Towel power is still a live and well a quarter century in Vancouver the Canucks believe they have the team to make a long run. The young Blues beat the odds to make the playoffs. You can see in the first 5 minutes that both teams have some jiggers but early in the game you can also see the difference between regular season and the playoffs. St.Louis had the only 2 shots in the first five and half minutes of the game due to both teams selling out to block as many shoots as they can.
In the first 6 minutes Luongo reached two snow showers the first power play of the game went yo St.Louis as Elder took a elbowing penalty which the Canucks managed to kill off. The Pavol Demitra made a veteran play faking a shot twice then a nice slap pass to Daniel Sedin in the slot who tip it in past Chris Mason to make it 1-0 for Vancouver on only there 3 shot of the game the goal came on a delayed penalty. Later on in the second frame the Blues had a 5-3 power play but it was Ryan Kesler,Alex Burrows,Willie Mitchell and Roberto Luongo shutting them down. Then Keith Tkachuk being the loose cannon he is takes a cheap shot at Burrows costing his team the rest of the power play.
After the first both teams had 9 shots and 3 power plays but it was the Canucks who lead 1-0. At the start of the second the Blues were on their fourth power play of the game not to long after the kill it was Burrows who got in behind the Blues D. Burrows got a great pass from Daniel Sedin that sprung him on a break away but an even better play by Carlo Colaiacovo making up ground to poke the puck off Burrows stick before going crashing into the net then the boards. Sami Salo with a very hard low shot from the point to make it 2-0 for the Canucks Salo got his first of the playoffs and the first power play goal of the series.
As good as the Blues were in the first they have come unglued in the early going of the second Kyle Wellwood in 10 seconds had two great scoring chances with Chris Mason equal to the challenge. 37 Minutes into the game and Mats Sundin still has done nothing for some reason maybe his helmet was pushed up to high and the lights were bouncing of his Mr. Clean hair cut and into his eyes. Other than the two snow jobs that the Blues gave Luongo they have not come close to getting in his face. If the Blues think that's going to work on a all-star goalie like Luongo they better think again they better start getting in his kitchen.
The Blues finally got one with 1:44 to go in the second on the power play St.Louis leading scorer Brad Boyes scored it after a big shot from the blue line. Which came out to him and he made no mistake Luongo made a desperate dive with his stick which he just missed. After 40 minutes Vancouver leads 2-1 and were out shooting St.Louis 20-16 and what has become the norm early in the playoffs the refs did everything in their power to take any flow out of the game give out 14 penalties 8 to Vancouver and 6 to St.Louis but doesn't everybody pay to see the refs call penalties what a bunch of boneheads. Of the first 40 minutes more than 20 of them were played on the power play.
At the start of the third Chris Mason was tested three times in the first 30 seconds turning them all aside. At the 6:12 of the third and only one after he whistle scrum and just two penalties. Finally Mats Sundin realized that there was a hockey game be played and it only took 50 minutes. Not bad for a guy who took months to make up his mind if he was going to play this season. At the 14:02 mark of the the period the Canucks were outshouting the Blues 15-2.
For a team like the Blues who are down by one and don't have a lot of playoff games under there belts it is not looking good for them. You can see the Canucks licking their chops hungry for a win and the series lead. Compared to the first two periods with the penalties and after the whistle scrums the third looks like a different game all together. Which the Canucks carried the play for pretty much the whole period. The Canucks and Luongo managed to fight off the Blues attack in the last 45 seconds and hold on for a 2-1 win and a 1-0 lead in the series game two takes place Friday April 17 in Vancouver.
Elsewhere it was Pittsburgh winning 4-1 over Philly it was Sidney Crosby,Tyler Kennedy,Evgeni Malkin, Mark Eaton scoring for the Pens. Simon Gagne got the only goal for the Flyers who now trail Pittsburgh 1-0 in the series. Game 2 goes Friday April 17 in Pittsburgh.
The Rangers were the only road team to win on the opening night of the playoffs downing Washington 4-3. As it was Scott Gomez,Nik Antropov,Markus Naslund,Brandon Dubinski scoring for the blue shirts. Replying for the Caps Tomas Fleischman,Viktor Kozlov,Alexander Semin. New York leads 1-0 game two goes Saturday April 18 in Washington
In New Jersey it was the Devils beating the Canes 4-1 to take a 1-0 lead in the series. Mike Mottau,Zack Parise,Patrik Elias,Jamie Langenbrunner getting the goals for New Jersey. Ray Whitney got the only goal for Carolina. Game 2 takes place Friday April 17 in New Jersey.
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