Canucks clobber Sharks for 2-0 series lead
VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Daniel Sedin scored his second power-play goal of the game, and Chris Higgins and Mason Raymond added man-advantage goals in the third period for the Vancouver Canucks, who routed the San Jose Sharks, 7-3, on Wednesday night for a two-games-to-none lead in the Western Conference finals.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Daniel Sedin scored his second power-play goal of the game, and Chris Higgins and Mason Raymond added man-advantage goals in the third period for the Vancouver Canucks, who routed the San Jose Sharks, 7-3, on Wednesday night for a two-games-to-none lead in the Western Conference finals.
Defenseman Aaron Rome also scored his first NHL playoff goal with 5 minutes, 30 seconds remaining as the Canucks poured it on late. The game turned when Kevin Bieksa scored the go-ahead goal on a breakaway with 7:55 left in the second period.
Bieksa took a pass from Chris Higgins, skated in alone, and beat goalie Antti Niemi with a hard, low shot. A few minutes later, Bieksa exchanged punches with San Jose's Patrick Marleau, landing several shots before the brawl was broken up.
Game 3 in the best-of-seven series is Friday night at San Jose.
Lots of offense in East
TAMPA, Fla. - Boston and Tampa Bay have played a pair of surprisingly high-scoring games in the Eastern Conference finals.
The series is tied at one game apiece, and the teams have combined for 18 goals.
That kind of offense seemed unlikely heading into the matchup with the top two playoff goalies this season: the Lightning's Dwayne Roloson and the Bruins' Tim Thomas. Both allowed an average of two goals a game through the opening two playoff rounds.
"The guys we have on our team and the guys they have on their team, there's going to be times when you can't contain them," Roloson said Wednesday.
Still, Roloson made a number of outstanding saves during Tampa Bay's Game 1 victory, while Thomas came up big late in Boston's 6-5 win in the second game on Tuesday night.
Boston rookie Tyler Seguin has three goals and three assists in the series.
Thrashers going north?
ATLANTA - Thrashers fans plan to take advantage of possibly their last opportunity to demonstrate support for the NHL to remain in Atlanta.
The Thrashers fan club has scheduled a rally before the team's annual select-a-seat event for season-ticket holders on Saturday at Philips Arena.
According to reports in Atlanta and Winnipeg, Thrashers owners are in negotiations with True North Sports and Entertainment, which would relocate the team to Winnipeg.
The Thrashers' average attendance this past season was 13,469 per game - 28th among 30 teams.