Sean Monahan

Canucks played a pretty good Game 1 and lost it in the last minute due to very good screens by Bieksa and Sbisa, now known as SBieksa. Unfortunately for them, the screen was on Eddie Lack. Fast forward to Game 2 vs the Calgary Flames and the atmosphere at Rogers Arena was electric! It doesn’t hurt you have this guy leading #TowelPower

Kirk McLean, remembered for “The Save” in 1994 vs the Calgary Flames.

Just like the previous game, the Canucks had jump, this time, they added their execution. They win 4-1 with Daniel scoring first; Higgins breaks the net cam with his PPG and the Latvian Locomotive Ronnie Kenins scores his first ever NHL Playoff goal. Vrbata seals the deal with an empty netter late in the third.

Eddie Lack is probably the most social media interactive player in the NHL, but definitely on the Canucks. We’ve gotten to know his mom, Mia Lack and his dad, Willie. Either through the tweets of Mia Lack (@mammamialack) or Hockey Night in Canada panning over to Eddie’s dad, Will as often as they panned over to Ryan Miller’s mom earlier in the season. I guess the Canucks goalies have very likable parents. I’m starting to think the Lacks are the Swedish hockey celebrity family the NHL has been waiting for.

So there were a lot of things that happened in last night’s game. But the biggest thing everyone is talking about this morning is…

Matt Stajan throws down the gloves with Richardson and then all of sudden an MMA fighter was born. If B-Rad ever wanted to get a new career going, I’m sure Dana White is looking for a novelty fight on his card.
Best twitter reaction to the melee:
Best Teammate: Ryan Miller for chirping back at Michael Ferland as he is escorted to the Flames bench. Miller the often quiet guy wins points with the Canucks fan base with this:

Ryan Miller may have been sitting on the bench but he was into it.
Best Contradition: Dan Hamhuis has now become Public Enemy #1 for the Calgary Flames and their fans. Yes, you read right, Dan Hamhuis. He’s probably even more mild-mannered than the Sedins, combined! But I guess owning Johnny Hockey all night long does that for you. Not to mention, manhandling both Gaudreau and Monahan simultaneously with one arm each.

Numbers Game

7 home game losses streak in the playoffs since 2011 has been broken with this win. The Canucks could have set the new record with 8 in a row had they given up this one to the Flames.

42 minutes is what was charged to Derek Engelland of the Flames in penalty minutes.
9 hits from Edler (4) and Dorsett (5) combined. The Flames were out-muscled all over the ice tonight, mostly from these two.
.957 Eddie Lack’s save percentage for this game. More often than not, that’s going to be a notch in the win column.
24 goals has Daniel Sedin tying Cliff Ronning as third on the all-time club list for playoff goals.
15, the number of wins left to get to Lord Stanley. The first one means everything.

The Aftermath

Kevin Bieksa was being interviewed about the happenings in the third and his best response to it all…“…I’m not sure what happened with the penalties but hopefully we’ll see Mason Raymond next game.” Bieksa is one of those players I love and hate all at once and I am not the only one:

Ms. Lindsay, you hit the nail right on the head!
The Canucks didn’t back down from the Flames when challenged. It was not always so. The push-back has been shown a few times this year, and that’s one character asset this team has over past teams. Everyone truly seems to want to play and stand-up for one another, and what a perfect time for it.
If there are suspensions given out, I see Engelland and Hamhuis being the guys gone for a game, but that’s up the NHL and no word yet.
@TheStanchion‘s tweet might push to get Russell in the suspension mix too. Side by side views of the Byfuglien cross-check with Russell’s from last night:

What a game! I was having such an intense and not so good day at work and we didn’t buy playoff tickets this year (yeah, I know, I know) but did this game ever make me forget. Off to Calgary now in what I know will be a very boisterous Saddledome. The Flames fans haven’t seen playoff hockey in 5 seasons. It should make for a great atmosphere! Glad to know there will be a good number of Canucks fan transplants in Calgary so wave those towels proud and Go Canucks go!

@Aviewfromabroad

Funny Post-script: A guy name Ronalds Kenins scored an NHL playoff goal before guys named Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Couldn’t resist, Oilers miss their 9th straight post-season and some 24 year old rookie from Latvia sniped a beautiful pass from another rookie, Bo Horvat.

