. Bieksa wasn't backing down on Saturday when he implied that the Canucks were only afraid to lose when Wellwood was on their team, given he was "the smallest 3rd line center in the league".

(The comment was in jest. A contrast to the back-and-forth with John Scott, and more akin to the friendly barbs that flew between Bieksa and Shane O'Brien in Round 2. That hasn't stopped some of the media from painting it as a "shot across the bow", however).

The reality is that both of these teams will be under immense pressure, and the margin for error is nearly invisible. In San Jose, they have built a team that is a perennial regular season power house. Joe Thornton has an Art Ross Trophy, a Hart Trophy and an Olympic Gold Medal in his trophy case at home. Dany Heatley as a Gold Medal and also has two 50-goal seasons on his NHL resume. Patrick Marleau has an Olympic Gold Medal as well. But what all of these stars are missing is a Stanley Cup. Comb through the lineup, and Dan Boyle is the only star member of the team to hold a Stanley Cup ring, and he received that in 2004 with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The Sharks have bowed out early in the playoffs many times before, but it would seem something is finally changing for them. This is the second year in a row (and third time in seven years) the Sharks have made it to the Western Conference Final. It is no small feat to make it to the NHL's final four. To wit, the Canucks are in the Western Conference Final for their third time, too. Except it's taken 40 years to get to that number.

The Canucks--make no mistake about it--are gunning for a Stanley Cup. Under new ownership and new management, the Canucks have aggressively overhauled their roster to get to this point. Long standing veterans retired or moved on, and younger players were able to step up. This is a markedly different team from all of those assembled before it. Never before have the Canucks had so much depth at every position. Even the loss of Manny Malhotra hasn't managed to halt them to this point, and he is a massively underrated part of this team--quite a statement when you consider the praise he gets from around the league for his contributions. All the lip service he receives still does not entirely sum up just how huge of a hole he left.

But with that depth comes expectation. And the expectation is victory, something Vancouver and San Jose both have in common.

The Canucks have their own list of players who have a long list of regular season and international accolades--Henrik and Daniel Sedin, Roberto Luongo, and Ryan Kesler chief among them. But once again, these players will ultimately be judged on one thing: their ability to get to and win a Stanley Cup Final.

To this point in the playoffs, both of these teams have gone through their bumps in the road. They received identical comeback-scares from the Blackhawks and the Red Wings. They have each battled through a six-game series against an opponent who--at least on paper--seems inferior.

And now it comes down to the two of them. One will move on and, perhaps, shake the label of playoff disappointment. The other will--fairly or not--be back to the drawing board.

The first step in determining just which will do which is tomorrow night.

It's a Long Way to the Top

"Smile you son of a..." something or other.

Those were the classic words of Roy Scheider in the 1975 blockbuster "Jaws", a film which pitted man against beast as three men on one small boat hunted and eventually destroyed a vicious man-eating predator.

Maybe the plot differs slightly from the Western Conference Final clash coming our way, but the sentimets express by Scheider could easily be expressed by Canuck nation.

Yes, it will be an all-West Coast matchup as the Vancouver Canucks will do battle with the San Jose Sharks for the first time ever in the post-season. This series promises to be a pitched battle between two teams that have an awful lot to prove. They have (perhaps unfairly, but nonetheless) been villified in recent years for not living up to the success of their regular seasons when the going got tough in the post-season. This is definitely more reflective of the Sharks than it is of the Canucks, but the similarities between the two teams are striking.

Both teams have players who have racked up the regular season achievements. Noteably, both Henrik Sedin and Joe Thornton have collected Art Ross and Hart Trophies. Both teams have won President's Trophies, and both teams have some good young talent filling out the supporting cast.

Both teams have played 13 games thus far in the playoffs. Both teams held a 3-0 series lead over a fierce rival, only to watch that lead dissipate and force a deciding seventh game. Both teams then won that 7th game to move on.

Both teams played a 6-game series against an opponent that many pundits deemed to be inferior, at least on paper. Both both teams were pushed hard by their respective opponents. Both teams will be making their third ever appearance in the Western Conference Final.

