Pyatt's return gives Vancouver a lift

It wasn't that it was Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinals.

It wasn't the unbelievable din that accompanied the National Anthem, once again.

No, what really sent chills up the spines of the Vancouver Canucks Tuesday night at the United Center was seeing teammate Taylor Pyatt take the ice.

Less than a month after his fiancee died in a traffic accident in Jamaica, the left winger returned to the Vancouver lineup in place of Pavol Demitra on Tuesday and provided quite a spark for the Canucks in their 3-1 victory.

"That was a very emotional moment for us as a group," said Vancouver coach Alain Vigneault. "I don't think anyone in our group can imagine what Taylor had to go through and for him to come back and leave his family and want to be a part of our group and part of this, I think it meant a lot to all the players, coaches and management.

"I thought he played a really good game for somebody that had been out some time. He really helped us. I'm really proud of the young man."

Pyatt played just over 12 minutes on Tuesday, turning in a quality performance featuring 3 blocked shots as the Canucks rallied to take the series lead at 2 to 1.

"It's nice to see how well he played," defenseman Kevin Bieksa said. "I don't know how a guy can be off that long and then step into the lineup and play very well for us. I'm very happy for him."

"It was big," added left wing Alex Burrows. "It looked like he didn't even miss a beat out there. He was physical, he skated well, he blocked shots ... it was good seeing him out there."

Pyatt's return gave the already confident Canucks some extra pep in their step.

"We just wanted to find a way to grease one out here," Vancouver defenseman Shane O'Brien said. "You've got to love playing at home in Vancouver, but sometimes the buzz gets to you. The team-building and just spending a couple of days with the fellas ... we had the right frame of mind. We went out and executed and had a lot of fun.

"This team has bounced back from adversity whether it's on the ice or off. We've got a special group of guys here; we'll go through the wall for each other. We showed tonight that we'll do what it takes."

For the Canucks, that means trying to steal another one on the road and returning home with the series lead again.

"It was a swing game and we've still got a big game coming up Thursday," Bieksa said. "If we take care of that one, then we go home and we're in good shape."