ERIC DUHATSCHEK

Sharks pushed to the brink of playoff extinction

First, the big picture questions, in their probable order of importance, to the floundering San Jose Sharks,

as they come to grips with the fact that they are one loss away from playoff elimination:

1. Will team captain Joe Thornton be ready and able to play in Tuesday‘s potentially deciding game of the

Western Conference final, after leaving Sunday‘s 4-2 loss to the Vancouver Canucks with a shoulder

injury of undisclosed severity? Coach Todd McLellan had no update on Thornton‘s condition

immediately afterward, which is probably not a good sign. Thornton, the team‘s leading playoff scorer,

was injured after the Canucks‘ Raffi Torres caught him with a shoulder-to-shoulder check by the boards

deep in the San Jose zone. Thornton was turned the wrong way, didn‘t see the contact coming; and wasn‘t

available at the end as the Sharks made a furious push for the tying goal.

2. Can the Sharks put Sunday‘s peculiar contest behind them, in which they received the first five power-

play opportunities of the game and the Canucks the next five? McLellan talked about how the game was

played in three phases and he had it bang on. If San Jose had done more with the man advantage during

Phase 1, then maybe they wouldn‘t have crippled by the results Phase 2 - the three power-play goals

scored by Vancouver in a 1:55 span of the second period, all on 5-on-3s. In Phase 3, the Sharks played

pretty well, but as defenceman Dan Boyle noted afterward, it is easy to play well once a game reaches the

nothing-to-lose stage, where you can gamble with impudence, knowing it doesn‘t matter much one way

or the other if you get scored upon.

3. Will there ever be a time when the run of play in this series happens at even strength, just to see what

the top two teams in the Western Conference can do, in a game not decided by special teams play?

Question 3 is naturally more for the aesthetes, who include among their number, the Sharks‘ Ryane

Clowe, a plain-spoken Newfoundlander. Clowe was as puzzled as anyone by a series in which 15 of the

29 goals have been scored with the man advantage, including the first three in yesterday afternoon‘s

game. All the conspiracy theorists muttering dark threats about the Canucks not getting a fair shake from

referees Kelly Sutherland and Eric Furlatt needed to make a quick about-face when the penalty parade

completely reversed.

―You got guys trying to get in the game, but when you‘ve got that many power plays and PKs going back

and forth, it takes the rhythm and momentum out of the game,‖ assessed Clowe.

―I can‘t remember a series with this many penalties. It‘s crazy. Then all of a sudden, in the third, it‘s ‗OK,

we‘re going to let you guys play.‘ It makes no sense to me.‖

The penalty-filled game hearkened back to the first days of the post-lockout era, when eliminating

obstruction was the NHL‘s most pressing goal. The unhappy byproduct of that watchfulness is to

minimize the game‘s natural ebb and flow. Vancouver and San Jose were the top two power-play teams in

the league this season for a reason, so their relative successes with the man advantage are not unexpected.

The larger problem for the Sharks was how well Vancouver adjusted its penalty killing, after surrendering

goals on San Jose‘s first five power-play chances of the series.

―They tightened things up,‖ said McLellan. ―They stood at the line a little better. But when you look at

our execution, our passing, our face-offs, our opportunities to win pucks, when you‘re against the No. 1

penalty kill in the league, you have to be sharp - and we weren‘t.‖

So it‘s back-to-the-drawing board for the Sharks today. They‘ll practice here Monday morning, get an

update on Thornton and then fly in to Vancouver to assess what‘s left in the tank Tuesday for a

potentially deciding fifth game of the series. If Thornton can‘t play - or tries to go at less than 100 per

cent - they‘ll need more from Dany Heatley and others to stay alive. McLellan isn‘t sugar-coating the

challenge at hand, but isn‘t raising the white flag either.

―We‘ve got a tough task ahead of us,‖ said McLellan, ―but Vancouver knows, we know, Detroit knows,

Chicago knows that anything can happen.‖

Canucks sink Sharks in Game 4

MATTHEW SEKERES

San Jose— Globe and Mail

Christian Ehrhoff‘s injury in Game 3 of the Western Conference final became a blessing in disguise for

the Vancouver Canucks.

Minus their top offensive defenceman, head coach Alain Vigneault was forced to make some changes on

the top power-play unit, and replaced Ehrhoff with veteran Sami Salo, who possess one of the hardest

slap shots in the NHL. The move, which began in the late stages of Game 3, and carried over to Game 4

Sunday, led to a 4-2 win over the San Jose Sharks at the HP Pavilion, and a 3-1 series lead.

Salo scored two goals during five-on-three power plays, and the Canucks grabbed a series stranglehold

heading into Game 5 Tuesday at Rogers Arena. Vancouver is just one victory away from its first Stanley

Cup finals appearance in 17 years, and the team was sent off in style by thousands of Canucks fans who

made the trip to San Jose and saluted their team with chants of ―we want the Cup‖ as it left the ice.

―It‘s been a long journey this year,‖ said Salo, who missed all but 27 regular-season games this year after

rupturing his Achilles tendon last summer. ―But obviously it is really exciting. It‘s the first time in my

long career to have a chance to play in the Western Conference finals...it couldn‘t be any better.‖

The 12-year veteran from Finland has played on some excellent teams in his NHL tenure; the famed West

Coast Express clubs in Vancouver earlier this decade, and the Ottawa Senators as they were cresting

towards a Presidents‘ Trophy campaign in 2002-03.

―In all the years I‘ve been here, we‘ve had great teams,‖ the 36-year-old said. ―It just seems that this year,

the team is really united together.‖

Sharks head coach Todd McLellan admitted that his team couldn‘t handle Vancouver‘s new look during

three five-on-three situations in the middle period. The Canucks scored on every occasion, and became

the first team in NHL history to score three five-on-three goals in a playoff game.

Vancouver had just one five-on-three goal during the 82-game regular season, but Salo scored twice just

16 seconds apart with his famed slapper.

―You‘ve got to find a way to get in those lanes,‖ McLellan said. ―We‘re not giving up three five-on-three

goals to that team and coming back.‖

McLellan explained that a right-handed shooter like Salo, as opposed to the left-handed Ehrhoff, opened

up a lot more ice for the Canucks, and allowed Henrik Sedin to feed some easy passes for powerful one-

time shots.

―It opened a lot of different options for me as a passer,‖ Sedin said.

Special teams were a huge key as Vancouver killed off San Jose‘s first five power plays before exploding

in the second period. The Canucks set five postseason club records in the game, including the fastest three

goals (1 minute 55 seconds), and the fastest two goals by one player (Salo).

―The penalty-killing was huge,‖ winger Daniel Sedin said. ―When you take that number of penalties in

the early going, you have to kill them off.‖

Henrik Sedin had four assists, and brother Daniel had three as the twins continue to be dominant in this

puck-possession series. Ryan Kesler scored his first goal in five games, and Alex Burrows iced the win

with a tally early in the third.

Roberto Luongo made 33 saves, while Antti Niemi was torched for four goals on just 13 shots, the fewest

in Vancouver‘s postseason history.

Vigneault said that he faced some tough decisions on defence after losing Ehrhoff and Aaron Rome

(upper-body injury) in Game 3. He replaced them with Keith Ballard, who hadn‘t played since Game 2 of

the previous round, and rookie Chris Tanev, who was playing his first career playoff game. But the most

significant move was elevating Salo to the No. 1 power play.

―Without a doubt, Sami‘s shot is a big weapon,‖ the coach said. ―Sami‘s shot was available, and we used

it twice.‖

GARY MASON

Canucks one win away from Stanley Cup final

GARY MASON | Columnist profile | E-mail

San Jose, Calif.— From Monday's Globe and Mail

Long after the final horn had sounded Henrik Sedin still had his game face on. His team‘s 4-2 win over

the San Jose Sharks on Sunday put it one win away from the Stanley Cup final – a place the Vancouver

Canucks haven‘t been for 17 years.

Thousands of the team‘s fans had travelled to California from Vancouver to take in the game. O Canada

had never sounded as loud as it did Sunday at HP Pavilion arena. Back in Vancouver, meantime, the

streets were alive with the jubilant sounds of cars honking and people screaming about some Cup they

badly wanted.

Amid the hysteria, how did the talented but ever stoic Canucks captain not get caught up in the possibility

of what Sunday‘s win created? One more victory, in Vancouver on Tuesday, and the Canucks would have

their best-ever chance of ending their 40-year Cup drought.

―We‘ve been in this situation before, up 3-1, and the last win is always the hardest to get as we‘ve found

out,‖ said Sedin, who set franchise playoff records for most assists in a game (four) and most assists in a

series (nine and counting).

―We need to treat this next game as a Game 7.‖

And so it was with all the Canucks players. No smiles. Not even a grin of satisfaction. ―This series is far

from over,‖ said goaltender Roberto Luongo, who turned in his strongest performance of the Western

Conference final. ―That is a very good team over there.‖

Maybe, but not on this day.

Heading into Game 4, the Canucks acknowledged that they had to do a few things better than they did in

their previous outing. One, they needed to stay out of the penalty box. But when they ended up there, they

needed to do a better job of killing off their penalties. Power-play goals by San Jose were Vancouver‘s

undoing in Game 3.

But the game wasn‘t a minute old when Canucks winger Tanner Glass got called for tripping. There

would be three more Vancouver penalties before the period was over, including one to Raffi Torres just as

time ran out. The good news for the Canucks is that their penalty kill was in mid-season form. San Jose

couldn‘t get anything set up and had few quality chances.

Sharks coach Todd McLellan said afterward that the game had three distinct phases. And his team‘s

inability to capitalize on the power play in the first period was phase one.

Phase two encompassed the seismic events of the next 20 minutes.

The Sharks had two power-play chances early and failed to score on either. After that, they were the team

taking all the penalties and in bunches. San Jose gave the Canucks three five-on-three opportunities and

Vancouver scored on each of them. Ryan Kesler got his first goal of this series and Sami Salo unleashed

his bomb from just inside the blueline to get two others. Vancouver skated off the ice with a 3-0 lead and

you had a feeling they were leaving with more than that.

While penalties were certainly the story of this game, so was San Jose‘s utter inability to do anything

five-on-five. In Game 3, the Sharks were far better than Vancouver at even strength. It was the Sharks‘

intensity that was largely responsible for Vancouver taking 10 penalties. But that passion and urgency

was strangely missing from San Jose‘s game on Sunday. It was the Canucks with all the jump, almost

from the minute the puck was dropped.

In the third period – McLellan‘s phase three – the teams exchanged goals and the Sharks put on a bit of a

charge and played their best hockey of the game. But it was too late. ―We‘re not giving up three five-on-

three goals to that team and coming back,‖ McLellan said. ―Just not going to happen.‖

And it‘s hard to believe they are going to come back from a 3-1 series hole either. Not against a team that

has, for the most part, been dominant in this Western Conference final.

Vancouver made all the right and necessary adjustments after its 4-3 loss on Friday and it showed. The

Canucks‘ penalty killing was a critical difference maker. The more the kills built up, the more confidence

the penalty killers got, Kesler said after the game. And the more the kills built up the more the San Jose

players got frustrated, McLellan said.

He didn‘t look like a coach who liked the odds his team is facing.

―Do you believe you have the talent to win three straight games?‖ he was asked after the game.

―We‘re going to find out,‖ he replied.

Something tells me he already knows the answer.

Canucks hook Sharks with 4-2 victory in San Jose

By Jason Botchford, The Province

Alex Burrows was talking about the game, referencing the moment it turned and how the Canucks could

feel it.

But when he declared "we smelled blood" he could have been speaking for the city of Vancouver, or the

thousands of Canucks fans here. Many of them drove 16 hours just to see Sunday's game. They came with

hope. They left believers. Loud, towel-swinging believers.

The Canucks are one win away from making it to the Stanley Cup final and the only clear advantage the

Sharks have in this series is in the department of post-game coach's comments.

On those, Todd McLellan has Alain Vigneault beat all day long. It's not, however, going to help his team

on the ice.

