If someone had told me that Markus Naslund would play like the sniper who scored 40 goals four years in a row and that Jan Bulis would be a consistent offensive threat in the post season I would have predicted the Canucks to sweep their first round series versus the Stars.

But two games in, and the series knotted and one win a piece, and Vancouver looks as though it could be in some trouble. Riddled with injuries and a distinct inability to beat the Dallas fore-check, the Canucks look like a shell of the team that tore up the entire NHL post-Christmas this year.

Daniel and Henrik Sedin have been marginalized in both games. Asides from a few flurries, and of course Henrik’s game winner in the seventh period on Wednesday night, the Stars have succeed in hurrying the wander twins in the corners and confusing their infamous cycle play. It seems as the only time Vancouver’s leading scorers have found any success is when Dallas’ players have been on the ice for too long and can no longer keep up.

Even when Vancouver has had the opportunity on the power play they have been unable to capitalize with just one extra-strength goal over the first two games. To make matters worse, their defence has been shaky at best. Brent Sopel looked lost in his first action last night with a few poor decisions in his own end. Kevin Bieksa clearly struggled in his first even NHL playoff action in Game 1. He was a shade of the calming influence he had been all season and at times has played out of control.

In goal, Roberto Luongo has been both out of this world and the first time playoff performer that some feared. All in all he has been the reason the Canucks are knotted at two games and it is hard to find something negative to say about a goalie that made 72 saves in Game 1, but he has not been the Hart candidate he was during the year. If Luongo had played the same way he did through the majority of the regular season the first game never sees overtime and the first goal that beat him in Game 2 doesn’t ripple the mesh.

To make matters worse for Vancouver, it appears as if there was no hangover effect for Marty Turco after what had to be a disheartening first game loss. Turco played stellar, although unspectacular, in Game 2. There was nothing flashy to his game but he seemed to always be in position and played much bigger than he is giving the Canucks shooters very little to shoot at while eliminating second chances.

Everyone expected this series to be a long, drawn out battle. If Vancouver hopes to be shaking hands with smiles on their faces when it is all over they are going have to learn how to start getting some pucks past the Stars enigmatic keeper in addition to giving their own back stop some more support in their own end.