The 2-1 score may not show it, but Vancouver dominated Chicago in all aspects of the game and showed solid team grit last night.
Nikolai Khabibulin returned for his second game after missing nine to keep the score respectable for the Hawks - Vancouver heavily out-shot Chicago 39-23.
The game was money well spent for those Vancouver fans who shelled out $11.95 to watch it on Pay Per View. There were hits, fights and plenty of scoring chances.
Taylor Pyatt brought the GM Place crowd to their feet with a third period TKO of Jim Vandermeer. The scrap lasted a couple minutes and when Pyatt came out of the box at the end of his fighting major during a TV time-out, the Canucks players banged their sticks on the boards in appreciation.
It was hard not to notice the camaraderie of the Canucks players all night.
In the first period, Kevin Bieksa skated five strides in defense of Ryan Kesler after the Canucks forward was hit hard into the boards by Karl Stewart. Bieksa looked ready to pound Stewart, but the unwilling Chicago forward did his best turtle impression instead.
Markus Naslund scored his third goal in two games playing with the Sedin twins. If you've got some time, check out the highlight of the backhand, between the legs pass by Daniel Sedin to Naslund.
In the media scrum afterwards, Naslund marvelled at playing with the Sedins and the cheeky pass by Daniel.
”I feel that I’m starting to read what they’re trying to doing a little bit more,” said Naslund. “When I get open I’ll get the puck, so they’re fun to play with. It was a beautiful play. I was hoping he saw me and he did. It was just a great play.”
Vancouver now sits at 10-10-1 and have an incredible 7-2-0 record against Central Division opponents - a nice stat considering the Canucks play Detroit and Nashville next.
Fans who arrived early were treated to the last 5 minutes or so of the football game on the new jumbotron scoreboard - the BC Lions won the Grey Cup on 18 feet of pure high definition pleasure!
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