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ravencallscrowsThis series wasn't won by the Vancouver Canucks. It was lost by the St. Louis Blues.
After embarassing the Canucks in a 6-0 blowout in game one, the Blues were shown the blueprint the Canucks would use to capture the series. To quote Canadian Broadcasting Corporation commentator Chris Cuthbert, game seven of the series didn't feature the St. Louis Blues, but rather the St. Louis Black and Blues, as the Canucks rarely missed an opportunity to take the body, resulting in a number of bruising checks, frequently against St. Louis blueliners.
Vancouver adjusted after game one. St. Louis failed to match the change adequately, especially once the Canucks found their scoring touch in game five. Hitting hard at every opportunity, forcing the play of Blues defenders, shifting power forward Todd Bertuzzi from in front if the net to the half-boards where he could run a pick to create open alleys for shots from the point, and shooting high to the glove side became the keys to Vancouver's play in game five and beyond.
St. Louis had its chances, though. The Canucks were dreadful in the thrid period in games five and six, allowing the Blues to rebound from multi-goal deficits, but with insufficient time to quite get the equalizing tally.
Tonight, in game seven, there would be no late comeback. The Canucks gave goaltender Dan Cloutier a present for his twenty-seventh birthday by advancing to the Western Conference semifinals for the first time in eight years- last advancing with a seven game victory over the St. Louis Blues in 1995.
After embarassing the Canucks in a 6-0 blowout in game one, the Blues were shown the blueprint the Canucks would use to capture the series. To quote Canadian Broadcasting Corporation commentator Chris Cuthbert, game seven of the series didn't feature the St. Louis Blues, but rather the St. Louis Black and Blues, as the Canucks rarely missed an opportunity to take the body, resulting in a number of bruising checks, frequently against St. Louis blueliners.
Vancouver adjusted after game one. St. Louis failed to match the change adequately, especially once the Canucks found their scoring touch in game five. Hitting hard at every opportunity, forcing the play of Blues defenders, shifting power forward Todd Bertuzzi from in front if the net to the half-boards where he could run a pick to create open alleys for shots from the point, and shooting high to the glove side became the keys to Vancouver's play in game five and beyond.
St. Louis had its chances, though. The Canucks were dreadful in the thrid period in games five and six, allowing the Blues to rebound from multi-goal deficits, but with insufficient time to quite get the equalizing tally.
Tonight, in game seven, there would be no late comeback. The Canucks gave goaltender Dan Cloutier a present for his twenty-seventh birthday by advancing to the Western Conference semifinals for the first time in eight years- last advancing with a seven game victory over the St. Louis Blues in 1995.
