Canucks put Blackhawks in 3-0 hole
CHICAGO -- All night the Chicago Blackhawks seemed to have extra men on the ice. Seven power plays gave the defending Stanley Cup champions plenty of scoring chances in a game they desperately needed to win.
It's just that Vancouver goalie Robert Luongo was there to turn most of those opportunities away.
Luongo finished with 30 saves Sunday and the Canucks beat the Blackhawks
3-2 to take a 3-0 lead. They can complete the sweep of the first-round series Tuesday at the United Center.
"A couple of saves there. Just a little bit of luck and it gives me a chance," Luongo said.
"It's my job, obviously, to make the save at key times. Usually you get an adrenaline boost off that and obviously we were able to turn the tables and get two goals in the second. I was into the game early and into the crowd."
Mikael Samuelsson scored the go-ahead goal in the third period in another rough-and-tumble meeting between two teams that know each other well.
Christian Ehrhoff and Daniel Sedin also scored for the Canucks, who'd been knocked out of the playoffs the last two years in the second round by Chicago.
Duncan Keith and Patrick Sharp had power-play goals for the Blackhawks. Keith's goal put the Blackhawks up 1-0 and later they had a two-man advantage, but couldn't extend the lead.
"I think Roberto did his job, a great job in the first period when we got in penalty trouble. That's one thing against this team, they've got such a high level of skill and such a great power play that you don't want to get into penalty trouble," Vancouver coach Alain Vigneault said. "Especially on that 5-on-3, he kept us in. He gave us a chance to hang around and find a way to win."
During Chicago's two-man advantage, Luongo had great saves seconds apart on Chicago's two young stars, Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane.
"I had my chances. I should have buried a couple," Kane said. "Especially on the 5-on-3 -- I missed a shot like that. It's probably why the game is lost."
Samuelsson, who missed Game 2 with an illness, scored on a second rebound at 6:48 of the third after a first attempt by Henrik Sedin went off goalie Corey Crawford.
John Scott (6 feet 8 inches, 258 pounds) was inserted into the lineup to give the Blackhawks a more physical presence. He was called for interference and put Vancouver on a power play in the second.
AROUND THE LEAGUE
■ RANGERS GET ON BOARD -- At New York, Brandon Dubinsky broke a tie with 1:39 left, and the Rangers beat Washington 3-2 to cut the Capitals' lead to 2-1 in the Eastern Conference series. After New York had one goal in two losses at Washington, Dubinsky, Vinny Prospal and Erik Christensen scored on young Capitals goalie Michal Neuvirth.
■ PREDATORS TAKE LEAD -- At Nashville, Tenn., Mike Fisher scored the go-ahead goal at 10:21 of the third period, and the Predators defeated Anaheim 4-3, giving Nashville a 2-1 lead in the teams' Western Conference series. The Predators took advantage of Ducks winger Bobby Ryan sitting out the first game of his two-game suspension. The NHL suspended Ryan for stomping Nashville defenseman Jonathon Blum's foot during the Ducks' 5-3 victory Friday. Ryan also will miss Game 4 on Wednesday in Nashville.
