With the Canucks blueline looking deeper than the grave Darryl Sutter has dug for the Calgary Flames, many fans would love nothing more than to see much-maligned defenceman Kevin Bieksa traded for whatever they can get.

But the return Canucks fans didn’t expect to hear in the rumour mill was an elite-level prospect.

Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch hinted on July 1st that the Columbus Blue Jackets are targeting a puckmoving defenceman with offensive capabilities and have Vancouver defenceman Kevin Bieksa in their crosshairs. This is what he had to say:

The Dispatch has confirmed late Thursday that Blue Jackets GM Scott Howson and Canucks GM Mike Gillis have had preliminary discussions about a trade that would send one of Vancouver’s mobile defensemen to Columbus.

The Canucks now have a slew of defensemen after acquiring defenseman Keith Ballard in a trade at the NHL entry draft and after signing free agent Dan Hamhuis to a long-term contract on Thursday.

The most likely to move is Bieksa, a 29-year old with a right shot who is a 10-12 goal, 35-40 point player when he’s healthy. Bieksa attended Bowling Green State University from 2000-01 to 2003-04, and has been an NHL fixture with the Canucks the last four seasons.

He would know Blue Jackets coach Scott Arniel from training camps in Vancouver and the odd injury rehab in Manitoba, the Canucks top minor league affiliate. But Bieksa’s name has surfaced many times in Columbus the last several seasons.

No deal is imminent, and it remains to be seen what the Blue Jackets would send toward Vancouver to swing the deal. But left winger Nikita Filatov is a definite possibility, sources told The Dispatch.

Filatov, a 20-year-old winger who has twice played for Russia in the World Junior Championships (13 games played, 9 goals and 8 assists) was drafted by the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2008 at sixth overall, four spots ahead of the current top Canucks prospect Cody Hodgson, who went tenth overall. Since his draft, Filatov has spent time with the Blue Jackets (6 goals, including a hat trick, in 21 games), the Syracuse Crunch (16 goals, 32 points) as well as his CSKA Moscow squad last year after being loaned from Columbus.

Unfortunately for Filatov, the start of his NHL career didn’t go as smoothly as hoped. Under the coaching guidance from Ken Hitchcock, a noted tough guy when it comes to giving rookies playing time, Filatov wasn’t utilized to his full potential, getting anywhere from five to eight minutes a game last season. Fed up with his lack of playing time, Filatov was promptly loaned to his CSKA team for the remainder of the 2009-10 season. Hitchcock was fired three months later.

The decision to send Filatov packing to the KHL drew the ire of many Columbus fans, who feared what happened to former top Russian prospect Nikolai Zherdev would happen to Filatov.

Perhaps then, it may seem understandable as to why Filatov could be on the block.

But Filatov has insisted on a number of occasions he wants nothing more than to play in North America, specifically in the NHL. He promised to return in August with the intention of trying to earn a roster spot with the Columbus Blue Jackets, which separates himself from the Zherdev fiasco.

Not only that, but Filatov is only a year removed from being named The Hockey News‘ #1-ranked prospect (ahead of Hodgson, who went #2). As a Russian sniper with speed, excellent vision, and finish, Filatov isn’t quite cut from the same mold as an Alex Ovechkin or Ilya Kovalchuk, but he’s not far behind. With the appropriate amount of playing time and chances, Filatov will be a superstar in the NHL. It’s just a matter of where and when.

From the standpoint of the Blue Jackets, yes, the team could certainly use an offensively-skilled defenceman. But given the type of talent available via trade (Tomas Kaberle) or waivers (Sheldon Souray), even the biggest of Canucks fans would take those type of players over Kevin Bieksa, and twice on Sundays. Bieksa is the kind of defenceman who can be relied upon to contribute solid minutes as a second-pairing blueliner, but by no means is a franchise player, and certainly not one who should be traded for an elite Russian prospect, however much of a headcase he may or may not be.

As a Canucks fans, I would love to see this trade happen. The problem is I just don’t want to get my hopes up. This is the kind of trade that only happens in the wildest of fantasies. The trade value of the two players is not even close. It’s so lopsided that I’d be willing to part with Kevin Bieksa, Cory Schneider and a first-round pick just to land Filatov. He is that big of a prospect.

This is just the tip of the iceberg. I’m sure in the coming days we’ll learn more about this trade possibility, but in the meantime, it’s nice to dream.

Something to “wet” your appetite:

The fallout from the deal is as follows: Going to the rebuilding Florida Panthers are Michael Grabner, Steve Bernier, and the 25th overall selection, which ended up being Quinton Howden from the OHL’s Peterborough Petes. Headed across to the West Coast is rugged defenceman Keith Ballard and prospect Victor Oreskovich, who bounced back and forth from the Panthers and AHL’s Rochester Americans.

