Canucks look for three-game lead in San Jose

SAN JOSE (NEWS1130) – Into the Shark Tank we go! The Canucks are in San Jose, all revved up for Game Three of the Western Conference Final.

Vancouver is coming off a commanding 7-3 victory in Game Two. But the Shark Tank has quite the reputation as an intimidating place. The Canucks are ready for the mental aspect of this game, says News1130 Sports Director Ann Schmaltz. “If not, the team wouldn’t even be in the third round of the playoffs.”

“These guys are true professionals; they know how to dial in and focus when the going gets tough,” she says. “They were able to find wins in both Chicago and Nashville, in two very loud and intimidating buildings. Having won both regular season games in the Shark Tank bodes well for their confidence.”

But those two games came with Cory Schneider in net. There is one stat that won’t be favoured among Canuck nation: Roberto Luongo has not won in San Jose since 2007.

“I don’t think that’s really something to panic about,” says Schmaltz. “In 2007, Luongo was needed to make upwards of 50 saves in the post-season. The team in front of him was shaky; this time around, he’s behind a very solid group.”

“Roberto doesn’t need to be great night after night; he just needs to be good, and he has been steady throughout the playoff run,” she adds. I expect to see the same tonight because this team finds a way to outscore their problems.”

Ben Eager

Ironically enough, San Jose coach Todd McLellan wants to see more Ben Eager tonight. Eager racked up 20 minutes in penalties in the last game, and the Canucks made him pay dearly with power play goals.

“His coach loved how Eager played with emotion; he was their best player on the forecheck and in creating scoring chances,” explains Schmaltz. “It’s guys like Thornton, Heatley, and Clowe who can insert intensity into their game. The Canucks will have to be better than they’ve been… but all season long, [Vancouver] has proven it can adapt to any style of play and still hold its own.”

On her flight to San Jose, Schmaltz spotted several Canucks fans planning to buy brooms to paint blue, white, and green. “I’m not sure that’s a smart thing to do at this point,” she cautions. “The Canucks have yet to even win a third game.”

“Remember, they were up three games to one against the Blackhawks, ultimately having to go the distance to move on,” she notes. “The Sharks are a very proud team, and I fully expect to see a much better effort than we’ve seen from them so far, now that they’ll be playing on home ice.”

Green Men

There are two things we won’t see at tonight’s game: The Green Men!

We chatted with “Force” this morning and he says they don’t have a lot of cash leftover after their trip to Nashville, but they are refusing to accept personal donations.

“We have 120,000 followers on Facebook and a lot of them have said they’re willing to donate,” he explains. “A few people have actually tried to send us money. But we’re saying we want no personal donations.”

“Take that money and put it towards Canucks flags and jerseys,” he suggests. “Let’s get support and pride in this city going even more. Corporations, however — we will accept donations.”

If you need your Green Men fix this weekend, “Force” and “Sully” will be at the Baron’s Manor Pub in Langley for tonight’s game.

Game time is 6 p.m.

News1130 will have complete coverage once the puck drops with updates every 10 minutes on the fives. We will also break in whenever a goal is scored.

Canucks Reunion

Meanwhile, the boys from ’94 are coming back to town!

More than two dozen Vancouver Canucks players and coaches who made the historic trip to the Stanley Cup Final in 1994 will be at the River Rock Casino for a reunion on Monday.

Team captain Trevor Linden, goaltender Kirk McLean, snipers Greg Adams and Cliff Ronning will be there, along with coaches Pat Quinn and Ron Smith.

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