But that is where one key difference lies; the Canucks are 2-0 in Conference Final appearances, whereas the Sharks are 0-2.

The last time the Canucks made the Conference Final in 1994, they played against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Leafs were in the Conference Final for the second straight year (and had just come off of a semi-final victory over the San Jose Sharks). They were dispatched quickly, in five games, by the Canucks.

So now the Canucks are once again in the Conference Final against a team that has gotten this far for the second year in a row. The Sharks were swept in four games by the eventual Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks last season. One of the biggest reasons for this, they felt, was their inability to put pucks past then-Hawks netminder Antti Niemi.

So what did they do about it? Well, they went out and signed him.

Antti Niemi is an interesting goaltender. When the top goaltenders in the league are discussed, Niemi's name never comes up. He is not an Olympian or a Vezina Trophy candidate, and he was not regarded as Calder Trophy material last season. The Canucks have played against goaltenders who are all of the above.

What Niemi does have, however, is an undefeated record in playoff rounds. He is currently 6-0 dating back to last year. The Canucks will get a second crack at trying to be the first team to hand him a series loss. They averaged three goals a game against him last season in the second round, and Niemi was certainly not a big reason why the Blackhawks advanced over the Canucks.

But he has an interesting ability to look incapable of stopping a beachball one night, while coming out the next and looking like he could stop a freight train with one finger.

The question will ultimately be, can the Canucks exploit him? Again, they didn't have troubles scoring on him last year. The Los Angeles Kings and Detroit Red Wings both were able to put many pucks past him this year, but the Sharks have kept winning.

Part of that can be attributed to their offensive attack. While their big three of Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau and Dany Heatley have long held the label of playoff underachievers (Thornton is doing some work to dispel that label this year, but we'll get to that in a moment) it is the supporting cast of the Sharks that provides that playoff moxie that is so critical to advance. I am speaking of Ryan Clowe, Logan Couture, Devin Setoguchi and Joe Pavelski. All of these players are capable of not just scoring goals, but big goals.

Add to that that Joe Thornton finally seems to be coming up big in the big games, and that makes the Sharks' attack formidable.

So how do the Canucks measure up?

The Canucks have some question marks of their own. Much has been made of the outstanding playoff performance of Ryan Kesler to date. He virtually single-handedly sent the Nashville Predators packing in Round 2, but the Sharks will present a muich different challenge. Kesler will likely face the task of trying to slow down Joe Thornton, much like his task in Round 1 was to handle Jonathan Toews. We know how much offense Kesler produced in Round 1, so can he still put up numbers while trying to contain the man they call Jumbo Joe?

If he cannot, production from other sources becomes critical. The Sedin Twins simply must be better than they have been to date. Rumor is that Henrik is nursing some sort of lower body injury, so maybe the long break between Rounds 2 and 3 will do him some good. Daniel and Henrik need to put their elite caps on (or at the very least, get Kesler to share some of his wheaties with them) so they can big important factors in the third round.

The Canucks should not be short on motivation. As I said back in Round 1, it seems to be them against the world right now. Some fans are even calling the San Jose Sharks "Canada's Team", as they want nothing more than to see the Canucks fail. Various columnists from around Canada are villifying Vancouver--and British Columbia--as the "least Canadian of all the major cities in Canada".

All of this is complete idiocy, of course. So let those talking heads make themselves look ignorant by attacking the multi-culturalism of Vancouver and BC. Let them root for whatever team they want. Canuck Nation has tuned them out to this point, and they'll keep marching to their own drum now.

The Canucks just need to do the same thing. They are four wins away from a berth in the biggest dance of their lives.

But as usual, the playoff credo remains the same - the most important game is the next one.

And that is played on Sunday. The blood is in the water, the question is who will arrive first - the Shark or the Orca?

Right Now

In 1994, Nelson Mandela was inaugrated as South Africa's first black president.

In 1994, the top grossing movie in the world was "The Lion King".

In 1994, the #1 Hit song was "Streets of Philadelphia", by Bruce Springsteen.

