10:15pm Good night and good luck from the Global BC Sports department offices. See you Friday night for Game 2. Can’t wait for all the drama of who starts and who plays with who. It will be an interesting few days.
10:14 Raffi Torres misses an empty net. The buzzer goes and its a ghost town at Rogers Arena. The Sharks strike first. They win 3-1.
10:13pm Lots of pressure but few shots from the Canucks with time winding down and an empty net.
10:04pm This one is all me. Even though Luongo has been the best Canuck- there will be no controversy if Schneider starts Game 2.
10:03pm Another “if this goal line stands” the Canucks will have lost 5 straight home playoff games going back to 2011. Thank you Squire.
10:00 If this goal line stands- the Sharks will be the first road team to win in these two day old playoffs.
9:59 GOAL! Patrick Marleau scores a sneaky one with the Canucks caught chasing. Couture the key to it all. Yes, he is as good as advertised.
9:58pm I have a kid that’s an early riser. It is getting dangerously close to my bedtime. Needless to say OT could be disastrous for me.
9:57pm I may have passed early judgment on Weise after his bad penalty a few minutes in. He’s now a second liner with Ryan Kesler! It’s the bounce back of the season.
9:54pm You know who’s name I’ve heard a lot tonight? Mason Raymond. He’s looked pretty good. Sort of forgot about him. Could it be Derek Roy syndrome? He’s had good chemistry with basically everyone AV has put him with.
9:53pm Canucks forced to press and take some chances- not paying off so far. But its been about 90 seconds since the Sharks scored.
9:52pm Tom Wingels was in on the play. Squire can’t say his name without giggling.
9:51pm GOAL! Dan Boyle with a gift. An empty net- he pops in a rebound. Sharks go ahead 2-1.
9:46pm This sort of looks like a game in January where both teams are playing for the guaranteed point. Someone needs to remind them that’s how we end up with 3 periods of overtime- and no one wants that. I repeat NO ONE wants that.
9:44pm BOOORRRING. This period needs a little something-something.
9:43pm Back to the scoring change- Bieksa’s goal is unassisted. So someone is reading this!
9:41pm Good kill for the Canucks – should give them some confidence.
9:37pm Dan Hamhuis called for hooking on Logan Couture. Ill advised, I tell you, ill advised (Captain Obvious would say). Sharks back on the PP
9:36pm Torres with a booming shot that Luongo saw on the way but still made interesting with a little bobble. Torres trying to get even on the night.
9:35pm The scoring sheet has been changed. Torres’ own goal is now credited to Kevin Bieksa. No stanchion needed there.
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9:28pm Sharks are credited with 20 (may be home scoresheet advantage for the Canucks there). Torres leads the way with 5 of his own.
9:27pm Checking out the scoresheet- the Canucks have been credited with 37 hits. Everyone is on the board except Corrado and Hamhuis. Weise and Hansen are leading the way with 5 each.
9:18pm So goals from Hansen (well, Torres) and Couture. And ill advised penalties from Weise and Kassian. You’re all caught up.
9:16pm Argh- technical difficulties. Back up and running. And the second period ends- still a tie game but this time at 1’s.
9:11pm GOAL! Logan Couture on the power play. No maybes about this one. Nice wrister. What did I say about the Sharks PP? Not 0 for- any longer.
9:10pm Oops- got distracted. Sharks on the PP. Kassian in the box, I do believe.
9:06pm That goal was scored with 19 seconds left and ironically (!) was assisted by Jannik Hansen. Quirky is fun.
9:05pm Squire is taking a trip down memory lane on Youtube when Torres last scored for the Canucks – Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals.
9:03pm Hansen gets credit (from Raymond and Bieksa. Sidenote- how can you give assists on an own goal?). Ugly, ugly goal. That may be the way in this series.
9:01pm Sharks will claim goalie interference- but on which goalie? All 5 sharks were in the crease playing the role. On further review- Raffi Torres puts it in his own net. So the Canucks save a 3rd rounder by not getting Torres at the deadline but still reap the benefits.
8:59pm GOAL! I think. Mad scramble in front of Niemi. Bodies everywhere- puck ends up in the net. Referees discussing. Looks like Jannik Hansen (the only man standing) back handed it in from the side of the net.
8:59pm Weise trying to hit his way back into the lineup for Game 2
8:53pm Nice sequence- the Canucks with lots of traffic in front- Edler chance ends up on top of the net
8:50pm Note to the Canucks- if you wait to take the shot- the Sharks will get in your shooting lane.