"We were licking our chops even more. We were smelling blood," said Burrows, when asked about the

string of power plays the Canucks used to score three two-man advantage goals. "We made them pay

tonight, but we know there is a lot of work ahead. They are not going to give up easy.

"We have to forget about this one."

Many of us would like to do the same even if this game is now enshrined in the record books. The

Canucks are the first playoff team in history to score three 5-on-3 goals. They did it in a virtual blink, too.

It took just 1:55 to score three, another Vancouver playoff record.

No one had to worry about the ice ruining a noon start in California, the day after a Prince concert. The

officials took care of that all on their own. Together, referees Kelly Sutherland and Eric Furlatt took over

the Western Conference final. They called a penalty on the first shift and may still have been calling them

on the beach later Sunday afternoon. They made sure the most rare phrase you heard all game was: Pretty

good non-call. By the time they let some 5-on-5 action go, the game was over.

But in a game officials ruined, the Canucks salvaged a 4-2 win which gives them a 3-1 series lead.

"We're excited obviously," Roberto Luongo said. "But the series is far from over. We know that as we've

seen in the first two series, the last one is always the toughest one to win."

Luongo was better than Antti Niemi. The Sedins were better than Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau.

Chris Tanev was better than anyone had the right to expect. And the Canucks patience and poise was

better than it has ever been.

Burrows suggested that maybe Sunday's win doesn't happen in any year before this one. His former teams

would have been unhinged after killing five straight power plays in the game's first 22 minutes. They

would have let frustration bleed on to the ice, and into the officials' ears.

"For sure," Burrows said. "But we stayed off the ref better. We let them ref their game. We didn't really

get after them at all. We kept thinking about our next shift. We kept focusing on what we had to do on the

ice."

It wasn't easy.

"I thought after the third one, we were going to get the next call. Then, after the fourth one, I thought we

were going to get the next call. And then we didn't," Burrows said. "It was five (consecutive San Jose

power plays).

"I said 'Okay, we're doing good things. We're killing these out there. But we have to keep pushing the

pace.'

"When we did, I think that was when hockey gods (got there)."

If that's true, the hockey gods arrived just as the Sharks checked out. San Jose took four penalties in a

2:46 stretch. McLellan later ripped his players for a lack of discipline, making no bones about the fact

they earned what they got.

The Canucks swarmed, doing what they couldn't do in Game 3: They scored two-man advantage goals.

They did it with some joy stick puck movement from the Sedins. It was fast and clinical. The passing set

Sami Salo up for two goals on slap shots which were so heavy they could make it rain. Even in

California.

Salo gave credit to the twins. Henrik had four points and now leads the NHL in playoff scoring. The twins

though understand what it means when Salo is firing like that.

"He's a right hand shot and he shoots as hard as anyone in the league," Daniel said. "When he gets those

looks and he gets the shot on, it's going to go in.

"When he plays like this, I think he's a top defenceman in the league. He can play in any situation."

Daniel said the 5-on-3 was no different in terms of set up than it was in Game 3, where the Canucks failed

to score despite a two-man advantage which lasted more than two minutes.

"Maybe we're passing better," Daniel quipped.

Luongo was as good he's been in a month. He had to be. He faced 35 shots and Niemi saw just 13.

Luongo was calm in the net, and made some excellent saves on the penalty kill. He filed away superb

saves on Joe Pavelski and a Ryane Clowe tip.

Getting out of the first in a scoreless game was an escape job for the Canucks. Their penalty killing had

been struggling badly in the series. Six of San Jose's nine goals coming in to Game 4 were on the power

play. The Canucks had to kill three, including one 26 seconds in, before Raffi Torres was called for

charging to end the first period.

But as the Torres penalty expired, Dan Hamhuis got flagged for a soft hook that was more like a push.

"If you kill those off, it turns in your favour," Daniel said. "We knew were going to get some calls. And

we did."

Everything turned when Dany Heatley took the first Sharks penalty, a high stick behind the play on Cody

Hodgson. Fifty seconds into the power play, Torrey Mitchell got his stick caught up under Daniel Seidn

for a trip.

Just 11 seconds later both Douglas Murray and Pavelski played a Salo slap shot, only to get faked. Salo

dished it to Ryan Kesler who went high, short side on Niemi. It was only 1-0, but the Sharks unravelled.

Logan Couture jumped on the ice early for a too many men penalty.

Salo took the opportunity to unleash the hounds again, sending a massive slap shot into the net. He did

almost the same thing after Murray got the automatic delay of game call for flipping a puck into the

stands.

Sharks couldn't undo damage inflicted by Canucks

By Ben Kuzma, The Province

SAN JOSE — Todd McLellan called a time-out to stop the bleeding Sunday. His timing was off. Way

off.

When the Vancouver Canucks scored a trio of 5-on-3 power-play goals on four shots in less than two

minutes of the second period — the first time that has occurred in NHL postseason history — the gaping

psychological wound couldn't be soothed by a few wise words from the San Jose Sharks coach to swing

momentum in a 4-2 loss. It has left the Sharks on the brink of Stanley Cup elimination.

Truth be told, McLellan should have brought out the motivational bandages earlier in the second period

after the Sharks flubbed their fifth-straight power play before the Canucks enjoyed their first. Those were

the self-inflicted wounds that proved their undoing to trail the Western Conference final 3-1 with Game 5

set for Tuesday at Rogers Arena.

After all, the Sharks held a 35-15 shot advantage and knew they shot themselves in the special-teams foot.

They went 0-for-5 on the power play while the Canucks went 3-for-5. If they keep this up, the closest

they'll get to the Stanley Cup is the souvenir shop because McLellan couldn't even complain about the

penalties that fuelled the 5-on-3s.

"I didn't like the penalties that originated them," he said. "We kept marching to the box and they kept

scoring. I can't sit here and whine and bitch about the officiating. Our power play sucked some of the life

out of our team and you're not giving up three 5-on-3 power-play goals on that team and coming back. It's

just not happening."

What did happen in the third period was a better push, but sustaining momentum has always been a

postseason challenge for a team that looks so good on paper and so confusing on the ice. The Sharks

looked for a spark by changing lines — Logan Couture with Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau and Devin

Setoguchi dropping down with Ryane Clowe and Joe Pavelski — but by that time the damage had been

done. Thornton was then done after leaving following a shoulder-to-shoulder hit from Raffi Torres.

The Sharks finally got to Roberto Luongo when Andrew Desjardins deflected a Marc-Edouard Vlasic

point shot home before Clowe buried a cross-ice feed from Couture past the goalie's glove. But the push

back at the end was never the real plan. It was to press the issue early, press the Canucks into taking

penalties and win the special-teams battle because they had been outscored 8-3 at even strength through

three games.

"We didn't mind our start, but you've got to build momentum," said Clowe. "On our [power play] entry,

they had four guys across the line. We got through, but we didn't have good looks at the net. They were

more aggressive and all over the ice. When you get five [power plays] in a row, you've got to put one in at

least."

When the Sharks squandered their fifth man advantage, it put them at 6-for-18 in the series and with just

one power-play goal in their last 13 attempts. And as soon as the Canucks got their chance, it didn't take

long for momentum to swing.

"You figure they're going to get theirs," said defenceman Dan Boyle. "You have to expect the calls are

going to go the other way and they did in a hurry."

The second-period brain cramps to spark the scoring spree said it all. After Dany Heatley took a high-

sticking minor on Cody Hodgson, Torrey Mitchell followed with a lazy hook on Daniel Sedin before

Couture got confused on a line change and the Sharks were caught with too many men on the ice.

Douglas Murray then took a delay of game penalty. Henrik and Daniel Sedin then racked up five points in

the next 1:55.

"It tough to kill a 5-on-3, you're supposed to score on those," said Couture. "We gave the Sedins more

time and space and they're going to make plays because they're some of the best players in the world. We

lost the special-teams battled. We just didn't bury our chances."

It looked like Game 4 would swing in the Sharks' favour early.

When Tanner Glass chirped in the ear of Jamie McGinn during the opening face-off, the Canucks winger

drew the attention of the referees and promptly drew a tripping minor on Ian White just 26 seconds into

the pivotal game. However, when Antti Niemi was forced to make a shorthanded save off Mason

Raymond on an odd-man rush with Jannik Hansen, it was a sign of the troubling times for the Sharks.

After scoring three power-play goals in Game 3, they had obvious trouble adjusting and looked

disorganized at the best of times as the Canucks took away those nifty passes they like to execute in the

slot.

"It's a simple series," summed up Heatley, who has just one assist. "Two very good offensive teams who

want to play in the other team's end. But we've got to be better. We've got to spend more time in their end.

Ed Willes: Luongo solid — and he has to keep it up

By Ed Willes, The Province

To help celebrate the national holiday – henceforth known as Henrik Sedin Day in B.C. – we offer a

special web edition of the Monday morning musings and meditations on the world of sports which means,

of course, the world of the Canucks.

By now, no one should expect Roberto Luongo to win games single-handedly. Nor should they expect

him to be the Canucks' best player on a regular basis. Nor should they expect the goaltending

pyrotechnics others have offered in the postseason.

This, after all, is 2011, not 2007 and the Canucks have long since outgrown their dependency on Luongo.

What they simply require from their $10-million goalie is a steady, poised professional level of play. That

standard hasn't always been met in these playoffs but it certainly was on Sunday afternoon and the timing

was pretty good from a Canucks' perspective.

Luongo didn't have to stand on his head in the first period but he had to be solid and his play during the

three penalty kills allowed his team to escape the opening frame with a tie. The Canucks' own power play

took over in the second period but the game's defining moments came in the first when Luongo shut the

door.

Thus far, he's been average to slightly above average in these playoffs but, Sunday afternoon, he was a

difference-maker for the first time since Game 3 of the opening round series against Chicago. This

Canucks' team might be good enough to win the Stanley Cup without Luongo at the top of his game but

one thing is certain.

It will be a lot easier if he is.

Canucks general manager Mike Gillis is up for the new GM-of-the-year award thingy in Las Vegas and if

he doesn't win, there should be an investigation.

Game 4, in fact, provided a telling commentary on Gillis's work in building the organization's depth,

particularly on the blueline. Chris Tanev and Keith Ballard stepped in seamlessly for the injured pair of

Christian Ehrhoff and Aaron Rome and not a lot of teams can call on replacement parts of that quality

when regulars go down.

But the real story for the Canucks was Sami Salo taking Ehrhoff's place on the power play and producing

the two five-on-three goals. Salo's offence was a forgotten part of the Canucks' blueline configuration but

it was there when it was needed.

Again, how many teams can replace their quarterback power play with a player like Salo and not miss a

beat?

The ending is yet to be determined but, when the history of the Canucks' playoff run is written, we'll look

back at the five days between the Nashville series and the Western Conference final as the crucial

development for the Orcans.

Henrik Sedin was a shadow of himself against the Preds and, while the precise nature of his injury won't

be revealed until after the playoffs, he was clearly impaired. Since the five days off, however, he's rattled

off 10 points in four games against the Sharks and his four-assist outing in Game 4 – including that

ridiculous pass to Alex Burrows on the fourth goal - might go down as the defining performance of his

career here.

Against the Preds, Henrik looked like a liability. Now, he's back in the Conn Smythe conversation and

that's a pretty neat trick when you think about it.

Lord knows there have been better playoff games than Game 4 but you doubt if there have been any

weirder. There were five straight power plays for the Sharks in just over a period followed by three

straight five-on-threes for the Canucks and three five-on-three goals in less than two minutes. In the

second period, the Canucks scored three goals on four shots and Antti Niemi didn't have a chance on any

of them.

Final shots on goal, by the way, were 35-13 for San Jose so naturally you'd expect the Canucks to win 4-

2.

That said, the Sharks were victimized by the stupidest rule in professional sports when Douglas Murray

went off for shooting the puck over the glass. To reiterate, this is a league where you can take a run at an

opponent and jeopardize their career with a head shot and there's a 50-50 chance it will be called a minor

penalty. But shoot the puck over the glass, which is generally a play that has nothing to do with anything

as was the case with Murray, and off you go.

