Vancouver Canucks edge past Chicago Blackhawks, 2-1: NHL Play-off Recap
Alexandre Burrows notched the game-winning goal in the extra-session and rookie Robert Luongo turned away 31 shots to help the Vancouver Canucks take a 2-1 victory over the
the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 7 of their first-round play-off series on Tuesday night.
"Obviously, we didn't script it this way," said Luongo. "But all year long, when our backs were against the wall, we responded. We played a massive game tonight and there
was no better way to end it."
The Canucks moved on to meet the Nashville Predators in the second round. Vancouver, the NHL’s best team in the regular season, was eliminated by the defending
Stanley Cup champions Blackhawks in each of the previous two post-seasons.
Chicago's captain, Jonathan Toews, tallied the lone goal while Goalie Corey Crawford saved 36 shots for the Blackhawks.
"Just coming up a little bit short, it's pretty shocking and disappointing," said Toews.
The Blackhawks had evened the series with an extra-session victory in Sunday’s Game 6. Luongo started the game in net and was pulled later, but he was called again after Cory
Schneider went down in the final frame.
The Canucks took their 1-0 lead just less than three minutes into the play when Kesler sent a pass into the slot where Burrows used a one-timer to beat Crawford.
Both teams were at equal strength, but it seemed like Vancouver was on a power-play in the last minutes of the middle stanza as they skated around the zone and hit the Blackhawks'
net with shots.
Crawford then gave Chicago a stoppage when he finished a 1-on-2 with a gloving shot. Crawford made 15 stops in the second stanza.
"We battled hard. I don't think anyone would have believed we would have come back to force a Game 7." said Crawford.
Both teams did not score any goal in the middle frame. Luongo was strong between the pipes, turning away all 18 shots in the first two frames.
The Blackhawks equalised the game with less than two minutes to play in regulation on Toews’ short-handed goal. The goal came when Toews whacked in a rebound off a shot from
Marian Hossa.
Burrows nearly had his third goal of the game. He was awarded a penalty shot in just less than a minute into the final period after Duncan Keith dragged him down, but Crawford
easily blocked the low shot with his right glove.
Luongo stopped two shots with less than eight minutes to go in regulation. Ben Smith hit a loose shot, and Marcus Kruger tried to tip in the rebound but was stopped. Less
than three minutes later, Crawford saved three consecutive shots to keep it a one-goal contest. Luongo stopped his 31st and last shot on Patrick Sharp's one-timer in the extra-session.
Burrow capped the scoring with his second goal of the night in the sixth minute of the extra-session when he unleashed a shot from the right slot that beat Crawford to snatch
the victory.
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