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Preview: (2) BLACKHAWKS vs. (3) CANUCKS
WESTERN CONFERENCE PREVIEW: (3) Vancouver vs. Chicago (2)
BY MARK SPECTOR
sportsnet.ca
(3) CANUCKS 
(2) BLACKHAWKS
So, we meet again.
A year ago Roberto Luongo stood in the visitors dressing room at the United Center, unable to complete his post-game medeia scrum as he was ovecome by tears. As such, Luongo couldn't wait to warn Chicago's Patrick Kane that he'd be back, warning him in the handshake lineup after the gold medal game in Vancouver, "We'll see you in the playoffs."
Prescient? Well, when in Rome...
FOR VANCOUVER TO WIN: It is clear that, as the Sedins go, so do the Vancouver Canucks. So the obvious objective in Round 2 is, if Henrik and Daniel -- and thus, their sniping linemate Mikael Samuelsson -- continue to produce at better than a point-per-game pace, the Canucks will be in the ballgame every night.
But where the Canucks were able to sneak through Round 1 in six games over an inexperienced Kings club, they're in now against a legitimate Stanley Cup contender. So that means the second line has to contribute, or the Western Conference's highest-scoring team will go into the summer wondering who pulled the plug on Alex Burrows (35 goals this season) Ryan Kesler and Mason Raymond (25 each).
Kesler did manage six points in Round 1, but somehow they weren't coming at key times so much. Of the three goals scored by the Canucks' second line, two were empty netters. And of course, Kesler and Burrows are a staple of that penalty kill, which operated at 61.5 per cent vs. L.A.
VANCOUVER'S UNSUNG HERO: As a Vancouver Sun colleague points out, many people call this time of year "Pavol Time." OK -- we're kidding with that one. Demitra has been a playoff dog over his career. In 10 previous playoffs, he has recorded two or less post-season goals seven times.
But this could be it for the 35-year-old Slovak's NHL career. His $4 million contract is up after this season, and he has looked tired at times. But remember his Olympics -- he led all scorers with 3-7-10. There is still some player left in Demitra, somewhere, and after a slumberous couple of games he awoke with 2-3-5 in Round 1.
Don't take this as a prediction, but he could be the kind of difference maker that helps to win a series for Vancouver.
FOR CHICAGO TO WIN: Two words: Antti Niemi. The inexperienced Hawks netminder is a Vantaa boy, the same hometown as Valtteri Filppula and the Ruutu brothers, Jarkko and Tuomo. He is also a netminder capable of tying for third in the NHL with seven shutouts this season -- despite only starting 35 games. So he posts a goose egg every fifth start, and had two in the Hawks' six-game win over Nashville.
But Niemi has been every bit that bad at times as well. The rookie can have serious rebound control issues, he lets in some greasy goals and although he has a high top-end game he has not come close to mastering the art of consistency.
He has to play a steadier game for Chicago to move on.
CHICAGO'S UNSUNG HERO: Brent Sopel. That's right, Canucks fans, the stay-at-home, tough-as-nails defenceman your team drafted 15 years ago is a name you're going to start hearing again. Nashville coach Barry Trotz singled him out as the biggest factor in a Chicago PK that did not allow a powerplay goal until Game 6.
Sopel played 20 minutes a night, was plus-4 and had 21 blocked shots in Round 1. Last year he wasn't playing at all in the Vancouver series, but this time around he stands for everything the Canucks are missing on their own blue-line, with Willlie Mitchell on the sidelines with a concussion.
WHAT TO EXPECT: This will be a dandy series, with the Jonathan Toews-Patrick Kane line battling the Sedins all the way through. These teams were separated by only a goal in scoring this year -- 272 to 271 for the Canucks -- but the "high-flying" Blackhawks actually surrendered 11 less goals.
Up front, these teams are about equal. The Blackhawks have a better, deeper and more physical defence, but Luongo is better than Niemi. I picked the Blackhawks to make it to the Stanley Cup this year, but I've got a funny feeling about this Vancouver squad. They'll give Chicago everything it can handle -- perhaps more.
Prediction: Blackhawks in seven.
INTERESTING STAT: Remember last spring? Vancouver took a 2-1 series lead and then completely surrendered into a defensive shell. The Canucks had just 15 shots on goal in Game 4, but still, were three minutes away from a 1-0 victory and a 3-1 series lead.
Then Martin Havlat fired one home with 2:44 to play, big Andrew Ladd tipped one past Luongo in overtime. After that, the Canucks didn't win another game.
In Game 5 the Canucks had 10 shots on net in the final 40 minutes, and lost 4-2. The defensive shell was a bad plan by a coach who didn't think his team could skate with Chicago. Alain Vigneault doesn't think that way anymore, which should make this series fun to watch.
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Poll
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Who will win the Blackhawks-Canucks series?