NHL Playoff Schedule 2011 Sees Canucks With 2-1 Series Lead On Predators, But Can Vancouver Avoid Another Late-Series Collapse?
The Vancouver Canucks have been in this position before. Leading their Western Conference semifinal series with the Nashville Predators 2-1, they have the opportunity to take a commanding lead in the series with a win in Game 4 Thursday night.
But, if you're a Canucks fan, this game might just terrify you. After all, we all know what happened in Vancouver's last Game 4 appearance: a drubbing at the hands of the Chicago Blackhawks that resulted in Chicago nearly overcoming a 3-0 series deficit. It took a Game 7 overtime goal to keep the Canucks on track.
Now, with a slimmer lead, is Game 4 an opportunity to take control of the series before heading to Vancouver, or are the Canucks poised for yet another early exit?
There are some key differences between the first round series, and this one. In their clash with the 'Hawks, their shaky end to the series was largely caused by a poor showing from all-world goalie Roberto Luongo, who has always struggled against Chicago. But, through three games of their series with the Preds, Luongo has been sensational, showing no signs of a slump coming.
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On top of that, Chicago was an explosive offensive team, capable of pelting Luongo into submission with wave after wave of shots. Nashville has struggled to find the net without a map and directions at times this season, and they're not exactly going to wow you with their goal-scoring prowess.
Finally, there's the history to consider. The Blackhawks were the Canucks' postseason archnemises, the team who had eliminated them from each of the previous two postseason series. Nashville, while very much a dangerous team, doesn't bring the same kind of baggage as Chicago did.
This doesn't mean Nashville can't win this series; they very certainly could. Pekka Rinne has been sensational in net, and it wouldn't take much for the Preds to take a game or two.
But, expecting another collapse like the one the Canucks handed fans in the first round is almost out of the question. They're playing with confidence, and Nashville's not going to destroy Luongo's spirit the way Chicago did.
I don't see Vancouver dropping three straight games, and I still see them advancing. Look for the Canucks to assert control over this series in Game 4, but even if they don't, it's certainly not a sign of another collapse.
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