What a game! And for anyone watching it, maybe you were thinking the same thing I was for a minute there. With about 1 minute to go in regulation time of game 5 I thought to myself. “The Canucks love to do things the hard way. Here we have a chance to close out the Sharks and send them packing, but they’re going to give them one more chance to get into it.” With about 30 second left on the clock I thought to myself, “You know, there’s still time. We could still tie it!” I’m glad they showed all the fans why they deserved the President’s Cup, and why they were one of the favourites to win the Cup from the beginning of the season. There was no quit tonight, and I feel as though this is one more step the direction of quieting all the naysayers out there.
The Canucks are for real! The Sedins have what it takes to make big impact plays in the play-offs! And of course, Luongo can make the big saves when it counts!
The Canucks game 5 win against the San Jose Sharks was a full team effort, but in my eyes there were a few players who stood out to me.
1 – Keith Ballard – After being a healthy scratch for most of the playoffs s o far due to being shown up by other D-Men, Ballard had been throw into games 4 and 5 a little down in the dumps. On numerous occasions tonight he made the big plays, and stood tall when he had to. He only had 22:49 mins of ice time, but was strong defensively with 4 solid hits.
2 – Chris Tanev – A young defenseman who has benefited from a depleted blue line, saw 20:42 mins of ice time and looked poised, confident, and had lots of jump.
3 – Kevin Bieksa – Another very strong outing for Kevin. With 3 blocked shots, a couple of hits, and of course a heads up play that had everyone in the building scratching their heads, that resulted in the winning goal at 10:18 of the second overtime. Bieksa has been a rock for the Canucks through the first three rounds of the playoffs, and is a huge reason why their heading into their first Stanley Cup finals in 17 years.
4 – Roberto Luongo – Roberto made some huge saves when it counted, in stopping 54 of the Shark’s 56 shots. They brought everything they had, and Luongo stood his ground, making huge saves when it counted. His most notable series of stops came on a Shark’s 5 on 3, when he stopped Thornton in close on more than 1 occasion, and Logan Couture on a couple of wrist shots labelled for the corners. And although he made a mistake that cost one goal, he didn’t let it get to him. He moved on, and stayed in control for the remainder of the game.
5 – The Sedins – I’m sure Henrik and Daniel are getting tired of their names being lumped together as ‘The Sedins’, but I think they have officially shaken off the title of ‘The Sisters’. The twins didn’t score in the game, but with a combined 7 shots, each were a +2 rating, and 3 assists between them, they were a huge threat on virtually every shift. They each had over 30 mins of ice time, and were dominant both offensively and defensively.
Although these players stood out to me right away, every Canuck player made an impact. I could mention Hamhuis, Kesler (again), Burrows, Salo…and the list goes on.
Ryan Kesler wins the award for the quote of the night…”It’s what we play for!” Well said!
The #1 team in the NHL proved why they deserve this title…there was no quitting. They knew in their mind that they had 3 chances to move onto the Finals, but when down 2-1 with 15 seconds left in the 3rd period, they showed that this was not how they wants to move on to the next round. Ryan Kesler tipped an Alex Edler point shop through the pads of Niemi, and threw Rogers Arena into a frenzy.
The Canucks won their first Western Conference title in 17 years, what a moment! Kudos to Henrik, when presented with the Clarence Campbell Trophy, and leaving it on the table at centre ice. Stan Smyl and Trevor Linden both hoisted the trophy, and we all know the outcome of the next series. This year is different.
Game, set, match! This is what we live for! We want the cup!
The only question is…who’s next??
-Kevin Luck-
-Photo courtesy of Getty Images
May 26, 2011 at 12:53 PM
Awesome article again Kevin! Except I’m pretty sure that the Kessler tip in came of the shot from Henrik who received the pass from Edler.
Minor details though since the CANUCKS ARE GOING TO THE STANLEY CUP FINALS!!!!!!!!!
June 6, 2011 at 11:25 AM
Kudos ,Indeed ,Kevin.
What is fun about following a team in a playoff run,is that you can remember every single
rememberable moment.Everybody has their own. I for one,think this team has so much depth,you never know,who is going to be the “star “of the game,although Burrows and Kessler have been magnificient,…..Luongo unstopable.
I remember as if it were yesterday,when My “Canadiens” won the cup,in 93,against Los Angeles. The winning goal came from Odelein,a “goon;like player,who was not supposed to score. You can imagine how popular ,he became that night.Yes,big baby face grin,had a huge smile.
I do not mean to talk about the HABS,my point is,is that you can have a player,who hasnt scored all year,come up in OT,and score an ugly goal,and WIN IT ALL for you!
It is that simple or complicated,depending on how you want to see it.My Point?Vancouver is winning because they are playing as a TEAM.They are hungry and are
obviously a “brotherhood” in the lockeroom. If I may,current Washington,will never win,because they are the complete contrary.They are all full of egotistical players,who cannot seem to join the “Brotherhood”in the Lockeroom. They play an individual style,that cannot possibly bring them a STANLEY cup,unless they start playing less
selfishly.Meanwhile,they are still trying to figure out why they lost….