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At least Hawks know they have a goalie

Everyone knew the Blackhawks were facing a better team in this series.

But there was also the belief that with a serious effort, the Hawks could make it a long series and maybe even win it.

We're still awaiting that effort.

The Canucks defeated the Hawks 4-3 at Rogers Arena Friday night to take a commanding 2-0 lead in the series, as the teams head back to Chicago for Game 3 Sunday night.

The Hawks played hard the last 10 minutes of the game, but they've barely put in 60 solid minutes total through two games.

Perhaps on the plane ride home the majority of the club will decide to join Corey Crawford and the few who have bothered to show for the series. Crawford has been outstanding and is the only reason the Hawks have been in the first couple of games at all.

The final goal he surrendered Friday might be considered iffy, but the shot came on yet another 3-on-2 and Crawford may have been cheating on the pass that never came.

Other than that, he didn't have a chance on any of the goals in Vancouver, and he's been simply brilliant for two games.

And for anyone wondering if the Hawks have really discovered their future in goal, Crawford has proved the last few months and through a pair of playoff games that he's for real.

As for the rest of the club, the losses in Vancouver can be summed up in one sorry play Friday night.

The visitors had finally gotten on the board as Ben Smith cut the lead to 2-1 after the Hawks threw a 95-minute shutout, when the Canucks got possession of the puck deep in the Hawks' end in the waning seconds of the second period.

Cody Hodgson started to walk the puck out from behind the net but was forced to turn and go the other way by Duncan Keith.

Hodgson found no resistance from Brian Campbell as he moved the other direction.

While Canucks defensemen have constantly separated the Hawks from the puck through two games, Campbell made a few pokes at the puck with his stick but never touched the Canucks forward.

Hodgson walked right through Campbell and fed the point, where Alex Edler fired the puck and it was deflected by Smith past Crawford.

The goal with only 13.1 seconds left in the second gave Vancouver a 3-1 lead, and the Canucks are now 40-0-3 when leading after two periods in 2010-11.

The good news is the Roberto Luongo we all know and love showed up in the third period.

“The Waiter” served up a huge rebound on one Smith goal and gave up another bad goal as the Hawks made a game of it, nearly tying the game in the final minute with a furious rally.

Playing his eighth NHL game, Smith scored twice, displaying the kind of work ethic his teammates should envy, while Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane have taken an absolute beating physically and have 1 point between them — and Patrick Sharp and Marian Hossa — in two games.

The bad news is the Sedin twins, kept off the score sheet in Game 1, combined for 2 goals and 5 points, and Vancouver brings a 2-0 series lead to Chicago, where the Hawks can still make this a series.

The Canucks have played very tough and brave at home. Let's see if they can take that act on the road.

• Listen to Barry Rozner from 9 a.m. to noon Sundays on the Score's “Hit and Run” show at WSCR 670-AM.