Canucks and Blues – Take 3
You can look at stats, you can look at numbers, and in fact here they are:
87.3 – Percent of the time a team that leads 2-0 in a best-of-seven series has gone on to win. Teams that trail 2-0 in a best-of-seven series have won on just 37 occasions out of 291 times entering this year’s playoffs. The last team to rebound from a 2-0 series deficit to win was the Edmonton Oilers in the 2006 Western Conference Semi-Finals against the San Jose Sharks.
But numbers are numbers and while the odds are favorable the Canucks are going to be in tough tonight. Pavol Demitra said based on his time in St. Louis, “St. Louis is a great place to play. It was a huge fan base, always sold out, always loud.” The Canucks up 2-0 in this best of 7 series have a little less pressure on them to win tonight than the Blues do. The Canucks now have a potential 5 chances to win 2 games if they want to move on to the Western Conference Semi-Final.
Tonight the Blues are going to be desperate. In a series that has been exciting to watch so far the Blues have tried to get in the Canucks heads trying everything from chirping off at a faceoff, showering Luongo in snow and trying to push the Sedins around. This year our boys are ready, they’re on their game. St. Louis’ antics have been in vain as Luongo’s play, as he said, only gets better the more they try and “challenge him” with their attempts to throw him off his game.
Sundin made his first appearance on the playoff score sheet and a lot more is expected of the 6’5”, 231 lbs Swedish center. His early lack of success was excused because his playoff value was where the Canucks were supposed to really feel his presence. In the last few games of the regular season and the first two games of the playoffs Mats has certainly proven he’s saving the best for last. He’s been hustling with the rest of the team and if he keeps that up his veteran skill and presence is going to yield more than just his game 2 goal.
The Canucks have to come out flying and they proved they could do that in game 2 after the adrenaline had worn off so I don’t think they’ll have an issue doing that. Taking this series by the throat is in the Canucks best interest and not just because of the wrath of the bandwagon that they might face if they don’t. Paul Kariya skated practice with the Blues today and is still on pace for his return in game 4. If the Canucks give up this game, Kariya comes back and sparks the Blues to a game 4 victory then the Canucks could find themselves flying back from St. Louis in a series knotted at 2 apiece, a complete momentum reversal and the always brutal Vancouver media to contend with.
EDIT: Rumour has it Kariya might start as early as tonight in Game 3. Either way his return will spark the Blues no doubt and the Canucks need to be ready for that and come out firing on all cylinders.
