Tested by Hawks, will Canucks win it all?
With the Stanley Cup Finals beginning Wednesday night, there likely are more than a few Blackhawks fans who can't help but be wondering what might have been.
What if Patrick Sharp's one-timer in overtime on a power play in Game 7 against Vancouver in the first round of the playoffs had found its way through goalie Roberto Luongo?
It's not out of the question to think it could be the Hawks preparing for the Boston Bruins in the Finals instead of the Canucks if the puck had bounced differently in that memorable Game 7 at Rogers Arena.
The Canucks are the best team in hockey, but the Hawks were a shot away from knocking them out in that first-round series that remains the best one played all spring.
Minutes after Sharp's miss early in overtime, a turnover inside his own blue line by Hawks defenseman Chris Campoli led to Alex Burrows' game-winning goal, setting off a celebration by the Canucks that only will be matched should they win their first Stanley Cup.
So did Sharp think he had Luongo beaten in that moment that could have sent these playoffs on a different path?
“Not really, to be honest with you,” Sharp said recently. “As the pass (from Jonathan Toews) came over, Luongo was ahead of it all along. As soon as it came off my stick I knew it was going to hit him in the chest or the shoulder. It was a big save. I would have liked to score, but I did what I did all season long, shoot it as hard as I can, get it up in the air, but he made the save.”
Neither Nashville nor San Jose challenged the Canucks like the Hawks did in the first round, but that could change in the Finals against the physical Bruins, who are looking for their first Stanley Cup since the days of Bobby Orr and Phil Esposito in 1972.
“They have big players with good depth up front,” Canucks captain Henrik Sedin said. “Maybe they don't have a lot of big names, but they have a lot of depth.”
Containing Henrik and Daniel Sedin and Ryan Kesler on the Canucks' power play will be vital for the Bruins. The Sedins have gotten better in each round while Kesler probably is the leading candidate to win the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP heading into the Finals.
Vancouver's power play is connecting at a 28.3 percent rate in the playoffs while the Bruins are just 5-for-61.
“They are a pretty potent team and obviously they thrive on their power play,” Bruins coach Claude Julien said. “We're going to have to be a very disciplined team.”
Defensively it's difficult to make a call between the two teams.
Vancouver's Kevin Bieksa has been terrific for the Canucks and is also a strong candidate for the Conn Smythe.
Boston's top defensive pair of Zdeno Chara and Dennis Seidenberg has been special at the most critical times, such as in the Bruins' 1-0 win over Tampa Bay in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals.
“Boston is maybe the best defensive team in the league,” Daniel Sedin said.
It might be worth the price of admission to watch Kesler battle for space in front of the net with the 6-foot-9 Chara.
“Obviously, Chara is a big man and a physical guy,” Henrik Sedin said. “All we can do is go out there and play our game and see what happens.”
As for the goalies, Luongo has been solid since his struggles in the series against the Blackhawks.
Boston's Tim Thomas has been brilliant at times. At age 37, this could be the last kick at the can for Thomas, who already has had a memorable season that should see him win the Vezina Trophy later this month.
“He makes saves you don't think he's going to make,” Henrik Sedin said.
After a 117-point regular season, the pressure has been on the Canucks from Game 1 against the Hawks. So far they have found a way to survive.
“In all three series what we have tried to do is play to our strengths and play our way,” Canucks coach Alain Vigneault said. “There have been different challenges, but as far as what we want to do to be successful, that hasn't changed.”