In 1994, the Vancouver Canucks made a push to the third round of the playoffs.

Right now, they have done the same thing.

Yes, it has been a long, long time coming, but the Vancouver Canucks have finally gotten over the hump and made it to the Western Conference Finals. Since that magical run in the spring of 1994, the Vancouver Canucks have made the playoffs nine times (not including this season). Of those nine times, they have made it to the second round five times. But last night in Nashville, Tennessee, the Canucks got the monkey off their back with a harrowing 2-1 victory over the persistent Nashville Predators.

In 1994, the Vancouver Canucks received some playoff performances for the ages. Kirk McLean was nearly unbeatable between the pipes for Vancouver. Pavel Bure was rocketing around the ice scoring highlight reel goals at will. And Trevor Linden seemed to always come through at the big moments with a big goal when needed. Jim Robson's call of "he'll play, you know he'll play! He'll play on crutches!" still resonates with so many of us. Well right now, we may well be seeing the best individual playoff performance we have seen since that spring in '94.

I am, of course, speaking of Ryan Kesler.

Another game, another superhuman effort from #17. Kesler was a force on the ice once again. Every time he had the puck, you could almost hear a collective intake of breath from the Preds' faithful packed into Bridgestone Arena, and with good reason. Kesler had been a one-man wrecking crew to their team, and he didn't let up last night. He made a great effort on the forecheck to spring Mason Raymond alone in front of the net for the first goal of the game, and he whacked a shot at the net on the powerplay, allowing Daniel Sedin to pocket a rebound (his first of the series and the eventual game winner).

Those goals came in the first few minutes, and they ended up holding up. David Legwand got the Predators within 1 in the second period, but that was as close as they would get.

So now the Canucks get a well earned break. Game 1 of the Western Conference Final will go on either Saturday or Sunday, according to CBC. Which one depends on how the only other remaining series goes between the San Jose Sharks and the Detroit Red Wings.

But right now, the Canucks will take a few days to relax, rest their injuries, get some practice time in, and prepare for their opponent--whomever it may be.

Oh, and they just might bask in the moment--if only for a moment--too.

Finish What Ya Started

There's a bizarre feeling of deja vu in the air, but perhaps that simply comes with the territory of being a Canucks fan.

In advance of Saturday's Game 5 battle, Canuck nation was confident. Almost overwhelmingly so. The Canucks had just returned from the Music City where they took 2-of-2 games against the tight-checking Nashville Predators. The Canucks had them on the ropes with a 3-1 series lead and an opportunity to close out the Western Conference Semi-Final on home ice with a win on Saturday. In addition to this, Ryan Kesler was exhibiting perhaps the best playoff performance this franchise has seen since Trevor Linden, Pavel Bure and Kirk McLean starred in the Canucks' run to the Stanley Cup Final in 1994, and the brothers Sedin had finally gotten on the scoresheet, combining for 5 points in Games 3 and 4.

But alas, the Canucks lost Game 5. This wasn't a repeat of the Chicago series, mind you--there was no blowout, there was no complete and total disappearance by the Canucks as there was in Games 4 and 5 vs. Chicago, two games where the Canucks were outscored 12-2.

But Canuck nation has paused again. The typical playoff catchphrases are being thrown around regarding these Vancouver Canucks, and they're not of the flattering variety. A lack of killer instinct, a lack of drive, a lack of the will to win. "Just like 2003" is another phrase that is being whispered around. (for the unitiated--the Vancouver Canucks held a 3-1 series lead in 2003 over another tight-checking defensive team that was well coached, the Minnesota Wild. They ended up blowing that series lead and lost Game 7 on home ice in what still remains the most epic collapse in the history of this franchise).

But is it really the same? Was it really due to a lack of the will to win from the Canucks?

My answer is simple--no. I think that, save for a few stretches of play, the Canucks were in control of Game 5. They generated more chances, more shots on goal and had the run of the momentum throughout the game. It ended 4-3--a close game to be certain. And were it not for Nashville goaltender Pekka Rinne and his better looking sister Lady Luck, this series might have ended on Saturday.

