The Vancouver Canucks got a first hand look at just how deep the Anaheim Ducks really are, when they were shellacked 5-1 in Game One of their Western Conference semifinals series on Wednesday night. The Canucks played a reasonably sound game, but Anaheim’s forwards swarmed the Vancouver zone, ultimately chasing All-Star goalie Roberto Luongo from the net with the score 4-1 and out of reach.

Vancouver was again unable to capitalize on their power play opportunities, going 0-7 with the man advantage, and that's a trend that'll need to be reversed if the Canucks are to have any hope of bouncing back in this series. Meanwhile, in sharp contrast, the Ducks converted on two of their nine chances and played an incredible efficient game, making very few mistakes and burying Vancouver on every missed play the Canucks' inexperience defensemen made.

Indeed, Lukas Krajicek and Alexander Edler looked overmatched for much of the game, and were unable to keep up with the speed of Anaheim’s top two lines or the size and strength of their third and fourth. Similarly, almost-All-Star Rory Fitzpatrick was caught flat-footed numerous times, and had a generally difficult time contesting the Ducks' speed.

Strangely enough, this is actually good news for Vancouver. Many expected the Canucks to come out slow and lethargic on Wednesday night. They had just wrapped up the only seven game series of the first round two days earlier, after squandering a 3-1 series lead. And they were most likely somewhat physically and emotionally drained heading into the round two opener.

For Game Two, the Canucks will likely welcome back one (or both) of Kevin Bieksa and Sami Salo for Game Two, which would go a long way towards solidifying their back end. And in addition to that, Matt Cooke should be back by Game Three to provide additional agitation – something that Alex Burroughs proved in Game One can work against the likes of Teemu Selanne. Oddly, Selanne spent the majority of the first game trying to injure Vancouver's pest.

Finally, Roberto Luongo got some rest, albeit not in the fashion he would have preferred. With rest came the chance to sit back and analyze his opponent from a different perspective, which should prove beneficial Friday night when the two teams meet for Game Two. This series is a long way from over; just ask the Canucks if they think a one-game lead is safe.