Originally, it was widely speculated the deal was based around Steve Bernier and the first round selection in exchange for Keith Ballard, but in the span of an hour from when that deal broke, the actual terms became clear and it appeared as though fans were less lenient on surrendering the emerging Grabner for Ballard.

Obviously the centrepieces for the deal are Michael Grabner and Keith Ballard, so I’ll begin with the former. On one hand, Grabner was scratching the surface on his NHL potential and just beginning to live up to the hype that made him the Canucks’ 2005 first-round selection at 14th overall. After spending two full seasons in the AHL, it seemed as though Grabner finally found a permanent home with Vancouver and on some nights during the postseason was one of the few skaters generating chances and making things happen on offense. Many had the Austrian native slotted in the third-line role next season, with the potential of earning top-six minutes and powerplay time.

However, given the Canucks’ current top six forwards are almost locked in at the Sedin twins, Ryan Kesler, Mason Raymond, Mikael Samuelsson, and Alex Burrows, there probably was not much top-six time to win over those players. Inevitably, Grabner was a front-line player bound to at least begin the season with third line minutes. And with emerging youngsters Cody Hodgson and Jordan Schroeder contending for spots next season, perhaps it was a blessing in disguise that Grabner get the chance to play a top role with the Panthers next fall.

It will hurt the Canucks to be without Michael Grabner, whose speed almost rivals now ex-teammate Mason Raymond. But with him gone, it almost certainly locks up Raymond’s role with the club and opens a path for other players to come in and earn a top-nine role with Vancouver.

And after giving up a highly-regarded player in Grabner, the Canucks do in fact address a glaring need for a feisty defenceman, a role which was certainly not filled with Willie Mitchell injured last season. By acquiring Keith Ballard, a former first-round pick in 2002, the Canucks are getting a puckmoving defenceman who can play the powerplay and dish out punishing hits at the same time. But most importantly, they’re getting a durable blueliner (Ballard hasn’t missed a game in three years) who can drop the gloves and immediately step in and play big minutes.

The 27-year-old, just entering his prime now, has put up 28, 34, 21, 27, and 39 points in the last five years, averaging almost 30 points a season. He possesses the crease-clearing abilities of Willie Mitchell and the feistiness of Kevin Bieksa, which should make him a nice addition. One glaring problem with all of this is that the price tag on the Minnesota native does not come cheap, as he will be the highest paid defenceman. Ballard is set to make $4.2M until the 2014-15 season, so the Canucks must be prepared now to make him a cornerstone of their franchise. It may also present another problem when it comes to inking current star defenceman Christian Ehrhoff to an extension next summer.

As for the spare parts exchanged in the deal, it had been abundantly clear the Steve Bernier experiment was not working in Vancouver. After giving up a 2nd and 3rd round selection for his services two years ago, Bernier just did not mesh well in the Canucks’ top six, generating only 26 goals in his 140 games as a Canuck. The Quebec native needs a change in scenery and perhaps he will benefit with the move to Florida, where the spotlight will not be as present or as harsh.

In any draft, it’s difficult to surrender a first-round selection, but considering at 25th the Canucks had few players of top calibre to choose from, the pick may be more expendable than in recent years. Whomever the club would have drafted at 25th, would not have been ready for several years, and for a club trying to swing for the fences now, maybe a bold move was in order.

Victor Oreskovich is a clear project player who is not unlike Steve Bernier, as he’s described as a rugged winger who likes to work along the boards and has potential to be a power forward. A former 2nd round pick of the Colorado Avalanche in 2004, Oreskovich scored two goals in 50 games last year with the Panthers and could be a strong player for the Manitoba Moose next season, with the occasional callup.

The Canucks may not have drafted the prospect defenceman they may have been aiming for originally, but they did stem the bleeding from their blueline woes of last season, however high the price. The move to acquire Ballard can be best described as a calculated risk for Mike Gillis and management, one which will hopefully pay off next season.

Highlights from Keith Ballard’s 2008-09 season with Florida:

There isn’t a Crosby, Ovechkin, or Doughty-calibre player available in this year’s version of the NHL entry draft, but the annual June affair provides franchises the opportunity to stock their prospect cupboards with future talent. Provided that all NHL teams stay the course and don’t make any trades today, here is my mock draft.

1. Edmonton Oilers - Taylor Hall - LW - Windsor Spitfires (OHL): Edmonton can’t be the team that passes on the draft’s most complete and dynamic player.

