Music: {allcanada} Canucks stay alive by edging Flames

Thursday, April 23, 2015

{allcanada} Canucks stay alive by edging Flames

Grey's Anatomy / NHL Hockey / IndyCar

VANCOUVER -- The Vancouver Canucks are still alive in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Daniel Sedin scored the go-ahead goal 1:47 into the third period to lead the Canucks to a 2-1 win against the Calgary Flames in Game 5 of the Western Conference First Round at Rogers Arena on Thursday.

Facing elimination, the Canucks outshot the Flames 43-21 but didn't take their first lead until early in the third period.

After an icing against the Flames, Henrik Sedin won the offensive-zone faceoff, defenseman Dan Hamhuis skated the puck into the corner before firing a sharp-angled shot at Calgary goaltender Jonas Hiller, who made the save. But Daniel Sedin banged the rebound under Hiller's left pad for his second goal of the playoffs, breaking a 1-1 tie.

Nick Bonino tied the game with 6:29 left in the second period for the Canucks, who still trail the best-of-7 series 3-2 heading back to Calgary for Game 6 on Saturday (9 p.m. ET; NBCSN, CBC, TVA Sports).

Vancouver goalie Ryan Miller made 20 saves in his first start of the playoffs; he took over for Eddie Lack after the first period of a 3-1 loss in Game 4 on Tuesday. Miller, who had played five periods since spraining his right knee two months ago, made his best save of the third period on a Calgary power play nine minutes in, getting his left arm on Joe Colborne's open shot from the low slot.

David Jones scored early and Hiller made 41 saves for the Flames, who are trying to win a playoff series for the first time since 2004, when they defeated the Canucks, Detroit Red Wings and San Jose Sharks en route to the Stanley Cup Final.

The Canucks are trying to overcome a 3-1 series deficit for the fourth time in franchise history. That includes a comeback against Calgary in the first round of 1994, a run that ended in a trip to the Final.

Jones, a North Vancouver native who scored the tying goal in the third period of Calgary's Game 1 win, opened the scoring after a Canucks turnover 2:40 into the first period.

With the most of the Canucks already exiting the zone looking for a breakout, defenseman Alexander Edler's pass went off the skate of forechecking Flames forward Matt Stajan and right to Jones, who was all alone in the left slot. Jones gloved the puck down to his stick and quickly fired it past the glove of Miller on the short side, off the post and in.

Calgary had a chance to double the lead on a power play just over one minute later, but defenseman Dennis Wideman hit the post on the best chance and puck was cleared from behind Miller.

Vancouver got a couple good chances to tie, but Chris Higgins shot over the net from alone in the slot and Jannik Hansen hit the post on a one-timer with nine minutes left in the first period. The Canucks outshot Calgary 17-8 in the first 20 minutes and had another great chance to tie it on a late power play, but Radim Vrbata hit the post on a backdoor one-timer from the side of an open net.

Despite being outshot, Calgary also could have been ahead by more. Another turnover created by the Flames' forecheck forced Miller to rob rookie Sam Bennett with the left pad after a backdoor feed from Colborne on a 2-on-1 down low with eight minutes left.

Calgary hit another post while carrying play in the opening minutes of the second period, but the Canucks slowly took over from there, again outshooting the Flames 17-8.

After Calgary forward Mason Raymond lost the puck on a breakaway midway through the second period, Bonino tied the game with a perfect shot after keeping the forecheck alive in the Calgary end. Vrbata got the puck behind the net to Bonino at the left faceoff dot, and his one-timer beat Hiller high over the blocker just inside the far corner.

Calgary pressured after Sedin put the Canucks ahead, but the Flames couldn't take advantage of two power plays. After scoring three power-play goals in Games 3 and 4 in Calgary, the Flames managed only Colborne's shot on their two third-period advantages.

Jennifer Lopez / Jennifer Love Hewitt / Johnny Depp