Vancouver-Chicago: Blackhawks Too Much for Canucks

The Canucks 4-1 loss to the Hawks in a matinee was one of the most lackluster performances by the club in quite some time. 

The Hawks, who are destined to miss the playoffs for a fifth consecutive season, looked like the team in a dogfight for a playoff spot and not the Canucks who remain in a three-way tie for the final spot in the west. 

After their loss in Chicago, the Canucks now travel to the Pepsi Center for a pivotal confrontation against the newly rejuvenated Colorado Avalanche who may have Peter Forsberg back for that one. 

The Canucks were dominated in every facet of the game Sunday, firing a mere ten shots on goal in the whole game and missing out on several power play chances to try and claw their way back in the game. But nothing seemed to want to get Vancouver up for playing this game. 

The Hawks took full advantage of this as they outshot the Canucks 28-10 in the game and if not for having a goalie by the name of Luongo, the Canucks may have been beaten a lot worse. "They wanted it more than we did," Canucks captain Markus Naslund said. "They came out hard and we didn't respond to them at all."

"Ten shots on goal? That's embarrassing," he added. "Considering where we are, we should be more desperate than they are."

Perfectly said, but for the Canucks to move forward now they may be better off taking Luongo's quote to heart. He said afterwards, "Maybe it's best that we just forget about his one." 

After winning four straight, the Canucks have dropped their last three beginning with a heartbreaker against the Avalanche, losing it with 14.5 seconds left. 

Whatever the reason for the Canucks' sudden slide, they must quickly put this game out of their memory and move on. They still have games on their opponents and with them trailing in the critical wins tiebreaker, they must get two points and shootout losses won't cut it at this point. 

The Canucks have two critical games against the Avs and Predators—the two teams chasing them for the playoffs— and this is the time for the Canucks to step up and make things happen. Because knowing Dave Nonis, should the unthinkable happen, he will not hesitate to shake this team up.