2. Boston Bruins (from Toronto) - Tyler Seguin - C - Plymouth Whalers (OHL): Never mind the centres in Boston’s system, Seguin is just about on par with Hall.

3. Florida Panthers - Cam Fowler - D - Windsor Spitfires (OHL): Fowler’s got an incredible winning attitude and is arguably the third-best player available.

4. Columbus Blue Jackets - Erik Gudbranson - D - Kingston Frontenacs (OHL): Has drawn comparisons to Chris Pronger and Tyler Myers . . . adds size to smallish Blue Jackets’ defence.

5. New York Islanders - Brandon Gormley - D - Moncton Wildcats (QMJHL): Projected top-pairing blueliner adds to an Isles team which needs high-end talent on back end.

6. Tampa Bay Lightning - Nino Niederreiter - LW - Portland Winter Hawks (WHL): Strong, fast, and skilled, “El Nino” would look good alongside Steven Stamkos.

7. Carolina Hurricanes - Brett Connolly - RW - Prince George Cougars (WHL): Aside from hip injuries, goal-scoring fiend is a strong two-way player.

8. Atlanta Thrashers - Alexander Burmistrov - C - Barrie Colts (OHL): Russian centre already plays Canadian game and still electrifies fans, to boot. Atlanta needs star power again.

9. Minnesota Wild - Derek Forbort - D - USA NTDP: Minnesota loves drafting close to home and local Duluth kid is a burly skater.

10. New York Rangers - Jeff Skinner - RW - Kitchener Rangers (OHL): Stock has catapulted in last few months and sniper adds new dimension of offence.

11. Dallas Stars - Jon Merrill - D - USA NTDP: Dallas needs a big defenceman who can also play the physical shutdown role. Merrill can do both.

12. Anaheim Ducks - Ryan Johansen - C - Portland Winter Hawks (WHL): Scoring threat needs time to fill out his body, but the Ducks can afford to wait a couple years.

13. Phoenix Coyotes (from Calgary) - Austin Watson - RW - Windsor/Peterborough (OHL): Intelligent scorer considered a top defensive forward plays a big game.

14. St. Louis Blues - Mikael Granlund - C - HIFK (Finland): Smallish centre is a slick forward who can fill the net and the Ducks need help down the middle.

15. Florida Panthers (from Boston) – Nick Bjugstad - C - Blaine Bengals (USHS): Dominating Minnesota highs chool centre named state’s “Mr. Hockey” for 2010.

16. Ottawa Senators - Dylan McIlrath - D - Moose Jaw Warriors (WHL): Scary defenseman strikes fear into opponents with big fights and hits . . . A potential Boston fan favourite.

17. Colorado Avalanche - Jack Campbell - G - USA NTDP: Best player available at this point and fills goaltending prospect void for the Avs. Has a winning pedigree.

18. Nashville Predators - Quinton Howden - LW - Moose Jaw Warriors (WHL): Howden brings defensive acumen, size, and scoring ability to a team which needs more blue-chip forwards.

19. Los Angeles Kings - Emerson Etem - C - Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL): California native has wonderful hands and smart hockey sense.

20. Pittsburgh Penguins - Vladimir Tarasenko - RW - Sibir Novosibirsk (KHL): With fellow Russian Evgeni Malkin already on the Pens, Tarasenko could be lured across the Atlantic.

21. Detroit Red Wings - Evgeny Kuznetsov - Chelyabinsk Traktor (KHL): Similar to Pittsburgh, Detroit has Datsyuk and the Russian ties to bring Kuznetsov overseas.

22. Phoenix Coyotes - Brock Nelson - C - Warroad Warriors (USHS): Pure finisher scheduled to attend University of North Dakota could find himself on the wing in the desert.

23. Buffalo Sabres - Riley Sheahan - C - Notre Dame (CCHA): Growing up close to Buffalo, all-around player is defensively aware and plays a complete game.

24. Chicago Blackhawks (from Atlanta, via New Jersey) - Charlie Coyle - RW - South Shore (EJHL): Boston University-bound winger is Tony Amonte’s cousin and has a diverse game.

25. Vancouver Canucks - Jarred Tinordi - D - USA NTDP: Canucks need a physical defenceman and Tinordi has it in spades at 6′6 and 205 pounds. Captained the USA NTDP U-18 team.

26. Washington Capitals - Kirill Kabanov - LW - Moncton Wildcats (QMJHL): Wild attitude and could possibly go back to Russia, but why would he with Ovechkin on his NHL team?

27. Montreal Canadiens - Alex Petrovic - D - Red Deer Rebels (WHL): Bruising, physical defender adds to a Montreal blueline which needs shutdown players.

