![Don't lie, you'd click the penalty killing bald eagle too. [<a href="http://bit.ly/cVhGTV" target="new">http://bit.ly/cVhGTV</a>]](https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/MgH0K4Be9sPSix7zrTFwoVOmDi4=/0x0:673x746/2420x1613/filters:focal(283x320:389x426):format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/60496839/canucksKingsGameV.0.0.jpg)
So here we are friends. 48 hours ago we watched Vancouver fall behind, be outplayed through much of the first half and continue their PK failure only to crawl back in and escape from LA with the win and a split. A whole new series, right? Well maybe.
It felt good...no it felt right...that the money players came through after being largely shutdown. Even seeing the eyesores pick up the slack (Demo, Pudge, Hands of Stone) was a distinct pleasure. However my mind keeps returning to two things - getting badly outchanced early on & being unable to kill two minutes shorthanded. If Vancouver wants a micron of success both tonight and going forward, the trends for both need to flip. Between travel and sleep doctor (!) demands, who knows if they've addressed the PK - psst, this is on sale - but the absurdity of spotting a PP tally almost every time is gut wrenching, especially with the AA train on the ice. Think of how different this series would have been if the Kings didn't score nine times with the man advantage.
AV needs to utterly abuse the lines to keep the Sedins and FU Sweden out against the second and third defensive pairings (basically wherever Jones is). Murray has juggled on his end; moving Stoll back, inserting Williams and dropping Parse.
This will be another battle, take your heart meds now.
We asked 48 hours ago if Vancouver was a paper tiger or a sleeping dragon. We still need that answer. What better place than here? What better time than now?
Gamethread on.