DANIEL SEDIN NETS LATE WINNER AS CANUCKS EDGE BLACKHAWKS

C/P from TSN.ca

VANCOUVER -- [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] said the Vancouver Canucks approached their Friday date with the Chicago Blackhawks like a normal game.
It ended up looking more like the playoff battles these two teams have become known for.
Sedin scored the winning goal with four minutes left and the Canucks
beat the Blackhawks 4-3 in a fierce matchup between the two NHL
arch-rivals.
The teams played at a furious pace after a tight opening period of a
game that featured desperate diving shot blocks, solid goaltending,
three lead changes and as many ties.
"I think it was a good approach to the game today," Sedin said after
his 28th goal of the season. "We approached it like a normal game and we
came up with the win."
Sedin took brother Henrik's pass in the slot and his shot hit Chicago defender [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] before the puck rose just over the blocker of Chicago goalie [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.].
"We can't really focus too much on who we're playing against," Sedin
said. "We've got to focus on how we're playing and we did that tonight."
Coach Alain Vigneault, whose special teams shone with five penalty
kills and two power-play goals, was only a little more forthcoming.
"Obviously, we knew we were playing against the Stanley Cup
champions," Vigneault said. "But to say there would be more at stake
than two points would be false."
Sedin also drew an assist to raise his points total to 69 and take the NHL scoring lead from Tampa Bay's [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.].
"Now I know what it feels (like) to be up there," said Daniel whose brother won the Art Ross Trophy last season.
"It's a good feeling when you're winning games. It's a confident group in here and it's good to be a part of it."
Vancouver also needed 42 saves, including 18 in the final period, from goalie [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] to record a fifth straight victory and extended their overall NHL lead to four points over Philadelphia.
They also lead second-place Detroit by nine points in the battle for top spot in the Western Conference.
Chicago, which ousted Vancouver from the last two Stanley Cup
playoffs in bitterly contested six-game series and beat the Canucks 7-1
here in November, remained ninth in the West.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.], [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] and [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] also scored for the Canucks who lead the NHL this late in the season for the first time in the club's 40-year history.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.], [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.], with his first goal in 69 games, and Bolland scored for Chicago.
"It was a pretty intense game, playoff-type atmosphere (and) we
scored some big goals in the third period, especially after they got the
lead," Luongo said. "We didn't quit, we kept at it."
He had help from his posts and defenceman [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] who blocked a late Chicago scoring attempt with the Canuck netminder on his stomach.
Luongo hasn't lost a game in regulation time since Dec. 5, going 14-0-5 in his last 19 starts.
"He's been on a roll for a couple of months," [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] said after Luongo twice robbed defenceman [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.], once with his glove and once with a pad.
"It's great to see. That's what we need from both goalies."
Luongo also got a break when an apparent Bolland goal was waved off when [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] was called for goaltender interference.
Chicago coach Joel Quenneville thought Erhohoff's opening goal was
offside as the Canuck defenceman had to hustle to keep the puck in the
Blackhawk zone.
"On the bench it looked like it could have been (offside) but on the
replay it verified it," said Quenneville, whose club lost for the third
time in four games.
"I thought we played pretty well. tough loss. We'll find a way to win if we keep playing like that."
Turco, who has a 19-9-2 career record against the Canucks, said he was too deep in his net on Sedin's winner.
"You just don't see the puck," he said after a 28-save performance. "When I finally caught up to it, it was on its way up.
"In retrospect, I should have had a little bit more patience. You
react and trust your instincts. Unfortunately, it wasn't the right one."
Notes: The Canucks have gone 24-4-6 since the 7-1
loss to the Hawks who are 19 points behind the NHL leaders .... Boynton
hadn't scored since Nov. 27, 2009 ... [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.], who missed eight games with a knee injury, returned to the Canuck blue-line ... he replaced rookie [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
... it was the Blackhawks' second of a six-game road trip ... they face
the Calgary Flames on Monday and the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday ...
Chicago plays 18 of its remaining 30 games away from the United Center.