28. San Jose Sharks - Beau Bennett - C - Pentiction (BCHL): Another California standout, San Jose
could use a scoring centre. Bennett will attend Denver University next fall.

29. Anaheim Ducks (from Philadelphia) - Calvin Pickard - G - Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL): Won’t make an immediate impact, but gives the Ducks a future goaltending prospect for the pipeline.

30. Chicago Blackhawks - John McFarland - C - Sudbury Wolves (OHL): - Questionable effort, but no questioning his skating. Has been good on bad teams, but equally bad on good teams.

The Canucks GM probably had one eye fixated on the Chicago Blackhawks’ run towards the Stanley Cup and the other eye focused on what his team didn’t have that the Hawks did. For the second time in four years the Canucks lost to the eventual Stanley Cup champion and the patience of Vancouver fans is wearing thin.

What are Gillis’ priorities? Is it finding a way to re-sign restricted free agent Mason Raymond? Or is the third-year general manager assessing whether or not to bring back unrestricted agents Willie Mitchell or Ryan Johnson? Or, dare I say it; is he cooking up a trade to improve his roster?

Perhaps what’s on the mind of Gillis and his associates is how to approach the upcoming draft. While the 2010 class of prospects isn’t an overly strong one in comparison to previous years which has seen superstars emerge in the span of a year or two, there’s no questioning the value of a first-round draft pick.

Traditionally, the Vancouver Canucks have had marginal success when it comes to picking in the first round. Here’s a list of Vancouver’s last ten first-round draft picks:

• 2000: Nathan Smith
• 2001: R.J. Umberger
• 2002: Traded to Washington along with 3^rd round pick in 2003 for Trevor Linden and 2^nd round pick in 2002
• 2003: Ryan Kesler
• 2004: Cory Schneider
• 2005: Luc Bourdon
• 2006: Michael Grabner
• 2007: Patrick White
• 2008: Cody Hodgson
• 2009: Jordan Schroeder

Outside of Ryan Kesler, few of those names bring much applause. Umberger has solidified himself as an NHL pro, but not one of his games played has been in a Canuck uniform. Nathan Smith and Patrick White were utter disasters, and due to an unfortunate tragedy the club lost Luc Bourdon. It seems the Canucks are about to find out what they have in Cory Schneider and Michael Grabner, whereas Hodgson and Schroeder are just scratching the NHL surface now.

While some NHL clubs tend to address their positional needs in the draft, some teams have simply entered with the mentality of picking the best player available. The Nashville Predators, who have built their playoff-contending teams through the draft and not via free agency, have an overwhelming array of talented defensemen and few forwards to accompany them.

In the two drafts that Gillis has taken part in with the Canucks, the first round has demonstrated his desire to select the best player available.

Perhaps no draft was more evident of Gillis’ strategy than last season. With Cody Hodgson (a centre) selected the June before, a lot of fans were clamouring for a defenseman to don a Canucks jersey in 2009. But by drafting another centre in Schroeder, it was indicative that Gillis and his scouts are willing to draft outside their organizational needs in order to take someone they believe to have exceptional potential.

This off-season, the Canucks’ need for defensemen is even more apparent. With the Canucks currently slotted in the 25^th spot of the entry draft, there are an abundance of defensemen available in that range and some already have NHL size and optimistically could find themselves on the roster within two years.

Once again, however, the 2010 class isn’t exactly a terrific one and outside of the first few selections, it’s anybody’s guess as to who will go next. The Canucks, who have a window of success which could close within the next five years, could easily package their 25^th overall pick in order to acquire immediate help.

There really is no telling what Mike Gillis has up his sleeve. Despite the fact he stated on the TEAM 1040 that the Canucks would “be active on July 1” when unrestricted free agency opens, the general manager alos knows that the entry draft is a time for a franchise to build their team for the future.

It seems like the realization that hockey is over in Vancouver is finally starting to sink in. For the second year in a row, the Canucks were ousted by the Chicago Blackhawks. And just like last season, it was Patrick Kane who stuck the dagger in the hearts of fans, as his third period goal was reminiscent of the backbreaker he delivered on May 11th, 2009.

Last season it was a fair assessment to say the Canucks were simply outclassed by a better, faster, and stronger Blackhawks team. This year, the painful defeat seems to sting much more than the last. Not only did the Canucks’ inability to fend off the Blackhawks attack drive fans mad, it was that they lost all three games on home ice and were thoroughly defeated in all three contests. At the end of the day, Chicago had outscored Vancouver at GM Place by a combined score of 17-7. Those are the kind of numbers that make you wonder how the Canucks led the league in home ice victories.

