Canucks-Hawks: The Pivotal Game 3

by Sean Zandberg on May 5, 2009 12:28 AM PDT in Game Preview Comment 33 comments

More photos » LARRY MACDOUGAL - AP

"What the hell did I tell you, Adam? When a reporter approaches you say 'no comment'! You say the stupidest things. Now you've pissed off the Canucks! God damn, sometimes I think your IQ is about as high as your plus/minus! Alright, now you can go back to shower time with Ben Eager." (AP Photo/The Canadian Press,Larry MacDougal)

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GAME TIME: 5:00 PST

TV: CBC

THE ENEMY: Second City Hockey

UPDATE: Pavol Demitra missed Monday's practice. Vigneault said that Demo should play "in theory." Huh, there's a new way of putting it.

Demitra has been a Hawks killer in his career, scoring at a 1.17 points per game pace in 47 career games against Chicago. Tip to Second City Hockey for finding that stat.

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With 2 games over with and 2 Canucks blown leads, many Vancouver fans and media are getting the jitters and certain reporters are nearly jumping off the wagon.

Burrows doesn't understand the negative vibes.

“We’re going to respond. We’ve been a very good team. We’re going to be fine. I don’t know about all this negaitivity. It’s 1-1. No one thought it was going to be easy.”

There is one Blackhawk player who is getting cocky: Who else but Adam Burish.

"We have to target some of the other D now," said Burish. "Those other guys are going to have the bulls-eyes on their back . . .with Salo out, they are down to five of their main D. Now we are going to have to target more of their guys, we are going to have to try and hunt a few more of them down."

Can the Canucks post that in their dressing room? How about the leftover Canucks D hunts down the Hawks? They have the size and strength. Use it!

Speaking of D, the Canucks know that they have to play better in front of Luongo. They are saying all the right things right now, but it's time to execute on the ice. They have to slow the Hawks down and keep them to the outside. No more ugly rebounds getting gobbled up by chickenHawk players.

And please, for the love of God, STOP BLOWING LEADS! We know this Canucks team is better than what we are seeing. They know it as well. A 60 minute effort and victory will help their psyche in this regard. But it won't come easy in front of the crazy Hawks fans.

How about the Canucks crash Khabibulin's crease a little more? The Hawks are doing it to Luongo and it's working. Make life miserable for the freaky-looking Russian netminder.

Luongo issued a challenge to his team on Monday.

"We've got to be sure we're tight on defence and I've got to make the big saves," said Luongo. "We're going to make some adjustments and make sure we don't give them as many scoring chances".

Spoken like a true captain, now let's see if they can get it done.

Poll

Checking Canucks fans' confidence level once again. What do you think will be the outcome of Game 3?

Canucks by 1

84 votes

Canucks by 2 or more. Lesson learned!

101 votes

Hawks by one

25 votes

Hawks by 2 or more. The sky is falling!

148 votes

358 votes | Poll has closed

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Comments

Canucks by 2.

I would be shocked if Luongo had two bad games in a row, D or no D, and on the offensive end we HAVE been putting up the goals against Bulin. It’s just a matter of supporting that effort on the other end of the ice, and we all know damn well the Canucks are capable of it.

by Orion Moony on May 5, 2009 6:42 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

What happened?

We were all set for PUCKCAST greatness, and were feelin’ the prospects of a Dave Babych/Dirk Graham stache-off.

Hopefully you didn’t listen and think better of it, and we can give it another go.

HOCKEENIGHT.COM...home of FRIDAY NIGHT FIGHTS and LEAVE IT TO BETTMAN...now with PODCASTING!!!

by Forklift14 on May 5, 2009 6:53 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Bugger! Sorry. I was in a resin tank all day. I’ll email you.

Nucks Misconduct

by Sean Zandberg on May 5, 2009 8:09 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

It's OK...

I thought maybe you’re Luongo, and you forgot to show up…

(my one freebie for you missing out)

HOCKEENIGHT.COM...home of FRIDAY NIGHT FIGHTS and LEAVE IT TO BETTMAN...now with PODCASTING!!!

by Forklift14 on May 5, 2009 9:39 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Great Caption on the pic

Adam Burish = Jeremy Roenick minus all the talent.

Second City Hockey

by Matthew Dirt on May 5, 2009 7:44 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I propose going exclusively to heavy-metal-themed game-day posts until the end. Not that this isn’t an excellent preview, but weren’t they winning with those headbanger intros earlier in the playoffs? Just Metallica song references alone could encompass what the team needs to do: Jump in the Fire, Battery, Seek and Destroy, etc, etc…

by headspacej on May 5, 2009 9:39 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Over at SCH we have a Liz Phair-themed gamethread.

I wouldn’t complain if I were you.

NOW STOP IT RIGHT HERE

by mjthor on May 5, 2009 10:41 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

The thread tonight is back to a music theme though not Metallica (in fact I sort of insult them, but I’m well within my right!)

