Apologies for the lame preview of tonight's game. I opted to not bring my laptop to where I was spending the weekend, and using a computer that is not my own has been trying. It was a big feat to even write up a preview for tonight.

So after the Canucks destroyed the Kings 7-2 last game, the Canucks have the chance to end the series tonight in LA. Last night the Pens and Sharks both ended their series' yesterday and the Canucks and Wings look to do the same today. If that happens, do you realize the Canucks will end up in a rematch with the Hawks or end up playing the Wings? At this points, I'll just focus on this series since until we've won a game, there's always a chance that the Kings will come back and win the next two games in a row.

Yesterday the always notoriously critical Tony Gallagher actually had something positive to say about the Canucks. He even went as far as calling the Sedins "absurdly good".

Game time is at 6pm. The Royal Half will be there. Will he be watching his playoff dreams die tonight? Or will the Kings extend the series?

Go Canucks Go!

Vancouver took control of this game from the drop of the puck. They were able to kill penalties, not all, but most of them and more importantly did not take that many penalties. They looked like they relaxed in the third for a few minutes, but came back with goals and some fights from O'Brien and Rypien.

Steve Bernier starts of the scoring for the Canucks midway throught first period with a quick wrist shot that gets past Quick

The Kings answer back with, you guess it, a powerplay goal from Michal Handzus!

Great work from Hansen along the boards, to Kesler who protected the puck and then passed it to Edler who rifled it past Quick. Alex Edler gets the Canucks up to 2-1 at 17:32 of the 1st period

Ed Willes hits the nail on the head with his column today in The Province: exciting hockey with lots of goals is fun to watch, but really just winning the game is the end result we're looking here. After game four, my nerves are shot. It probably didn't help that I sat at a bar with some of Vancouver's biggest superfans all yelling at the screen. The superfans>me.

Andrew Alberts draws back into the lineup tonight as Nolan Baumgartner somehow injured his right leg in the one game he played. Both Rome and Baumgartner are now listed as day-to-day. Any guesses if he gets out of tonights game with more time on the ice or more penalty minutes? As for the Kings Justin Williams is in for Scott Parse tonight.

I'll be at home tonight in lockdown mode. Live blog? Oh that might be a possibility, if not liveblog look out for me on twitter. As always, check out my blogger "other half"*, the Royal Half over at his blog or on twitter.

Go Canucks Go!

• The Province and their attempt at alliteration with Samuelsson's name
• Drew Doughty got named as a Norris nominee along with Mike Green and Duncan Keith
• Cam Cole looks into the little O'Brien outburst from game 3 and tries to figure out what this means for the team dynamics
• Battle of California's Rudy Kelly is getting playoff AIDS, and I can't agree with him more
• View from My Seats asks if Kings fans are becoming Raider Nation?

The Canucks will be doing another party on the plaza 2 hours before puck drop just outside of GM Place, details can be found here.

*Apologies on the really bad puns...I promise they will get worse as the series goes along...

First of all, great showing to everyone who came out for the Canucks tweetup at Library Square. So great to meet some of you in person! I don't think I've ever felt so much emotion while watching a game at a bar (the tension was crazy in the dying minutes of the 3rd). Our section was super loud (lots of yelling at the big screen), had an appearance of Gino Odjick at the bar and your writer even won some prizes! Woo

I will have you know that I did not appear in any tweetup video that can be found on the Canucks website, stayed away from that camera with a 10 foot pole, but the cute Canucks rep in the polka dot dress did hook me up with a prize.

My blogger buddy, the Royal Half was at game four in Los Angeles, his recap can be found here. He's been to 3 out of the 4 games played so far, which makes me incredibly jealous. His photo adventures of his games are epic, like why are you still reading this post because seriously you should be reading his game four photo adventure.

So thoughts on the game:

I love the Kings' third jersey's. love love love them. They are a very sexy jersey. Such nice lines and simple design, if the Canucks weren't playing the Kings, it would make me want one.

So the game starts off, with Doughty scoring the first goal, guess what on?

The powerplay!

So the Kings celebrate another powerplay goal.God I wish Doughty weren't so goddamn good. I like him better when I could cheer for him on Team Canada

Looking good boys...looking good

Now a few posts ago I said that LA Kings blogger, The Royal Half was coming to Vancouver to see game two. I ended up spending the weekend with my blogger buddy, and let me say it turned out to be a great weekend (even though the Canucks lost at the game we went to). I don't have my photos up yet, but do check out his:

• Royal Half's photo adventures w/your lowly scribe from game two in Vancouver
• And the Royal Half's photo adventures from game three in Los Angeles

So tonight?

All is not lost yet, we're only down 2-1 in the series so let's not throw the team under the bus yet. You've been through an 82 game schedule, and if you are a real fan you know that being down 2-1 in a series is not the end of the world. That being said, everything needs to be better about the Canucks. Everyone needs to be better. Luongo, you especially need to be better. If they can't kill penalties, then they should stop taking so many damn penalties. In the 82 games we've watched this year we know this team can be better.

Some of the Kings players are talking about going further in the playoffs than the first round, easy boys it's only game four, you still need two more wins to advance.

Tweetup tonight @LibrarySquare. DO IT!

Go Canucks Go!

Here are some links for your pre-game reading:

• The Kurtenblog has some Kurtenthoughts
• Via Puck Daddy, Don Cherry last night on Coach's Corner says that giving Luongo the C was a 'dumb move'
• Luongo spent some time with goaltending consultant Ian Clark and is in a good frame of mind
• Rudy Kelly at Battle of California is having a 3 part gameday post
• Jeff Vinnik is on the road with the Canucks and here is his gallery from day two
• And if you missed it, here is gallery from day one
• There is a Canucks tweetup tonight @ Library Square, full details here

This:

Leads to this:

Which leads to this:

A little something positive for today?

Our boy Ryan Kesler has been nominated for the seconds time for the Selke trophy along with Pavel Datsyuk and Jordan Staal. Datsyuk has won the last two trophies for being the top defensive forward. For a full look at all three nominees check out the Canucks.com