No one wants to make excuses, but after their defeat it was clear the Canucks were a banged-up crew. Willie Mitchell had disappeared off the face of the Earth, Ryan Kesler had played eight games with a shoulder injury he suffered against Los Angeles, Mikael Samuelsson had back and groin issues, and Sami Salo… well, you know. The rotating door of players being slotted into the lineup seemed to take a toll on the team morale. It’s all a matter of “what-ifs” had the Canucks been completely healthy like the Blackhawks.

So where do the Canucks go from here?

There are questions abound regarding this team. The most vocal of Canucks fans would like to see Roberto Luongo hand off the captaincy and get back to focusing on stopping shots, with the critics calling for Ryan Kesler to be upgraded from ‘A’ to ‘C’ status. Judging by his post-game comments, I’m a little concerned about the mental toughness Luongo exudes when crunch time comes. As a goaltender, Luongo has enough to worry about. But as a captain, his head becomes full of noise and distractions.

And herein lies the problem; Roberto Luongo cannot have coaches and management strip the captaincy from him. He has to willingly surrender it to a teammate. It looks bad on himself and the team if the captaincy is taken from him. But it’s clear the Canucks need a vocal presence on the bench during the game, and they certainly can’t get it with Luongo perched 100 feet away from them. Ryan Kesler fits the mold of a true captain.

We’ve probably seen the last of a handful of Canucks. For fans, the image of seeing Pavol Demitra trailing behind a streaking Dave Bolland for Chicago’s third goal of the night will be the only legacy the Slovak leaves behind. While Demitra showed flashes of his old self, the aging veteran wasn’t good enough to be a top-six player but not rugged enough to be a bottom six player, either. He won’t be back.

As for the rest of the unknowns, no one seems to know where or if Willie Mitchell will play next season. But if the concussion symptoms have subsided by July, I would like to see the Canucks retain the defensive blueliner. It was evident the team defense went south once Mitchell was sidelined, and no one missed his presence more than Luongo, who struggled immensely towards the end of the regular season and into the playoffs.

The Canucks will likely explore the options of parting ways with the likes of Kevin Bieksa and Steve Bernier, who both have one year remaining on their contracts. Despite combining for seven goals in the playoffs, the pair delivered inconsistent performances which left a sour taste in Canucks fans’ mouths. And seeing as how the two combine for 5.75M in salary cap space, Mike Gillis may have no choice but to look at trading the two.

What I think is facing the Canucks is a complete makeover on the blueline. Outside of Christian Ehrhoff and Alex Edler, Gillis may need to look at re-modeling the defense. Vancouver can no longer rely on Sami Salo to remain healthy over the course of a full season and Aaron Rome, Shane O’Brien and Andrew Alberts are the kind of players who round out a team’s defense, not play top four minutes. With many NHL blueliners set to hit the free agent market, it would be wise for the third-year GM to invest some long-term deals into the likes of Anton Volchenkov, Dan Hamhuis, or even Scott Niedermayer.

It seems apparent now that this summer is a vital offseason for Gillis and team management. With young forwards like Cody Hodgson and Michael Grabner waiting in the pipeline and with a solid nucleus of forwards in the Sedins, Kesler, Samuelsson and Burrows, he must fill the holes accordingly and with the right players. The team can ill afford to slip up again next season. Anything less than another second round exit will not suffice for fans.

The time for talk is over.

Unlike last season’s matchup where Vancouver was abruptly dispatched in Game 6 in Chicago, the Canucks are hoping for a much better ending this time around. However, not only will they have the luxury of having home ice advantage, they’ll be entering the second-round clash as the clear underdog.

Without a doubt, the spotlight now rests firmly upon Roberto Luongo, who was lit up in Game 6 last year by surrendering four Chicago goals in just a ten minute span in the third period. It marked the disappointing end to what had been a monumental season, and the tears in Luongo’s eyes and the quivering of his voice in the post-game interview were evidence that this game was a tough one to swallow.

Since then, the rivalry and the hatred between the Canucks and Hawks has reached a boiling point. Forget Calgary, Edmonton, and all of Vancouver’s other Northwest Division rivals. For my money, this is the Canucks’ biggest rival: The two teams do not like each other, their personalities clash, and the only thing that the two have in common is that they both are willing to destroy the other if it means getting to the Stanley Cup final.

There are so many storylines to draw from for this series. Patrick Kane versus Roberto Luongo is the matchup which intrigues fans the most, but not far behind is the distinct hate between Andrew Ladd and Ryan Kesler, as evidenced by the video below.

Entering the series, here are the projected lineups for both teams.

