The Sweep Is Complete

by Yankee Canuck on Apr 22, 2009 4:55 AM PDT in NHL Playoffs Comment 36 comments

But that broom didn't come out so easily. The Blues scored two goals in under four minutes in the second and forced an incredible overtime. St. Louis deserves a lot of credit not just in this series, but this game in particular. A lot of teams would have folded, but they came back, tied the game quickly and dictated much of the play in the OT.

But, with :19 seconds left, Burrows burst in on the left side of Mason and fired a seemingly innocent shot that beat him, making the Canucks the first team to make it to the second round and capping off the first sweep of a seven game series in Vancouver history.

The defense was the name of the game again. The Vancouver blueline - Ohlund, Mitchell and Bieksa in particular - were simply biblical killing off six penalties, including a four minute high sticking call on Kesler in the overtime.

Despite the Blues impassioned play in the third and badly outshooting Vancouver in overtime (18-9), the Canucks still managed to prevail with the timely goal. Four wins in less then a week to cap off the quarter finals. And the sweep came when they were down a top four defenseman in Salo and their second line center in Sundin.

Un-friggin-real.

There's a lot to discuss about what/why/how this team did what they did in the past week against the hottest team in the NHL, but that will have to wait for a more sober hour.

For now I leave you with a simple question:

Poll

Ignoring Luongo, who stood out the most to you in the first round?

D. Sedin

39 votes

H. Sedin

7 votes

Burrows

172 votes

Kesler

12 votes

Bernier

70 votes

Wellwood

25 votes

Mitchell

25 votes

Ohlund

21 votes

Bieksa

3 votes

Johnson

66 votes

440 votes | Poll has closed

0 recs | Comment 36 comments |

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Comments

All Luongo. The Canucks failed tonight until Burrows bagged it. I can’t believe Burrows bagged it 5 hole on Mason. How fitting!

Nucks Misconduct

by Sean Zandberg on Apr 21, 2009 10:11 PM PDT reply actions

Tonight was definitely Lui and the defense again. But overall there were so many bright spots to how the role guys played in this series.

Back to tonight, it’s a crime Demo had four more minutes on ice then Bernier.

'Nucks Misconduct - Housing Swedish Millionaires Since 2000.

by Yankee Canuck on Apr 21, 2009 10:14 PM PDT up reply actions

2nd period was pure laziness. The PK was unreal, but the Blues couldn’t hold it in the zone. If you’ve got a 4 min PP in OT you better score. No excuse there. Burrows goal was weak, but hey “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take” – Wayne Gretzkey – Michael Scott

Thank you Bobby Lui!!!

by tobemarked on Apr 21, 2009 10:25 PM PDT reply actions

Nice, good call on the Office reference there. And that’s something the Sedins should learn for round two; no more cutsey passing plays. If you have an opening, crank that thing.

'Nucks Misconduct - Housing Swedish Millionaires Since 2000.

by Yankee Canuck on Apr 21, 2009 10:29 PM PDT up reply actions

Gotta give the Blues some credit in the second… hockey is really a game of momentum and they had a bunch there, tons of energy at the end.

by Metzgerhau on Apr 21, 2009 11:14 PM PDT up reply actions

Johnson

Where’s Ryan Johnson in your poll?? He was frickin awesome!!

by robo789 on Apr 21, 2009 10:30 PM PDT reply actions

Argh, you’re right. He’s in there now, sorry I missed him. Blame Johnnie Walker.

'Nucks Misconduct - Housing Swedish Millionaires Since 2000.

by Yankee Canuck on Apr 21, 2009 10:34 PM PDT up reply actions

I threw my vote down for Johnson…he was a friggin monster in the faceoff circle and the PK.

by GZ Expat on Apr 21, 2009 10:41 PM PDT up reply actions

so did I. Johnson was stupendous

Nucks Misconduct

by Sean Zandberg on Apr 22, 2009 12:49 AM PDT up reply actions

Yepp. I expected good things from the Sedins and Burrows and they responded. Johnson stood out and stepped up on the PK and face offs. The StL PP boys will have nightmares about him for weeks.

As an aside on that, the Sedins are kick ass on the PK when they are put out there. It’s scary how they can actually take the play to StL on the PK on occasion.

by rsm on Apr 22, 2009 5:51 AM PDT up reply actions

You're also missing...

the ref’s quick whistle, in the poll..

but in all seriousness, Luongo and your PK got the job done.

http://www.stlouisgametime.com/

by cold on Apr 21, 2009 10:31 PM PDT reply actions

Agreed. If the Blues had a offensive minded, mobile defenseman three of those four games would likely have had different scores.

'Nucks Misconduct - Housing Swedish Millionaires Since 2000.

by Yankee Canuck on Apr 21, 2009 10:37 PM PDT up reply actions

Oh, the Blues have TWO of those guys...

…it’s just that one tore up his knee horsing around in a golf cart, and one is 19 years old and getting valuable pro experience in Peoria’s playoffs right now.

"If we do not prepare for ourselves the role of the hammer, there will be nothing left but that of the anvil."