PPS: Luca Sbisa, for as much as the Canucks fans and media alike get on him, makes a great heads-up play to keep the puck in the attacking zone and passes it deep to Horvat.

Playoffs build rivalries, and the one rivalry that has always been one of my favourites were the Vancouver Canucks vs. the Calgary Flames. Right now, things are heating up between Flames and Canucks fans and some of it isn’t pretty. The Canucks missed the playoffs last year, and many called it an off year, but at the beginning of the season, many sports experts in the media didn’t see the Canucks coming back to the dance. In fact, although they are the higher seed in this match-up, there are many calling them the underdogs. Call the Canucks what you want, but I think I will be calling them winners at end of round one.

Sure they have the explosive speed of John Gaudreau and youthful enthusiasm of Sean Monahan with is crazy bad anime superstar hair.

Sean “Yu-Gi-Oh” Monahan.

I understand the Flames were beating teams they weren’t supposed to be beating, but so did the Canucks. Yet, no one ever gives these guys any credit. What happened to their victories more than moral over the LA Kings? The battle they have given the Ducks and all except for one game, owning the San Jose Sharks? The big three of the Pacific Division, or so it was deemed at the beginning of the season. It’s safe to even say, the Canucks were the ones that put the dagger in the hopes of playoffs for both the Sharks and Kings. Games both teams needed to win going through Rogers Arena, but didn’t.

When the Kings met the Flames in their game of eventual playoff demise, the Vancouver Canucks already were half way done ripping out their hearts in their last regular season meeting a few days prior. So much so, the Kings barely squeaked by Edmonton. Before anyone gives the Flames all the edge of winning this series, don’t forget who put the first nail in the coffin, all the Flames had to do was close it.

It will be a hard series, most 1st round series usually are, but I am still picking the Canucks to win in 6. Here’s why:

Experience: Obviously the older team might be slower of foot, but experience does count for something. Canucks have been in the playoffs 6 of the last 7 years. Last year’s miss was the definition of a team in turmoil. The turmoil has been cleared and the team has been re-set. Bieksa, Edler, Daniel, Henrik, Hamhuis Hansen, Burrows and Higgins are all from the 2011 Cup run. Richardson has a Stanley Cup and played an integral part of the 1st LA Kings win. Dorsett was in the Cup final last year with the NY Rangers. Although, I don’t believe Miller will be starting the playoffs, he also holds about 50 games or so of playoff experience including the Gold Medal game in the 2010 Olympics.
Goaltending: As good as a Ramo and Hiller have been for the Flames, Lack and Miller are quite the duo as well. With Eddie Lack really getting his game down since February and carrying the burden of the starter since Miller’s injury, it seems that Lack has been playing playoff hockey the whole month of March has been not only the media and fan darling, but many other experts have credited Lack as an integral reason the Canucks are winning.

Eddie Lack welcoming back Ryan Miller after injury and congratulating him on a win in OT over the Oilers.
Four Lines: As I stated in the “O Canada…” blog, the Canucks have been rolling four lines all year, and have been successful passing around the offense. That could play a big part and which is why Ken Hitchcock does not like his Blues matching with the Canucks. There are truly four lines that can play.

However, here’s what could spell disaster for the Canucks if they don’t find ways to avoid them:

Giving up 1st Goal: The Canucks have been notorious this year giving up the first goal of the hockey game. Although as their record indicates their comebacks from their deficits, it’s not a habit you want to keep in the post-season.
Face-offs: Time to start winning these like they know how. Henrik has been notoriously bad with this season. Winning face-offs helps dictate the game and the Canucks will be finding themselves countering more often than dictating if they don’t get this part of their game down.
Odd Man Rush: Canucks cannot afford to give up odd-man rushes to a team like the Flames. A team with scorers. Eddie and Miller may be good, but they can’t beat them all.

I’ve put on my “hate hat” for the Calgary Flames. Yes, I have to hate the Flames, they are now the enemy. By that I mean, I can still appreciate what they bring to the table, but I am still sticking to my guns (and my bias) in choosing the Canucks in 6. I think they believe in themselves, so I have belief in them too.

Drop the puck, I’m ready to wave my playoff towel!

GO CANUCKS GO!

@Aviewfromabroad

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