"There's so much emotion between these two teams," he said. "They're easy games to get up for. It's kind of built up over the past two years. They're fun games to play in. I think it's more about the personalities on both sides. They don't seem to get on very well. But for us guys who are from B.C., it's always fun to come home and play a team that you grew up watching as a young kid. It's a bit surreal but it's a lot of fun."
They were better against Chicago stars Patrick Kane, who had an empty-net goal, and Jonathan Toews than they were in the opener. The Blackhawks’ brawnier lineup and more physical play had no effect on the Canucks. Luongo was excellent for a fifth straight game — further evidence that his epic second-half struggles are over.
And, really, who wouldn't take a split from the first two games on the road?
''Any time you get a wake-up call from old Willie Mitchell -- he decided to make some comments that fired me up,'' Kane said. ''He said I couldn't play five-on-five, and I had three goals playing five-on-five tonight, so ask him about that!''
I hate hearing stuff like this. Next time stick to the cliches, Willie.
"I remember watching the Canucks on TV and the Pavel Bure goal against Calgary," Ladd said of the 1994 playoffs. "Yeah, I cheered for them when I was a kid, but not anymore."
