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Canucks vs Sharks

Canucks' Bieksa accuses Sharks of embellishment

By Eric Gilmore - NHL.com Correspondent

SAN JOSE -- The Vancouver Canucks have often been accused of embellishing calls in an effort to draw penalties.







"There's really not much to say," Couture said. "I'm not going to go to the media and do any talking. I'll do my talking on the ice."

The Canucks' parade to the penalty box Sunday started early in the first period and continued until late in the third. In all, the Canucks took 11 minor penalties -- many of them undisciplined and unnecessary -- to just four for the Sharks. San Jose scored three power plays on eight attempts while the Canucks went 0-for-2.

"We absolutely have to be more disciplined," Bieksa said. "After the whistle, we can't have anything of that anymore. We have to have learned our lesson from there. This is a good power play, especially their first unit. They're going out there, they're getting a lot of chances, they're making plays. We can't give them more opportunities. We have to make them earn those chances. Obviously the onus is on us to be more disciplined."

Bieksa acknowledged the irony of accusing two Sharks of embellishment when two of his teammates -- Ryan Kesler and Alexandre Burrows -- have heard similar accusations for years. Even so, he didn't back down.

"Whether or not you think we're embellishers or not doesn't take away the fact that those two guys are doing it as well," Bieksa said. "If you want to look at this series - forget about the past - I don't feel like we've embellished calls, and we feel like it's going the other way. The (Sedin) twins get hacked and slashed and whacked more than anyone, and if they ever try to draw a penalty or embellish it, they're called on it by everybody.

"Five-on-five, we're the better team. Their power play's been hot. We've been giving them too many chances. There's guys on their team, two guys in particular, that are embellishing a lot of calls, making it tough on the officials."
-- Canucks D-man Kevin Bieksa on Sharks forwards Logan Couture and Joe Thornton

"There's two guys on the other team doing the exact same thing. Right now they're getting the calls and they're making it tough on the officials. These are tough calls for officials to make because they're not sure of the extent of the damage, they're not sure if they really get them on the wrist with the slash. It's not the officials' problem. This is about playing the game with integrity and not trying to do whatever you can to draw a power play."

Center Joe Pavelski gave the Sharks an early 1-0 lead with a 5-on-3 power-play goal. Canucks wing Dale Weise was in the box for roughing and Dan Hamhuis for slashing Thornton.

Couture scored a pair of power-play goals in the third period. The first came during the continuation of a cross-checking penalty on Jannik Hansen from late in the second period. Hansen actually disrupted Thornton on a breakaway, saving a possible goal.

Couture scored his second power-play goal in the third after Canucks captain Henrik Sedin high-sticked him in the face-off circle then punched him in the face. Couture didn't retaliate with his fists, but 21 seconds later he got even by scoring a goal, putting San Jose ahead 5-1.

"I think early on in the game, you want to be aggressive," Henrik Sedin said. "We crossed the line a few times. In the third when the game is over, that's frustration for sure. That's what happens in the playoffs when you're down. But it's early in games. It's every game. The first game, we were up 1-0 late in the second. We take a penalty, they get the momentum. It's every game. We got to play 5-on-5 tomorrow. That has to be our main focus. I think we've played better than them 5 on 5."

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