So what did cause the Canucks to lose?

The short answer is a combination of awful puck luck and, more importantly, themselves. Three of the Predators' four goals were gift wrapped missives from horrible defensive miscues by the Canucks, starting early in the 1st period when Mikael Samuelsson turned the puck over at the Nashville blueline, resulting in a shorthanded breakaway for David Legwand. Roberto Luongo, who has faced approximately one breakaway per game in this series (stopping them all prior to this point) was beaten blocker side.

The Canucks put their hard hats on and came back with a vengeance. Raffi Torres scored his first of the playoffs after a splendid forechecking effort by Jannik Hansen. Ryan Kesler then continued to write his own legend by hustling hard to the net on a two-on-one player and beating out Norris Trophy nominee Shea Weber to the loose puck, banging it home for a 2-1 lead. The Canucks then ended the period with some great pressure in the Nashville end. They were in complete control.

But then the second period began and the poor luck started. The play was behind the Vancouver goal where David Legwand was digging for a loose puck. It sprang up in the air and over top of the net, striking Vancouver defensemen Alexander Edler in the forearm before bouncing into the net. A play that you could try to replicate a thousand times and fail to get the same result. But nevertheless, the Predators were back in it.

For a short time after that, the Predators smelled blood. They came on in droves and the Canucks were on their heels. But around the midway point of the period, the Canucks found their feet again and started to push back. The period ended with one of the best shifts Daniel and Henrik Sedin had had in all of the playoffs, and hope was building headed into the 3rd period.

But then the Canucks served up two more sacrificial offerings to the Predators, both instances to Joel Ward. Early in the period, Kevin Bieksa made an ill advised clearing attempt, banking the puck off the boards towards the blueline. But the angle was bad and the puck ended up right on a Nashville stick; one cross-ice pass to Joel Ward later, and it was a 3-2 hockey game. Only five minutes later, Alex Edler (who had a rough night) lost the puck in his skates in front. Ward was again only too happy to pick up the table scraps and fire it past a startled Roberto Luongo. 4-2 Predators.

Now, Ryan Kesler did make the game close again with another great play after receiving stitches and losing a tooth. But the fact is, the Canucks beat themselves in Game 5. I am not trying to discredit what the Predators have done in this series at all; they have made every single game close and have hung around when the play has intimated that should have been finished long ago. But Game 5 was not a cause for Canuck fans to panic. The better team lost the game, and the Canucks know it.

Now what do they need going into Game 6 tonight? I'll avoid the playoff cliches and say what every single Canuck player needs is a little bit of Ryan Kesler.

Kesler has been the most dominating player in the series. He fights for every inch, he battles for every puck and he is seeming to score at will--5 goals and 4 assists in 5 games. But it's his determination on the ice that is leading the way. While one would like to think he can do it all himself, it would certainly be nice if some of the other stars on the Canucks were able to step up and show fifty percent of the drive that Kesler is putting on.

The good news is, they have another opportunity to do just that tonight. And to get over the hump and get to the Conference Finals for the first time in 17 years.

So come on, Vancouver. Finish What Ya Started.

You've Got Another Thing Coming

When the second round series between Nashville and Vancouver began, the much ballyhooed matchup was Vancouver's Twin Art Ross Trophy winners, Daniel and Henrik Sedin, going up against the Olympic defensive pairing (one Canadian, one American) of Shea Weber and Ryan Suter. Neutralize the Twins, it appeared, and you would effectively neuter the Canucks' attack.

That was until Ryan Kesler popped in his first goal of the playoffs. And then his second. And his third.

All told, of the 9 goals the Canucks have scored through this series so far, Ryan Kesler has been in on 6 of them, scoring three. Last night's game was perhaps one of the best that Kesler has ever played in a Canuck uniform, and his go-ahead goal will likely be the subject of some water cooler discussion until the puck drops for Game 5 on Saturday night. The goal, in which Kesler got the puck just before the red line, was a teriffic power move that saw Kesler cross the blueline, bull his way between Nashville defenders Shea Weber and Shane O'Brien, and then unleash a shot that ripped past a stunned Pekka Rinne.

Patience is finally paying off for Kesler, who was goal-less throughout the first round but was still considered to be the top player night in and night out for the Canucks. He has continued that in this series against Nashville, with the added bonus that he is now putting pucks in the net.

Almost as encouraging was the play of the Sedin Twins last night. While not quite at their level of regular season dominance, last night was another important stepping stone for the brothers. Henrik had one of his best offensvie games of the playoffs, setting up two goals before finally burying his first of the playoffs into an empty net (after a wonderful play by Alexandre Burrows along the boards to get him the puck). Daniel only received one assist but as one would expect, just about every time Henrik set up a play, Daniel was right there too.

If the Twins can continue to improve, it gives the Canucks much needed offensive depth.

But yet another (this list is getting rather long) encouraging sign last night was the offense from the back end. One of the many reasons the Canucks won the President's Trophy as the league's top team in the regular season was the firepower that came from their blueline. Christian Ehrhoff and Alexander Edler both found the back of the net tonight and, in Edler's case in particular, they needed that.

Edler has looked somewhat out of sorts since returning from a back injury. There is some speculation that he was running on adrenaline when he was an absolute wrecking ball in Games 1-3 against Chicago before finally coming back down and struggling a bit to keep pace. That would seem to be an excellent point. Hopefully his goal last night will serve as a confidence booster and help him to get back on track.

The other storyline from last night's game was some of the animosity that began to come to the fore, no case moreso than at the end of the 1st period. Jerrod Smithson delivered a solid gloved punch to the face of Alexandre Burrows while a referee watched, and Jordin Tootoo took a good shot at Dan Hamhuis while a referee stood directly between them. This was after Tootoo had shaken a glove of and taken a swipe at the lid of Daniel Sedin--yes, Daniel Sedin, that isn't a typo.

On the one hand, it can be seen as discouraging (or a validation of my own thoughts from yesterday) that no calls were made on the play. But going back to my typical "glass half full" ideology, it would seem the Canucks are getting the Predators rattled and off their game. Ryan Kesler commented earlier in the season that the Predators were like robots, and they'd been brainwashed into a certain style. That style is calm, composed and resilient. Last night, they certainly seemed to lose the first two of those three components.

But positivity aside, the Vancouver Canucks have a chance to move onto the Western Conference Final for the first time in 17 years on Friday. The hope will certainly be that the Canucks learned a harsh lesson in Round 1 against Chicago about letting your opponent get up off the mat when you have him vulnerable. Have the Canucks developed a killer instinct in light of that push back from Chicago?

We'll find out on Saturday.

I Fought The Law

The Vancouver Canucks have gone through several uniform changes during their 40 year history in the NHL. Starting with the original Rink 'n Stick design before moving to the Flying V (affectionately dubbed the "Halloween Costumes" by some), followed by the Skate (also known as the "Spaghetti Plate"), followed by the Orca which was eventually fine tuned into the current design with the "Vancouver" wordmark.

The Canucks may wish to go for another uniform change for tonight's pivotal Game 4 matchup, and that would be to wear uniforms that involved wings and halos.

Yes, we're talking about officiating...again.

I consider myself a homer in one sense towards the Canucks, but I also like to think I can be objective when it comes to observing a hockey play. Being objective, I think the Canucks caught a break when Shea Weber was called for hooking in overtime of Game 3, a penalty that lead to Ryan Kesler's game winning goal. (the fact that I think that could be somewhat of an evening out for all the short ends of sticks the Canucks have received to this point in the playoffs notwithstanding).

But consider the fallout from that game. Not just the fact that Kesler apparently "chicken winged" Weber's stick (for the unitiated--Weber got his stick into Kesler's midsection, and Kesler pinched the stick between his arm and his body to draw the penalty), but the Nashville Predators were incensed by a penalty called on Jarred Smithson for getting his stick up in the face of Roberto Luongo.

Depending on the replay you look at, it appears either Smithson clipped Luongo in the mask or he didn't at all. You can take a good guess which theory the Predators ascribe to. Head coach Barry Trotz engaged the media yesterday and accused the Canucks of embellishment to get penalty calls.

Take it one step further back to the previous evening, and Nashville forward David Legwand insinuated that referee Tim Peel must have had a hot date, because he had certainly wanted the game to be over quickly.

Now, Trotz's comments were focussed on the Canucks and were completely respectful of the officials. In fact, Trotz called the officials the victims as he said the Canucks were putting them in a difficult situation and making them look bad. Interesting gamesmanship from the Nashville coach.

But the direct singling out and attacking of an official by Legwand is something that the NHL (at least typically) frowns heavily upon. Look no further than Vancouver GM Mike Gillis' actions before Game 7 in the first round. He stated statistics and that Vancouver wanted a level playing field. He did not single any referees out, nor did he take a juvenile shot at one in the nature that Legwand did. The result? Mike Gillis was fined, and apparently heavily.

The result for Legwand? Apparently, nothing.

TSN analyst Darren Dreger stated that the NHL does not like to see playoff games decided by power plays, especially not in overtime. They also allow a little bit of leeway to players speaking in the heat of the moment, which they are clearly stating that Legwand did.

But let us back up a little further to another game the Vancouver Canucks and the Nashville Predators played, a game that Canuck fans now call "Auger-gate". This was the game where Alexandre Burrows angrily and emotionally stated in his post-game discussions with the media that official Stephane Auger had approached him in warmup and told Burrows that he had made him (Auger) look bad in a previous game with a dive, and he was "going to get him".

The result then? For a heat of the moment comment after a game? Burrows was fined.

So this brings me back to my original point. In yesterday's blog, I highlighted how in 90% of the playoff games the Canucks have played to this point, they have received less power plays than the opposition. In light of yesterday's game where the Canucks finally seemed to receive a few breaks, one would hope that would change.

But then Legwand made his comments, and they are being allowed to go unpunished. Perhaps a silent acknowledgement by the league that they feel there were some soft calls against the Predators.

And then further, Barry Trotz accuses the Canucks of embellishment. Whether they are or aren't, you can bet that the officials calling Game 4 will have that comment in the back of their minds when they make a call.

So the Canucks will want to play this game as innocently and cleanly as they can. Because if 9 out of the 10 playoff games they have played to date are any indication, they are about to be fighting the law again.

Foreplay/Long Time

In a game that mirrored the Game 2 loss in so many aways, it was about time the Vancouver Canucks caught a break where the officiating was concerned.

Yes, the Nashville Predators, their fans, the talking heads from around the league and every anti-Canuck with a soap box to stand on are villifying the Canucks and the referees for what was perceived to be a soft call in overtime against Nashville defender Shea Weber that ultimately lead to the Canucks winning the game 3-2.

So let's address this first. This was the first time in 10 playoff games that the Canucks received less penalties than the opposition. Let's take a moment to let that sink in: 90% of the games have seen the opposing team get more time on the power play. To take it a step further, let's look at Game 2, specifically in overtime, where there were several questionable non-calls on Predator infractions against the Vancouver Canucks. No penalties were called, and eventually the Predators did win the game.

In last night's overtime session, Kevin Bieksa was dumped on a borderline hit just moments before Weber was called for his penalty. The announcers for CBC guessed (correctly, in my mind) that this was a makeup call. I would be inclined to agree. I thought Weber and Kesler were having a good puck battle, and both were slightly guilty of an infraction--Kesler for pinching Weber's stick so he couldn't retrieve it, and Weber for being less than polite in requesting his stick back (read - punching Kesler in the head repeatedly).

Any other time, in an overtime game, that usually gets let go. But the Predators were living on borrowed time as it was, having been lucky enough to avoid several infractions in overtime of Game 2, and a blatant one just moments before in Game 3.

Anyone who's been following along knows my position on the popularity of the Canucks outside of British Columbia and the far reaching members of Canuck Nation. Suffice to say, this subject has been a lightning rod since Kesler tipped home his second goal of the game last night. But for the moment, let's just bask in the satisfaction of someone other than a Canuck supporter jumping up and down and screaming over the officiating.

