In a game that started off oozing with drama as Canucks coach Alain Vigneault would start Cory Schneider in goal over regular starter Roberto Luongo, it would only end up making sense that it would somehow still boil down to Luongo. While the Canucks may have wanted to have Luongo avoid dealing with the insane atmosphere in Chicago and go with the guy that’s not mentally rattled, it would be Luongo who gave up the game-winner in overtime as the Blackhawks won it 4-3 to force a Game 7 on Tuesday.
Schneider played well in goal despite a pair of his own miscues that led to goals from Bryan Bickell and Dave Bolland, but in the third period with Vancouver holding a 3-2 lead, Michal Frolik would be taken down on a breakaway giving him a penalty shot and a chance to tie it. Frolik would attack and score on Schneider as Schneider kicked his leg out to try and make the stop and in the process injured himself. In came Luongo and the Canucks stepped up their pressure as Luongo only had to face one shot in the third period while the Canucks peppered the Chicago net trying to end the game. They wouldn’t have it though and the game moved to overtime.
In overtime, the Blackhawks were able to blitz the Vancouver zone and with 4:30 left in the overtime period, rookie Ben Smith would put home a rebound off a sprawling Luongo and into the net to send the United Center crowd into a frenzy as the Hawks stormed back from being down 3-0 in the series to force a Game 7.
For Chicago, they’re playing flat out better than Vancouver right now and the Canucks look rattled. Badly. Chicago is getting sustained pressure from all of their lines and with Dave Bolland back in the lineup and producing in a big way, they’ve been able to roll over all of the Canucks lines. Even with Jonathan Toews struggling points-wise, the Blackhawks aren’t missing a beat and they’re playing motivated and often spiteful hockey. We’ve said it before that they’re dangerous and now the Canucks look scared.
Vancouver looks terrified to do anything. The physicality isn’t equaling up to what Chicago is doing, the passing is off, the skill is gone as Chicago is forcing Vancouver to be uncomfortable, and most of all Vancouver is playing as if they don’t want to lose. Someone in that Canucks locker room has to hold the other players accountable and whether it’s captain Henrik Sedin or assistants like Ryan Kesler, the fear of whatever higher being they believe in must be put into them. The Canucks have to play desperate and angry. After all, if you kept getting made to look like a fool by the same “bully” year in and year out, some day you snap out of it and lash out and get back at them.
Right now Vancouver is playing the part of the kid on the playground that’s content with getting wedgies every day and having their lunch money stolen. The scared attitude, the lack of support for one another, the lack of sensible fire they have to want to win is startling. If the Canucks don’t want to become the ultimate joke in playoff history, they’ll take each of the last three losses personally and play like they mean it regardless of who is in goal and play the way the top seeded team in the playoffs should play.
Otherwise, Chicago rolls on and seals a date in the second round and becomes one of the most terrifying teams to play in the Western Conference playoffs. With Detroit and Nashville already booked for dates in the second round, that’s the scariest part of all this. After all, no one wants a piece of an angry and motivated team that knows how to get things done. Perhaps that’s why Chicago has absolutely no fear going against Vancouver.
Here are all the highlights from tonight’s Game 6.