Mark Spector

Mark Spector is a columnist for sportsnet.ca

Andrew Ladd of the Blackhawks and Christian Ehrhoff of the Canucks fight for position behind a fallen Kevin Bieksa, as Mikael Samuelsson waits on the side.

Let’s face it: Canucks fans would have loved a quick series here, but was that ever realistic?

CHICAGO — One hundred and twenty minutes of this series has now been played, and the Chicago Blackhawks have led for exactly 90 seconds of it.

That amounts to about two shifts, or the amount of time it takes your humble scribe to figure out if he’s talking to Daniel or Henrik Sedin.

It’s less than one lousy power play, which — wouldn’t you know it? — was exactly what the Canucks were regretting after losing 4-2 in Chicago on Monday night.

One lousy power play.

"In the third period, our power play had a chance to make a big statement, make the difference in the game, and we weren't able to get it done," said Vancouver head coach Alain Vigneault, after a 4-2 Canucks loss that evened the series at 1-1.

"It cost us the game," said Daniel (we checked) Sedin. "We didn’t set up the way we wanted to, and we took shots from unusual spots and we didn’t have the right guys in front of the net."

It was during the Canucks six man advantages that the pace of this game was supposed to slow down a gear or two. But as the night wore on, the 'Hawks sped up while playing down a man, and started out-chancing the Canucks powerplay.

And 6:49 into the third period, that unit finally produced the shorthanded goal by Patrick Sharp that kissed goodbye a lead the Canucks had held since the 1:22 mark of the opening period. That shorty, at that time, really hurt.

"Of course, of course," Daniel said. "I mean, we should score there. We should kill the game right there. But they come back and score — (it’s) 2-2."

The Canucks got their split on the road. But when you win the first game, a split always leaves you a little bit sour.

In the end, Vancouver would have settled for overtime in Game 2, but Kris Versteeg — who just couldn’t get a chance to convert itself Monday — scored with 90 seconds to play on what was classic Blackhawks. They came in waves, until finally, the dam broke.

The genie got out of the bottle late in the first period, when Brent Seabrook scored to make the game 2-1. From there, this series resembled the track meet we all hoped it would be — a brand of series the Canucks had neatly avoided up ‘til that point.

"That’s the pace we need to play at," Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said.

"We started to roll after 10 minutes," added Seabrook, who was a horse in Game 2 with three points and a plus-4 night. "Getting that first goal reminded us that we can score on this guy (Roberto Luongo)."

That was Kevin Bieksa playing the part of the Zamboni on the winner, as he first dove to block Versteeg’s shot. When Versteeg faked and held, and the puck squirted back to Duncan Keith, Bieksa came sprawling once again, only to be out-waited this time by Keith, who fed Versteeg for the goal.

"I felt really good out there tonight," said Versteeg, who had a goal, an assist and was plus-3. "Sometimes bounces went other ways then they should have, luckily the last puck came to me. I was going to shoot it as hard as I could."

Up high past an outstretched Luongo, and the series was officially on.

Let’s face it: Canucks fans would have loved a quick series here, but was that ever realistic? Instead, they should be handing out neck braces at GM Place on Wednesday.

You could come home with whiplash, at the pace this series was played at in Game 2.

"It’s going to be a fun series," Sharp said after the game. "I think you saw both sides talking a bit more, a few more scrums after the whistle. It’s obvious the two teams don’t like each other, but at the end of the day we have respect for each other and it’s pretty exciting hockey."

Vancouver takes home the edge here, stealing home-ice. Hold serve at GM Place, and we’ll be back here in an elimination game before the week’s out.

Easy to say, isn’t it?

Then why does it seem like a five-game series between these two teams has absolutely no chance of coming true?

"These are two teams that play well," Vigneault said, "wherever they play."

It was a treat to watch on Monday.

Look out Vancouver, the Indy is back in town.