The Vancouver Canucks and Calgary Flames are set for Game 6. Here’s a look at what’s happened so far and what to expect as the Canucks attempt to force a Game 7 for Monday in Vancouver.
Russell and Wideman
The Vancouver Canucks’ Sedin twins have dominated puck possession in this series, but they’ve mostly been kept off the board – largely thanks to the efforts of Dennis Wideman and Kris Russell, who have combined to form the Calgary Flames’ makeshift shutdown pair.
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They’re an unlikely duo. Russell is undersized, while Wideman built his reputation by being more of an offensive specialist from the back-end.
It’s hard to argue with their results though, as Daniel and Henrik have combined for six points in the series.
“We’re trying to slow them down,” explained Wideman of his and his defence partner’s passive approach to shutting down the twins. “Trying to close as much space as we can on them, and limit their time. But you can’t run at them.
“I think there’s a lot of times they want you to run at them,” Wideman said earlier. “A lot of the goals and stuff they get are when someone tries to take a run at them and they kind of make a little play, spin off you and jump by you. There’s a time when you can get a lick on them, but it’s not often.
“You say, ‘oh well just go hit that guy’ but it doesn’t work that way. They’re smart.”
As for Russell, his play for the Flames this season has been nothing short of revelatory. Acquired at a bargain basement price in a trade with the St. Louis Blues, Russell has emerged as an elite shot blocker and a competent top-four defender for a team on the brink of advancing to the second-round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
“He does all the little things that help you win,” said Wideman, who added that Russell’s play caught his eye when the Flames played St. Louis a few years ago.
Wideman even suggested that perhaps Russell hadn’t received a fair shake on the Blues’ back end.
“I remember playing against him a couple times when he was in St. Louis,” Wideman said. “There was couple of games we played when I thought he was their best defenseman on the ice.
“We played them the next time and he wasn’t in the lineup.”
Lineup changes coming?
Bob Hartley told reporters on Saturday morning that he wouldn’t alter his lineup for Game 6. Canucks head coach Willie Desjardins was non-committal though, which probably implies that a lineup change or two is likely.
“We’ll see, Desjardins said. “We’ll have to evaluate it here after the morning skate.”
The most likely candidate to sit for Vancouver has to be rookie grinder Ronalds Kenins. Kenins took an undisciplined penalty in Game 5, was lucky not to be assessed a double minor for a careless high-stick that drew Mikael Backlund’s blood late in the second period, and was one of the players taken out of the rotation when Desjardins belatedly shortened his bench in the third and decisive frame.
It’s late in the series, so will freshness matter?
Desjardins has kept his bench relatively long throughout this series, drawing the ire of many commentators and fans in the Vancouver market. Now that it’s late in the series the Canucks’ relative freshness should pay off right?
Oddly enough the Canucks’ bench boss isn’t counting on it.
“Every game is its own game,” said Desjardins. “So hopefully (being fresh) works in our favour but do I count on it? No.”
Desperate measures
Canucks winger Chris Higgins has played his fair share of big playoff games in his career, but he doesn’t buy the notion that a team has to raise their ‘desperation level’ to survive elimination.
“There’s just less room for error, is all, more than [saying] your desperation level is higher. You just know, if you don’t come to play for just a short amount of the game, that can be your series.”
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Stripping his gear off in the next locker was Brad Richardson, whose Los Angeles Kings won a Stanley Cup in 2012 without ever facing an elimination game. “We were up 3-0 every series,” he said. “It’s a good way to do it.”
“That’s the secret,” agreed Higgins.
Free of charge
The Flames forecheck has punished the Canucks in this series, particularly at the games played at the Saddledome.
“Their forecheck has kept us in our zone for shifts at a time,” said Canucks defender Kevin Bieksa, diagnosing the issue. “I don’t think they’ve had a lot of shots on net in any game during the series, but certainly it hurts our offence.
“When we’re hemmed in there, we’re tired, and then once you get the puck and try to change and it’s just jammed right back down your throat. In Games 3 and 4 we were on the wrong end of that cycle.”
While there’s no denying the Flames’ effectiveness on the forecheck, one might reasonably quibble with the legality – whether they’re late, or charges – of some of the hits Flames grinder Michael Ferland has thrown in the series.
“From game to game it’s been a little bit different,” said Bieksa of the officials standard for legal checks. “Last game the officials right away said they weren’t going to allow the charging… game before that the official didn’t seem to think it was a problem.
“Whatever it may be we have to adapt to that.”
At least the teams are warned about the changing standard before the game, to hear Bieksa tell it.
“The officials on ice just indicated that it’s fine to throw hits and be physical,” Bieksa said of Game 5, “but late stuff wasn’t going to be tolerated and it wasn’t.”