Sorry, don't get it.

Finally, you hope the injury suffered by Joe Thornton isn't serious enough to keep him out of Game 5

because Jumbo has made liars out of a lot of people with his performance in these playoffs. He's been the

Sharks' best player by a million miles but, more importantly, he's been the kind of leader that few thought

he'd ever become.

If the Sharks do lose this series, he deserves to out on his shield, not sitting in the press box.

Ponchos, jerseys and a three-metre-long shark

Vancouver fans take to the streets for crucial 4-2 win over Sharks

By Ian Austin, The Province

More than 500 hardy Vancouver Canucks fans rode an emotional and meteorological rollercoaster

Sunday as they watched the pivotal Game 4 of a back-and-forth series with the San Jose Sharks at

Vancouver's outdoor CBC Plaza.

Win, and their hockey heroes have a 3-1 stranglehold one win away from the Stanley Cup finals, lose and

they're stuck in a rugged 2-2 brawl-for-it-all.

After Friday's undisciplined loss to the Sharks, the Canucks took up where they left off with five straight

penalties, their hockey instincts as cold as the slashing rain falling on the poncho-clad crowd.

―Our penalty kill is much better than last game,‖ said never-say-die Canucks fan Maureen Prasad, a 21-

year-old sporting good assistant manager who knows her hockey. ―We're much better in the defensive

zone.‖

Despite the steady string of penalties, Prasad was feeling hopeful.

―It was my birthday on Wednesday, when we beat the Sharks 7-3,‖ she said. ―That's the best present I've

ever had.‖

Also keeping the faith in the face of penalty after penalty was Maichaelyn Nakata, keeping dry under a

huge homemade hat featuring her hero, league scoring leader Daniel Sedin.

―I love Daniel Sedin,‖ gushed the 24-year-old Vancouver dental receptionist, who had "Go Canucks Go"

and Sedin's number "22" face-painted on her cheek. ―I hope they will win. I want to see Daniel Sedin in

person.‖

The most popular man in the crowd was arguably Mike Marcellin, who rolled up in a pickup truck with a

three-metre-long rubber shark strung up on the back bumper and a Canucks flag adorning an oversized

fishing pole.

―I don't think we have too much to worry about,‖ said the confident 25-year-old Surrey construction

manager as fan after fan posed for photos with the beached predator.

As it turned out, penalties did play a huge role in the game – Sharks penalties.

After handing out five straight penalties to the Canucks, the referees turned their attention to the San Jose

skaters – sending two Sharks off and giving the Canucks a rare 5-on-3 power play.

Ryan Kesler sent the still-soggy crowd into delirium with a power-play goal, finally contributing after a

so-far so-so San Jose series. Tony Vanon played his djembe drum like there was no tomorrow, and an

impromptu street dance had hundreds in ecstacy.

Then, perhaps the pivotal point in a pivotal game, San Jose was called for a too-many-men penalty, the

classic brain-dead infraction for players making millions.

San Jose coach Todd McLellan could be seen yelling at his team – always a sign that things are not going

well. He didn't have to wait long for the results of the team's brain cramp – Sami Salo's super slapshot

served up two goals, for a total of three goals in a team-record 1 minute 55 seconds.

The crowd's roar became deafening, as Vanan led the crowd in a new take on a classic hockey chant –

"Sa-mi Sa-lo .. clap-clap ... clap-clap-clap."

―This is so exciting – this is awesome,‖ exulted Folake Adesugba, as the face-painted 19-year-old

Richmond student peeled off her blue Canucks jersey to reveal an Alex Burrows T-shirt underneath.

―This is why we're staying in the rain, because we believe.

―This is why we're here.‖

A thrilling third period warmed the crowd, and a highlight-reel Henrik-Sedin-to-Alex-Burrows goal

managed to chase even the rain clouds away.

But with a spot in the Stanley Cup final at stake, San Jose started a startling comeback in this see-saw

affair, with two Sharks' goals cooling off the celebrations for a time.

But with time winding down, and the crowd smelling victory (or was that Sharks' blood) an exultant

djembe-led 'Go Canucks Go' chant followed San Jose captain Patrick Marleau to the penalty box, and

with him any chance of a Sharks' comeback win.

Parmvir Thind was already preparing his own personal Stanley Cup presentation – he brought a

homemade imitation Cup to the game and held it proudly aloft at the final whistle.

―It's amazing – I'm having so much fun,‖ said the 17-year-old Surrey student, pointing at his very own

Stanley Cup.

―This is the year -we're winning it for sure.‖

Game 4 officials were trying to "calm" things down

By Botchford

In an unorthodox move right out of ... well, no one's book, Alain Vigneault tried to go tough early in

Game 4, putting Raffi Torres and Tanner Glass in his starting lineup with Ryan Kesler.

Maybe he was trying to send a message, but it only served to say: Hey, call a penalty on us.

And that's what happened to Glass, who referee Eric Furlatt pulled aside for a warning after he saw him

doing nothing but competing with Jamie McGinn, the guy who knocked out both Aaron Rome and

Christian Ehrhoff in Game3.

"He said 'Calm down here,'" Glass said. "I said 'I'm not fired up. I am calm here. But if you're going to run

a guy, there's going to be consequences.'

"I told him that and I don't think he was happy with my response and then I got a pretty, well I got a call

right after. I don't want to say what it was either way."

This was on the first shift. The officials were trying to calm the game down on the first shift. You could

say the Canucks were looking for trouble with that lineup, and some ways they were. Or you could say

the officials were looking to make their mark early. Mybe even looking to make a call early.

Making the most of opportunity

MATTHEW SEKERES

San Jose, Calif. — Globe and Mail Blog

Shots, shots, shots, shots, shots.

Or lack thereof.

Pretty astonishing that you can win a playoff game, and get four goals in the process, with just 13 shots

on goal.

That was the case in Game 4, however. The Canucks won 4-2 with just 13 attempts on San Jose Sharks

goaltender Antti Niemi, and with just 31 shots directed at net (nine blocked, nine missed the target).

n the last round, defenceman Kevin Bieksa was asked about the key to beating the Nashville Predators,

and he responded by quoting a line -- ―shots, shots, shots, shots...‖ -- from a song by LMFAO.

In this case, all the Canucks needed were some well-placed shots by Sami Salo and Ryan Kesler to jump

out to a 3-0 lead. They had just 10 shots through two periods, and just four shots during their three-goal

second.

Some other observations and impressions on Game 4...

VANCOUVER

Five-on-three

Alain Vigneault will say the Canucks didn‘t have a lot of two-man advantages during the regular season,

and of course some came when Salo was laid up with his heel injury. But given how unstoppable

Vancouver looked with Henrik Sedin feeding the right-handed Salo -- as opposed to the left-handed

Christian Ehrhoff, who would otherwise had been there if not for his injury -- one has to wonder why the

coach didn‘t make this move earlier?

Penalty-killing

Hats off to the Canucks forwards, who badgered San Jose‘s point men, and pressured the Sharks forwards

on the side boards. The Sharks opened the series scoring on their first five power plays, but they went 0-

for-5 Sunday. Adjustments made. Adjustments working.

SAN JOSE

Defencemen

Dan Boyle had nine shots on goal, or almost as many as the Canucks had through two periods, and just

four shy of their game total. He came to play, and so did Marc-Edouard Vlasic, who had an assist and

finished plus-two. Alas, outside of those two, and granite block Douglas Murray, San Jose simply doesn‘t

have the back-end personnel to play with Vancouver.

Joe Thornton and Dany Heatley

Two Canadian Olympians and gold medallists, but their Stanley Cup dreams are on the verge of being

shattered again. Thornton was very quiet before leaving the game in the third period after a Raffi Torres

hit. Heatley used to score goals, but has just one in his last 10 games. A one-dimensional sniper, when he

doesn‘t score, he looks slow and takes undisciplined penalties. An $8 million sinkhole.

Henrik's Sedinery a marvel for Alex Burrows

By Iain MacIntyre,

SAN JOSE, Calif. - After nearly bursting the net with a pair of pucks perfectly teed up for him by Henrik Sedin, Vancouver Canucks defenceman Sami Salo humbly asserted Sunday it doesn't matter who plays the point on the power play as long as Sedin is on the ice to feather passes.

Like all the great passers in any sport, Sedin will make sure the puck is where it needs to be when it needs to be there.

Mostly it needed to be on Salo's stick. But at 5:43 of the third period of Game 4 against the San Jose Sharks, the puck needed to be pulled wide on to Sedin's backhand, then slipped brilliantly back between the pads of goalie Antti Niemi until it bumped into the stick of linemate Alex Burrows' and crossed the goal-line.

It was a little tap-in for Burrows and a giant exclamation point on Henrik Sedin's virtuoso performance. The centre set a team playoff record with four assists in the Canucks' 4-2 win against the Sharks, which leaves Vancouver one win shy of its first Stanley Cup final appearance since 1994.

Sedin, blistered by some critics earlier in the National Hockey League playoffs, now leads the Stanley Cup tournament in scoring with 19 points.

The critics fell as silent Sunday as the conspiracy absurdists, as the Canucks used three straight 5-on-3 power plays to take a 3-1 lead in games in the Western Conference final.

"I didn't even see it; it just hit my stick and it went in," Burrows said of Sedin's amazing pass that made it 4-1 early in the third period. "Every time I have a chance to go on a 2-on-1 with him, I just try to keep my stick on the ice and hope that it comes and make sure I'm ready."

Burrows has scored on about 80 passes from Sedin the last three years, but he had never seen one like the feed between Niemi's wickets.

"Especially backhand," Burrows marveled. "He's a special player and we're happy to have him on our team."

Sedin amassed his four points in 17 minutes Sunday. He had four points in six games last series against the Nashville Predators when Henrik was obviously playing through injury.

He has been a different twin this series, skating better and staying stronger on the puck while teaming with brother Daniel to drive the Canuck attack, a chore that fell to Ryan Kesler against the Predators.

Daniel had three assists Sunday and the Sedins have combined for 15 points in four games against the Sharks.

Sedin is suddenly third in all-time Canuck playoff scoring, and if he manages another four points in Game 5 on Tuesday he'll move past Pavel Bure and trail only Trevor Linden.

That's pretty good company. We're watching one of the greatest players in Canuck history back near the top of his game and nudging his team toward a Stanley Cup.

Henrik wouldn't say if he feels any better physically than he did against Nashville, although he hardly has to say anything. His play and body language indicate it. And just in case, Daniel says so, too.

"I think he needed some time off and it paid off," Daniel said of the six days between the second and third rounds. "I think he's playing a lot better now and it shows. He's more confident out there, too. It was good for him. First time I've seen a pass between the legs of the goalie."

"It's fun, for sure," Henrik said. "We're both believers that if you work hard and do the right thing, it's going to turn around. When things aren't going well, you could have a [summer] break after one series. That the tough part. You've got to hang in there and hope the other guys are playing great, and they've been doing that. That's why we're here."

But Daniel and Henrik are key reasons the Canucks appear to be going farther still.

The finish line is five wins away.

Vancouver Sun: LOADED: 05.23.2011

Canucks knock off Sharks 4-2, take 3-1 NHL West final stranglehold

By Brad Ziemer,

SAN JOSE, Calif. - If the Vancouver Canucks have learned anything this season, it's that they can't afford to let themselves think too far ahead.

That's going to be especially tough now that they are just one win away from a trip to the Stanley Cup final.

That was a subject the players didn't want to particularly dwell on after they beat the San Jose Sharks 4-2 Sunday afternoon at the HP Pavilion to take a 3-1 lead in their best-of-seven Western Conference final series.

"It doesn't exactly feel like anything," winger Daniel Sedin said of being so close to the Stanley Cup final. "When we win this series it's going to feel good, but until then we know we're in for a battle."