'Nucks Misconduct - Housing Swedish Millionaires Since 2000.

by Yankee Canuck on May 5, 2009 12:09 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Your fans await tonight’s post with baited breath then. Although slagging Metallica shouldn’t really be necessary, unless the focus is on anything they’ve done after 1990.

by headspacej on May 5, 2009 1:57 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Tonight will show us what the Nucks are gonna bring the rest of the way. A tightly checked game, and the series will swing our way again. A loss by allowing tons of chances and rebounds, and the Hawks will get even more confident.
I like our chances, Bulin has sucked against us, and I know the Nucks don’t fear him in the slightest. Lou on the other hand has to get his status back up to gamechanger.

Nucks win 5-1 to shut up the crowd, Van bandwagoners and pretty much the world.
PS- I’m sure the crowd will be no louder or quieter than St Lou was.

by Nuckels on May 5, 2009 10:55 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I love unexplained and unfounded predictions.

Do you have any more? When is the world going to end? How will I die?

NOW STOP IT RIGHT HERE

by mjthor on May 5, 2009 10:57 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Nuckels has fans! Yay!

Nucks Misconduct

by Sean Zandberg on May 5, 2009 12:00 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I just realized I called him out on some bullshit post he made over at SCH too. Even our own resident bumbling idiot saw the bullshit in his post.

NOW STOP IT RIGHT HERE

by mjthor on May 5, 2009 1:00 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Called me out? Toews is a great player who carried Canada on his back for the Worlds. I expect him, being the captain and a Canadian to be effective every game. The shoulder problem is a rumour, but with his lack of production, ice-time cutbacks and so on, an injury would be more realistic than the “flu”. If you can’t understand that, then whatever. I guess you gotta play hockey to know hockey. What i’m tryin to say is that Toews is almost to good to be so invisible from merely the flu. I might be wrong though, all the same however.
As for the prediction, I figured in this order.
1.) Vancouver has generated double digits in good quality scoring chances both games, so scoring 5 on Khabi is not a strectch.
2.) You don’t know Luongo, he doesnt give up 5 goals, he just doesnt. After his lackluster performance in game 2, I would expect to see vintage Lou for this one.
So, a 5-1 prediction is obviously made through Van-fan glasses, but ya never know.

As for you, I have no idea over when the world will end. And as for you dying, hopefully not soon. The NHL needs good fans, and even if you dislike me, I got nothin against you :)

In final, its the 2nd intermission and the Nucks are up 3-1. Not gloatin at all, i’m just happy that they are playin the game style which got them this far.

by Nuckels on May 5, 2009 6:53 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Well, this is much better than the St Lou dribble that I was forced to wade through. There seems to be glimmers of intelligence and tact in some of the Hawk fans comments :)

by Nuckels on May 5, 2009 6:56 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

except some of them actually wanted you to predict when they die…

We are all Canucks.

by Chinese Canuck on May 5, 2009 8:22 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Your handle should be Chuckles with posts like that . . . to paraphase – a win will give us confidence, while a loss won’t.

Brilliant analysis. I didn’t realize Pierre McGuire posted here.

by allmyfriendsareindians. . . on May 5, 2009 12:06 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I’m happy that I was able to bring a little joy to your day.

PS. I think Mcguire is a tool, but an entertainin one.

by Nuckels on May 5, 2009 6:54 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Go Hawks

Sorry fellas and ladies I accidentally joined your group here, eh? Nothing really against your team but I am new to this here site and thought I would read up on some hockey and I did not know I was joining or what not so I have to apologize for being here but while I am I should state the Hawks will return to glory very soon, if not this year within the next few. Good luck

by chipthejackass on May 5, 2009 12:49 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Plenty of SCH members have joined over here as well.

For Game 1 we had a “field trip” where we sent commenters over here for part of the game and vice versa.

It’s kind of nice to get the perspective of the opposing team’s fans, especially when (most of them) know what they’re talking about.

NOW STOP IT RIGHT HERE

by mjthor on May 5, 2009 12:51 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

you can stay sir, there’s several Hawk fans who are part of this site (they come out more when they win but we do the same over there)

'Nucks Misconduct - Housing Swedish Millionaires Since 2000.

by Yankee Canuck on May 5, 2009 12:52 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

i've noticed a trend in my game watching.

game 1 – i watched the first 2 periods intently. canucks finished the 2nd with lead of 3-0. at the beginning of the third, i start playing a board game with my dad, and the hawks score 3 times.
game 2 – my grandpa got remarried earlier that day, so we were having dinner at his house. my siblings and cousins and i were downstairs watching the game. it was 2-0 going into the 2nd period, when my aunt came downstairs to tell us that everyone was getting ready to leave. moments later, the hawks got their first goal. by the time i got home to finish watching the game, it was already 4-2 hawks.

i need to watch full games.
i’m also wearing my canucks tshirt today, so that should bring some luck (they’ve won every game i’ve worn it through since i got it that day we last faced calgary).

GO CANUCKS GO!

by missy on May 5, 2009 2:40 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs