CANUCKS		BLACKHAWKS
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Update: Dan Murphy tweets that by the looks of things at practice Tanner Glass will sit and Victor Oreskovich will draw in. (h/t jizosh)

Ooof! Look at those Canucks stats drop like a bride's wedding pajamas. That's what happens when you get destroyed and outscored 12-2 in your last 2 playoff games. Fear. Canucks nation is ripe with it. It would be different had the last 2 losses not been blowouts. But they are what they are. The players will tell you "Well shit there's no difference between a 5-0 loss and an overtime loss" but I'm not buying into that. Quite simply, what positives can you take from getting your ass handed to you 2 games in a row? The answer to that is not that the Canucks did some things right in games 4 and 5. Because that basket is about empty. No, the positive lies in the fact that Chicago has to win 2 more games and the Canucks 1. The rest is a complete identity change by the Canucks.

Game 6 is going to tell the story in my opinion. The Canucks can win it and end it. If they lose but at least put up an effort for once and it's close then I'll feel more optimistic about a Game 7 at home. If they get blown out again all bets are off. Of course, I accept the fact that regardless ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN.

The bottom line here (to me anyway) is for the Canucks to score first. Get that team confidence level back up. They have not lost in this series when scoring first, leading after 1 and leading after 2. Back to basics. Get that defence back in order as well. They have to tighten that up. I don't even care if they have to trap to do it. F*ck, bore us to death if you have to. Too many Hawks are rolling now. They are oozing with confidence. Win at all costs. Also, that monstrous physical game they played in the first 2-to-3 games needs to return, as well as the team discipline. If we don't see the above happen this one is going 7. No fucking thank you. Send these foul beasts into the abyss...in their own barn. I want to see Vince Vaughn reduced to tears. I want the Hawks' heads on a platter.

You can see why coaches and players preach 1 shift at a time and 1 period at a time in situations like this. When mental fragility sets in you need to think that way. Momentum is a bitch in the playoffs. It can be lost in a single instance/moment. In Vancouver's situation it can be by an excellent start right from the opening faceoff. One or a few excellent shifts right off the hop. An early goal. A stinker let in by Corey Crawford. Hard work that results in winning battles all over the ice. Power plays that may be rewarded as a result. A giant save. An injury. A hit. We'll know if /when they achieve this. Given the way things have been going, even a scoreless first period will be a win of sorts.

Hang in there, Canucks fans. The team has preached character and leadership in the dressing room all season long. Surely that hasn't died a quick death. I'm not writing our boys off yet.

LINKS

-I posted a bunch earlier today.

-Vigneault talks about his team post practice on Saturday.

-Photo gallery of the Canucks in Chicago. Hey Sami! Stop playing in traffic!

PROJECTED FORWARDS DRESSED

CANUCKS

Daniel Sedin-Henrik Sedin-Alex Burrows

Chris Higgins-Ryan Kesler-Mikael Samuelsson

Mason Raymond-Cody Hodgson-Jannik Hansen

Victor Oreskovich-Maxim Lapierre-Raffi Torres

BLACKHAWKS

Patrick Sharp-Jonathan Toews-Mary Hossa

Michael Frolik-Dave Bolland-Patrick Kane

Troy Brouwer-Bryan Bickell-Ben Smith

Viktor Stalberg-Ryan Johnson Marcus Kruger

STARTING GOALTENDERS

Roberto Luongo

#1 / Goalie / Vancouver Canucks

Height: 6-3

Weight: 217

Born: Apr 04, 1979

Profile: Ass-kicker, destroyer of dreams, Hawk-hater, Vilified Brother

Corey Crawford

#50 / Goalie / Chicago Blackhawks

Height: 6-2

Weight: 200

Born: Dec 31, 1984

Profile: Playoff virgin, Heating Up, Needs more work.

WHO IS HOT / COLD

Can someone not named Sedin get on the scoresheet? Please? There's a lot of talent up front but it has disappeared the last 2 games. The Sedins need to be better too, no doubt, but where is the supporting cast?

CANUCKS

HOT

-Daniel Sedin:  1 goal and 2 assists in his last 3.

-Henrik Sedin: 4 assists in his last 4 games.

-Christian Ehrhoff: 1 goal and 3 assists in his last 4.

COLD

-Alex Burrows: 1 goal and 1 assist in his last 8. Get your shit together, Burr. You are better than this.

-Ryan Kesler: 1 assist in his last 3. Yeah, he's doing the brunt of the shutdown work in Malhotra's absence...so I give him a bit of slack.

-Maxim Lapierre: 1 goal in his last 29.

-Mason Raymond: 1 assist in his last 6. C'mon already.

-Tanner Glass: 0 points in his last 17 dating back to February 24.

BLACKHAWKS

HOT

-Patrick Kane: 1 goal and 4 assists in his last 4.

-Bryan Bickell: 2 goals and 2 assists in his last 4.

-Duncan Keith: 4 goals and 2 assists in his last 3 games.

-Patrick Sharp: 3 goals and 2 assists in his last 3 games.

COLD

INJURIES

CANUCKS

-F Manny Malhotra: eye, out for playoffs

BLACKHAWKS

-D Jordan Hendry: left knee surgery

-F Tomas Kopecky: upper body, (doubtful for Game 6)

-D Brent Seabrook: concussion (possible for Game 6)

VIDEO

Show some pride, god damn it:

The title of this post is brought to you by Nine Inch Nails:

I didn't do this, but I sure laughed...