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.
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