Near Perfection Required – Canucks need to repeat

[mattola]

The Canucks did the unthinkable. They skated into the United Center and beat the Hawks with a near perfect game… Well maybe not near perfect but they played a solid Team Game. Now the question begs…

Can they do it again? Vancouver needs to be even better on home ice where they have only won 2 games and have not extended a best of 7 series to the last game when down 3-2 in their History of second rounds. The Hawks will be pissed off. They will be hungry to end this and not put it into a game 7 situation where anything can happen. This will be a game for the ages for the Canucks they will need to continue to do the little things in order to control the game and get the bounces.

It will be harder should Sami Salo not be able to nut up…. terrible pun, terrible injury. The Severity of his injury is unknown but being taken to the hospital surely bolds well for Chicago as Aaron Rome will slot back in the lineup as reported he was healthy as of yesterdays game.

Roberto Luongo was finally able to fight through the traffic and bodies and make the saves when needed. The Canucks were finally able to fight through the non calls and soft calls to get the game they wanted to play. This combination is good for the Canucks but again they will just need to be plain better.

The Question Also Begs: Was Bieksa on the verge of greatness last game or pure disaster. The plays he made in the neutral zone repeatley got lucky bounces that if the hawks got the puck it surely would have seen several breakaways or odd man rushes. Does Bieksa need to play like that in order to be able to produce? Getting 3 goals in one game from your Defensemen will win you LOTS of hockey games at this time of year. A Perfect PK (4 for 4) sure helps alot too.

Hey Daniel/Henrik – Stay out of the box… Never thought I would be saying that.

GO CANUCKS GO

 

[li0lsh]

If the Canucks win at GM place tomorrow, the pressure is all on Chicago.

 

[dash]

Hawks definitely thought it was going to be a cakewalk last night. Kane had a horrible game last night and who knows if we'll see Hossa again (I mean, he already has had his one good game this series, and that's his playoff modus operandi).

 

[jstewismybastardson]

I dont think Vancouver will lose 3 games at home in 1 series


unfortunately, I also dont think Chicago will lose 3 games at home

 

[mattola]

I would love just to see the canucks get a chance in a game 7. you never know but they just have to worry about game 6 and each shift. If we can just play that game again the CAnucks have a good shot. Im not going to get my hopes up but the CAnucks really have a chance here to make some amends for this series and last seasons loss. 3-2 down is very familiar obviously.. but now we are on home ice where we dont have to listen to that fraking song lol. so hopefully the Fans (I will be there) will sustain their energy through the entire game to help push them. But this game comes down to how much the Canucks want this..... They better want it a whole lot

 

[puckhead]

biggest difference if the Canucks (Luongo especially) wanted those little rebounds more than the hawks did.

also, Willie had some inspirational words for the boys
Canucks benefit from magic mix of no helmets, advice from Willy and disciplined play
so the good news is, he's allowed out of his darkened pillow-covered room

 

[jstewismybastardson]

Eliott Friedman has some good content on the canucks this morning

Question No. 1: What do people around the NHL think of the Canucks?

Answer: A really good, potentially great, team. Definitely have the ability to win the Western Conference, if not the Stanley Cup.

Question No. 2: What else do they think?

Answer: An easily distracted group that beats itself through paranoia and a thin skin. A team pre-occupied with "conspiracies" against them and a perceived lack of respect.

That's why last night's Game 5 victory in Chicago was monumental. That is what the Canucks can be. That is their potential.

When Dustin Byfuglien high-sticked Shane O'Brien, and got nothing, they didn't whine or fall apart. Same when Andrew Ladd ripped open the defenceman's stitches. Same when David Bolland wounded Daniel Sedin with a slash to the ankles. And again when Ben Eager whacked Christian Ehrhoff late in the game.

Forget conspiracies, play the game

They weren't baited into stupid penalties. They didn't lose their cool at verbal taunts or teammates being compared to "Dumb and Dumber" characters. For two years, all of this has worked for Chicago against Vancouver. Roberto Luongo looked lost. Others behaved embarrassingly. Even the Sedins lost their cool.

Not last night.

Despite losing key defenceman Sami Salo, the Canucks kept calm and rolled to an impressive victory.

Last summer, several other GMs wished they had an owner who would make an $8 million commitment (including Brad Lukowich) to get Ehrhoff's offensive talent. They were really impressed with what the organization did with its dressing room and its investigation into sleep patterns. But many of those same people wonder why Vancouver suffers from such an incredible persecution complex.

Down 2-1 to Los Angeles amidst (sarcasm here) another anti-Canuck conspiracy, they played with incredible grace and composure in winning three in a row to eliminate the Kings. For whatever reason, they forgot all of that in their three-game meltdown during this series. The Blackhawks (and the rest of the NHL) laughed away as Vancouver fell to within one loss of elimination.

Game 5 was a window into what the Canucks can be. Even more importantly, what they should be.

30 THOUGHTS

1. There were some complaints on Twitter about HNIC showing Sami Salo being loaded into an ambulance via stretcher last night. Here's why I felt it was a good idea: It showed that Salo was OK. Anytime you mention the word "stretcher," it sounds really bad. By showing the defenceman sitting up, the picture told what Scott Oake could not. Despite the awful pain from a ruptured testicle, a friend or family member could see Salo was OK. In my experience, they really appreciate that.

2. Alain Vigneault took a lot of heat for referring to Luongo as the second-best goalie on the ice following Game 4, but another coach had an interesting perspective: "You have to assume Vigneault knows his players better than anyone else. Maybe he knows that's what's necessary."

3. One ex-teammate, who has enormous respect for Roberto Luongo's practice habits, talent and leadership, says, "He practices so hard at getting to the right spot to make a save. He's like a golfer; he'll do it over and over and over again to make sure he's got it right. So, when someone prevents him from getting to where he wants to go, it really plays with his head." We've sure seen that against Chicago. Maybe there's a way to simulate those conditions.

4. Meanwhile, someone else noticed a different concern: "He doesn't push towards rebounds. He lunges." Haven't noticed that as much, but will look for it now.