BY MARK SPECTOR
sportsnet.ca
NASHVILLE -- This is the moment where the Vancouver Canucks' trouble began a round ago. They had the Chicago Blackhawks dead and buried, but sat back and watched them rise again.
The Canucks were spanked 7-2 in Game 4, 5-0 in Game 5, and in the end it took Game 7 overtime heroics simply to advance to the second round. Now, with San Jose up 3-0 on Detroit, Boston up 3-0 on Philadelphia, and Tampa already through to the Eastern Conference Final, would it not be a good time for the Canucks to step on the gas tonight in Nashville?
"The plan is obviously to win every single game. Yeah, we'd like to win in as few games as possible," defenceman Kevin Bieksa said. "The other series' look like they could short ones. If we go the distance like we expect here, we'll just look at it like we're the team that's in game shape, and they'll be the team that's over-rested.
"Maybe it's a bad thing to win it so quickly," he added. "Some of the other teams should take a page out of our book, let a couple games go into overtime…"
Suddenly the Canucks found themselves not simply answering questions about defeating Nashville on the morning of Game 4, but about doing it with some expediency.
"It's strange," Henrik Sedin said, laughing. "I don't know what people are thinking if there's pressure to finish a series 4-0, or 4-1. It's a tough league."
But don't those teams who have a week's rest at this time of year have an advantage, your intrepid reporter asked?
"Uh," he said, "I thought Detroit won their (first-round) series 4-0. Now they're down 3-0. So, I don't know…"
Good point by you, Hank.
Lineup notes
Nashville coach Barry Trotz revealed that centreman Steve Sullivan is "very doubtful for the rest of the series" after his knee-on-knee collision with Dan Hamhuis in Game 3. Colin Wilson will come out of the press box as a replacement, making his 2011 playoff debut tonight.
On the Canucks side, it appears highly likely that Sami Salo will return from injury, pushing Andrew Alberts out of the lineup. Of course, head coach Alain Vigneault would not comment, as is his wont when it comes to lineup issues in the playoffs.
Keith Ballard will also be a healthy scratch. He has fallen out of favour here in Vancouver, with must be a touchy issue between Vigneault and GM Mike Gillis, who traded away a first-round draft, Michael Grabner and Steve Bernier for Ballard and Victor Oreskovich at the 2010 draft.
Ballard still has four years left on his contract, with a cap of $4.2 million. And he's not a Top 6 guy in Vigneault's books.
"We've got eight healthy defencemen," Vigneault said. "The six I'm going to play tonight give us the best chance to win."
Ouch.
Talking to himself
Despite ranking fifth among Predators defencemen in ice time during these playoffs, Shane O'Brien has managed to become the runaway leader in penalty minutes with 14, and is the only minus player at minus-3.
The most important thing for the former Canuck is to stay out of the box, something that has been an issue for O'Brien throughout his career.
"I tell myself every shift: Keep your stick down, keep your hands down and move your feet," he said. "You take one penalty and the puck ends up in your net. The games are so tight right now, that's all it takes (to lose)."
Mr. Underwood is kickin' back
Life's good here in Nashville for Mike Fisher, who misses the people in Ottawa, but not necessarily the profile of being an NHL player in a Canadian city.
"It's a nice change," he said. "Nothing against being in Canada, but sometimes it's nice to be able to go out and do your thing a little bit more. Not having to worry about the game the night before when you go to the grocery store.
"The media is a little more relaxed too, other than the playoffs," he noted. "I think we set a (media attendance) record in the room yesterday…"
He slots in as a support scorer in a Predators lineup that, essentially, is made up of a lot of guys just like Fisher. The Predators ranked 21st in the NHL in goals scored this season, with only two players scoring more than 20 goals - Sergei Kostitsyn (23) and Patric Hornqvist (21).
"This team is different, with less stars. Especially up front," Fisher said. "It's such a team - everyone is contributing. A good, solid team - everyone together, and that's why we've been winning and finding success."
