2011 Stanley Cup Finals: The View from Vancouver on the First 40 Minutes

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VANCOUVER - Some thoughts from Rogers Arena on the second period.

Ryan Kesler took an interference penalty for driving Zdeno Chara into Tim Thomas. 

A weak call, as the referee was looking directly at the play, but didn't raise his arm to call it until Thomas had been laying on the ice for a good four or five seconds. And the media would have you believe that the Canucks are the only ones that embellish to draw calls? 

Still, not a bad move to drop Chara on top of Thomas.

Chris Higgins used his speed down the wing to force Adam McQuaid to take a penalty. Canucks get their first power play of the game from this.

Apparently the refs are okay with cross checking after the whistle, as Ryan Kesler got taken down a good five seconds after the whistle with a Dennis Seidenberg cross check to the chest for standing in front of Thomas.

Seidenberg even did the "who me" at the ref, only to look surprised he didn't have to plead his innocence. You know if the player looks guiltily at the ref that it was a penalty.

Patrice Bergeron was forced into a holding penalty when the Sedins worked their cycling game. The twins have looked good tonight, but that won't count for much if they can't finish.

So far the Canucks have had two power plays, and while dangerous, they have yet to score. 

Vancouver out shot the Bruins in the period, narrowing the gap in shots to 21 to 18 after two periods.

On a side note, Steve Nash was leading cheers and working the crowd into a frenzy during a TV timeout. A little odd that he was wearing a Canucks shirt, and not a jersey. Shouldn't he be rocking a Manny Malhotra jersey to represent his family?

So far, the game is still up for grabs, as the Canucks escaped the second period without giving up four goals, which had to be goal when Alain Vigneault was planning his game plan.

Who will be the hero in the third period? My bet is on Alex Burrows for the Canucks, he is money when it comes to clutch goals. 

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