Conference Semifinals Simulated: Chicago Vs. Vancouver

Who will meet Anaheim in the Western Conference finals? Well, we are about to find out! It's Chicago vs. Vancouver in a thrilling Western Conference semifinal series. I hope you enjoy it, SSR. ;-)

(All simulations courtesy of WhatIfSports.com)

Game 1: The game started out rather slow and while Chicago had more shots on goal, you can tell that there was a feeling out period to start the game. The teams exploded in the 2nd though with 2 goals a piece entering the 3rd period. Henrik Sedin scored with 8:28 to go to give Vancouver a 3-2 lead in the 3rd! But, a costly double minor on Alexander Edler for boarding gave the Blackhawks double minor! And because there’s only 2:56 to go, it’s for the rest of the game! Chicago is struggling to get chances. Chance for Vancouver short-handed but it is offsides. Faceoff is won by Adams of the Blackhawks but it’s stolen by Salo! Salo to Henrik Sedin! Sedin to Wellood. Wellwood fires AND SCORES!!! A SHORT-HANDED DAGGER!!! Canucks hang on to win Game 1 by a score of 4-2 and lead the series 1-0!

Game 2: This one was quite the exciting affair. An evenly matched game and they went back and forth all night long. What was once a 2-0 lead for Vancouver quickly evaporated into a 3-2 Chicago lead midway through the 3rd. But it would not stay that way for long as Taylor Pratt TIED THE GAME WITH 9:10 TO GO!!! The back and forth play would continue with chances for both sides but no one could convert and we’re going to overtime! AND ONCE AGAIN, EDLER GETS A DOUBLE MINOR FOR VANCOUVER!!! THIS ONE IS FOR CHARGING!!! Blackhawks with a 4-minute power play in OT. The pass goes to Havlat! HAVLAT FIRES AND SCORES!!!!!! A POWER PLAY GOAL FOR THE BLACKHAWKS AND THIS SERIES IS TIED AT 1 HEADING TO THE UNITED CENTER!!!!

Game 3: Taylor Pratt got things started quickly with 4:50 into this game with an early goal for the Canucks! But that would not be the last time someone scored in this game, that’s for sure. We enter the 2nd period…and Toes ties it up at 1! Sedin scores for the Canucks! 5-minute later it’s Bernier scoring!!! 3-1 Vancouver!! Entering the 3rd period….still 3-1 Vancouver! 8-minutes in it’s Versteeg scoring! And we’re 3-2! Havlat ties it up at 3 5-minutes later!!! 46 seconds later, A DRIVE BY EAGER AND HE SCORES!!! HAWKS LEAD, 4-3!!! Both teams trying to take a 2-1 series lead! Can Vancouver come back??? They jockey back and forth for awhile. Neither team can get a chance on goal for quite awhile. BUT WAIT!!! HANSEN IN FRONT GETS THE PASS FROM MITCHELL AND SCORES!!!!! WITH 2:15 TO GO!!!! This one is heading into overtime!!! Time winding down in OT, under a minute to go! DEMITRA WITH A DRIVE…..SAVE BY KHABIBULIN! AND IT’S GOING TO DOUBLE OT!!! In double OT, there IS A PENALTY ON MATT WALKER OF THE HAWKS!!! And somehow, the Canucks can’t get a chance on goal! How does that happen in overtime??? Kesler has the puck now and he’ll dish to Bernier. Bernier over to Sedin who SHOOTS IT……HEEEEEE SCOOOOOOOOOOORRRREEEEESSSSS!!!!!!!! AND THE CANUCKS HAVE TAKEN GAME 3 IN DOUBLE OT, 5-4!!! WHAT A GAME! Canucks now lead the series 2-1!

Game 4: This was the first game of the series where there was a real discrepancy in shot on goal. The Hawks outshot the Canucks 50-27 in this game! But it was only 2-0 Chicago entering into the 3rd period and the Canucks would not go quietly into the night! 11 minutes to go in the game and Alex Burrows narrows the deficit to 1! 2 minutes later and it’s Daniel Sedin scoring!! All of a sudden, this game is tied!!! But wait, it’s not over!!! 1 minute and 13 seconds later, it’s Pavel Demitra scoring!!!! 3 GOALS IN THE SPAN OF 3 MINUTES AND 5 SECONDS AND THE CANUCKS NOW LEAD IT 3-2!!! But the Blackhawks would continue their offensive fleury, but Luongo would make save after save!!! Talk about huge!! 1 MINUTE TO GO!! KHABIBULIN IS PULLED!! SHOT BY LADD IS STOPPED BY LUONGO!!! CANUCKS CAN’T CLEAR!! DRIVE BY LADD…DEFLECTED OUT OF PLAY!!!! HAWKS WIN THE FACEOFF!!! THEY PASS IT AROUND!!! 20 SECONDS TO GO!!! BOLLAND FIRES IT…..AND HE MISSES JUST WIDE!!! CANUCKS GET A HOLD OF THE PUCK AND THEY CLEAR THE ZONE AND THAT’S IT!!!! VANCOUVER HAS A HUGE 3RD PERIOD COMEBACK TO WIN THE GAME 3-2 AND LEAD THE SERIES 3-1!!! Wow!

Game 5: Back to Vancouver we go! And after 2 excruciating defeats, the Chicago Blackhawks just do not have it in them to put up a competitive fight in this one. They got some chances early, and stayed tight throughout but 2 Canuck goals in the 2nd period and a dagger from Edler 3 minutes into the 3rd period spelt the end of the series for the Blackhawks and a trip to the Western Conference Finals for the Vancouver Canucks. They win this game 3-0 and the series 4 games to 1.