"I think everyone realizes that the last one is the hardest," added defenceman Kevin Bieksa. "We have learned that better than anybody, so we're looking forward to the next game."

That next game is Tuesday night at Rogers Arena (6 p.m., CBC, Team 1040). Win it and the Canucks will make just the third trip to the Stanley Cup final in the 41-year history of the franchise.

Coach Alain Vigneault also didn't really want to talk about being so close to the ultimate goal.

"Give me half an hour to have a little bit of fun here and then ask me tomorrow about that," Vigneault said in his post-game press conference. "I want to enjoy this a little bit here."

The Canucks broke open a scoreless game with three power-play goals, all of them on 5-on-3s, in a span of 1:55 midway through the second period.

It was a strange game. The Canucks won despite being outshot 35-13. They scored their three power-play goals after the Sharks had failed to capitalize on five power plays of their own.

"When you're against the number one penalty kill in the league, you have to be sharp, and we weren't," San Jose coach Todd McLellan said of his team's sputtering power play. "It was as simple as that. As you start rolling, you get more and more frustrated, you start to press a little bit. It snowballs, it gets worse and worse."

Defenceman Sami Salo, pressed into first-unit power-play duty in the absence of the injured Christian Ehrhoff, scored two of those 5-on-3 goals and set up the other one by Ryan Kesler.

Alex Burrows scored Vancouver's fourth goal on a sublime setup by captain Henrik Sedin, who assisted on all four Canuck goals.

Kesler got things started at the 9:16 mark of the second when took a pass from Salo and one-timed a shot from the left faceoff dot past Sharks goalie Antti Niemi. Kesler's goal marked the first time in this series the Canucks had scored first.

Salo got the next two goals, which came 16 seconds apart. Both were set up by Henrik and Daniel Sedin. The first came at the 10:55 mark when his one-timer from the middle of the ice appeared to go under the right arm of Niemi.

Salo then launched another bomb past Niemi at 11:11.

"Last game, we had a 5-on-3 and those guys were diving in front of his (Salo's) shot," Bieksa said. "They probably smartened up a little bit and figured out he has the hardest shot in the league and weren't as brave this time around."

The Sharks took a timeout to try and recover, but by that time it was too late. The damage had been done.

"In two-and-a-half minutes, we kept marching to the box, they kept scoring," McLellan said. "I can't sit here and whine and bitch about the officiating, because it had absolutely nothing to do with it. It was the team in the white that created that mess."

The Canucks scored their three second-period goals on just four shots they managed in the period.

The Sharks' penalty troubles began at 8:15 of the second when Dany Heatley was sent off for a high-stick on Cody Hodgson. Torrey Mitchell was then whistled at 9:05 for a hook on Daniel Sedin. The Sharks were called for too many men on the ice at 10:39 and at 11:01 defenceman Douglas Murray received a delay-of-game minor.

"I think every call was the right call," Daniel Sedin said. "They can't complain about those calls. We earned them and made them pay."

That chance may never have come had the Canuck penalty kill not done yeoman's work on those five earlier Shark power plays.

"We were a little more committed, we did a better job of blocking shots, their entries weren't as clean and we did a good job of disrupting things," Bieksa said of Vancouver's improved penalty-kill.

Burrows made it 4-0 at 5:43 of the third when he finished off a 2-on-1 rush with Henrik. Sedin's backhand pass went through Niemi's legs to Burrows, who tapped in the puck.

"I was looking for Burr all the way," Henrik said. "I had nothing left but to sneak it through his five-hole."

Burrows was still shaking his head after the game.

"He is able to dish backhand, forehand, saucer, underneath sticks, through legs, that kind of stuff," Burrows said of Henrik. "He is a special player."

Andrew Desjardins finally put the Sharks on the board at 7:02 of the third when he tipped a Marc-Edouard Vlasic shot past Luongo.

Ryane Clowe finished off a three-way passing play with Logan Couture and Patrick Marleau at 15:55 to make it 4-2.

Asked if his team had the talent to win the next three games against Vancouver, McLellan offered just a short answer: "We're going to find out."

ICE CHIPS: The Sharks finished the game without captain Joe Thornton, who left the ice after being hit by Vancouver forward Raffi Torres midway through the third period. Asked if he could update Thornton's condition, McLellan said: "I can't right now. We'll see once I get an update."

Vancouver Sun: LOADED: 05.23.2011

'Hockey gods' and refs give Canucks opportunity ... and power play obliges

By Cam Cole,

SAN JOSE, Calif. - The zebras giveth, and the zebras taketh away.

And it's your own damned fault if you're not in the mood to taketh when they're in a mood to giveth.

The San Jose Sharks were handed the keys to Game 4 on a silver salver Sunday, delivered as if they were white-gloved butlers by referees Kelly Sutherland and Eric Furlatt - and what did they do? Turned their noses up at five power plays in the first 24:06 of a game they absolutely had to win.

Given their turn at bat - as predictable as day following night - the Vancouver Canucks said: "Thanks, don't mind if we do."

And there was no third element to the outcome of the game that put the Canucks up 3-1 in the series, with a chance to finish it off Tuesday night at Rogers Arena (6 p.m., CBC, Team 1040).

Cheered on by what sounded like thousands of Vancouver fans, who were trying to boom out O Canada but were thwarted by the anthem singer's absence of tempo, the Canucks killed all five penalties, then became the first team in Stanley Cup playoff history to score three 5-on-3 power play goals in the same game - let alone in the span of 115 seconds - and may well have buried the Sharks with a 4-2 victory at HP Pavilion.

Sami Salo's pair of smart bombs from the point, and a one-timer from the left circle that was every bit as good by Ryan Kesler were all the Canucks really needed. On an afternoon when they were outshot 35-13 and still won the game by two, you might say they were, um, opportunistic.

The referees took this game by the scruff of the neck early and squeezed it until it screamed for mercy. There weren't many specific calls that were wildly out of whack - though there were plenty who felt Raffi Torres's early hit on Sharks burly defenceman Douglas Murray was only a borderline charge - but the body of work was impressively mood-swingy: five straight calls against Vancouver, six of the next seven against San Jose.

The penalty killers kept the Canucks' heads above water.

The power play won it.

San Jose coach Todd McLellan wasn't disputing the penalty calls on their side, considering that among the fouls that created the 5-on-3s were a too-many-men and a delay of game against Douglas Murray for shooting the puck over the glass.

"I can't sit here and whine and bitch about the penalties, it was the team in white that created that mess," he said, meaning the Canucks.

"I think it's just the law of averages," said Alex Burrows, who scored the fourth Vancouver goal on a backhand pass from Henrik Sedin so magical, he didn't even see it. "I thought after the third [penalty] we would maybe get the next call. Then after the fourth one I thought we'd get the next call. And, then we didn't, so it went to five.

"It was like, 'Okay, we're killing and we're doing good things out there, but we have to keep pushing the pace.' When we did, they got a penalty and we went on the power play, and then we were able to get three 5-on-3s. I think it was the hockey gods a little bit there, with the too-many-men and the puck over the glass. Those are tough ones for them."

After kicking themselves for getting in penalty trouble in Game 3 and vowing that they had to play more 5-on-5 hockey, that idea went right out the window quickly, but Plan B was the difference in the game.

"Yeah, you come out with the mindset of keeping it 5-on-5, but sometimes the game plays itself out and the referees want to call it a certain way," said Kevin Bieksa. "And again, I don't think we came out undisciplined - I think you could argue four of the first five calls, but that's the way they were calling it tonight, and we ended up getting our chances too. They evened it out.

"It was a great goal by Kes to get us on the board, and Sami's shot's going to get through eventually - I think they blocked a bunch of them last game on the 5-on-3, and those guys didn't look as brave this time when they were going down for it."

With Henrik Sedin dealing nothing but aces, and Salo firing rockets, the Canucks made the most of what they were given.

"He's been criticized for not shooting, and tonight I think he showed why he shouldn't shoot," Daniel said of his big brother. "He should pass, instead."

The three 5-on-3 goals were "unbelievable," Daniel said, "but every call was the right call - you can't complain about those calls, we earned them and we made them pay.

"You know you're going to get some calls back, which we certainly did."

"This time of year, you hear people talking about how this player is banged up or that guy is sore, but you know what? Right here," Sharks' Ryane Clowe said, pointing to his head,

"mentally is where teams win or lose this time of year. For some reason we kick ourselves in the rear end all the time lately.

"When we played them straight up, I think we outplayed them. But the 5-on-3's were a killer."

The Canucks' penalty kill was good, and all credit to them, but the Sharks played with zero urgency or inspiration, and that, sadly, is not a news flash for this team.

"They kept giving us chances, they kept putting themselves in a hole with dumb penalties and that's where we needed to capitalize," said Clowe. "In the second period we had [another power play] early with fresh ice, but we weren't sharp enough. And that's not physical."

"The game itself was played in three different phases," said Sharks coach Todd McLellan. "We obviously weren't very sharp when we had our power-play opportunities. So the power play sucked some of the life out of our team, then after that we're into that penalty kill phase, two-and-a-half minutes of 5-on-3, Salo being there gave them a little bit different look, a right-handed shot and a one-timer off the side they like to work.

"And then the third phase, we started to play, we got a lot sharper. We threw everything we had at them, but you're not giving up three 5-on-3 power play goals against that team and coming back.

"It's just not happening."

Vancouver Sun: LOADED: 05.23.2011

The real Henrik Sedin is back By Don Brennan, QMI Agency

At times during these playoffs, people have wondered who was wearing No. 33 for the

Vancouver Canucks.

Like the night at Rogers Arena when a fan in that jersey flipped it up to flash Ben Eager.

A number of guys wondered then.

―It wasn‘t my wife,‖ Henrik Sedin quipped afterwards. ―I can tell you that.‖

Okay then, how about the seven games - four at the end of the Chicago series and the first three

against Nashville - that saw the Canucks captain score a grand total of one assist.

Looked like him, but that wasn‘t seriously Henrik, was it? Maybe Mrs. Sedin actually had

triplets. Maybe that was Andreas Sedin. In any case, a lot of folks weren‘t impressed.

Especially those who had a high pick in their NHL playoff pool - unless ―wtf‖ actually stands

for ―(I really) wanted teddy (Purcell), frig.‖

Anyway, the real Henrik is back. And he‘s flying.

The brother of Daniel (and Andreas?) assisted on all four Canucks goals Sunday, leading his

team to within one victory of a Stanley Cup final appearance. In the four games against San Jose

thus far, Henrik has racked up 10 points to take over the playoff scoring lead.

Yes, things are now unfolding as expected.

Henrik‘s most recent point was a dandy, off a feed only he and maybe a couple of others would

even dare attempt. When was the last time you saw somebody pass the puck between the legs of

a goalie?

―I had nothing left,‖ Henrik told Hockey Night in Canada‘s Elliotte Friedman afterwards. ―I

faked a shot and their ‗D‘ played it extremely well. Only thing I had was pretty much 5-hole.

(Alex Burrows) did a good job of driving to the post (for the tap-in).‖

Fifty-eight players have scored more than the two post-season goals Henrik has to date. But

together with his 17 assists, he has moved to the top of the points race and into contention for the

Conn Smythe Trophy.

STARTS AND STOPS: The NHL stats sheet shows Raffi Torres with just one hit in Game 4.

Either someone wasn‘t paying attention, or they left off a ‗1‘. At least it seemed like the Canucks

winger ran into 11 Sharks, anyway. With all due respect to Douglas Murray and the headache the

big San Jose blue liner may now have, Torres‘ most damaging hit was one that knocked Joe

Thornton out of the game in the second period. As minute as the Sharks chance of winning this

series have become, they are non-existent if Thornton can‘t play Tuesday ... You could hear

there were a lot of Canucks fans at the Shark Tank before the cameras showed it. They made a

lot of noise for after their national anthem and -sure sounded like a lot of Vancouver fans in san

jose. both after the anthem and with their ―Louuuuuu‖-ongo chant after Roberto made an early

save off Jamie McGinn ...