-- Otto von Bismarck, 1851

http://www.tomorrowsblues.net

by Tomorrows Blues on Apr 22, 2009 6:49 AM PDT up reply actions

Believe us… we’ve been down the ‘injured D’ road before, it’s no fun…

On the bright side, when that happened to us we went on to sweep our first round series the next season :D

Nucks Misconduct

by Metzgerhau on Apr 22, 2009 3:28 PM PDT up reply actions

That was one serious bad break no doubt.

Nucks Misconduct

by Sean Zandberg on Apr 22, 2009 7:27 AM PDT up reply actions

it happens it happens

I’m trying not to think about it too much (was at the game, so I didn’t really see all the replays that well).

But when you blow multiple power plays in OT, you don’t deserve to win the game.

Good luck in the next round.

http://www.stlouisgametime.com/

by cold on Apr 22, 2009 10:46 AM PDT up reply actions

And again the Sedins get no love. They had a great game tonight, literally every shift making things happen offensively. But yet I read somewhere that they were off tonight?

Anyways, this series was a exclamation point on them arriving as TRUE FIRST LINERS in every aspect of the word.
After Lou, Henrik and Daniel were the 2 most important Nucks.

by Nuckels on Apr 21, 2009 10:41 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs

You know what…in a poll, they can’t be separated. You just need to have Twins…instead of both.

by GZ Expat on Apr 21, 2009 10:42 PM PDT up reply actions

Definitely… the Sedins have shot themselves in the foot for this kind of thing. They are so consistent that we just expect it now and the only time we don’t notice them is when they’re NOT clicking!

by Metzgerhau on Apr 21, 2009 11:16 PM PDT up reply actions

As much as it pains me to say it, Burrows was frustratingly good...

…so I voted for him. Even discounting his goals tonight, the guy was just the constant source of me exclaiming a name directly preceded by an expletive. The dude’s sneaky fast too – you think he’s coasting in to set up for a protective forecheck and all of a sudden, he’s past the defender and working the puck.

I know there was some deal in place, NucksMisconduct-ers, to do a theoretical hand-shake line on the winner’s site, and I’m sure that’s still to come, but I’ll jump in right now to congratulate you on the series win. Though the end-result (0-4) for my Blues doesn’t show it, this was probably the most hotly contested series to this point, and I give your team credit for having that strong grasp of its system to make it a success. It’s a damn shame we met in the first round because I think the effort the Blues put up against you would have suffocated other teams and we would have had a later-round match up to add further to the intensity exhibited by these two teams in round one.

With that said, if we meet up next year, expect the Blues to have cleared the hump and offer you up an even more contested series and (hopefully) a resoundingly dominant series.

I once shot a man just to see him die...then I got distracted and missed it.

by TheDuke32 on Apr 21, 2009 11:14 PM PDT reply actions

Exactly. This is why I like the Canucks’ potential 10 days off. The Blues physicallt kicked the shit out of us. There’s a lot of aching bones in that Canucks’ dressing room. Then again, we did pound the Blues too, just not as much

Nucks Misconduct

by Sean Zandberg on Apr 22, 2009 12:52 AM PDT up reply actions

Though he didn’t play tonight, Salo deserves to be on the list too.

by Beantown Canuck on Apr 22, 2009 1:46 AM PDT reply actions

FYI...

I counted 5 of 10 goals on Mason going in 5-hole.

by cyxj on Apr 22, 2009 1:51 AM PDT reply actions

Ouch

Nucks Misconduct

by Sean Zandberg on Apr 22, 2009 2:07 AM PDT up reply actions

Off season homework for someone…

by rsm on Apr 22, 2009 5:53 AM PDT up reply actions

...and that's the only thing that disturbs me about Mason coming back next year.

"If we do not prepare for ourselves the role of the hammer, there will be nothing left but that of the anvil."

-- Otto von Bismarck, 1851

http://www.tomorrowsblues.net

by Tomorrows Blues on Apr 22, 2009 6:49 AM PDT up reply actions

sounds about right… a lot of regular season goals found that way in, as well

http://www.stlouisgametime.com/

by cold on Apr 22, 2009 10:47 AM PDT up reply actions

So did I miss the post-game virtual handshake?

I wanted to participate, but the Mrs. (who is, alas, not a hockey buff) was bitching about me being on the computer AND watching the game at the same time, at 10:45 at night (Central time).

Congrats to you guys; Luongo is the best goalie in the league. I’m actually pulling for you guys to go the rest of the way now. And all that stuff at SLGT about the Sedins and Bernier and Burrows… well, chalk it up to “heat-of-battle” trash talk.

That third goal was in, though… :)

"If we do not prepare for ourselves the role of the hammer, there will be nothing left but that of the anvil."

-- Otto von Bismarck, 1851

http://www.tomorrowsblues.net

by Tomorrows Blues on Apr 22, 2009 6:52 AM PDT reply actions

I believe the handshake post is coming soon…

'Nucks Misconduct - Housing Swedish Millionaires Since 2000.

by Yankee Canuck on Apr 22, 2009 7:02 AM PDT up reply actions

Wasn’t that an incredible third period? Some of the best hockey I’ve seen all year. The OT was ok too, but the penalties were too hard on my blood pressure.

by headspacej on Apr 22, 2009 8:08 AM PDT reply actions