Now, onto the game.

Perhaps the most intriguing storyline headed into Game 3 was the lack of offense from Daniel and Henrik Sedin. Indeed, those who look at simply the stat sheet from last night will likely continue to be disappointed in their play, but that would be doing them a disservice. I thought the Twins(along with Alexandre Burrows) formed a teriffic unit all night long for the Canucks. They were in quick on the forecheck, they controlled the puck in the opposing zone and they created multiple scoring chances. They also initiated the play that resulted in both the 1st and the 3rd goal--Henrik gaining the zone in the second period before passing to Daniel who found Ehrhoff, who patiently waited until Predators' goalie Pekka Rinne had done his best impression of a pretzel before sliding the puck to Kesler for a tap-in. Bang. 1-1 tie. Only one Sedin gets credit for an assist.

It happened again in overtime. The Twins--along with Ryan Kesler, Christian Ehrhoff and Mikael Samuelsson--were playing a big game of catch along the boards with the puck. Henrik made a great pass over two sticks to Ehrhoff who relayed the puck to Samuelsson. Samuelsson then did what he has only done rarely in the playoffs--he simply and quickly unloaded the puck. It wasn't a hard shot nor a fearsome shot, but it was on net. Kesler did the rest by tipping it home. Again, the Twins were in on the play, but neither gets an assist.

So while their own personal stat sheet may not look much better after last night, Canuck faithful can take solace that they were vital components of two of their three goals, including the overtime winner.

Another storyline to follow is that of goaltender Roberto Luongo. Again (and I hate tooting my own horn) I said before the series began that this would be a series of redemption for two goaltenders who struggled in the 1st round. And again, that continued in Game 3. Luongo made some absolutely splendid saves and was the receipient of another unlucky bounce as Joel Ward's wraparound ping-ponged its way through a sea of skates and into the net. Luongo has only allowed four goals through three games in this series to date and is certainly looking like the Vezina calibre goaltender we all know. The series isn't over, but Luongo is off to a very good start.

But now onto the big story. I am not "just" talking about Ryan Kesler, but his entire line, which I felt was the best in the game: Kesler, Chris Higgins and Mason Raymond.

From the drop of the puck these three were everywhere. They were buzzing, creating chances, hustling, hitting, forechecking, backchecking...they did it all. Pick a coach's cliche remark about a hardworking player, and all three of these players exemplified it last night.

But the real story will be Kesler, who--finally--picked up his first two goals of the post-season. Although his finest play may have been the mid-air drop pass to Chris Higgins for the Canucks' second goal, what will really be remembered was his tip-in of Samuelsson's point shot to win the game. At least, it will be remembered until the puck drops for Game 4.

Game 4s are interesting, and I hold the theory that they are the most important game of most series'. You either have a team eliminating another by sweeping 4-0, a team putting another in the corner by going up 3-1, or you have a whole new ballgame with the series knotted 2-2. In this series, it will be one of the latter two possibilities. That game will go on Thursday, and should be the most intense yet.

But for the moment, it's been such a long time for Kesler. He hadn't beat a goaltender to score a playoff goal since 2009 (his only playoff goal last year was into an empty net).

Hopefully the floodgates are about to open for him.

Cat Scratch Fever

After a two-day break that felt almost an off-season long, the Vancouver Canucks and the Nashville Predators will resume their Western Conference Semi-Final battle tonight in Nashville, TN (or as the locals more affectionately call it--"Smashville").

Yes, the second round of the playoffs has finally come to the Predator faithful, and the barn will be a rocking. For the Canucks, it's on the road again after two tight checking but low scoring efforts in Rogers Arena.