BETWEEN PERIODS: Everybody knew it, Glenn Healy stated it. ―At some point the wheel is

going to turn and San Jose is going to have to kill some penalties,‖ he said after a horrible call

against Dan Hamhuis meant the Sharks were about to get their fifth power play in a row. But

three, 5-on-3s in the same period? ... At one point San Jose coach Todd McLellan stomped back

and forth behind the bench screaming at his players. His wakeup call didn‘t work ... Combined

with Daniel‘s three, we‘ll go out on a limb and say that was a record for the most helpers by

brothers on the same team in a game.

THINGS I THINK I THUNK: TV commitments or not, a big playoff game should not be

starting at noon local time. The players are not on their normal schedules and therefore are not

going to perform at their best. Hence, everybody suffers ... You hope Ryan Kesler was really

stunned by that Ryan Clowe punch in the face at the end of the game. Otherwise, the theatrics are

tarnishing the strong reputation he is building on in the playoffs ... Skating to the end boards to

pick up the puck symbolizing playoff victory No. 11, Burrows whooped it up with two fans

wearing Canucks jerseys along the glass. That had to make their day ...

BACK TO THE POINT: Dany Heatley wanted a trade from Ottawa because he felt his role had

been ―diminished.‖ After starting the third period on the third line, he‘ll surely want to know the

way out of San Jose ... McGinn was lucky he didn‘t break his neck on the Keith Ballard hip

check that sent him somersaulting through the air.

SWEET TWEETS:

The Anthem singer just put both teams to sleep, never have seen 2 anthems take 18 minutes to

sing.

-TSN panelist and former NHL goalie Jamie McLennan (@jamiemclennan29)

Jeez, Torres, how can you even be mad about getting whistled for that charge? All that was

missing was the Flintstones barreling sound effect.

-JamesOB, a writer for NBC‘s Pro Hockey Talk blog (@cyclelikesedins)

If I took 2 minors in the first period I could untie my skates for the rest of the game #

-Phoenix Coyotes tough guy Paul Bissonnette (@BizNasty2point0)

Boucher says there‘s no goalie ―situation‖ and Roloson is ―getting ready for tomorrow.‖ Fluent

in French, English and Playoffs.

Thornton's status for Game 5 unknown By Robert Tychkowski, QMI Agency

About the only thing worse than losing Game 4 at home is the prospect of losing your best player

for Game 5 on the road.

That's what San Jose was left to worry about after captain Joe Thornton left midway through the

third period of Sunday's 4-2 loss to Vancouver and didn't return.

Thornton took a clean hit from Raffi Torres along the boards, shoulder on shoulder, and went

straight to the bench. His status for Game 5 will be a closely guarded secret given that coaches

don't exactly come clean with injury information when it comes to the health of a sixth

defenceman, much less a leading scorer.

"I can't right now," Todd McClellan said after the game. "We'll see once I get an update."

Linemate Logan Couture is hoping for the best.

"I didn't know he was gone till I got back to the bench and saw that he wasn't there," Couture

said. "He's one of the best players in the world and losing him was tough. I know that Joe wants

to play there more than anybody, so if he can, he'll be back."

HOME SWEET ROAD: There were some 4,000 Vancouver fans screaming on the streets and in

the Shark Tank for Games 3 and 4, a pilgrimage from B.C. that didn't go unnoticed by the

players.

"Going out for warmup on the ice, it's almost like you're playing a home game," said Henrik

Sedin. "It was a great feeling going out there. It's nice to see the support we have and how

excited our city is for our journey here in the playoffs. It's great to be part of."

Canucks unplug Sharks power play, then do some PP damage of their own

By Iain MacIntyre,

SAN JOSE, Calif. - It's not the five power-play goals the Vancouver Canucks surrendered at the start of the series that matter now, but the five penalties they killed in the first 22 minutes of Sunday's 4-2 National Hockey League playoff win against the San Jose Sharks.

The Canucks looked like a different team shorthanded in Game 4, standing up at their blue line, filling shooting lanes and denying the potent Sharks access to the slot. Vancouver killed five straight penalties to keep the game scoreless until the law of averages - and NHL officiating - caught up and the Canucks went on a series on second-period advantages that won them the game.

The Sharks had climbed into the series by winning Game 3 on Friday, 4-3, largely on the strength of a 3-for-8 power play.

"When they're scoring three goals on their power play, obviously you have some work to do," Canuck penalty-killer Jannik Hansen said Sunday. "That's what happens over a long series - every day you're tweaking it and trying to keep the other team guessing.

"We changed it up a little bit. We looked at some video to see where they were hurting us and made some small adjustments to make it a little harder for them to get their scoring chances. We were definitely better at getting in shooting lanes today, so they didn't get as many shots through and create rebounds off of that."

And goalie Roberto Luongo, who should have stopped two of the three power-play goals that leaked through him on Friday, was excellent, too.

"I think we just battled harder," winger Alex Burrows said. "We were committed to blocking shots. We were committed to being in the right spot and really giving a second and third effort."

"We kind of just went over our principles again and tightened up a little bit," Canuck Tanner Glass said. "We made them make plays around the outside. They're going to get shots, but we kind of picked the shots we wanted them to give up and not give up any inside the box. We wanted to collapse [on the slot] and make them make a tough play."

Referees Kelly Sutherland and Eric Furlatt whistled five straight penalties on the Canucks. A couple were debatable and one, Glass's tripping penalty 26 seconds into the game, was terrible.

But Vancouver maintained its composure and rarely allowed San Jose to sustain pressure. When the last of the penalties expired two minutes into the second period, the Canucks were confident they'd soon get their turn on the power play.

"That's often how it goes," defenceman Dan Hamhuis said.

The Sharks were called for four penalties in less than three minutes - none of them disputed by San Jose coach Todd McLellan - and Vancouver scored three times on the various two-man advantages.

So much for the conspiracy theory that referees, at the behest of NHL officials and their evil U.S. network television business partners, are against the Canucks.

"You only have to look at those 5-on-3s and it takes that question out of it," Canuck Daniel Sedin said.

Vancouver Sun: LOADED: 05.23.2011

Canucks' Raffi Torres keeps rolling along with thumping hits

By Cam Cole

SAN JOSE, Calif. - The Vancouver Canucks' red-headed bowling ball is still knocking them down in this Stanley Cup playoff run - and no one can accuse Raffi Torres of picking his spots.

The rugged winger who drew a heap of criticism for kayoing Chicago Blackhawks hardrock defenceman Brent Seabrook in the first round, took on even larger prey Sunday at HP Pavilion with a pair of seismic, shoulder-to-shoulder hits on San Jose's mammoth defenceman, Douglas Murray, and star centre Joe Thornton.

Thornton never returned after the collision with Torres along the boards midway through the third period and appeared to have injured his shoulder.

Torres was penalized for charging on the Murray hit, in the corner to the right of the San Jose net, just as the first period was ending, but had plenty of support from his teammates, who thought it was a perfectly legal blow.

"Raffi's done that play a lot, and it's an effective play," said Kevin Bieksa, "and I think if you keep it clean and you stay away from the guy's head ... on first glance, it looked like he just came down, laid shoulder to shoulder. Murray got up, he was fine, but the referee wanted to make a call. That's fine, we'll kill those off any day."

"I think he gets that call sometimes because he comes from the point and guys aren't expecting it, but he's good at it," said Tanner Glass, who took two of the Canucks' four first-period penalties. "Raffi's a bull. He's like ... thick, all the way through."

Bieksa suggested it may have been a reputation call on Torres.

"You could call charging on that [Sharks' Jamie] McGinn every time he steps on the ice, I don't think he touched the puck once tonight," said the Canuck defenceman. "Just flying around trying to headhunt, just like he did last game, just like he did in the L.A. series."

McGinn put two Vancouver defencemen out with hits in Game 3 - Christian Ehrhoff with a shoulder-to-shoulder collision, and Aaron Rome, whose head struck the glass after a hit that resulted in a five-minute major and game misconduct for the Sharks' fourth liner.

Ehrhoff and Rome missed Game 4.

Sharks coach Todd McLellan said he had no information on Thornton's health or possible readiness for Game 5 in Vancouver, but Thornton did not make a post-game appearance in the Sharks' locker room.

Vancouver Sun: LOADED: 05.23.2011

Healthy Sami Salo gives power boost to Canucks

By Brad Ziemer,

SAN JOSE, Calif. - It seems like all the pain, the frustration and the seemingly endless rehabilitation work was worth it for defenceman Sami Salo.

At the not so tender age of 36, Salo is having the time of his hockey life. It's hard to imagine when you think how his season began.

Ten months after rupturing his Achilles tendon and fearing his hockey career might be over, Salo delivered two huge goals for the Vancouver Canucks in Sunday's 4-2 win over the San Jose Sharks.

"For sure it's been a long journey this year, having a tough off-season," Salo said. "But we worked really hard to get to this point. Now it's really exciting. First time in my long career that I have a chance to play in the Western Conference finals. Playing against a great team, couldn't be any better."

Well, it could get even better with one more win that would put the Canucks into the Stanley Cup final.

"It's really exciting," Salo said. "All the years that I've been here, we've had great teams. Just seems this year that the team is really united together. Everybody is pulling together as a team."

Salo was forced to log longer minutes Sunday (he played 23:33) and was bumped up to the first-unit power play in the absence of injured defenceman Christian Ehrhoff.

He played a pivotal role in a remarkable and somewhat bizarre stretch that saw Vancouver score three 5-on-3 power-play goals in a span of 1:55 midway through the second period.

First, he set up Ryan Kesler's goal at the 9:16 mark. Then Salo scored two of his own just 16 seconds apart. Both came on one-timers after passes from Henrik Sedin.

"I don't think it matters who is playing the point when he has the puck," Salo said of Henrik.

Salo, of course, has endured many injuries during his eight years with the Canucks. But when healthy there's no disputing the fact he's a valuable asset on Vancouver's back end.

"Don't forget he missed half the year," said fellow defenceman Kevin Bieksa. "You don't remember that now. He's in mid-season form and he's great for us, extremely steady. You can't say enough about the guy's shot. He plays with a lot of heart, he's a big part of our team."

"He logged some very important minutes," added coach Alain Vigneault. "Sami is one of our veteran players. He's been here for a long time. A very important part of our core group.

"I think he understands that, you know, you don't get too many opportunities. Maybe he doesn't have a lot of opportunities left, considering he's getting a little bit older. So obviously he's very motivated right now, playing real well for us."

Salo was sporting a shaved head on Sunday.

"Kind of the (Finnish) army look I had when I was 18," he said.

Appropriate for a team that seems poised to march into the Stanley Cup final.

CANUCK NATION: Some estimates put the number of Canuck fans in the San Jose area this weekend at upwards of 4,000. Many of them managed to find tickets to the game and created quite the scene before Game 4.

An hour before faceoff, Canuck fans clad in the team's blue and white jerseys were lined up all around the end of the rink where the Canucks did their pre-game warmup.

They started with chants of 'Go Canucks Go' and then broke into a raucous rendition of O Canada.

"That's phenomenal," coach Alain Vigneault said after the game. "In warmup, to hear our fans in an American city chant, 'O Canada,' it was just incredible. It reminded me a lot when we went on that California swing, Anaheim, L.A., and ended up in Phoenix, where I think we had something like between 5,000 and 10,000 fans following us. We really appreciate the support we're getting right now."

TANEV GETS CALL: Keith Ballard and rookie Chris Tanev replaced injured defencemen Christian Ehrhoff and Aaron Rome for the Canucks on Sunday.

Vigneault said playing Tanev instead of veteran Andrew Alberts was a difficult decision.

"Andrew is a great individual," Vigneault said. "It was really a tough thing for me to tell him. At the end of the day, I wanted a right defenceman, a guy that's used to playing the right side. Neither Keith nor Andrew have played a lot of right side.

"When Chris was called on to play for us this year, he played real well. I thought Keith played his best hockey with Chris. That's why I made that decision."

