Alex Burrows had that far-way look in his eyes Sunday, a look that suggested the feisty winger was wondering how it has all come to this.
How has a spring of so much playoff promise turned into his own personal hell and pressed the Vancouver Canucks firmly up against the elimination wall?
Regardless of speculation that he may be playing through injury ? and playing with fire by taunting goalie Nikolai Khabibulin too much and not scoring enough in the Western Conference semifinal series ? Burrows was still bold when asked if the Chicago Blackhawks could be topped tonight.
So, Alex ? Will there be a Game 7 at GM Place on Thursday night?
?Yes, there will,? said Burrows. ?I think we?re ready to go. We?re going to make sure that we come back for Game 7.?
You expect that kind of bravado from Burrows.
However, he seems a shadow of the cocky and confident hotshot who tallied three times in the first round ? including twice in the series-clinching sweep of St. Louis ? and was a constant thorn in side of the Blues.
Against the Blackhawks, Burrows has been more busy exchanging barbs with Khabibulin ? chiding the stopper for going through waivers, with the Russian responding by mocking the undrafted winger ? instead of storming the net and making things happen offensively.
Burrows hasn?t scored in the series and has just one shot in the last three games.
And his linemates have had mixed results in this series.
The sharp-shooting Daniel Sedin hasn't scored, while playmaking twin Henrik has three goals. Go figure.
However, something is bugging Burrows.
The winger has turned away from contact instead of initiating it.
He had one hit Saturday in the 4-2 setback in Game 5 and has just eight hits through five games.
In four games against the Blues, he had a dozen hits and even told his teammates before his overtime winner in Game 4 that this is where legends are born.
?He?s not himself,? said Canucks coach Alain Vigneault.
When pressed to say whether Burrows was ailing, Vigneault?s response was short and curt: ?He?s got nothing.?
Whether that was to protect or challenge his winger is up for debate. What isn?t is that another passive performance tonight, individually or collectively, will open a can of worms about this bunch, and many will wonder whether they have the resolve to not be satisfied with just climbing two rungs on the playoff ladder.
But the playoff body isn?t cold yet. ?I think I can bring more offence, for sure,? said Burrows. ?We?re not getting all the bounces and we?re going to keep working for those and make sure next game that we get a bunch.?
That?s great. But bounces? How about zipping the lip and not getting into post-whistle shouting matches with Khabibulin or Dustin Byfuglien or whoever?
Byfuglien did that in Game 5 and scored two goals.
How about drawing penalties instead of taking them? Burrows and his buddies could learn a lesson from the impressionable Blackhawks, who look more like the lords of discipline.
?That?s for sure,? agreed Burrows. ?That?s the most important thing. Get the win and tie the series up. All the sideshows don?t matter at this time of year.?
So, is Burrows guilty of being sucked into those exchanges or initiating them?
?I don?t know,? he said. ?I haven?t been in the [penalty] box for anything. If you do it within the rules, you?re fine.?
What isn?t fine is generating fewer than 22 shots in each of the last four games ? including just 15 in Game 4 at Chicago ? and having just three power-plays in the last two games.
Vigneault seems more perplexed by his veteran core than by the speedy Blackhawks.
Even though their level of discipline has made the Canucks look like playoff rookies ? and the Blackhawks? ability to easily escape a passive forecheck has forced the issue in this series ? the coach is taking the team-challenge approach to avoiding elimination tonight.
?Our players are aware of what needs to be done in terms of composure and as far as physicality ? it?s a matter of going out and geting it done,? said Vigneault.
?Part of having playoff success is players taking their game to another level and we don?t have enough guys who have done that so far.
?There?s still time.?
Yes, but not much.
How has a spring of so much playoff promise turned into his own personal hell and pressed the Vancouver Canucks firmly up against the elimination wall?
Regardless of speculation that he may be playing through injury ? and playing with fire by taunting goalie Nikolai Khabibulin too much and not scoring enough in the Western Conference semifinal series ? Burrows was still bold when asked if the Chicago Blackhawks could be topped tonight.
So, Alex ? Will there be a Game 7 at GM Place on Thursday night?
?Yes, there will,? said Burrows. ?I think we?re ready to go. We?re going to make sure that we come back for Game 7.?
You expect that kind of bravado from Burrows.
However, he seems a shadow of the cocky and confident hotshot who tallied three times in the first round ? including twice in the series-clinching sweep of St. Louis ? and was a constant thorn in side of the Blues.
Against the Blackhawks, Burrows has been more busy exchanging barbs with Khabibulin ? chiding the stopper for going through waivers, with the Russian responding by mocking the undrafted winger ? instead of storming the net and making things happen offensively.
Burrows hasn?t scored in the series and has just one shot in the last three games.
And his linemates have had mixed results in this series.
The sharp-shooting Daniel Sedin hasn't scored, while playmaking twin Henrik has three goals. Go figure.
However, something is bugging Burrows.
The winger has turned away from contact instead of initiating it.
He had one hit Saturday in the 4-2 setback in Game 5 and has just eight hits through five games.
In four games against the Blues, he had a dozen hits and even told his teammates before his overtime winner in Game 4 that this is where legends are born.
?He?s not himself,? said Canucks coach Alain Vigneault.
When pressed to say whether Burrows was ailing, Vigneault?s response was short and curt: ?He?s got nothing.?
Whether that was to protect or challenge his winger is up for debate. What isn?t is that another passive performance tonight, individually or collectively, will open a can of worms about this bunch, and many will wonder whether they have the resolve to not be satisfied with just climbing two rungs on the playoff ladder.
But the playoff body isn?t cold yet. ?I think I can bring more offence, for sure,? said Burrows. ?We?re not getting all the bounces and we?re going to keep working for those and make sure next game that we get a bunch.?
That?s great. But bounces? How about zipping the lip and not getting into post-whistle shouting matches with Khabibulin or Dustin Byfuglien or whoever?
Byfuglien did that in Game 5 and scored two goals.
How about drawing penalties instead of taking them? Burrows and his buddies could learn a lesson from the impressionable Blackhawks, who look more like the lords of discipline.
?That?s for sure,? agreed Burrows. ?That?s the most important thing. Get the win and tie the series up. All the sideshows don?t matter at this time of year.?
So, is Burrows guilty of being sucked into those exchanges or initiating them?
?I don?t know,? he said. ?I haven?t been in the [penalty] box for anything. If you do it within the rules, you?re fine.?
What isn?t fine is generating fewer than 22 shots in each of the last four games ? including just 15 in Game 4 at Chicago ? and having just three power-plays in the last two games.
Vigneault seems more perplexed by his veteran core than by the speedy Blackhawks.
Even though their level of discipline has made the Canucks look like playoff rookies ? and the Blackhawks? ability to easily escape a passive forecheck has forced the issue in this series ? the coach is taking the team-challenge approach to avoiding elimination tonight.
?Our players are aware of what needs to be done in terms of composure and as far as physicality ? it?s a matter of going out and geting it done,? said Vigneault.
?Part of having playoff success is players taking their game to another level and we don?t have enough guys who have done that so far.
?There?s still time.?
Yes, but not much.
