Canucks Win, Beat Blues, Lead Series 1-0
Towel Power was alive in GM Place in Vancouver tonight, as the streaking St Louis Blues came to town to play game one of the playoffs against the also red hot Vancouver Canucks. Each seat in the arena had a white towel draped over it, and the atmosphere was electric after Vancouver failed to make the postseason last year.
In the first period, the Canucks played a solid hard hitting game. They exchanged penalties with the Blues, and they both couldn’t score on their power plays. On a delayed call, Pavol Demitra passed from the side boards to Daniel Sedin who was open in the slot, and he didn’t miss on this opportunity, deflecting the slap-pass into the net to make it 1-0 Vancouver Canucks. Later in the period, the Canucks got into penalty trouble, ending up two men short for just under two minutes, but the canucks killed it off with some great antics by Ryan Kesler. The Canucks ended up finishing the first period ahead 1-0. Johnson and Hordichuk were both assessed 10 minute Misconducts at the end of the period. Johnson got the extra 2 mminutes.
Canucks start the second period on the penalty kill. And kill it, they did. A few minutes later and the Nucks are back on the power play. 5 minutes into the second, Henrik and Daniel combine together deep in the St Louis zone, pass it back to salo at the point, and he slaps it towards the Blues net. it sails through the air and is deflected in by Steve Bernier. 2-0 Vancouver. The canucks had another powerplay but they couldn’t capitalize on it. Henrik Sedin took a penalty for hooking with a couple minutes left in the second. The Blue capitalized on their chance, and put one in past Luongo. The period ends with the score 2-1 Vancouver. You knew with this much drama in the second period, that the third would be exciting.
The Canucks came out a little flat to start the third, but they picked it up soon enough. Both teams picked up their game and started hitting back and forth. There was a bit of an after the whistle foray behind the St Louis net, and coincidental minors were called. During the four on four play, Mason Raymond had a chance to bury on while streakin in on the right side, he beat Mason but couldn’t beat the post, and it rattled of and into the corner. Alot of hitting back and forth by both teams throughout the period. By the halfway mark of the second period the Canucks were outshooting the Blues 11-2 in the 3rd. Mats Sundin missed the net on a shot halfway through the third on a play deep in the slot. I don’t know how many times Sundin has missed the net this game, he seemed to to be struggling out there. Pavol Demitra had a better game on this line, but it was Ryan Kesler who carried them as usual. With just under four minutes left in the third period, Henrik almost made it 3-1 after a nifty pass from Burrows from behind the net, but his shot sailed just wide of the net. A huge flurry ended the third as the Blues pulled their goalie, but they couldn’t get the equalizer!
CANUCKS WIN! They lead the series 1-0. The Vancouver Cannucks play the St louis Blues Friday April 17th at 7pm in Vancouver, it will be the 2nd home game in this series, and live on CBC, and live streaming online on internet radio at Team1040.ca
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Tags: Alex Burrows, Daniel Sedin, Darcy Hordichuk, Henrik Sedin, Mason Raymond, Mats Sundin, Pavol Demitra, Roberto Luongo, Ryan Johnson, Ryan Kesler, Steve Bernier
