Vancouver Canucks getting performances from everywhere - Defence turns into Offense
The Vancouver Canucks are best known for impressive playmaking produced from their back-line. In fact their back-line often dictates the flow of the game, developing plays and converts them into goals. This is an outstanding strength of the team which has
benefitted the Vancouver Canucks immensely. Vancouver Canucks particularly used this unique strength in their last game on 15th May, against the San Jose Sharks at the Rogers Arena, taking a 1-0 series lead by winning the game, 3-2.
The Canucks’ defence gave them an extra edge and proved to be the winning factor on Sunday night against the San Jose Sharks as they ensured a comeback for the Canucks to win the game, 3-2, while they were a goal down at the end of the first period.
The game was not only a confidence booster for the Canucks but also gave them as 1-0 series lead in the 7-game series.
Maxim Lapierre, Raffi Torres and Jannik Hansen were outstanding during the game and played a major part in guiding the Canucks to victory.
The Canucks scored a goal in the second period through Lapierre with assists from Hansen and Torres to equalize the score but later Patrick Marleau scored for the Sharks to get them back into the lead before the end of the second period.
In the final 23 minutes, the Canucks’ defenders proved to be a wall at the back while creating several chances for players up front. As a result, the Canucks scored twice in the final period to clinch the win. Lapierre, Torres and Hansen tallied a total
of 3 points, 5 shots and 10 hits.
"It's energy, battle and compete", Canucks’ coach, Alain Vigneault, said while describing his third line. "Those three guys go out there and every shift they just lay it on the line. Sometimes it's maybe not as structured as we would like it, but you have
to let those guys play to their strengths and their strengths are energy and emotion. They did a real solid job for us".
There were a number of brilliant individual performances including Lapierre scoring his very first goal of the Stanley Cup playoffs with just over a minute into the second period. He equalized the score with a brilliant strike that found the back of the
net.
Hansen provided a brilliant assist that led to Lapierre’s goal and hit Antti Niemi’s side pad to deny him from scoring.
Not to mention the elbow that Raffi Torres came across that provided the Canucks with the power-play and later saw them scoring through Henrik Sedin. This is a very good sign for the Canucks team and alarming for others.
Once the Canucks backline starts to get going, with killer players like Ryan Kesler, Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin upfront, it becomes one of the most dominating team in NHL (National Hockey League) capable of winning against any team.
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