Vancouver Sun: LOADED: 05.23.2011

View from San Jose: Joe Thornton '100 per cent' to play in Game 5

By David Pollak,

SAN JOSE, Calif. - Their power play had squandered five early opportunities when the calls began going against the Sharks in quick succession midway through the second period.

A high-sticking penalty to Dany Heatley. A hooking call against Torrey Mitchell. A bench minor because Logan Couture jumped onto the ice too soon. A delay of game infraction when the puck sailed over the glass off Douglas Murray's stick. All in less than a three-minute span.

Down two men to the Vancouver Canucks on three separate occasions, the Sharks gave up a power play goal each time - two to Sami Salo and one to Ryan Kesler - en route to a 4-2 defeat that now leaves San Jose one loss away from the death of yet another Stanley Cup dream.

"Their backs are against the wall as close as they can be," Sharks coach Todd McLellan said of his team after it fell to 1-3 in the Western Conference finals. "We know we've got a tough task ahead of us."

The task of winning the next three games and advancing to the finals appeared to be even more challenging after captain Joe Thornton left the game at 10:47 after absorbing a shoulder-to-shoulder hit from Canucks forward Raffi Torres.

But in a text message two hours after the game ended, Thornton indicated he would be ready to play in Game 5.

"100 percent," he wrote. "It's playoffs, got to play through everything."

The Sharks made things close after Vancouver right wing Alex Burrows had given the Canucks a 3-0 lead at 5:43 of the third period. Goals by fourth-line center Andrew Desjardins and Ryane Clowe followed, but it was too little much too late.

The special teams that helped the Sharks to a 3-2 victory on Friday night turned against them less than 48 hours later.

Four first-period penalties to the Canucks - including a charging call against Torres at the final buzzer for a hit that seemed to catch Murray off-guard - and one early in the second gave the Sharks multiple opportunities to take the lead.

But after scoring on their first five power-play attempts of the series, the Sharks had difficulty sustaining any pressure and could muster only eight shots.

Part of that was adjustments the Canucks made to slow down the Sharks as they entered the offensive zone, part of that was simply missed passes.

"They put a little more pressure on us and they were standing a little stronger, but there were a few where we came in pretty clean and pretty quick and pretty easy," Sharks centre Joe Pavelski said. "It was more about executing."

As the power plays added up, the Sharks knew it would not be long before they were the team that would be short-handed.

"If you get five power plays in a row, in the back of your mind you expect that they're going to get theirs," defenseman Dan Boyle said.

They did -- in a hurry.

It began when Heatley turned over the puck, then high-sticked Canuck center Cody Hodgson as the play went the other way at 8:15 of the middle period. Fifty seconds later, Mitchell hooked Daniel Sedin and the Sharks were down two men. And just eleven seconds later, Kesler fired a 29-foot one-timer that beat Sharks goalie Antti Niemi.

The second five-on-three came at 10:39 when the officials ruled Couture came on the ice before Patrick Marleau left on a line change. Sixteen seconds later, Salo scored the first of his two goals.

The delay of game call against Murray was only six seconds after Vancouver took a 2-0 lead and Salo made it a three-goal margin just 10 seconds after that.

This was the fist time an NHL team ever gave up three five-on-three goals in one playoff game, but McLellan didn't question the referee's calls.

"I can't sit here and whine and bitch about the officiating, because it had absolutely nothing to do with it," the Sharks coach said, noting that it was his team "that created that mess."

Now McLellan has to figure out a way to get different results Tuesday night in Vancouver. Part of the task is getting his team mentally prepared, the other involves ongoing adjustments.

"We've got to clean some parts of our game up. Obviously the power-play has to be better," the Sharks coach said. "When you get those opportunities, you have to take at least advantage of one, maybe two of them. It has to be better."

Vancouver Sun: LOADED: 05.23.2011

Canucks fans make lots of pre-game noise in San Jose

By Brad Ziemer,

SAN JOSE, Calif. - Several hundred Canuck fans inside HP Pavilion created quite the scene before Game 4 of the Western Conference final today.

An hour before faceoff, Canuck fans clad in the team's blue jerseys were lined up all around the end of the rink where the Canucks did their pre-game warm-up.

They started with chants of 'Go Canucks Go' and then broke into a raucous rendition of O Canada.

The San Jose Sharks fans in the building tried to drown them out but had no luck.

On Saturday night, it seemed Canuck jerseys were everywhere in downtown San Jose. Some Vancouver fans took advantage of the long weekend to make the 16-hour drive from the Lower Mainland to the Silicon Valley.

The Canucks lead the best-of-seven series 2-1. Game 5 goes Tuesday at Rogers Arena.

Vancouver Sun: LOADED: 05.23.2011

Can Sharks swim in this series?

By Ben Kuzma,

SAN JOSE - At the end of it all, Ryane Clowe levelled Ryan Kesler with a left jab to the face Sunday.

Asked why he dropped the rival centre after the San Jose Sharks fell 4-2 to the Vancouver Canucks to fall within a loss of having their season end, he seemed confused. Kind of like his teammates.

"I don't know," responded Clowe. "Just a scrum. Nothing big."

Actually, it was big. It spoke of a frustrated team that has run out of ways to get past the Western Conference final and is running out of healthy bodies. Joe Thornton left in the third period of Game 4 after absorbing a shoulder-to-shoulder hit from Raffi Torres, while a suspected groin strain has left everybody wondering where Dany Heatley has disappeared to with one series assist. And if a glassy-eyed Logan Couture keeps telling everyone that he's feeling fine after colliding with Clowe in Game 3 and not returning that night, there should be an investigation.

What really needs investigating is the Sharks' collective will to take that next difficult playoff step. A team that had the second-best power play in the regular season went 0-for-5 Sunday when it could have put the game away and now has just one man-advantage goal in the last 13 attempts. It has left the Sharks searching for answers and clinging to cliches as they head to Vancouver for Game 5 on Tuesday.

"We feel we're a very good road team and we can go in there and win a game and get back here," said Heatley. "I've got to find ways to produce. There's not enough there and we've got to find ways to get shots and chances. There's frustration that we're down 3-1 - no question. We've got to be better."

The Sharks have won four road playoff road games, but lost 7-3 and 3-2 at Rogers Arena to open this series. Coach Todd McLellan has pushed every conceivable button through four games. He has called out his better players and even played the pride card. What does he say now?

"There's probably not a lot I have to tell them," he admitted. "Their backs are against the wall as hard as it can be or as close as it can be and we kind of laid it on the line in the third. That's what we'll be looking to do in Vancouver. We know we've got a tough task but ask Detroit, Vancouver and Chicago - anything can happen."

For an improbable three-game victory run, the Sharks have to find their game fast. They can dominate when they gets pucks below the hash marks and work the walls and Thornton can pass with the best of them. But if Thornton can't play and the Canucks easily escape their own zone in quick transition again, the Sharks will be hard pressed to extend the series beyond Tuesday. At one point in Game 4, a forechecking Couture had an opportunity to put a shoulder into Alex Edler as he fumbled with the puck. Couture peeled off but insists he's not hurt.

"I was perfectly fine - nothing hurt tonight," he said. "But if you're not hurting in playoff hockey, there's something wrong."

Read into that what you will. While Patrick Marleau has four series goals, Clowe has been held to two and Couture one. Joe Pavelski and Heatley have no goals. Andrew Desjardins scoring a grinder's goal is nice, but it isn't going to win a game or this series. Heatley has to make a difference.

"Like a lot of our players, we expect a little bit more from him," said McLellan. He has to find a way to put himself in better position to score and we'll get that in Game 5.

Added Clowe: "We haven't been in this situation this year. We've held control of the first two series and it's going to be a test. We look that Tampa could march to the final and in the first series, they looked like they were getting dominated by Pittsburgh and got it together.

"We're making mental mistakes. It doesn't mean we're not strong enough mentally to play at this time of year. It just means that we've got to be smarter."

Dan Boyle lamented a power play that's better than it looked Sunday but couldn't execute because of the adjustments the Canucks were making at the point of entry. They were also taking away time and space and blocked 23 shots Sunday. The Sharks blocked nine. So, what can Boyle take from all that?

"Nothing," he said. "We have to start over."

Maybe McLellan put it best when asked if his club has the talent to finally get to the Stanley Cup final.

"We're going to find out," he summed up.

Vancouver Province: LOADED: 05.23.2011

Twin power comes roaring back

By Jason Botchford,

SAN JOSE, Calif. - It's a development that could surprise people even more than the fact Keith Ballard got a start.

Henrik Sedin leads the NHL in postseason scoring. Daniel Sedin is second in goals.

"It's pretty good for being the two worst playoff players in the league," Henrik quipped.

Sure is. Maybe it's puppy power. More likely, it's health.

Two weeks ago, Henrik looked like he was having trouble skating across the blueline. On Sunday, the only trouble being had was from those trying to defend him.

Henrik was flying, like only the Sedins can fly. They may not be the fastest players you've ever seen, but their ability to create space, acres and acres of space, when they are on, is fascinating. They can work on the ice like a combine harvester on a wheat field.

Just ask Sami Salo. The Finnish gunslinger shrugged when asked about his two slap shot goals.

"I don't think it matters who is playing the point when (Henrik) has the puck," Salo said.

And it may not matter how well the Sharks play the rest of this series. If Henrik continues to skate like he has in the first four games, they are going to have a tough time winning three straight.

On Sunday, Henrik had four assists. He set up both of Salo's goals. But his most savoured moment came at 5:43 into the third when he guided a puck through Antti Niemi's legs, at the goal mouth, and on to Alex Burrows' stick.

"Never seen that before," Daniel said.

Was he trying to shoot?

"He's a great passer," Daniel said. "He showed today why he should probably always pass, instead of shoot."

We'll leave describing the goal to Burrows. As only he can:

"I didn't even see the puck. It just hit my blade and went in.

"It's the kind of play Henrik can make. He faked clapper, opened it up, threw it on his backhand and got it between the goalie's legs.

"It was a magic play. It was the kind of play only a few guys in the league can make. He is one of them."

You may have forgotten that from all the heat, much of it warranted, the Sedins took at times in the first two rounds. Sometimes, it's easy to forget, especially in the playoffs where every game is so important. Lose one and the pressure is intense. To his credit, Henrik understands that.

"Perception is funny," Henrik said. "There is always talk about different players when they are not producing. When you're not, it's going to be talked about.

"If you look at last year, where we had (28 points in 12 games), people only looked at our last game or Game 4 which we lost.

"If you go back and look at the players who have won it, they've had a series where they weren't doing well.

That's when you have other guys stepping up. That's what we had this year, and we didn't have that in years past."

The Canucks got it in Ryan Kesler, who had the caped crusader second-round against Nashville. Then, Henrik was struggling, and probably injured. But between Game 6 of the Nashville series and Game 2 of the Western Conference final, he played just once in nine days.

Did it help?

"I think he needed some time off," Daniel said. "It paid off. I think he's playing a lot better now. It shows. He's a lot more confident out there.

"I think he feels different."

He looks different. Will his critics notice?

"Maybe now the people who criticize them will realize how good of players they are," Burrows said. "It was only matter of time. We've never questioned their work ethic or their level of compete in this locker room."

No, save that for Don Cherry.

Vancouver Province: LOADED: 05.23.2011

Sharks couldn't undo damage inflicted by Canucks

Torres not choosey about hits

By Tony Gallagher,

SAN JOSE--Opposing players have often accused Kevin Bieksa of picking his spots with respect to who he fights or who he runs both physically and verbally although the criticism seems a little over the top given his history of taking on a lot of bigger guys over the years.

But you certainly don't hear that about Raffi Torres with respect to who he hits. Granted there's a lineup of people who claim he won't fight but there's no question when he hits, he's not the least bit selective given his playoff this season at least. He's nailed Brent Seabrook and Sunday in game four he took a charging penalty taking the initiative to bowl over Douglas Murray, the 240-pounder on the Sharks defence who's been so effective in this series. And perhaps most telling, it was his hit in the third period on the shoulder of an off-balance Joe Thornton which sent the Sharks star to the dressing room for the rest of the afternoon, all of these guys bigger and heavier than Torres.

