After a lengthy sudden death session, it was a weird bounce that punched Vancouver's ticket to the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals, as the Canucks picked up a 3-2 double overtime victory over the San Jose Sharks late Tuesday night.
The puck took a crazy hop off the stanchion on the side glass on a dump-in by defenceman Alex Edler, before finding its way back to the blue line for Kevin Bieksa to fire it home for the series winner 10:18 into the second overtime period.
The Canucks get their first shot at the Stanley Cup in 17 years, after they were defeated in seven games by Mark Messier and the New York Rangers in the 1994 Finals. Vancouver's win over the Sharks to advance to the Finals comes exactly 17 years to the day after the Canucks beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3 in double overtime to advance to the '94 Cup Finals.
Tuesday's Three Stars
3rd Star: Ryan Kesler - Vancouver Canucks (GTG)
After leaving the game mid-way through the second period due to injury, Kesler returned and forced Game 5 to overtime. With the Canucks down 2-1 late in the third, Kesler re-directed a shot from Henrik Sedin past Antti Niemi to tie up the game. The goal was Kesler's seventh of the post-season.
2nd Star: Kevin Bieksa - Vancouver Canucks (GWG)
It seemed as if Bieksa was the only player on the ice who knew where the puck was after it took a strange bounce off the side boards. The Canucks defenceman's excellent vision paid off as Bieksa scored his fifth goal of the playoffs and fourth of the series to send Vancouver to the Finals.
1st Star: Roberto Luongo - Vancouver Canucks (54 Saves)
Luongo made a mistake early in the third period when he left the net to clear the puck but was instead scored on by Devin Setoguchi to give San Jose the 2-1 lead. Prior to that goal and afterwards, the Vezina Trophy nominee was outstanding on the night, stopping 49 shots as the Canucks were badly outshot in Game 5 by a margin of 52-29.
Honourable Mention
Henrik Sedin - VAN (2A)
Alex Burrows - VAN (1G, 1A)
Joe Thornton - SJ (7 Shots, 32:15 TOI w/ a separated shoulder)
Highlight of the Night - Bieksa's Bounce
It may be one of the strangest series clinching goals you'll ever see, but Bieksa's shot from the blue line is good enough to send a Canadian team to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since 2007, when the Ottawa Senators were defeated 4-1 by the Anaheim Ducks.
Stat Central
The Canadiens won the Stanley Cup in 1978, one year after the city of Montreal hosted the 1977 Winter Olympics, while the Flames continued that trend when they beat the Habs to win the Cup in 1989 after Calgary hosted the 1988 Winter Olympics. The Vancouver Canucks are four wins away from continuing the streak of a Canadian hockey team hoisting the Stanley Cup one year after its city were hosts to the Winter Olympics.
This Day in Playoff History - May 25, 1989
The Calgary Flames beat the Montreal Canadiens 4-2 to win the 1989 Stanley Cup. It was the first time since 1928 that the Habs lost the final game of the Finals on home ice (Rangers won at the Forum against the Maroons in '28). (HHOF)
On the Schedule
Boston Bruins @ Tampa Bay Lightning - 8PM EDT on CBC, Versus Bruins lead series 3-2
Toronto Maple Leafs Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»