Vancouver Canucks

Daniel Sedin - Henrik Sedin - Mikael Samuelsson
Mason Raymond - Ryan Kesler - Alex Burrows
Pavol Demitra - Kyle Wellwood - Steve Bernier
Tanner Glass - Rick Rypien - Jannik Hansen
ex: Michael Grabner

Alex Edler - Sami Salo
Shane O’Brien - Christain Ehrhoff
Andrew Alberts - Kevin Bieksa
ex: Lawrence Nycholat

Roberto Luongo
Andrew Raycroft

Chicago Blackhawks

Bryan Bickell - Jonathan Toews - Patrick Kane
Tomas Kopecky - Patrick Sharp - Marian Hossa
Andrew Ladd - Dave Bolland - Kris Versteeg
Troy Brouwer - John Madden - Adam Burish
ex: Ben Eager, Colin Fraser

Duncan Keith - Brent Seabrook
Niklas Hjalmarsson - Brent Sopel
Brian Campbell - Dustin Byfuglien
ex: Alex Hendry, Nick Boynton

Antti Niemi
Cristobal Huet

Now, time to break down what will make the difference in the series.

Forwards: Vancouver was the highest scoring team with 3.27 goals per game (2nd in the league), but Chicago followed just behind with 3.20 (3rd). At 5-on-5, the Canucks had the 2nd-best ratio, but once again, Chicago was just a shade behind at 3rd. The Blackhawks were also by far and away the league’s best team in terms of shots on goal and shots against per game, throwing an average of 34.1 pucks on net while allowing just 25.1, whereas Vancouver was ranked 10th and 11th in both categories respectively. But despite all that, the Canucks’ individual leaders heavily outweigh the Hawks’ offensive leaders. Henrik Sedin and Daniel Sedin combined for 197 points, while the dynamic duo of Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews combined for 156. The wild cards for both teams remain to be their offseason acquisitions. Marian Hossa’s signing with Chicago garnered much more attention than Vancouver’s signing of Mikael Samuelsson, but thus far in the postseason it’s the latter who’s shown more flash and flair, with 7 goals in six games against Los Angeles (Hossa has one goal, an OT winner vs. Nashville). Edge: It’s even… Just too close to give one team over the other.

Defense: Looking at Chicago’s top four defencemen and then looking at Vancouver’s, there’s just no debating that Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook, two of Canada’s Olympic gold medallists, are just far too superior to Alex Edler and Christian Ehrhoff, even on the best of nights for the Canucks. Sami Salo and Shane O’Brien are both decent enough for the Canucks’ top two pairings, but against a Chicago group things could get problematic quickly. Niklas Hjalmarsson and Brent Sopel are both unheralded defenders for the Hawks who were the difference in the team’s penalty kill. Brian Campbell and Kevin Bieksa are both risky defenders who will either build or burn their team’s chances of winning. Edge: Chicago. Without Willie Mitchell, the Canucks don’t have a prayer.

Goaltending: Statistically, Antti Niemi has been better than Roberto Luongo, but if you were to toss aside the Canucks’ Game 3 non-showing against the Kings, the numbers would be much closer. The Canucks captain looked to have returned to form for Games 4, 5, and 6, making crucial saves in each of those games which paved the way for Vancouver victories. However, it’d be wise to not look past Niemi, who generated two shutouts versus the Predators in the six-game series. Ultimately, Luongo has a twinkle in his eye that’s saying he wants redemption from last season. Edge: Vancouver

Special Teams: Have the Canucks repaired their penalty kill enough to compete with Chicago’s powerplay? Despite that Chicago’s powerplay has been mediocre all season, Vancouver cannot continue to play subpar hockey when they’re on the penalty kill. With Ryan Johnson’s return looming, things look to be swaying in their favour. As for the powerplay, the Canucks had the 5th-best powerplay in the playoffs, where the Hawks had the 11th. But don’t be fooled; Chicago went up against a Nashville penalty kill which boasted two Olympic defencemen. Edge: Even. Again, too close to call.

Prediction: This will be closer than last year’s playoff series, and without a doubt should be the NHL’s most entertaining semi-final. It will be an all-out war, and the Canucks and Hawks will want to beat each other physically, mentally, and psychologically in any way possible. Don’t be surprised if this series goes to a seventh game, however if Vancouver can get at least a split in Chicago, I feel confident about the Canucks in 6.

The answer: NONE OF YOU. That’s right, not one single person predicted the Canadiens would defeat the Capitals, and not one of the competitors predicted the game would go past six games. As a result, all 20 competitors earned a grand total of ZERO points combined in the WSH/MTL series.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the most points earned from one single series was in the Vancouver-Los Angeles matchup, where the 20 competitors earned a combined 38 points.

Some of you also earned PERFECT scores on some of your predictions. Here are those who earned a perfect four points for predicting series length, series winner, and the series-winning goal scorer:

• Andizzle correctly predicted the Canucks would defeat the Kings in six, with Daniel Sedin getting the winner.
• Jay Jay predicted not one, but two series perfectly, getting Chicago in six with Toews scoring the winner, and Detroit in seven with Datsyuk getting the winner.
• Jack accurately predicted that San Jose would triumph over Colorado in six, with Joe Pavelski sealing the deal.
• Conrad also predicted that Chicago would need six against Nashville, with Toews scoring the game winner.

After Round One, here are the standings:

T1. Larry Van Kampen - 12 points
T1. Jay Jay - 12 points
T3. Matt - 11 points
T3. Gio - 11 points
T3. Brandon - 11 points
T6. Tranuck - 10 points
T6. Alex - 10 points
T6. Jack - 10 points
T6. Hora - 10 points
T6. Ramesh - 10 points
T11. Will - 9 points
T11. Justin - 9 points
T11. Conrad - 9 points
T11. Kyle G - 9 points
T15. Andizzle - 8 points
T15. Vic - 8 points
T15. Leon - 8 points
T18. Adam - 7 points
T18. Shawn - 7 points
20. ray_supastar - 6 points

As you can see, things are still close from first to last and with the point values exponentially increasing, the standings can change in a hurry.

Here are the point values for Round 2:

• Correctly predicting the playoff series winner (3.0 points)
• How many games the series will go to (3.0 points)
• Who will score the game-winning goal in the final game (5.0 points)

New predictions - Correctly predict the following:

• Who will score the first goal of the series (3.0 points)
• Each team’s leading GOAL scorer (2.0 points each)

Predictions

Matt’s Predictions:

WESTERN CONFERENCE

(1) San Jose Sharks vs. (5) Detroit Red Wings
• Detroit in six games - GWG: Pavel Datsyuk
• First Goal: Valtteri Filppula
• Leading Goal Scorers: Joe Pavelski, Pavel Datsyuk

(2) Chicago Blackhawks vs. (3) Vancouver Canucks
• Vancouver in six games – GWG: Mikael Samuelsson
• First Goal: Kris Versteeg
• Leading Goal Scorers: Patrick Kane, Daniel Sedin

EASTERN CONFERENCE

(4) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (8) Montreal Canadiens
• Pittsburgh in six games – GWG: Maxime Talbot
• First Goal: Tomas Plekanec
• Leading Goal Scorers: Sidney Crosby, Michael Cammalleri

(6) Boston Bruins vs. (7) Philadelphia Flyers
• Boston in five games – GWG: Marco Sturm
• First Goal: Scott Hartnell
• Leading Goal Scorers: David Krejci, Danny Briere

Good luck to all!

Nonetheless, it’s all in the past now. The Canucks cannot and will not allow themselves to remain in the past and dwell on the fact the Daniel Sedin goal should’ve counted. If this team has learned anything over previous playoff defeats, it’s that they have to continue moving forward in a playoff series and not get caught up in all the drama that lies within it.

To be honest, I’m not as concerned as a lot of the Vancouver media are about the Canucks’ chances. It was virtually undisputed right from the get go that this series would be a long one, stretching from six to possibly seven games. It was a foregone conclusion that Los Angeles, while young, had all the tools to get past Vancouver. Drew Doughty hasn’t missed a beat since the Olympics and Jonathan Quick has been solid when called upon. Even young guns Anze Kopitar and Wayne Simmonds have played vital roles so far.

There is, however, a lot to be concerned with in regards to the penalty kill. Without a shadow of a doubt, it has been what plagued the Canucks since Game One of the series. But it’s hard to see even the Kings’ potent 60% powerplay ratio staying this way for the rest of the series. Vancouver will be looking at video footage from the last few games and they will be looking at practicing their penalty kill whenever they can. It’s not as though Alain Vigneault and the coaching staff will sit on their hands and let the Kings’ powerplay run rampant from here on out.

But most importantly, the Canucks have still been the better team 5-on-5. Even after crumbling in the second period and surrendering four unanswered goals, the disallowed Daniel goal got the club fired up and they came within one goal of tying up a game they had no business being in. It should be crystal clear in the hearts and minds of Canucks fans that this team is fully capable of dominating the play of a game… it’s just a matter of executing.

Perhaps from a mental standpoint, the Kings’ young players are now convinced they are now the favourites to win the series. It’s easy for Kings fans and their players to feel confident, but it’s equally easy for the Canucks to not get too low and continue playing their game.