Brought in by GM Mike Gillis this summer to give the Canucks a tougher presentation up front so as to make them a little more difficult to play against, Torres became a marked man during the Chicago series as far as the officials were concerned. He couldn't move without seeming to take a penalty. And to some degree that still remains, he's watched pretty closely. But it hasn't stopped him from playing his game, bowling people over and in the case of Thornton, perhaps retiring him for the series given he didn't appear in the Sharks room afterwards. The hit came with about nine minutes left in the game on the boards where a right winger, not a left sider, should be and he seemed to catch Jumbo with his shoulder lowered, jamming it down into the rest of his body.

"Everyone is the same size at this time of the season, just hits to make," said Torres. "It was a clean hit on Joe I know that. You hate to see anyone get hurt but he was just coming down in my zone, in my alley, and I was able to get a shoulder into him.

"With the hit on Murray, I got a chance to look at it on tape and I see that I did take two or three steps before I got him so I think the refs made the right call on that one."

While the penalty was hard to take and the fourth in a string of five straight to start the game, knocking Murray off his feet was probably something of a psychological lift for the Canucks who had seen him absorb an enormous blow from Ryan Kesler in game one without even seeming to notice he'd been hit. Torres has been a guy capable of hitting back in response to the actions

of Ben Eager and Jamie McGinn in this series, the former running Daniel Sedin from behind and McGill injuring both Aaron Rome and Christian Ehrhoff in game three here Friday night.

"For a while there I lost my way, wasn't doing the things I'm supposed to but it's back now and going well. We just have to keep going."

Vancouver Province: LOADED: 05.23.2011

Penalty kill magic with a little help from Luo

By Tony Gallagher

SAN JOSE-Staged over brunch, you could easily make the argument the San Jose Sharks came out like some of Aunt Jemima's finest and you would be correct.

You'd get a check mark if you also said there was no game played Sunday, the Canucks went up 3-1 in this Western Conference final series by some sort of mysterious magic given the officials destroyed what was scheduled for the HP Pavillion Sunday morning. And you could also say this advantage was achieved with a tremendous job done by the Vancouver penalty kill led by, wait for it, Roberto Luongo, and yes, finally you'd be right.

For the first time since perhaps game seven of the Chicago series, Luongo outplayed the other goaltender and it's a good thing he did given the five straight penalties the Canucks were given to start the game. True, the officials certainly made up for it with the astonishing string of 5-on-3s which led to three straight goals to finish the fiasco in the second period but had Vancouver not cleared the first plague of striped, raised arms, maybe those later advantages don't materialize.

Luongo was well and truly guarded by the top four defencemen and some very quick forwards who got into passing and shooting lanes with remarkable regularity and got to loose pucks like, well Jemima's husband got onto the pancakes. But he made three really good saves, one on Joe Pavelski, another on a Ryane Clowe deflection of a Dan Boyle shot and then off Jamie McGill late in the period. Finally, the big money goalie played the big money game throughout.

"I don't remember all of them but I remember the Clowe deflection," said Luongo who looked happy to be on an NHL podium where they only take the winners. "I think it was a Boyle shot and it was from a sharp angle and I was in my one knee down position and it hit me. I think I had most of the net covered on that one."

Luongo wasn't called upon to be as spectacular as you might have thought given the penalties largely because guys like Alex Edler, Dan Hamhuis, Sami Salo and Kevin Bieksa had such good days and the penalty killers showed that perhaps Manny Malhotra can relax another few days at least if he's thinking comeback. But in the end the shots were 35-13, a Canuck playoff record for fewest in one game by the way, and 17 of those San Jose shots came in the third period when the Sharks had their only signs of consciousness.

"The penalty kill, we were just us doing our job," said Ryan Kesler, who was very much more himself Sunday after a couple of uncharacteristic sleepers. "Some of those calls are just hard working penalties you just have to kill. When you kill off multiple penalties like that, you get a lot of confidence and a sense of what they're trying to do out there and in some ways it gets a little easier."

"I wouldn't say it gets easier because the guys who keep going out there are getting a little tired and you don't want to take that many but we did get confident after a while, said Jannik Hansen.

"And of course Lui made some big saves for us. But another problem is that the other guys are getting cold on the bench but they were ready when they got their chance."

With respect to the calls themselves Vancouver didn't do much complaining after the game other than a few choice words. After what came back in return to set up the most 5-on-3 goals ever scored in a post-season game, how could they complain.

"You come out with the mindset of keeping it 5-on-5 but sometimes the game plays itself out the referees want to call it a certain way," said Kevin Bieksa. "I don't think we were undisciplined You could argue the first four calls but that's the way they were calling it tonight. But we ended up getting our chances too. And on the 5-on-3, those guys weren't so brave diving in front of those shots today. We stuck with it. We didn't complain about the officiating and it gave us some momentum."

Probably the killer for Vancouver fans at the time was the fifth straight to Hamhuis. He thought it might be just the one to get them started.

"I thought I was just pushing him and the timing was just awful," said Hamhuis. "Four straight penalties and then we get right back in the box. I didn't say anything to him right away (referee Eric Furlatt) but I talked to him a couple of shifts later and he said I'd got my stick in his hands and that's what spun him around. I didn't think I had but that was his explanation."

"We gave up four power play goals to them on four shots (in the first two games of the series)," said coach Alain Vigneault. "We were in good position today. We were doing the right things. Sometimes, whether it be our power play or their power play, it just clicks for whatever reason. We were able to fight through that because obviously that's challenging. Tonight we were really tested early and our guys were able to respond."

Respond one more time and they're in their third Stanley Cup final.

Vancouver Province: LOADED: 05.23.2011

ESPN / Canucks-Sharks: Joe Thornton hurt

By Pierre LeBrun

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Sharks captain Joe Thornton left Sunday's Game 4 after suffering what appeared to be a shoulder injury in a hit from Canucks winger Raffi Torres.

His status was unknown after the game, and he was not available to speak to reporters.

"I can't right now," Sharks head coach Todd McLellan said when asked for an update after the game. "We'll see once I get an update."

A team spokesman said an update would come Monday.

No shots, no problem

The Canucks won Game 4 despite a franchise-record low of 13 shots on goal. How does that happen?

"That's a good question," Canucks star Daniel Sedin said. "I was looking up in third and saw the same thing, and was a little bit surprised."

Twins on fire

Henrik and Daniel Sedin combined for seven assists on Sunday as their monster Western Conference finals continued. All that criticism they took in the previous round against Nashville seems like a distant memory now.

"Well, it's fun for sure," Henrik said. "I think we're both believers in if you work hard, you do the right thing, it's going to turn around. Playoffs is tough in a way that if things aren't going well, you might have a break after one series. It might be summertime. That's the tough part. You got to hang in there and hope the other guys are playing great. They've been doing that. So that's what we need. We need different guys to step up each series. That's why we're here."

Sharks power play

The Sharks went 0-for-5 on the power play with all five chances coming in the first 24 minutes of the game. But the Sharks produced very little in the way of chances.

"The first one was really bad," Sharks blueliner Dan Boyle said. "They came at us pretty hard. We were definitely slow or a step behind. It was the first shift of the game for a lot of guys, and we were just not prepared. The other ones, our execution was a little off. Pucks bouncing around all over the place. When we did get shots, we didn't get rebounds or sustained pressure."

Canucks penalty kill

The Canucks opened the series giving up five power-play goals on six chances to San Jose, but now have totally turned things around.

What gives?

"You know, sometimes that happens," Canucks head coach Alain Vigneault said. "We gave up four power-play goals to them on four shots. We were in good position. We were doing the right things.

"Sometimes, whether it be our power play or their power play, it just clicks for whatever reason. We were able to fight through that, 'cause obviously that's challenging. Tonight, we were really tested early. Our guys were able to respond and get the job done."

Vancouver fans

Some 4,000 Canucks fans reportedly made the trip down this weekend to support their team. Many of them were at Sunday's game and were boisterous in support of the visitors.

"I mean, going out for warm-up on the ice, it's almost like you're playing a home game," Canucks captain Henrik Sedin said. "Fans are around the rink yelling and screaming. It was a great feeling going out there. It's nice to see the support we have and how excited our city is for our journey here in the playoffs. Yes, it's great to be part of."

Vigneault called the support from Canucks fans Sunday "phenomenal."

"In warm-up, during the anthem, to hear our fans in an American city chant, 'O Canada,' it was just incredible," the Canucks coach said. "It reminded me a lot when we went on that California swing, Anaheim, L.A., and ended up in Phoenix, where I think we had something like between 5,000 and 10,000 fans following us. Really appreciate the support we're getting right now."

ESPN LOADED: 05.23.2011

ESPN / Canucks make Sharks pay for mistakes

By Pierre LeBrun

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- The Western Conference finals may very well have been decided in a span of 1:55 Sunday afternoon that will go down as one of the strangest in NHL playoff history.

And for the San Jose Sharks, the cruelest.

Back-to-back-to-back 5-on-3 power plays for the Vancouver Canucks produced three goals, two from the thunderous stick of Sami Salo. And the President's Trophy winners were lifted to a 4-2 Game 4 victory that put them just one short of their first trip to the Stanley Cup finals since 1994.

Do you think it'll be loud at Rogers Arena Tuesday night?

"It's really exciting," said Salo. "All the years that I've been here, we've had great teams. Just seems this year that the team is really united together. Everybody is pulling together as a team."

Now before you take out the violin for the Sharks because it seems grossly unfair to go down two men three times in a row, remember that San Jose had a glorious chance to take a one- or two-goal lead after being handed five straight power plays to open the game.

"The power play had an opportunity to give us momentum," said Sharks winger Ryane Clowe. "They kept giving us chances, they kept putting themselves in a hole with dumb penalties and that's where we needed to capitalize."

Roberto Luongo

"When we're all working together like a five-man unit, that's what made us successful most of the year," Roberto Luongo said of the Canucks' penalty killing unit.

In the end, the officiating might have been a tad overzealous. The run to the penalty box on both sides sucked the life out of the game, which resulted in absolutely zero flow. But both teams were equally victimized.

Which brings us to downright sensational play of the Canucks' penalty killing unit. Vancouver began the series giving up five power-play goals on the first six chances. They have since shut down the menacing Sharks' power play, which was rated No. 2 in the NHL in the regular season.

"It was huge," Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo said of his team's penalty kill. "We took five penalties off the hop. We had to step up and make some big plays. I think the guys did a huge job, blocking shots, getting in lanes, cutting off passing lanes, making sure there's no seam passes, things like that. Mostly kept them to the outside, which makes my job easier, let's me focus on making that save, not having to worry about anything on the back door or rebounds or things like that. When we're all working together like a five-man unit, that's what made us successful most of the year."

The Canucks' penalty kill made entries tougher on San Jose, gave the Sharks a little less time to make decisions with the puck and adeptly closed off passing lanes. Those five kills to open Game 4 were downright impressive.

"They tightened things up," Sharks head coach Todd McLellan said. "They stood at their line a little bit better. But when you look at our execution, our passing, our faceoff opportunities to win pucks, we started breaking down all the time.

"You have to, when you're against the number one penalty kill in the league, you have to be sharp, and we weren't. It was as simple as that. As you start rolling, you get more and more frustrated, you start to press a little bit. It snowballs, it gets worse and worse."

It set the stage for the inevitable: the balancing of the penalty books.

"They got a penalty and we went on the power play, and then we were able to get three 5-on-3s," said Canucks winger Alex Burrows. "I think it was the hockey gods a little bit there with the too many men and the puck over the glass. Those are tough ones for them."

