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Perhaps tonight someone other than Luongo will realize the post season has arrived.
Might want to win this one boys.
NHL.COM PREVIEW
EXCERPT: Discipline. When Canucks forward David Booth, in his first playoff game, hammered Kings defenseman Drew Doughty the first shift of Game 1 Wednesday, Los Angeles took the hit, turned it into a 3-on-2 the other way and, if not for Roberto Luongo, would have been ahead 32 seconds in.
When the Canucks continued to try to throw their weight around, the Kings made them pay on the power play. Mike Richards scored on a 5-on-3 that started with Ryan Kesler in the box for unsportsmanlike conduct after a snow shower on Jonathan Quick, and ex-Canuck Willie Mitchell at the end of a five-minute boarding major to Byron Bitz, who was in his first playoff game in three years. Add in charges against Maxim Lapierre and rookie Zack Kassian, and the Canucks almost tried too hard.
"I thought we had a lot of energy but we ran out of position to get those big hits," said Alexandre Burrows, who scored the game's first goal.
INJURIES: Vancouver is still without top goal scorer Daniel Sedin, who has been out with a concussion since March 21 and wasn't on the ice Wednesday after practicing with the team Monday and skating with spare players Tuesday. Defenseman Keith Ballard (concussion) appears ready to return, but after missing more than two months may not get back in without another injury. … Los Angeles is without forward Brad Richardson, who had an emergency appendectomy Monday but may not have played anyway, and has been missing scoring forward Simon Gagne since late December because of a concussion. Kyle Clifford out after Bitz hit. Bitz subsequently suspended two games.
HOT: The Kings' power play came into the series ranked 17th in the NHL, but much like their overall offense, it was much better late in the season, scoring eight times on just 22 chances over the final eight games. That continued into Game 1 against the Canucks, with the first goal coming on a 5-on-3 and the second on a five-minute power play, finishing 2-for-8 on the night. And for all the talk of Los Angeles being 29th in scoring, they continue to average more than three goals a game since acquiring Jeff Carter before the trade deadline.
HISTORY: Never mind history, it's about the future right now. Yo Nucks, go make some history.
