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The Chicago Blackhawks lost to the Vancouver Canucks by a score of 2-0 in their opening game of the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs. But they're still in a good position, and can take home-ice advantage away with a win on Friday.
The Vancouver Canucks scored two goals in the first 11 minutes of the game and that proved to be all they needed as they took game one from the Chicago Blackhawks.
The Stanley Cup playoffs are one of the most exciting postseason tournaments in all of sports. In the history of the playoffs, eight seeds have upset the top seeded teams roughly 30% of the time.
Forward Troy Brouwer will play for the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday as the team opens its first-round playoff series with the Vancouver Canucks. However, center Dave Bolland will not play.
There should always be hope at the top of a playoff run, but there should always be realism.
In last year's Stanley Cup playoffs, when the Chicago Blackhawks and the Vancouver Canucks went toe-to-toe for six games, it was Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane who filled the stat sheet.
Like a patient back from the brink, the Blackhawks have a new appreciation of life.
You don't have to go very far back to find the history between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Vancouver Canucks, recently it seems these teams always find themselves squaring off in the playoffs.
While center Dave Bolland traveled with the Chicago Blackhawks to Vancouver, and practiced with the team on Tuesday, his status for the opening game against the Canucks is still uncertain.
The Vancouver Canucks are cautious as they take on the Blackhawks in the Western Conference quarterfinals later this month, and say the 'Hawks are still a "dangerous" team.
