Blackhawks Eliminate Canucks from NHL Playoffs
Vancouver's Cup Run Done as Chicago Moves on in Western Conference
Twenty-year-old Patrick Kane scored three goals as the Blackhawks finished off the Canucks with a 7-5 victory in game six. After falling behind 3-1 in the second period, Vancouver tied the game before the end of the period and was leading 5-4 in the third period when Kane scored his second of the night to tie the game again. Needing a win to force game seven in Vancouver, undisciplined penalties cost the Canucks as Chicago went three for four on the power play.
Havlat, Kane and Toews Lead the Way for Young Hawks
After sleeping in and missing the start of a team meeting, Kane scored the first post-season hat trick of his young career. The Buffalo, New York native and first overall pick in the 2007 NHL draft now has 8 goals and 12 points through 11 playoff games this year. Last season’s Rookie of the Year, Kane had a solid regular season. He played in 80 games and was second in team scoring with 25 goals and 70 points.
Toews, the third overall pick in 2006 from Winnipeg, Manitoba has also excelled in his first post season in the NHL; he has 4 goals and 10 points in 12 games. A star for Canada and a gold medal winner in the 2006 World Junior Championships, Toews had a strong second season in the Windy City, scoring 34 goals and 69 points in 82 games.
Havlat, the former Ottawa Senator has returned to All-Star form after battling injuries for several seasons. After playing in only 56 games in 2006 and 35 games in 2007, Havlat returned to the ice this season determined to lead the way in the final year of his contract with Chicago. He played in 81 games, scored 29 goals, and led the team with 77 points. Making his first post-season appearance since 2006 with Ottawa, Havlat leads the Hawks with 13 points in the first two rounds.
Luongo and Canucks Wait for Next year
Another off-season of wondering what went wrong now awaits the Canucks and their fans in Vancouver. Team Captain, Roberto Luongo let in 4 goals on 9 shots in the third period of game six and was clearly upset at his performance. He was quick to shoulder the blame when speaking with the assembled media afterwards.
“I feel I let my teammates down tonight and it’s something that’s going to take a while to get over.”
General Manager Mike Gillis now has some difficult decisions to make in the off-season. Luongo has one year remaining on his contract and the team has several high profile free agents. Henrik and Daniel Sedin, Mats Sundin, Mattias Ohlund and Taylor Pyatt are all unrestricted free agents if they do not sign new contracts before July.
Chicago Waits for Detroit or Anaheim in Western Final
Chicago now moves on to face the winner of the Red Wings / Ducks series in the Western Conference final. Making their first post-season appearance since 2002, the Hawks hope to capture the magic of the 1992 Chicago team led by Jeremy Roenick, which went all the way to the Finals before losing to the Pittsburgh Penguins. The last Stanley Cup parade in Chicago was 1961 but Havlat, Kane and Toews hope to change that this year.
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