Sharks sink Canucks’ playoff hopes in OT
SAN JOSE — For the second straight year, the Vancouver Canucks have made an early first-round exit from the Stanley Cup playoffs. This time they were swept. The San Jose Sharks beat the Canucks 4-3 in overtime Tuesday night at the HP Pavilion to take the series 4-0.
A first-round sweep figures to lead to sweeping changes, both on and off the ice, for the Canucks.
The jobs of head coach Alain Vigneault and his staff are most certainly on the line and general manager Mike Gillis is going to face some uncomfortable questions from ownership over the team’s second straight playoff collapse.
There’s no need to embellish how bad the Canucks have been in the playoffs since reaching the Stanley Cup final two years ago. They have now lost 10 of their last 11 playoff games.
Patrick Marleau scored the winner on a power play at 13:18 of overtime to win it for the Sharks.
Joe Pavelski, with his second of the night and fourth of the series, tied the game at 15:33 of the third on a San Jose power play after quick goals by Alex Burrows and Alex Edler midway through the third had given Vancouver a 3-2 lead.
Pavelski’s tying goal came with Vancouver defenceman Kevin Bieksa off serving a cross-checking minor.
The Sharks grabbed an early lead at 2:41 of the first when Scott Hannan’s wrist shot from the left point was tipped in the deep slot by Brent Burns and past Vancouver goalie Cory Schneider. Joe Thornton started the play by winning a puck battle in the corner and sliding a backhand pass back to Hannan.
But the Canucks got a bounce of their own five minutes later when a Mason Raymond floater from just inside the blueline appeared to hit San Jose defenceman Brad Stuart before trickling by Niemi.
Pavelski restored San Jose’s lead at 14:52 on a Shark power play at 14:52 of the first. With Derek Roy in the box serving a boarding minor, Pavelski jumped on a rebound in the slot, wheeled around and put a shot through traffic that beat Schneider stick side.
The Canuck penalty-kill had to do some nice work in what was a scoreless second period.
Defenceman Dan Hamhuis received a double-minor for a high stick on San Jose forward Tommy Wingels and Schneider made a couple of big saves off T.J. Galiardi and Brent Burns. The Canucks also got lucky when Thornton fanned on an attempted shot while staring at wide-open net.
The Canuck PK also had to kill a slashing minor to Edler later in the period.
Daniel Sedin came oh so close to tying the game early in the third. A rebound went directly to him and with Niemi out of position and the whole net to shoot at, Daniel put his shot off the inside of the far post.
The Canucks once again started the game with new line combinations. Zack Kassian skated with the Sedins, while Burrows played with Ryan Kesler and Raymond. Roy centred Chris Higgins and Jannik Hansen, while Max Lapierre skated between Steve Pinizzotto and Dale Weise on the fourth line. Pinizzotto replaced Tom Sestito for Vancouver.