Vancouver Canucks Hammered 5-1 by Chicago Blackhawks. Is There a Silver Lining?

On Wednesday, Nov. 16th, the Chicago Blackhawks rolled into Vancouver, looking to avenge a 6-2 loss earlier this month at the hands of the Canucks.

The Hawks must have made a collective effort to avoid the Roxy before the game, because they came out flying. The Canucks matched them in intensity for the first 25 minutes of the game, but after that a pair of timely power-play goals by the Blackhawks put the visitors into the driver's seat for the rest of the game.

So now, with the season series tied up 1-1 and after being embarrassed on home ice, is there a silver lining from this game for the Canucks?

Yes. At least potentially.

First, I'd much rather see the Canucks lose at the hands of Jonathan Toews and company than to bottom feeders like St. Louis or Minnesota. If the Canucks lose to the Blues or Wild, the general thought is that they just weren't motivated enough to play their A game for a full 60 minutes against a lowly team.

But neither the Canucks nor their fans can use that excuse for a game against the Hawks.

The Canucks/Blackhawks rivalry is one of the best in the NHL in recent years, not just in my opinion but also according to ESPN.

The players on both sides hate each other, and they generally show up ready to play.

So the Canucks have to take a collective look in the mirror after this loss. They played their fiercest rival, a team that also happens to be leading the NHL in points, and got their heads handed to them.

The Blackhawks are playing at the level the Canucks need to be at, and the Canucks had all the flaws and bad habits that have crept into their game pointed out in exquisite detail. All that was missing was hearing Chelsea Dagger after each goal.

Can the Canucks take this game, break it down and use it as a stepping stone to get back to being the dominant team of last season?

Hopefully the answer is yes.

One historical fact that can be tossed to Canucks fans like a life preserver is that the Hawks came into Rogers Arena last season on Oct. 20, 2010, and spanked the Canucks 7-1 on Hockey Night in Canada.

The Canucks at that time were also wallowing in the standings, playing barely acceptable hockey for a borderline playoff team, let alone one with Stanley Cup aspirations.

The Canucks of 2010 used that humiliating debacle of a game as a turning point, and they were hands down the best team in the league for the remainder of the season, winning the President's Trophy and setting franchise records.

Can they do it again?