Roberto Luongo lost the playoff beard Saturday, figuring something needed to change to salvage the Vancouver Canucks' season for another day.
And even though the change was largely cosmetic, there were some real differences between the Canucks' team that willed itself to a 4-1 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks Sunday night - and the one that self-destructed in the two games at home last week that had put them on the brink of playoff elimination.
For starters, it was Blackhawks' goaltender Antti Niemi uttering the mea culpas last night, giving up a gift goal to Vancouver defenceman Christian Ehrhoff 59 seconds into the game. It was just the lift the Canucks needed, that one little bit of good fortune that convinced them they had a chance.
Vancouver never trailed the rest of the way and just like that, they've closed the gap in the series to 3-2, with Game 6 set to go Tuesday night at GM Place. Thus far in the series, the visiting team has won four out of the first five games, meaning the road-ice advantage shifts to the Blackhawks for now.
"Home-ice advantage, I don't know what it means any more," said defenceman Kevin Bieksa, who led the way offensively with two goals and an assist on Alex Burrows' empty-netter. "You go on the road and it's a different mentality - weathering storms and simplifying your game and maybe that benefits teams."
It was a gritty effort by a Canucks' team that had its character challenged these past few days because of poor discipline, an inability to kill penalties and a series of so-so performances from Luongo who last night, was the best goaltender on the ice. He stopped 29 of 30, surrendering only Jonathan Toews' goal with 7:09 to go in regulation.
Coach Alain Vigneault had called Luongo "the second-best goalie" on the ice in last week's game, a tacit criticism that the latter shrugged off last night: "I don't need Alain as a motivation," said Luongo. "I'm my own biggest critic. I know what I need to do to be ready and to play hard."
Luongo received a big assist from the team's largely overshadowed and eventually undermanned defence corps, which produced the first three goals last night. Ehrhoff, Bieksa and Alex Edler played constantly last night, after the team lost Sami Salo with a grim-looking lower-body injury just as time ran out in the opening period, blocking a shot on the Canucks' much maligned penalty-killing unit. Salo looked to be in extreme pain and needed a lot of time - and help - just to make his way off the ice and was taken to hospital for examination right away.
In the second period, Shane O'Brien was lost temporarily after the follow-through of a Dustin Byfuglien slap shot clipped him in the face and left him bleeding badly.
Bieksa played an astonishing 11 minutes and 12 seconds in the second period alone - and it wasn't much easier for Ehrhoff (8:02) or Edler (9:14) either, as the Canucks were down to four defencemen, one of whom (Andrew Alberts) played minimal minutes, even after all the injuries.
O'Brien returned for the start of the third, easing some of the pressure, but by then, the Canucks had mostly snuffed the life out of the game and the building, with a dogged and workmanlike effort.
The breath-taking speed that characterized the earlier games in the series was missing in action. It was an effective defensive performance against the Blackhawks' high-octane attack - and presumably the Canucks will trade off aesthetics any time in exchange for the badly needed win.
"I don't think anyone expected us to come in here and fold our chairs," said Bieksa.
Luongo uncharacteristically declined to do interviews on the morning of the game, saying he wanted to spare himself having to answer some of the "brilliant questions" usually directed his way. His rebound control was far better than it had been earlier in the series; and as a result, the Blackhawks generated far fewer of the second-chance opportunities that helped them blitz the Canucks for the 16 goals in the previous three games.
"Rebounds are a funny thing," said Luongo. "Sometimes, you're going to give them up and there's nothing you can do about it. Unfortunately, in Vancouver, it seemed every time there was one, it went into the net."
Bieksa, in particular, had a most effective outing. Limited to 55 games this season because of a severed tendon in his ankle, the result of a skate cut suffered in a game against the Phoenix Coyotes and Petr Prucha earlier in the season, Bieksa needed some time to get his skating legs under him. But he was good last night when the Canucks needed him the most - and a primary reason why they survived to play another day.
"Everybody contributed - and that's what we need," said Luongo. "We got some big goals early from the 'D' but they also made some huge plays in our own zone, down low, on the PK. We've got to refocus and get ready for the next game."