Canucks Sweep a Series for First Time, Beat St. Louis 3-2 in OT

by Tina Kells | April 22, 2009 at 09:49 am

70 views | 0 Recommendations | 0 comments

It was a series sweep for the Vancouver Canucks, the first time in the 38 year franchise history that the team has won in only four games, and it was a spectacular finish. The Vancouver Canucks beat the St. Louis Blues with a five-hole score on goalie Chris Mason by Alex Burrows in the final seconds of OT.

The Canucks have a chance to do something they’ve never done before in team history and that’s sweep a team in a best-of-seven series. In fact, the Canucks have never even been put in a position where they have had that opportunity. Their current 3-0 lead over the Blues marks the first time in team history the Canucks have won the first three games of a best-of-seven series. The Canucks, however, do have one prior series sweep in team history. That came back in the 1982 Smythe Division Semi-Final when they beat the Calgary Flames 3-0 in a best-of-five series. Fans will remember that the ’82 team would eventually go on to reach the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in team history.

The Canucks had been on fire throughout the four game series and had identified the five-hole as a weak spot for St. Louis goale Chris Mason; a weakness they turned to their advantage, as the OT win in game 4 shows.

Last night, Burrows played like a core player, scoring two goals, including the game-winner in overtime, as the Canucks completed the first four-game playoff sweep in franchise history and advanced to the Western Conference semi-finals. Vancouver downed the St. Louis Blues 3-2 and took the series 4-0 to become the first NHL team to move on in the postseason.

With an impressive list of pre-series stats the Vancouver Canucks were the favourite team, but this didn't make for a boring series. Based on stats alone, going into game 4 the Canucks looked to be the stronger team. Even an eleventh hour announcement that they would be playing without Mats Sundin and Sami Salo didn't change the facts.

Going into game four the Canucks stats were compelling:

Canucks were 4-0 in their last 4 Conference Quarterfinals games
Canucks were 4-0 in their last 4 against a team with a losing record
Canucks were 5-0 in their last 5 when their opponent had scored 2 goals or less in their previous game
Canucks were 5-1 in their last 6 road games
Canucks were 4-1 in their last 5 road games against a team with a winning home record

Here's how the final minutes of game 4 played out:

Ahh, horseshoes.

And then with four and half minutes left Andy MacDonald wires one at our net. I’ve been waiting and Hughson yells “Great Save Luongo.”

Worth the wait.

Henrik takes a loose puck and we get a chance with a minute and half left. Horseshoes again. A minute left and we are already in sudden death. Andy Murray provides comic relief with fifteen seconds left. We buzz around but the face off comes outside the zone.

Last minute face off in the Blues zone…and the horn goes.

We are in OT!

And there was so much going on in that OT that it’s difficult to write about it. They had the first three PPs but we had the best chances (courtesy of the Sedins). The third period and the OT were what most people thought this series would be about. Lots of end to end and with both goalies playing out of their heads. With Lou forced to make the more difficult saves.

But the Blues’ PP still cannot deliver. That’s gotta kill them.

And just as I’m about to get another brandy, Alexander Burrows picks up a loose puck and shoots a hard one along the ice. Mason wasn’t ready and it’s through the five hole.

The series is over. Oh yeah.

Roberto Luongo, Mattias Ohlund and Willie Mitchell played hard and long during the series and are surely looking forward to the long break ahead. Game 4 goal scorers Kyle Wellwood and Alex Burrows are also deserving of some rest.

The Canucks are the first team to make it to round two of the finals and could have as many as eleven days off before they hit the ice again.

0 See all footage | View Slideshow

Share: email story | add to any | | facebook | stumbleupon