Think fast: Hawks prefer Canucks' game

Brian Campbell thought he spoke for all of North America when assessing the merits of the Hawks playing Vancouver, as opposed to the dispatched Nashville Predators.

"Nashville does play a different system than almost every team in the league," Campbell said after Saturday's morning skate.

"We're going to be getting back to normal hockey for us. I think it's better for the fans to watch. I know Vancouver plays the same way. A lot more up and down and it's nice to see."

That depends on whether you watched Game 1 on Saturday night with red and black coursing through your veins.

Instead of exchanging goals and momentum, the Canucks' "normal" style earned all the ups and the Hawks suffered through all the downs in this Western Conference semifinals matchup.

Vancouver reeled off five goals in a 23-minute stretch - combining deft passes with pinpoint shots - and took over United Center the way Don Cherry and the "Hockey Night in Canada" set took over the NBA's visiting locker room.

If there was a plus side to lopsided Game 1, the fans were entertained by an uptempo and relatively even match for the first 20 minutes.

"I wouldn't say it's going to be a track meet," Campbell predicted. "I would say it's just how most teams play in the league."

Whatever it's called, the Hawks and Canucks combined for 30 shots in the first period.

That was in stark contrast to the Hawks' six-game series with Nashville, when the teams never combined for more than 23 shots in a given period.