After beating the San Jose Sharks 4-2 in 2011 NHL Stanley Cup Game 4, the Vancouver Canucks are one win away from their first trip to the Stanley Cup finals in 17 years.
At HP Pavilion in San Jose, the Canucks scored three 5-on-3 power play goals in a one minute, 55 second span midway through the second period. Henrik Sedin assisted on all four Vancouver goals as Sami Salo scored twice. Vancouver had just 13 shots all game, scoring on four of its seven shots in the final two periods.
After having just seven points and a minus10 rating in six games against Nashville the previous round, the Sharks had no answer for the Sedins, who have combined for 15 points in four games this series.
For Vancouver, Ryan Kesler and Alex Burrows added goals which lead the National Hockey League Western Conference finals three games to one.
Vancouver had a 3-0 series lead against Chicago and was pushed to a decisive seventh game in the opening round of the playoffs. Before winning in six games the Canucks held a 3-1 lead in the second round against Nashville.
The Sharks have never reached the championship series in their 19-year history. San Jose now has a 3-11 record in the conference finals. In NHL odds the Vancouver Canucks are 10/21 favorite to win the 2011 Stanley Cup.