Canuck coach Alain Vigneault was not pleased with his team's effort through regulation in Game 2's double overtime loss, a game in which the Canucks were outshot 36-15 before overtime began.  As such, there will be a few changes to the Canuck lineup tonight for Game 3. Based on the lineups from the Canuck practice yesterday, hard-hitting Victor Oreskovich is expected to take a seat to allow top draft pick Cody Hodgson to play for the first time since the 1st round. Hodgson is expected to skate on the fourth line for Vancouver with Tanner Glass and newly demoted Mikael Samuelsson, who has not put a puck in the net since Game 3 of the first round.

Taking Samuelsson's place on the top line will be the red hot Alexandre Burrows, who has 6 points in his last 4 games. Burrows was the Sedin Twins' wingman all season long before being reunited with bash brother Ryan Kesler in Game 6 against Chicago to great results. The hope now is that he can rejuvenate the suddenly cold Daniel and Henrik Sedin, whose twin Art Ross Trophies seem to be like anchors for them at the moment.

On the blueline, there could be a change. Alain Vigneault was mum on the contribution of defensemen Keith Ballard, who had a deplorable outting in the game 2 loss. Veteran defender Sami Salo is with the Canucks in Nashville and did participate in the full practice yesterday, albeit not on a regular defense pairing. There's a slim possibility he could suit up tonight, but Game 4 seems more likely. Barring that, physical defender Andrew Alberts could slide in to take Ballard's spot.

The Canucks are certainly making some adjustments in advance of the game. While they can certainly be pleased with the superb goaltending Roberto Luongo has provided along with the strong team defensive play that has been a match for Nashville's own, the Canucks were the best team in the league this year for primarily one reason: their offense. And for a team that has scored four times in its last three games, they need to re-discover that touch.

Smashville will be hostile territory tonight, but the Canucks are hoping to finally punch through Pekka Rinne.

Slow Ride

Before the Western Conference Semi-Final between the Vancouver Canucks and the Nashville Predators began, I theorized that this series would be a shot at redemption for both Roberto Luongo and Pekka Rinne who faced their share of struggles in the first round.

Through two games, the two twine-minders have certainly lived up to that billing. After two games, Luongo sports a 0.78 G.A.A and a .970 SVP. Rinne is almost identical at 0.78 G.A.A. and a .968 SVP. The two goaltenders have been putting on a clinic, with Rinne making perhaps one of the best saves of the playoffs thus far on Canuck defender Kevin Bieksa's attempt to convert a cross-ice pass in the middle of overtime in Game 2.

In the prolonged, slow wait until Game 3 on Tuesday evening in Nashville, some are bound to be wondering exactly what the Canucks' star offensive players need to do in order to put pucks past Rinne. Daniel Sedin, the 2010/2011 Art Ross Trophy winner, has 12 shots on goal through the first two games, the most of any Canuck. But he has failed to score since Game 6 against Chicago in the 1st round.

Ryan Kesler has enough scoring opportunities on Saturday night to win the game all by himself. And Henrik Sedin has a meager 5 assists through 8 playoff games. Go further, and three of the Canucks' last four games have gone to overtime, and all four of their most recent games have been decided by 1 goal. Stunning numbers for a team that lead the league in scoring in the regular season.

So what gives?

If I could put on my optimist hat once again, I would say that the chances are coming and the Canucks will eventually start converting on some of those. This is not a slight against Rinne at all; he has been nothing short of spectacular and quite easily the Predators' best player through Games 1 and 2; they do not head home to Nashville with a split if he doesn't play the way he has played.

But the Canucks have had a plethora of chances in close on Rinne and have simply been unable to do the little things that they need to do to score. Lifting the puck over a prone pad or over a goaltender lying on the ice, shooting to the short side of the net that is open as opposed to trying to safely deposit it in the middle of the net where Rinne can more easily get to it...the list goes on.

The fact is, the Canucks are squeezing their sticks to a certain extent. They have scored four goals in their last three games, and none of those have come from their top two offensive players. They want to score and they know the pressure is on them to score. My own feeling is that they will, and soon. After Game 2 of the opening round against Chicago, where Daniel Sedin had erupted for 2 goals and 1 assist in a 4-3 victory over the Blackhawks, the NHL released one of their "History Will be Made" commercials. The tagline was "History can't be kept quiet for long".

And I agree.