8:48pm Canucks back on the PP as the Sharks clear the puck over the glass. Easily the stupidest rule out there.
8:47pm Good shoulder save by Luongo- he’s making it look easy. No need to even raise his glove there.
8:46pm Canucks 4th line dominates one of their rare shifts. Trying to spark something…
8:45pm Burrows knocks down a puck out of mid air and it goes just wide. The crowd has something to ‘oooohhhhh’ about
8:42pm Nothing else to write home about (or blog about) on that Canucks PP. 8:41pm Henrik in the slot- thought about it too long and nothing comes of the chance.
8:39pm DesJardins upends Jannik Hansen- looked worse than it was. Canucks to the power play.
8:38pm Jason Garrison finishes off a Canucks odd man rush- right into the pads of Niemi. Thinking 5 hole? He must be watching TSN- apparently that’s Niemi’s only weakness.
8:37pm Sharks 0 for 2 on the PP- won’t stay 0 for – for too long.
8:32pm Squire cuts his highlight pack as the game is played. So here is your first Squire highlight pack update: Luongo save on Havlat (he was apparently so discouraged he got hurt and left the game) and Frankie Corrado taking a run at Raffi Torres and getting dropped. That’s about 20 seconds in the can.
8:23pm My second favourite pregame comment was Luongo saying “its forgotten man” about the Edmonton 5 quick goal debacle. Clearly he wasn’t lying. He was the standout of the first 20 minutes. (My first favourite was AV saying the reason Kesler wasn’t at the morning skate was because he was locked in the back room being fed raw meat)
8:18pm Shots 15-9 Sharks in a scoreless first period. Doesn’t sound as bad as it looked.
8:17pm Kesler with another blocked shot. He is sacrificing the body early in this one. Coaching staff might tell him not to with his history.
8:16pm Sharks PR staff says Martin Havlat is being evaluated and is questionable to return. Whatever that means. Well in PR speak that usually means he won’t be back.
8:15pm Sharks back on the PP with 1:37 to play in the first period. Bieksa in the box. Interference on Logan Couture.
8:12pm Luongo has been tested, but there hasn’t been second and third chances. The Canucks have been limiting traffic in front of him.
8:11pm Offensive face off win for the Canucks but they can’t keep the puck in 8:06pm A few boo-birds there when the top line went offside? Sure sounded like it.
8:05pm From Squire: if you hung a basketball hoop on the end of Joe Thornton’s stick and held it up it would be NBA regulation size.
8:01pm Derek Roy with the *ping* off the crossbar.
7:59pm Antti Niemi has largely been a spectator tonight. Canucks have been back on their heels
7:55pm Two shots already tonight for Corrado. Meanwhile Keith Ballard is choosing new paint colours for the press box.
7:54pm After that stellar Sharks PP, the Canucks are on notice. Do not take any stupid penalties.
7:48pm Disclaimer- Squire bought dinner so I’m in an especially good mood.
7:47pm Three good saves already by Lou. Nice warm up courtesy of this Sharks PP
7:46pm An almost Kirk MacLean-ish pad save by Loungo. Those Looouuuusss are well deserved
7:45pm So not used to hearing “Loouuu’s” – I thought they were boos.
7:44pm Canucks shorthanded. Dale Weise to the box. Just put his Game 2 start in jeopardy.
7:41pm And Kesler takes his first shot of the series from…. a teammate. Chris Higgins gets him in the face with his stick as they both go to the bench. Is this foreshadowing?
7:40pm No Thornton-Kesler at the opening faceoff. Disappointed already.
7:04pm Sigh of relief- according to Twitter, Ryan Kesler is out there for the pregame warm up. All that panic was for nothing. But the drama is always worth it.
6:50pm Full disclosure: I am watching the game on a 12″ TV. You read that right. And it’s snowy. It’s circa 1965 in here. And I do know how to skate. But I’m no work of art skating backwards. So judge me how you will.
6:33pm An hour to gametime. Who’s more nervous? Joe Cannata or Frank Corrado? Cannata is one errand shot in warm up away from starting. And Corrado is a few weeks removed from playing in the OHL.
5:54pm Waiting on puck drop. Question to ponder. Will AV subscribe to Wally Buono’s rule that you don’t lose your job to injury? What happens if Luongo is lights out and Schneider is ready to play Game 2? Is it an obvious answer?
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