Vancouver can advance to Stanley Cup final with win in Game 5 on Tuesday
The Vancouver Canucks are just 1 win away from their third trip to the Stanley Cup final.
The Canucks broke open a scoreless game with 3 power-play objectives, all of them on 5-on-3s, in a span of 1:55 midway by means of the second period as they beat the San Jose Sharks 4-2 to take a 3-1 lead inside the best-of-seven Western Conference final.
The Canucks can punch their ticket to the Stanley Cup Finals having a win in Game five Tuesday night at Rogers Arena (6 p.m., CBC, Team 1040). They haven't been there because 1994, when they lost in seven games to the New York Rangers. Their prior trip came in 1982 when they had been swept by the New York Islanders.
The Canucks’ power-play explosion came immediately after the Sharks had failed to score on five power-play opportunities of their own.
Ryan Kesler got the very first 1 at the 9:16 mark when took a pass from Sami Salo and one-timed a shot from the left faceoff dot past Sharks goalie Antti Niemi. Kesler's objective marked the very first time this series the Canucks had scored initial.
Salo got the next two objectives, which came 16 seconds apart. Both had been set up by Henrik and Daniel Sedin. The very first came at the 10:55 mark when his one-timer from the middle of the ice appeared to go under the best arm of Niemi.
Salo then blasted a different puck past Niemi at 11:11.
The Sharks took a timeout to attempt and recover.
The Canucks scored their 3 second-period objectives on just four shots. The Sharks tested Roberto Luongo eight times inside the second.
Alex Burrows created it 4-0 at five:43 of the third when he finished off a 2-on-1 rush with Henrik Sedin. Sedin's backhand pass - or perhaps it was a shot - went by way of Niemi's legs to Burrows, who tapped within the puck.
Andrew Desjardins lastly put the Sharks on the board at 7:02 of the third when he tipped a Marc-Edouard Vlasic shot past Luongo.
Ryane Clowe finished off a three-way passing play with Logan Couture and Patrick Marleau at 15:55 to create it 4-2.
A scoreless initial period couldn't have left the Sharks satisfied. They had 3 power-play opportunities and couldn't money in on any of them.
Their very first came 26 seconds into the game when Tanner Glass was sent off for what appeared to be a marginal tripping call on San Jose defenceman Ian White. But the Sharks didn't generate anything on the power play. In truth, the Canucks had the top scoring opportunity when Mason Raymond pretty much finished off a 2-on-1 rush.
San Jose wasn't a entire lot much better on their second power play, which came at the 10:32 mark when Kevin Bieksa was sent off for a high stick on Joe Thornton. Logan Couture had the top opportunity when he tested Luongo from the top of the best circle.
Glass was sent off once again at 13:36 for a boarding call on White. Luongo had to create a fantastic save on a Clowe deflection of a Dan Boyle shot.
The Sharks had a 10-6 edge in shots inside the very first.
With Game three injuries to Christian Ehrhoff and Andrew Alberts, the Canucks created a couple of modifications on defence. Keith Ballard drew back into the lineup and rookie Chris Tanev played his 1st playoff game. Tanev was some thing of a surprise selection as he played ahead of veteran Andrew Alberts.
The Canucks also changed their fourth line. They went with Cody Hodgson between Alex Bolduc and Tanner Glass. Victor Oreskovich was a healthy scratch.
Winger Ben Eager was scratched for the second straight game by the Sharks.
San Jose outshot Vancouver 35-13.
ICE CHIPS: With his four assists, Henrik Sedin now has the playoff scoring lead with 19 points … A number of hundred Canuck fans inside HP Pavilion produced very the scene just before Sunday's game. An hour just before faceoff, Canuck fans clad inside the team's blue jerseys had been lined up all around the end of the rink where the Canucks will do their pre-game warm-up. They began with chants of 'Go Canucks Go' and then broke into a raucous rendition of O Canada. The San Jose Sharks fans within the constructing tried to drown them out, but had no luck.