BY MARK SPECTOR
sportsnet.ca

VANCOUVER -- The season is likely over for Vancouver Canucks right winger Mikael Samuelsson.

Vancouver head coach Alain Vigneault, who seldom comments on the injury status of his players, confirmed on the morning of Game 2 that Samuelsson will not travel with the Canucks for the remainder of this series.

Samuelsson's struggled all season long as thigh problems moved up into a groin/abdominal strain. Then he went down very awkwardly in Game 5 of the second round, and uncharacteristically stayed down for a long time before limping off. That will likely mark the last shift of his 2010-11 campaign.

Samuelsson still managed 50 points (18) goals in 75 games this season, despite never being right health-wise. Surgery is likely imminent.

In other moves, it appears Vigneault will use Jeff Tambellini as his fourth-line left winger, and Tanner Glass will come out of the lineup. And the decision between defencemen Jason Demers and Kent Huskins will be a game-time one for San Jose coach Todd McLellan.

Fighting words

You wish that Joe Thornton would just come out and say it. Say what he really thinks about Ryan Kesler's courage, and move on.

But instead, he just smiled when asked about Kesler's vow not to fight in these playoffs.

"I'm shocked," Thornton said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Very shocked."

Of course, Thornton challenged Kesler to a scrap at the opening faceoff of this Western Conference final. Kesler turned down the invitation.

"He's trying to be tough," Kesler said. "My job is to try and play in-between the whistles. I don't deal with that stuff. If he wants to fight me, I play him four times next year. He can fight me next year."

Informed that Thornton said he wasn't surprised Kesler turned him down, Kesler noted, "I'm surprised he asked me."

The history here for Kesler goes back a season, when he said in the media that then-Chicago winger Andrew Ladd was "a coward." Of course, he couldn't turn Ladd's invitation the next time the teams met, and Ladd -- a bigger, heavier man, as is Thornton -- made Kesler regret that ill-advised quote.

Now, the skate is on the other foot. Someone else is trying to get Kesler off of his game.

"That's probably going to be his job is to get under my skin, and it's not going to happen," he said of Thornton. "I've dealt with that all year. It's not a part of my game anymore.

"I've fought (Jarome) Iginla, I've fought a lot of tough guys. I fought (Ian) Lapperiere -- I'm not scared of anybody out there. I'll fight anybody. But now is not the time."

As for Game 2 game? "Maybe I'll take the opening draw,'' joked Thornton's linemate Devin Setoguchi.

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Firewagon Hockey

Both head coaches watched Game 2 of the Eastern Conference final on Tuesday night, and their faces each lit up in excitement when asked at the morning skate if they had watched the game the night before.

"Absolutely. What a game," McLellan said. "There was a point where you were going to turn it off and move on, and all of a sudden Tampa was right back in it. That's great for hockey. Nobody's ever out of it.

"We talk about giving up some leads in the third period. I counter with saying, we came back from 3-0, 4-0 deficits. That can happen right now. Tons of energy, a lot of passion. There were a lot of fans not sitting in their seats, but standing in them."

Both coaches turned into fans as the Bruins and Lightning played a little firewagon hockey, something these Canucks have not embraced during these playoffs.

"Boston giving up the goal in the first minute, the goal in the last minute. That's always challenging. That's momentum shifters, obviously," Vigneault said. "Then they come out and they score great goals in the second period, get a 6-3 lead, then give (Tampa) two goals.

"It's momentum. It's playoff hockey. You could feel the tension on the ice. Great game for the fans."

Would Vigneault like to see a game like that Wednesday night at Rogers Arena?

"I just want to win," he said. "Doesn't matter how."