Vancouver Canucks defeat Chicago Blackhawks 4-3 in Game 2 of quarter-finals – NHL Play-offs Update
The defending Stanley Cup champions, Chicago Blackhawks came a little closer to being eliminated as they lost again to the Vancouver Canucks 4-3 in game two of the Western Conference quarter-finals at Rogers Arena in Vancouver on Saturday.
Left wing and the National Hockey Leagues’ leader in points Daniel Sedin scored twice for his team including a match securing goal during the final moments. Jannik Hansen opened the scoring for Vancouver 7:30 into the first period to take an early lead which
Sedin extended in the second. Hansen was given the opportunity by the Sedin twins who were travelling from centre ice on a break-away with the puck when they saw him near the net wide open.
Daniel Sedin scored the matchups only power-play goal 30 seconds into the second period because of a penalty awarded to Patrick Sharp late in the first which carried on into the next. Ben Smith scored his first of the night to put Chicago on the boards nearly
14 minutes later. With under a minute remaining in the second period, Chicago was closing in on another goal to tie up the match. Alexander Edler shot the puck for Vancouver with 14 seconds remaining which was wide off the mark, but because of Smith who accidently
tipped it in, the Canucks widened the gap even further.
The sold-out crowd went frantic when Edler scored during the final moments. After Smith’s shot, fans were beginning to think that history might be repeating itself. Vancouver has lost to the Blackhawks for two consecutive play-off series, both times in which
Chicago lost the first game and went on to win the next five.
It was an extremely thrilling third period. Chicago managed to score twice and if Sedin did not manage to sneak the puck into the net, than the Number one team could have lost game two. Viktor Stalberg brought the score within one after capitalising on a
slap-shot two minutes in. Daniel Sedin made the insuring goal mid-way while Ben Smith again lessened the short-fall with a little over seven minutes remaining.
Both teams had 11 attempts at the net during the final period, but goalies’ Corey Crawford and Roberto Luongo managed to hold them off for the remaining part of the match. Both Crawford and Luongo blocked 23 shots in the contest.
Chicago can finally breathe some of that home-town air as they play the next two games against the Canucks on their own turf. Game three against the two teams will take place on Sunday.
Tags: