Canucks seize control of NHL West final, dump Sharks 7-3 power

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Canucks seize control of NHL West final, dump Sharks 7-3
Daniel Sedin scores twice, power play generates four goals as Vancouver takes 2-0 series lead

VANCOUVER — There's blood in the water as the NHL's Western Conference final shifts to The Shark Tank, and it doesn't belong to the Vancouver Canucks.


It's the San Jose Sharks who are wounded as the series moves to the Silicon Valley for Games 3 and 4.


The Canucks head south Thursday with a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series thanks to a convincing 7-3 victory Wednesday night at Rogers Arena.


The Canucks scored three power-play goals and added another one two seconds after a San Jose penalty expired as they took advantage of a Sharks team that lost its composure in the third period and now appears to be on the ropes.


San Jose coach Todd McLellan almost seemed to admit as much after the game.


"Without a doubt," McLellan said. "I am not going to sit here and try and protect them. We lost our composure and were frustrated … We have some work to do, we have some guys that need to ask themselves some questions, answer them, and pull the skates on a little tighter."


It was a close game for two periods. Defenceman Kevin Bieksa snapped a 2-2 tie when he scored on a breakaway at 12:05 of the second period after being sent into the clear by Chris Higgins.


"It was just a set play drawn up for a breakout," Bieksa said. "There was some open ice and I just took it."


McLellan called it the turning point of the game.


"We have a set forecheck, we have practised that since September and a player gets skating and all of a sudden it's in your net and now you are chasing," he said. "You can't chase this team. They are too good. You have to play with them or you have to play ahead of them. From there it started to unravel."


Game 3 of the series goes Friday night at the HP Pavilion (6 p.m., CBC, Team 1040), aka The Shark Tank. If the Sharks don't win that game, this series could be over more quickly than anyone imagined.


The Sharks have now lost six straight Western Conference final games. They were swept in last year's West final by the Chicago Blackhawks.

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Things began to get nasty late in the second period. Bieksa got the best of Patrick Marleau in a scrap at 17:30 of the second. Then with 28 seconds left in the period, Sharks winger Ben Eager responded by running Daniel Sedin face-first into the side boards. He got a two-minute boarding minor, but it very easily could have been a major.


The Sharks really came unglued in the third and the Canucks power play made them pay. Two of Vancouver's four third-period goals came on the power play and the Canucks' seventh goal by Mason Raymond was scored just as Ryane Clowe was stepping out of the box.


"Tonight in the third period our power play just took over because of Eager's penalty there, et cetera, et cetera," Vigneault said. "So we made them pay and took over the game."


Vigneault clearly didn't like Eager's hit on Daniel.


"Well, obviously, Danny embellished that," Vigneault said in a clear response to earlier suggestions by some of the Sharks that his players were diving. "The league will do the right thing. It was great embellishment."


Daniel, who led Vancouver with two goals, didn't seem to be all that upset about the hit.


"I turned my back," Daniel said. "I didn't realize he was coming that hard. But it's going to happen in a game. I'm fine. So that's all that matters."


Two power-play goals for the Sharks and a pair of goals 39 seconds apart by the Canucks made it 2-2 after an entertaining first period. Those quick goals by Daniel Sedin and Raffi Torres midway through the first had given the Canucks a 2-1 lead.

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Daniel scored late on a Vancouver power play that seemed to be going nowhere. A shot from the left point by Dan Hamhuis was partially blocked and the puck squirted to Daniel, who passed the puck to Henrik Sedin. He in turn flipped the puck back to Daniel and he beat Antti Niemi with a shot from between the hash marks at 9:39.


Torres made it 2-1 at 10:18. Defenceman Christian Ehrhoff set it up when he skated into the corner and threw a pass in front to Torres, who beat Sharks centre Joe Pavelski to the puck.


But Marleau tied the game at 13:03 with Daniel Sedin off serving a soft cross-checking penalty. Marleau poked the puck between the pads of Roberto Luongo after a Joe Thornton shot. It took a video review before it was declared a goal.


The Sharks grabbed the early lead when they capitalized on the power play at the 2:28 mark of the first. With defenceman Aaron Rome off serving a tripping penalty, rookie Logan Couture split the Vancouver defence and beat Luongo with a deke to his forehand. A nice pass from linemate Dany Heatley set up the play as Couture went between Sami Salo and Alex Edler.


Eager scored San Jose's third goal at 17:27 of the third and then stood over Luongo, taunting the Vancouver goalie.


"I'm not going to answer that," Luongo said, when asked what Eager had to say to him. "I'll let him answer that if he's in the mood."


Before Raymond's goal at 16:42 of the third that made it 7-2, Higgins, Daniel and Rome all scored.


ICE CHIPS: Winger Jeff Tambellini replaced Tanner Glass on Vancouver's fourth line … Benn Ferriero replaced Jamal Mayers on San Jose's fourth line … NHL commissioner Gary Bettman attended the game. So did hoops star Steve Nash and Sex & the City's Kim Cattrall.

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Vancouver Canucks (from left) Christian Ehrhoff, Ryan Kesler and captain Henrik Sedin celebrate a goal by Daniel Sedin (far right) in the third period of the Canucks' 7-3 win over the visiting San Jose Sharks in Game 2 of the NHL Western Conference final Wednesday at Rogers Arena



Vancouver Canucks Maxim Lapierre (left) and Raffi Torres celebrate Torres' goal against the San Jose Sharks in the first period of Game 2 of the NHL Western Conference final at Rogers Arena on Wednesday


Vancouver Canucks winger Jannik Hansen tries to jam the puck past San Jose Sharks goalie Antti Niemi while Sharks blueliner Ian White defends during Game 2 of the NHL Western Conference final on Wednesday at Rogers Arena
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Vancouver Canucks captain Henrik Sedin (right) gets tangled up with San Jose Sharks forward Logan Couture in the first period of Game 2 of the NHL Western Conference final on Wednesday at Rogers Arena.

sheep

I like Salo

sheep

打假波
有咩理由上次鯊魚嘅錯誤
CANUCKS一開始就犯
擺明送番一場比鯊魚

sheep

換籠 換籠 換籠

sheep

點解 POWERPLAY 冇人響 NIEMI 門口
CREATE TRAFFIC
重唔係打假波？