After sitting Pavol Demitra the last time out, the Vancouver Canucks are expected to come back with him in Game 5.
Demitra will likely come in for Tanner Glass. Vancouver would be going with a more offensive lineup, with less emphasis on physical toughness.
The Canucks have no illusions about why they are down 3-1 in this series. They freely admit their undisciplined play has cost them. The Hawks have killed the Canucks with their power play.
"Its not like we're sitting here after four games and going, 'Gosh what's happened?'," said Canuck forward Ryan Johnson. "We know what's happened. We've done it to ourselves."
Luongo not talking
The Canucks say they are ready for an elimination game. They say all the pressure is on Chicago and they have nothing to lose because no one expects them to claw back in the series.
The Canucks had a very light morning skate, that captain Roberto Luongo did participate in. He was clean shaven after getting rid of his playoff beard after Game 4. Luongo was not available to the media after the skate. It's the first time this season he has not spoken on a game day.
History
The last time the Canucks came back from 3-1 down was in 2003 when the Canucks came back to beat the St. Louis Blues, who were struck down with a nasty bout of the flu. The Sedins and Sami Salo were on that edition of the Canucks, while current Canuck Ryan Johnson was on the other side.
In the following round that year, the Canucks blew a 3-1 lead against the Minnesota Wild.
San Jose waiting
With the San Jose Sharks finishing off the Red Wings Saturday night, the pressure is now on the Hawks to dispose of Vancouver quickly. The Sharks were the more rested team against the Wings, who had a quick one day turnaround from their Game 7 against Phoenix.
But the Hawks won't admit that's on their mind. Head coach Joel Quenneville piled on the clichés: "Our motivation is to win the next game, that's our focus. We're only thinking about tonight and playing our best game."
The Canucks did not do any line rushes at the morning skate, so here's a guess at the combinations:
- D. Sedin- H.Sedin- Burrows
- Raymond- Kesler- Demitra
- Grabner- Wellwood- Samuelsson
- Hansen -Johnson- Bernier
- Edler -Salo
- O'Brien- Ehrhoff
- Bieksa- Alberts
The Blackhawks aren't expected to make any changes to a winning lineup:
- Kane- Toews- Byfuglien
- Hossa- Sharp- Kopecky
- Ladd- Bolland- Versteeg
- Eager- Madden- Burish
- Keith- Seabrook
- Campbell- Hjalmarsson
- Hendry- Sopel
