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.