Canucks Buzz: Thoughts and Notes on Game 4 in Los Angeles

The Vancouver Canucks faced elimination on Wednesday night, and they welcomed back the team's leading goal scorer, Daniel Sedin, back from a concussion that forced him to miss 12 games. If you recall, Daniel was elbowed in the head by Duncan Keith of the Chicago Blackhawks in a game back March 21 at the United Center in Chicago.

With Daniel Sedin back, he changed the look of the Canucks' offense completely. Early in the first period, I thought he looked like a player that showed rust, and someone who had missed quite a lot of time. Obviously, that was exactly what had happened to him.

The Canucks trailed 1-0 after the first thanks to a top-shelf shot by Anze Kopitar on the rush.

In the second period, the Canucks caught a break when Colin Fraser of Sicamous, British Columbia made a knee-on-knee play on defenseman Keith Ballard. Colin Fraser was penalized on the play, and that welcomed the goalless Canucks power play on the ice for the first time.

What the team said about Daniel Sedin earlier was true. The power play looked much better at distributing the puck with Daniel Sedin on the ice, and it had been quite awhile that we had seen the Canucks look so dangerous with the man advantage.

Being shutout by the Kings goalie Jonathan Quick for more than four consecutive periods, Alex Edler came through with a big point shot that beat Quick five-hole. The Kings goalie probably did not expect a shot to arrive so quickly, and it finally went past him. That gave the Canucks new life, as they tied up the hockey game at 1-1.

Head coach Alain Vigneault mentioned many times in Game 2 and 3 that he felt the team played well, but they just needed a couple favourable bounces. On the Canucks' second goal, it was all thanks to a shot that deflected off Mike Richards' stick, and it rose up in the air and beat Quick for the second time. All of a sudden, the Canucks led the hockey game by a score of 2-1. It was the first time since the first period of Game 1 that the Canucks had played with a lead.

Los Angeles played well in this game. They were not out-shot as badly as they were in Game 1 and 2. However, the forwards failed to capitalize on their scoring opportunities. Dustin Brown stole a puck on the Canucks' power play and he was tripped up by Kevin Bieksa driving the net. The referee rewarded him with a penalty shot. Cory Schneider came up huge to stop him with a left pad. That turned the game around, because moments later, Henrik Sedin found a flailing puck in front of him, and he swung home the puck to make the game 3-1 for Vancouver.

In this game, the Canucks showed the offense and the finish they lacked in the first three games of the series. Jonathan Quick was good, but had to face many more difficult shots that he never saw in earlier contests.

Apart from Quick, Cory Schneider appears to be the Canucks' goalie of the future. In his third career playoff start, Cory registered his first victory, allowing only one goal like he did in Game 3. The goaltending was the difference early on when the Kings dictated the play coming into the game in the first period. Roberto Luongo may be on his way out of Vancouver since the team decided it was best to start the young backup for a critical Game 4 facing elimination.

Most definitely, Alain Vigneault will go with the winning lineup and give Cory Schneider the start on Sunday, April 21 once again. The game time has yet to be announced by the NHL.

I will bring you the postgame results on Sunday evening after I come home from Rogers Arena.

This is Joseph Trenton from Vancouver.