SAN JOSE, Calif. -- With the sharp-passing Sedin twins, plenty of players with big shots and a gold-medal winning goalie, the Vancouver Canucks are tough enough to beat. That task becomes nearly impossible when they have two extra skaters on the ice.
The Canucks converted three five-on-three power plays in less than two minutes during the second period, with Sami Salo scoring twice and Ryan Kesler adding the third, to beat the San Jose Sharks, 4-2, on Sunday in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals, which they now lead, 3-1.
"We kept marching to the box," Sharks coach Todd McLellan said. "They kept scoring."
Henrik Sedin helped set up the three goals in a span of 1:55, as the Canucks needed only 37 seconds on the three five-on-three situations to become the first team in Stanley Cup playoff history to score three goals with a two-man advantage. He added another assist in the third period to set a franchise record for assists in a game, increasing his postseason-leading total to 19 points.
"When you give Henrik that much open time, he's going to find a way to make plays," teammate Alexandre Burrows said. "He's a magical player the way he's able to hold on to that puck and make plays."
Burrows added an even-strength goal off a nifty pass from Sedin in the third period, as the Canucks moved to the brink of reaching the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 1994. Daniel Sedin added three assists, and Roberto Luongo made 33 saves.
Vancouver finished with just 13 shots, scoring on four of their seven in the final two periods. The Sharks had no answer for the Sedins, who have 15 points in four games this series after scoring just seven points and posting a minus-10 rating in six games against Nashville in the previous round.
"We're both believers in, if you work hard (and) you do the right thing, it's going to turn around," Henrik Sedin said. "You got to hang in there and hope the other guys are playing great. They've been doing that."
Andrew Desjardins and Ryane Clowe had third-period goals for the Sharks, who failed to capitalize on five early power-play chances and must win Game 5 in Vancouver on Tuesday to extend the series.
"They kept giving us chances and putting themselves in a hole," Clowe said. "When we get (power plays), that's where we need to capitalize. We just weren't sharp enough. That's not physical. That's mental."
In a series dominated by special-teams play, this game was no different, with nearly 15 of the first 33 minutes spent with a team on the power play. That's where the Canucks dominated -- a stark departure from their 4-3 loss in Game 3. They allowed three power-play goals in that game and failed to convert during 1:55 of five-on-three time in the second period.
The Canucks solved both of those issues despite being without injured defensemen Christian Ehrhoff and Aaron Rome.
