Each game of the postseason -- spanning the more than two-month period from the opening round to Boston's Game 7 clincher of the Stanley Cup Final -- will be shown on the Network throughout the offseason.
Fans can tune in at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. ET nightly for a different game -- and different chance to re-live history. A complete program schedule can be found on NHLNetwork.com.
It was an age-old question, whether the fresh-but-rusty Canucks or the sharp-but-tired Sharks would have the upper hand in Game 1.
Having taken care of the Nashville Predators in six games, the Canucks had six days to practice and prepare for their next opponent, while the Sharks blew a 3-0 series lead and needed everything they had to hold off the Red Wings in seven games. For the first 37 minutes of Game 1, it looked like the team with more rest had yet to wake up from it.
The Canucks did manage to keep the Sharks in check through most of the first period, but Roberto Luongo tried to clear a puck from behind the net with 1:13 left and found Joe Thornton's stick instead. The easy goal gave the Sharks a 1-0 lead.
Maxim Lapierre evened the score barely two minutes after intermission, but a Patrick Marleau redirection on the power play put San Jose back in front. The Canucks finally hit their stride, outshooting the Sharks 7-1 in the closing minutes of the second and the momentum began to shift.
Alex Burrows set up Kevin Bieksa beautifully on the break with a cross-ice pass, Bieksa finishing the job with a wrist shot past Antti Niemi and tying the score once again. 79 seconds later, Christian Ehrhoff's feed from the blue line caught Henrik Sedin cutting across the crease for a go-ahead power-play goal, and the Canucks took the opener 3-2.
| 2011 western conference final broadcast schedule | ||
| DATE | TIME | GAME |
| Mon, Sep 5 | 8 p.m. ET | Western Conference Finals: Sharks @ Canucks, Game 1 |
| Tue, Sep 6 | 8 p.m. ET | Western Conference Finals: Sharks @ Canucks, Game 2 |
| Wed, Sep 7 | 8 p.m. ET | Western Conference Finals: Canucks @ Sharks, Game 3 |
| Thu, Sep 8 | 8 p.m. ET | Western Conference Finals: Canucks @ Sharks, Game 4 |
| Fri, Sep 9 | 8 p.m. ET | Western Conference Finals: Sharks @ Canucks, Game 5 |
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