Go Canucks Go
Canucks complete comeback over Blues
WebPosted Wed Apr 23 01:48:23 2003
CBC SPORTS ONLINE - Dan Cloutier had a birthday to remember on Tuesday.
Brendan Morrison celebrates a Vancouver goal Tuesday night against the St. Louis Blues. (CP Photo/Richard Lam)
The Vancouver netminder, who turned 27 on Tuesday, stopped 33 St. Louis shots to lead his Canucks to a 4-1 win in the seventh and deciding game of their Western Conference quarter-final series with the Blues.
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With the victory, the Canucks captured their first playoff series victory in eight years. Oddly enough, Vancouver last moved into the second round in 1995 when they beat the Blues in another seven-game affair.
Henrik Sedin, Brendan Morrison, Markus Naslund and Trevor Linden tallied for Vancouver in Tuesday's Game 7 triumph. Martin Rucinsky replied in a losing effort for the Blues.
The Canucks now face the surprising Minnesota Wild in the second round, with Game 1 slated for GM Place on Friday. Like the Canucks, the Wild rallied from a 3-1 series of its own Tuesday, beating the Colorado Avalanche 3-2 in overtime of Game 7.
The key to Vancouver's success started with physical play. The Canucks used the body all night long, punishing the Blues along the boards and in open-ice situations with thunderous checks. The rugged style of play generated into scoring chances along the way.
But the fast start Vancouver wanted in front of their home crowd didn't materialize.
The Blues silenced the frenzied GM Place crowd early, grabbing a one-goal lead just one minute into the game. After some strong fore-checking behind the Vancouver goal, Doug Weight tossed it out in front to an open Rucinsky who potted his fourth goal in as many contests.
Vancouver, who also fell behind early in Game 1 against the Blues, did not wilt as they did in the series opener.
Vancouver tied it at one apiece midway through the first with a highlight-reel marker courtesy of the Sedin twins. After some strong work along the boards from linemate Trent Klatt, Daniel Sedin centred the puck from behind the net. His brother Henrik went high glove-side, beating Osgood at the 11:54 mark.
The Canucks took the lead for good at 7:19 of the second.
The Blues coughed up the puck at the Vancouver blue line, allowing the Canucks to race in on a 3-on-2. Linden fired a shot at Osgood and Morrison snapped home the rebound for his second of the playoffs.
Vancouver took a 3-1 advantage just over five minutes later with Naslund's power-play marker. With traffic in front of Osgood, the Vancouver captain wired a shot that found its way to the top corner of the net at 12:25.
Pesky Vancouver forward Jarkko Ruutu took an obstruction holding minor with just 1:02 remaining in the period, leaving the Canucks to kill a penalty in the closing moments of the second and the opening minute of the third.
The Canucks responded with a shorthanded insurance tally. Weight, St. Louis' biggest offensive threat in the series, lost an edge and tumbled to the ice at the point. Vancouver capitalized on the fall with a 2-on-1. Former captain Linden, using Artem Chubarov as a decoy, beat Osgood glove-side with a wrist shot.
It was Linden's fifth goal and 10th point in six career Game 7s.
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. Hopefully this series will pick up a bit - I guess I got so used to watching Vancouver and St. Louis that Vanc and Minnesota seems like slow motion. That game wasn't exciting until the last few minutes of the 3rd period. Thank god it didn't go into quintuple overtime...
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