Vancouver Canucks eliminate Chicago Blackhawks 2-1 in quarter-finals – NHL Play-offs Update
The Chicago Blackhawks nearly took over the league leading Vancouver Canucks but lost game seven 2-1 in over-time at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia on Tuesday.
Chicago recovered from a 3-0 deficit in the series and bounced back by winning the next three games to force a game seven in one of the most unexpected series in the National Hockey League post-season history. The Blackhawks had become only the fourth team
to ever do so, but have finally have given up the title as the defending Stanley Cup champions. Without a doubt, the Blackhawks surprised everyone including the Canucks who were expected to throw them out easily.
Vancouver, winners of the 2011 Presidents Trophy for playing the best during the season, not only of the season but it was the best performance that their club has ever shown in its 40 year history. The Canucks are all geared up to win their first Stanley
Cup, but after nearly losing to the Blackhawks who barely made it into the play-offs, the road ahead might have become uncertain for them.
Alex Burrows potted the first goal of the match during the opening minutes of the first period. The American All-Star Ryan Kesler managed to narrowly find Burrows open and fed him the puck on which he scored from the circle to put Vancouver up by a single
goal. Both teams refrained from giving to many power-play opportunities and played it safe, Chicago gave the most in the third period (2), but they managed to kill both.
Chicago Captain Jonathan Toews tied up the match in the final moments of the game when he stepped up and scored short-handed with less than two minutes remaining. It sent the Canucks into panic all of a sudden after they had remained ahead throughout the
match. With two precious minutes remaining, it was still anyone’s game but luckily for both, nobody scored.
Burrows was truly the Man of the Match for the Canucks as he fired the game winning goal for them 5:22 into over-time. He went speeding down the ice unassisted and saved the Canucks from the embarrassment they would have faced in front of the sold out crowd
had they lost.
While the Blackhawks remained lazy all season, they re-captured a spot late in the season and could have gone deeper had they played consistently. Vancouver needs to improve their game dynamically and transform into the Presidents’ Trophy winners they once
were.
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