Vancouver Canucks-Chicago Blackhawks: Canucks Collapse on Their Own Swords

It’s now officially a three game losing streak and in the playoffs that usually means you’re on your way out because there are no long losing streaks allowed.

The sign was there in the LA series and it got totally exposed like a lanced boil in the Chicago series.

When you’re dead last on the penalty kill in playoffs as the Canucks are (64.6 percent) and you’re playing the ‘Hawks, who are second best (88.9 percent), it doesn’t take a Rhodes scholar to figure out you will not survive unless your PK unit and goaltending does an about face.

With Luongo’s GAA at 3.50 (13th ) that’s not likely to happen but until the last game is played, anything is possible.

If the series could have been played at five on five which is unrealistic, then the Canucks held their own since they are first in the playoffs (Hawks – ninth ) and in this series to date, have outscored the ‘Hawks 9-8 but that counts for peanuts at this point.

When this series started it looked pretty close in all the categories except the PK, which has turned out to be the difference maker.

The other factor has been the top lines, with Chicago topping the Canucks in points 20-8.

Canucks secondary scoring just has not filled the void and players like Ryan Kesler and Alex Burrows have been unproductive in this series.

The Chicago defense pairing of Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook have been able to shut down the Canucks top line and against the ‘Hawks; Canucks Sami Salo and Alex Edler have not.

So what went wrong with a team that finished the season in 17th place (81.9 percent) on the PK because that’s a swing of 17 points from the playoff numbers?

Is it fair to point the finger at Roberto Luongo?

When you are the top player paid at your position, you better be able to stand the heat and carry the load. Not only that but being team captain, you’re suppose to lead.

With the Vancouver media anointing the “greatness” label on Lou, that’s a big responsibility to carry in a hockey crazed market.

Maybe the pressure just got to Louie because this is the second playoffs in a row that he has struggled and that’s putting it mildly.

I wouldn’t have thought that the pressure playing goal for your country, on your home ice, could have been any greater. At least that’s what all the Vancouver media was spouting before the playoffs.

But let’s deal with the special teams and specifically the PK, which are played as a unit.

Some of the accountability has to be shared by the players and special teams coach, because what happen to the team that only four seasons ago finished number one (PK) in the league, which was also Luongo’s first season with the Canucks?

Since then it has been 14, 16, and 17th.

Will the Canucks come back and make a series of this? Not unless there is a similar turn around like what happened in the LA series (but that was in game four) and the ‘Hawks are a much better team than LA.

The only thing I know is, since the series is decided by one team winning four and not three, than the Canucks are alive to play another game.

Which Canucks team will show up is anyone’s guess?