Look at how the Canucks got here: The Sedins can dominate a game, and the second line can provide enough firepower to puncture the Kings’ defense. Roberto Luongo is allowed an off night every now and then but more than anything, this team can bounce back very quickly.

The Canucks started the game off with a similar work ethic in the first period. I thought they had some jump early and fed off the adrenaline coming from the fans, and it showed in the shot totals after the first frame (17-6).

But props should go to Los Angeles for the second period. Not sure what coach Terry Murray said to them at the first intermission but they settled down. They started the second frame on the powerplay and made good on it by scoring only 54 seconds into the game. It was key for taking away the momentum from the first period and taking the fans out of it.

However, the veteran and poised play of Mikael Samuelsson helped turn the tide when he responded on a Canucks powerplay only minutes later. One of the messages coming from Samuelsson is to not get too high or too low during the playoffs and it was important the Canucks got right back to doing what they do. Even better, I think Daniel and Henrik Sedin showed some playoff veteran-like patience on Vancouver’s second goal beauty.

A look at Daniel Sedin’s second-period goal:

My goat of the night goes to two Canucks, though. I think Andrew Alberts, who’s played in 8 NHL playoff games, showed too much intensity and too much undisciplined play. As Samuelsson said, you can’t get too high or too low, you just got to play your game. Unfortunately, Alberts was too aggressive on the Brad Richardson hit and it cost the Canucks a goal. Moreover, Alberts’ interference penalty at the end of the first period paved the way for Jarret Stoll’s goal in the second.

In other words, Alberts was in the box (technically) for both Los Angeles powerplay goals. Playing with only five defencemen, and without Willie Mitchell to boot, is a recipe for disaster against an LA team which finished a shade worse than the Canucks’ 6th-ranked powerplay.

My other goat of the game goes to Ryan Kesler. After inking his contract extension in March, it was Kesler who said he wanted to win a Stanley Cup and the city’s fans had waited long enough for a winner. Well, judging by his efforts last night, he certainly didn’t show it. I know Kesler’s got additional responsibilities compared to the Sedins (containing the Smyth-Kopitar-Williams trio), but the Ryan Kesler we’ve seen this year should contribute at both ends. The USA Olympian finished the game with 23:49 played, was even, and generated just three shots on goal. But what I noticed out there was Kesler wasn’t playing his usual “bull in a china shop” style that we’re used to seeing. That’s got to change for Game Two.

A look at Mikael Samuelsson`s overtime winner:

Alright, and who has EVER seen Alexander Edler play this tough? Edler was dangerous all night long, had scoring chances, was a defensive demon in his own end, and boy did he take it to Drew Doughty…

One more look at Edler’s MONSTER performance:

Otherwise, I think the Canucks played a pretty good Game One. Roberto Luongo in particular showed up when the Canucks needed him and the overtime save he made will be added to the Luongo highlight bank, especially if the Canucks can get by the Kings.

Lu’s big save:

Game Two is Saturday night at 7PM!

Rules

In each playoff series, you must predict the following:
• The playoff series winner
• How many games the series will go to
• Who will score the game-winning goal in the final game

As the playoffs continue, there will be more predictions involved and the point values for correct predictions will increase.

Scoring

You earn points by predicting any of the below correctly. The point value is found in the brackets.
• Correctly predicting the playoff series winner (1.0 points)
• How many games the series will go to (1.0 points)
• Who will score the game-winning goal in the final game (2.0 points)

Predictions

Matt’s Predictions:

WESTERN CONFERENCE

(1) San Jose Sharks vs. (8) Colorado Avalanche
• San Jose in five games – GWG: Joe Pavelski

(2) Chicago Blackhawks vs. (7) Nashville Predators
• Chicago in six games – GWG: Dave Bolland

(3) Vancouver Canucks vs. (6) Los Angeles Kings
• Vancouver in six games – GWG: Alex Burrows

(4) Phoenix Coyotes vs. (5) Detroit Red Wings
• Detroit in seven games – GWG: Dan Cleary

EASTERN CONFERENCE

(1) Washington Capitals vs. (8) Montreal Canadiens
• Washington in five games – GWG: Tomas Fleischmann

(2) New Jersey Devils vs. (7) Philadelphia Flyers
• New Jersey in seven games – GWG: Ilya Kovalchuk

(3) Buffalo Sabres vs. (6) Boston Bruins
• Buffalo in six games – GWG: Drew Stafford

(4) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (5) Ottawa Senators
• Pittsburgh in four games – GWG: Sergei Gonchar