CHICAGO – Centre Ryan Johnson called it a symbolic exercise in accountability and apparently it worked.
The Vancouver Canucks donned their rally caps in the pre-game warmup at the United Center – actually, they ditched their helmets all together – and in doing so made a statement to one another.
"The mentality behind it was nobody could hide," Johnson said of the collective decision to ditch their "buckets" in the pre-game skate. "Take your helmets off. There was an accountability about all of us showing our faces and getting after it and we certainly did that."
All the Canucks showed up Sunday night and after an impressive against-all-odds 4-1 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks with their season on the line, they get to play again.
The win cut the Hawks’ lead in the best-of-seven Western Conference semifinal series to 3-2 and sends the teams back to Vancouver for Game 6 on Tuesday night (6:30 p.m., CBC, Team 1040).
That’s the good news. The down side is the Canucks may have to carry on without key defenceman Sami Salo, who was taken to hospital after being struck in the groin area by a Duncan Keith shot at the end of the first period.
"We get to play hockey again one more night," said defenceman Shane O’Brien. "That is all this group wanted. Hopefully, our fans will be fired up back home and we can take care of business in Game 6."
The Canucks were everything Sunday night they weren’t in Games 3 and 4 in Vancouver. They played with considerable poise and discipline and got a clutch performance from Roberto Luongo, who most definitely was not the second-best goalie on the ice in this game.
Much of Vancouver’s offence came from their defencemen. Kevin Bieksa scored twice and Christian Ehrhoff added another. Alex Burrows got the other Vancouver goal into an empty net.
With nearly everyone having counted them out of the series, the Canucks were a calm, cool, collected and yes, even a very “composed,” bunch. They did not stop believing in themselves and a goal by Ehrhoff 59 seconds into the first period gave the Canucks exactly the start they wanted.
"Everybody chipped in, everybody did jobs and we weren’t so fired up and gung ho," Johnson said. "Sometimes that can get the best of you. We just have to keep that calm about us and that’s the job of the leaders in this room to make sure going home we don’t get too fired up."
"There is a of character in here and a lot of pride," added O’Brien, who spilled about a pint of blood on the ice after being high-sticked between the eyes by Hawks winger Dustin Byfuglien midway through the second period. "We wanted to keep playing. There was a more calm feeling in the room today. I know personally I just tried to relax before the game. I am usually more talkative and trying to get the boys ready to go. Today, I just tried to stay calm and relaxed and carried it onto the ice."
The Canuck penalty-kill also answered the bell. The Hawks were 0-for-4 on the power play and the Canucks did a much better job of staying out of the penalty box. They took five minors while the Blackhawks were whistled for seven.
After Salo went down, the Hawks attempted to take some liberties with the remaining five Vancouver defencemen, who refused to be goaded into penalties.
"We took a lot of punishment tonight, we took a lot of shots, we took a lot of stuff that we thought were penalties but that’s what you have to do this time of year is just try to keep your composure," O’Brien said.
"I guess everyone was right, composure seems to be the word of the series, so I guess I’ll jump on board."
Bieksa scored off the rush at 14:24 of the first, finishing off a Mikael Samuelsson pass, to give the Canucks a 2-0 lead.
Bieksa got the only goal of the second period on a Canuck power play with Byfuglien off serving a slashing minor. His shot from just above the left circle was screened in front by Burrows, who also set an effective screen on Ehrhoff’s game-opening goal.
"That is how they have been scoring some goals, too, with traffic in front of the net," Burrows said. "We have talked about it and have been trying to get there. Finally, tonight we got rewarded for it."
Chicago captain Jonathan Toews made it 3-1 at 12:51 of the third period when he tipped a Keith shot past Luongo, but the Hawks could get no closer. Burrows iced it with his empty-netter with 45 seconds remaining in the third.
So, the comeback has begun, but the Canucks know that finishing it off will not be easy. The Hawks are 13-0 in series where they have won three of the first four games and if Salo is lost the task becomes even more daunting.
"We are a lot better team with Sami in the lineup," Bieksa said. "Injuries happen and the five of us, I think, did a good job of picking up the slack."
If Salo can’t go, it may be Nolan Baumgartner who steps in and plays as Vancouver’s sixth defenceman Tuesday night as Aaron Rome has apparently suffered a setback with the undisclosed injury he has been battling.
Canuck coach Alain Vigneault shed little light on Salo’s injury, which left him writhing on the ice in agony at the end of the first period.
"He is hospital right now getting evaluated and we’ll know more later." Vigneault said.
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