When Vancouver got its gifts from heaven in the second period, it didn't waste them. Ryan Kesler's blast on the first 5-on-3 made it 1-0 at 9:16, then the Salo show took over with 5-on-3 missiles at 10:55 and 11:11. The Canucks became the first team in NHL playoff history to score three 5-on-3 goals in one game, let alone in one period, let alone in less than two minutes.

If you were a fan that got up to get a hot dog two minutes earlier, you missed a heck of a game.

"You're not giving up three 5-on-3 power-play goals and coming back on that team, it's just not happening," said McLellan.

On Friday night, the Canucks missed out on two 5-on-3 power plays in the second period, a huge factor in the game. The difference Sunday was that Salo had a full-time role on the 5-on-3 unit with Christian Erhoff injured. There's your blue-line depth for you.

And so just as special teams played a big part Friday night in San Jose avoiding a 3-0 series hole, they played an even bigger part Sunday in the Canucks taking a 3-1 series stranglehold.

"When we played them straight up, I think we outplayed them. But the 5-on-3's were a killer," said Clowe.

The Sharks leader said his team must be smarter.

"You know this time of year, you hear people talking about how this player is banged up or that guy is sore, but you know what? Right here [pointing to his head), mentally is where teams win or lose this time of year," said Clowe. "For some reason, we kick ourselves in the rear end all the time lately."

To make matters worse for the Sharks, they lost captain Joe Thornton midway through the third period to what appeared to be a shoulder injury after he took a hit from Raffi Torres. McLellan said he didn't have an update on Thornton, the team's best playoff performer this spring, and the team was going to wait until Monday to furnish one.

If Jumbo Joe can't go Tuesday, the task just got even bleaker. But even with Thornton in the lineup, coming back from 3-1 down to a formidable team like the Canucks is tough enough.

"It's going to be a test," said Clowe. "You look at Tampa now, they might possibly march into the finals, and you look at their first series, they looked like they were being dominated by Pittsburgh [and trailing 3-1]. They got it together."

The Sharks just survived a near miracle 3-0 series comeback by Detroit. The Canucks barely got out of the first round with Chicago after also nearly blowing a 3-0 series lead. So that's what the Sharks will stress over the next 48 hours.

"We know we've got a tough task ahead of us," said McLellan. "Vancouver knows, we know, Detroit knows, Chicago knows that anything can happen."

ESPN LOADED: 05.23.2011

Sportsnet.ca /Record-setting fashion

SAN JOSE — In a playoff game chalk full of things we’ve never seen before, Alex Burrows still has not laid his eyes on the pass he received from Henrik Sedin, the Vancouver captain who grabbed this series — and a few of Ryan Kesler’s Conn Smythe votes — in record-setting fashion Sunday afternoon.

Observed brother Daniel, on a four-assist day for Henrik: "He’s been criticized for not shooting. Tonight I think he showed why he shouldn’t shoot. He should pass instead."

After laying two of the softest passes this side of Gretzky-to-Kurri on to defenceman Sami Salo’s tape for a pair of second-period goals, Henrik did something we can’t recall ever seeing before: intentionally passing a puck through goalie Antti Niemi’s legs for an inside-the-leather Alex Burrows tap-in.

Ever seen a pass like that before, Alex?

"I didn’t even see THAT one and it went in, so that tells you how good of a pass it was," he said, breaking into a wide grin. "I lost sight of it. Good thing my stick was on the ice."

No team has ever scored three 5-on-3 goals in a Stanley Cup playoff game. So, obviously scoring them 1:55 apart is a record too, and one that could stand for a mighty long time, when you think about it.

Honestly, a mailbox could score 30 next to Henrik when he’s dishing passes the way he was in Game 4. He set up every goal in a 4-2 win, Daniel had three helpers, and all those stories about "Whither the Sedin Twins" that opened this series are headed for bottom of the bird cage this morning.

"I think we're both believers in, if you work hard, you do the right thing, it's going to turn around," Henrik said, freshly installed atop the NHL playoffs scoring lead (2-17-19). "Playoffs is tough in a way that, if things aren't going well, … it might be summertime."

Which brings us to the Sharks, a team chalk full of guys who might be putting the ol’ pier in by next weekend. Especially if Joe Thornton’s shoulder is punched, after Raffi Torres drilled him with a clean check from which Thornton never returned in the third.

Thornton did not speak to the media post-game, a rarity for Jumbo Joe.

"You know, at this time of year," teammate Ryane Clowe said, "you hear people talking about how this player is banged up, or that guy is sore. But you know what? Right here (pointing to his head) is where teams win or lose this time of year. For some reason we kick ourselves in the rear end all the time lately."

"When we played them straight up, I think we outplayed them. But the 5-on-3’s were a killer."

Have you ever heard of a team giving up five first-period powerplays, getting outshot 35-13, and winning a playoff game on the road? The three, lengthy 5-on-3’s in the second period begged the question of Daniel Sedin, "Which specialty teams unit was more important, the PK or the PP?"

"The penalty kill, it was huge," he said, without hesitation. "When you take that amount of penalties in the early going, you’ve got to kill them off. We got some momentum from that, and we killed their momentum."

As the Sharks powerplays mounted in the first period, the Canucks kept their composure and methodically killed them off, one by one. Roberto Luongo was steady, but really, was not required to be great, due in part to the Canucks PK being so solid.

"I think we stayed off the refs better, too, today," said Alex Burrows, with some words to the wise for Canucks Nation. "We let them ref their game and we didn't get after them at all."

They are now just one win from a spot in the Stanley Cup final, and unless something changes markedly over the next few days, it will be by the far the better team that moves on.

San Jose’s best players are not having impactful series, particularly Dany Heatley, Clowe, Devin Setoguchi and Joe Pavelski. Meanwhile, Vancouver leaders are in full lead, beating San Jose in every facet of the game, from lines one through four.

"Great goal by Kes to get us on the board, and Sami’s shot is going to get through eventually," observed Kevin Bieksa. "I think they blocked a bunch of them last game on the 5-on-3, but guys didn’t look as brave this time when they were going down for it."

It’s called wearing them down, and right now, these Sharks look mighty worn.

Now it’s home for Game 5, one win away from The Big Dance.

"It’s a big game. We’ve been in this position before…" said Daniel, who was quickly reminded that, no, you haven’t been in THIS position before.

"No, but…" he said, smiling. "We’ve got to kill this series."

Mark Spector

Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 05.23.2011

YAHOO SPORTS / Canucks need to find their killer instinct

Nicholas J. Cotsonika

SAN JOSE, Calif. – You could feel the excitement in the stands before the opening faceoff Sunday – before warmups, even – when a group of loud, proud Vancouver Canucks fans sang ―O Canada‖ at the Shark Tank. But underneath the stands? After the Canucks had won a bizarre, record-breaking game and closed to within one victory of their first Stanley Cup final appearance since 1994?

Not so much.

―It’s really exciting,‖ defenseman Sami Salo said in a comment notable only for its quiet monotone.

Salo sounded anything but excited in a postgame news conference even though he had two goals and an assist in a 4-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks. He’s an understated Scandinavian, but he only echoed everyone else in the Vancouver dressing room. These are the new, even-keeled Canucks, and that’s a big reason why they’re here, so close to the glory for which their city has waited so long.

―All the years that I’ve been here, we’ve had great teams,‖ said Salo, 36, who joined the Canucks in 2002, his tone not matching his words again. ―It just seems this year that the team is really united together. Everybody is pulling together as a team.‖

Everything is coming together. The Canucks won the Presidents’ Trophy as the NHL’s top regular-season team and now they have a 3-1 lead in the Western Conference final. Their scorers produced Sunday, with captain Henrik Sedin making what a teammate called a ―magical‖ play and taking over the NHL playoffs scoring lead. Their fortified defense showed its depth, absorbing the losses of Christian Ehrhoff and Aaron Rome. The much-maligned Roberto Luongo … well, he wasn’t a story for once. As he walked off the podium after his news

conference, Vancouver coach Alain Vigneault cracked: ―Nobody is going to ask me about my goalie?‖

Now they just need to finish it. The Canucks need to show the killer instinct lacking in the first round, when they blew a 3-0 series lead against the Chicago Blackhawks and won Game 7, and in the second round, when they took a 3-1 series lead against the Nashville Predators but had to win a Game 6 on the road. This series is there for the taking Tuesday night in Game 5, especially if San Jose captain Joe Thornton can’t play after leaving Game 4 with an injury. The Sharks have lost six of their past eight games.

―I think everyone realizes that the last one’s the hardest,‖ Vancouver defenseman Kevin Bieksa said. ―We’ve learned that better than anybody.‖

This whole season has been about lessons learned. The Canucks have made a point about being more composed, more businesslike. They were upset when they gave the Sharks 10 power plays in Game 3, with Vigneault saying he wouldn’t complain only because he didn’t want to be fined. They could have come apart Sunday when they took the game’s first five penalties, some of which they felt, according to Bieksa, were ―iffy.‖ The old Canucks might have come apart – ―For sure,‖ winger Alex Burrows said.

But these Canucks didn’t. They didn’t complain to the referees much, with the notable exception of Raffi Torres’ what-did-I-do protest after being whistled for charging at the end of the first period. They just killed the penalties, one by one, and frustrated the Sharks.

―When you get five in a row,‖ San Jose winger Ryane Clowe said, ―you have to find a way to put one in, at least.‖

After the third penalty, Burrows thought the Canucks would get the next call. That kind of thing tends to happen in hockey, you know. After the fourth one, Burrows thought they would definitely get the next one. After the fifth, well, things finally started to even up. Spectacularly.

The Sharks took the next four penalties in rapid succession. Never in the history of the NHL playoffs had a team scored three 5-on-3 goals in a game; the Canucks scored three in 1:55 – back-to-back-to-back blasts by Kesler and Salo and Salo again. Even more amazing, those were three of only four shots the Canucks had in the second period. It helped them win a game in which they had only 13 shots total, a team-record low for the playoffs.

―I think that’s the hockey gods a little bit,‖ Burrows said.

Or just the Sharks.

These weren’t make-up calls, mind you. Dany Heatley clearly hit a Canuck in the head with a high stick, then Torrey Mitchell clearly hooked Daniel Sedin. Kesler scored. Then the Sharks were called for having too many men on the ice, and Salo scored. Then Douglas Murray was called for delay of game after shooting the puck out of play – a black-and-white call if there ever was one – and Salo scored again.

―I can’t sit here and whine and bitch about the officiating, because it had absolutely nothing to do with it,‖ San Jose coach Todd McLellan said. ―It was the team in white that created that mess.‖

It was Henrik Sedin that created a 4-0 lead for the Canucks. On a 2-on-1 with Burrows, he faked a shot, stickhandled and then slipped a backhand pass between the pads of goaltender Antti Niemi. Burrows said he didn’t even see it. The puck just slid across the crease, struck his stick and went into the net, giving Henrik Sedin his fourth assist of the game, 10th point of the series and league-leading 19th point of the playoffs.

That was actually a pass, right?

―Yes,‖ Burrows said. ―I’m pretty sure it was.‖

Yeah, believe it or not, it was. Henrik Sedin said he had ―nothing left but to sneak through his five hole.‖ His brother, Daniel, said that showed why Henrik, the playmaker of the twins, should ―probably pass instead of shoot‖ despite criticism for not shooting enough.

―That’s some magic play that only a few guys can make in this league, and he’s one of them,‖ Burrows said.

Want magic? Win Game 5. Eliminate the Sharks at home. Electrify Vancouver. Get some rest while the Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning battle in an Eastern Conference final assured to go at least six games.

Because, as every Canuck knows, it isn’t just that this team hasn’t made the Stanley Cup final since 1994. It’s that it has never won a championship. And say what you want about these Sharks, who have never made the Cup final and also carry the label as playoff disappointments, they made a meager attempt at a comeback with two third-period goals Sunday. Clowe popped Kesler in the nose at the end. They still have some fight.

―It’s not easy to finish teams off,‖ Henrik Sedin said. ―We’re very excited right now, but we need to be focused on the next game.‖

YAHOO.COM LOADED: 05.23.2011