The Missing Powerplay

Stanley Cup Playoffs
Semi Finals
Game # 3
Series 2-1 Ducks

Canucks 2
Ducks 3

The Canucks had every oppurtunity to win this one. If only they could make the most of their powerplays. We did manage to score one goal on the Powerplay, so there is still Hope. Naslund potted a garbage goal to tie the game at one. The Canucks never led this game, always trailed, but i give them kudos for coming back to tie it up every period. If they had had a few extra seconds in the game, they might have tied it up again.

Perry Powers Ducks past the Canucks this night though. Luongo made some good saves tonight, but he dropped the ball on the first goal. Which is okay - Naslund scored on the powerplay to even it at 1. The Second anaheim goal was scored on a Markus Naslund Penalty - gee thanks Naslund. If you could only score as often as you take penalities, we would be in good shape. Daniel Sedin bailed us out - yes a Sedin scoring in the series. But on a delay of game penalty on Burrows for clearing the puck over the glass, Perry wasted no time in making the Canucks pay. I hate that penalty call. The Canucks never gave up, but they just couldn't beat Giguere.

Better luck next game ! Hopefully !!!!

Funny story, bout game 7

Secret tabled at Turco dinner

Greg Douglas, Vancouver Sun

Published: Saturday, April 28, 2007

SCENE & HEARD: It will be awhile before Dallas Stars goaltender Marty Turco has dinner again at Umberto Menghi's signature eatery, Il Giardino on Hornby Street. Not that Turco has anything against the food or service at the charming Tuscan-style villa. He loves the place. But as Turco's superstitions go, forget it.

Turco picked up the tab for eight of his teammates last Sunday on the eve of Game 7 in the Canucks-Dallas playoff series. Funny thing is, Il Giardino isn't open Sundays. But Turco insisted. He had wined and dined the same eight teammates earlier in the week and when the Stars won Game 5 the next night at GM Place, Turco wasn't taking no for an answer prior to Game 7. The Dallas players would sit in the same seats, order the same meal and drink the same wine.

After several desperate calls from Turco, the chef and two senior staff members agreed to open the restaurant for his private sitting. All in, it would cost Turco close to $10,000 to have the lights turned on, the grills fired up and the tab delivered for the nine hearty diners.

Dallas, of course, lost 4-1 the next night and Turco to this day is unaware that there was a Canucks souvenir collectible coin -- Roberto Luongo edition -- securely taped to the bottom of his chair. Turco should have known. As the team's rallying cry goes: "We are all Canucks".

© The Vancouver Sun 2007

A Positive Spin

IN THE PRESS By Josh Plummer APR.27.07 The best thing about the Canucks defeating the Ducks on a Friday night is there won't be an overload of negative press to have to suffer through on Saturday morning. The Vancouver Sun will have their weekend edition, but at least the beat reporters won't be able to focus on trying to destroy the spirit of Canuck Nation like they did after the Canucks dropped game one on Wednesday night. Most scribes from The Vancouver Sun and The Province, and almost every other talking head on television broadcasts from across the country said you could stick a fork in the Canucks - they were done like dinner against a supposedly quicker, bigger and more talented Ducks squad. Thanks to the mainstream media, the pulse of this city during the last two days has been nothing short of listless and lethargic. Thank goodness the Canucks were on the road in Anaheim and didn't have to read what the rest of us were exposed to. That's assuming the Canucks players read the hometown papers at all. I know if I was a player, the only use I'd have for the local papers is for housebreaking my piddly puppy. Our guys really got fired up by everything that was being said about the big, bad Ducks and how they were going to stomp all over us, said head coach Alain Vigneault after Friday night's 2-1 OT victory. Nobody gave us a chance because we have a depleted line-up. Being a newspaper beat reporter covering a local sports team must be a difficult gig because maintaining a fresh positive spin doesn't sell copies nearly as well as dragging the Canucks through the dirt does. Can you imagine if the Sun or Province wrote about how the Canucks were blown out in game one, but still managed to generate more scoring chances against the Ducks in one game than they did in one week versus the stingy Dallas Stars? Or how the Canucks were still riding the emotional wave of their game seven victory over Dallas less than 48 hours earlier but have no fear, the hometown boys will regain their focus and get back to playing Canucks hockey in game two? It would never happen. At least the Canuck players and coaches realized what the media didn't. After the first game, we said to ourselves there's opportunity there, we just have to find them and make plays, said Trevor Linden, who assisted on the OT game winner. �It was nice to get it done tonight. We came out of game seven and we didn't seem to have the edge to carry us through. Their speed kind of overwhelmed us a little bit and we were much better at that tonight - we handled it better. We understood just what it's going to take. I'm not sure why, but it's much easier to be a defeatist and write the Canucks off than it is to instill optimism in a hockey crazed city. I know it's not the job of beat reporters to lift the spirits of Canucks fans, but I'm pretty sure their job isn't to crush spirits either. We knew that we could play better, said Vigneault of the game one loss. There was a lot of talk that we were overmatched and they were a much better team than we were. It seemed that after that first game the series was already over with. Based on the negative reporting in this series, it's no wonder some players say they don't bother reading the papers. It's tough enough trying to win a seven game series on the ice.

Cowan My Cowan

Stanley Cup Playoffs
Semi Finals
Game 2

Series tied 1-1

Canucks 2
Ducks 1
Overtime

Canucks sink Ducks to even series Roberto Luongo with 49 saves tonight. Helped out on a few of those shots by two posts. Overall, I felt that the Canucks played great throughout the game. Probably their best game of the playoffs so far.


Naslund opened the scoring, on a solo effort, that was vintage Naslund. 1-0 Canucks. Anaheim got helped out by a few powerplays, and just as one had expired they scored. Luongo made a great glove save, but couldn't control the rebound, and Moen shovelled it in. TIE GAME.


Thats how it stood going into the third, and that's how it stood going into Overtime. And thats how it stood going into the second overtime. Who would be the hero?? Yankee Mike called it, just a few minutes before the goal was scored. Cowan got the puck from Linden, and somehow, someway managed to squeeze it in past Giguere. Canucks win 2-1.

DOUBLE OVERTIME Strikes again. Go Canucks Go !!!!



Taylor Pyatt was a monster out there winning puck battles against the boards, throwing his weight around. Jan Bulis - wow - slipping checks, maintaining control of the puck. Where was this bulis through out the regular season. YOu know what? I dont even care. Just Enjoying this Bulis for as long as possible. I thought Brendan Morrison was on fire out there, for a few shifts, his line really controlled the play, and had some good chances! What can I say about Roberto Luongo that hasn't already been said? Lukas Krajicek, and Brent Sopel, with the increased icetime, played really well. Krajicek really impressed me tonight. Naslund, scored a goal, but took at least 3 or 4 penalities. He has to work on that, but he's scoring, and thats what we pay him the big bucks for. Alex Burrows, was at his pesty best - keep up the good work Burrows !!

Willie Mitchell left the game in the first period and didn't return for a few shifts. After the game Alain Vigneault was asked what the problem was and his reply ? - " Flu - like Skate syndrome" I take that as a problem with his skate ........ We can't afford to lose Mitchell as well. He used his long stick again to get the puck off the goal line. Both Salo, and Bieksa still out. Hopefully we get them back for Game 3 on Sunday.

Next Game : Sunday April 29, 2007 5:00 PM