Can’t discount Kesler

With an inadvertent drop of a microphone by a reporter Friday, the Vancouver Canucks' Ryan Kesler was the center of attention at the wrong time.

''Are you kidding me?" Kesler said as the microphone bounced and painfully struck his toes hours before the Canucks' Game 2 victory against the Blackhawks.

The pain he felt was minimal compared to the pain-in-the-you-know-what Kesler has been for the Hawks in the first two games of this best-of-seven Western Conference playoff series. The Canucks have a 2-0 stranglehold with Game 3 tonight at the United Center.

All eyes are rightfully on the Hawks' stars for their lack of production. Patrick Kane's secondary assist in Game 2 is the only point that he, Jonathan Toews (minus-2), Patrick Sharp (minus-2), Marian Hossa (minus-3), Duncan Keith (minus-3) and Brent Seabrook (minus-1) have in two games.

The Hawks might have gained some psychological advantage after their depth players found holes in goalie Roberto Luongo's armor. But the Hawks aren't going to salvage this series on the backs of Ben Smith and Viktor Stalberg, who combined for three goals in the 4-3 loss Friday.

''You always want to do more in a series like this,'' Kane said. ''Obviously, when you only have three goals in a series and you look at the guys that have scored them, they're newer guys that are stepping up. The guys that were here last year and the year before . . . this is big-time. It might be our time to step up now.''

Still, it would be unwise for the Hawks to just shrug off what the Canucks — mainly Kesler and their top defensive pair of Dan Hamhuis and Kevin Bieksa — have done against them. You can't nullify their nullification of the Hawks' top guns, just as you couldn't overlook the stingy success Dave Bolland and Co. had against Henrik and Daniel Sedin when the Hawks ousted the Canucks last postseason.

''I'm not taking anything away from them. Kesler's a great centerman, really tough to play against," Sharp said Saturday. ''But I've seen all kind of different lines and matchups change, and that's something that's constantly changing.''

That being said, it's obvious the Canucks are better equipped and more aggressive than last year. (It took defenseman Alexander Edler just seconds to give Kane a seat on the ice in Game 2.) And they're more poised — especially Kesler.

Much has been made about his maturation and how it helped him to elevate his game during the regular season. Now Kesler, a 41-goal scorer, is carrying it into the playoffs, and his teammates are feeding off it.

''This is a new year and new team with a different mind-set,'' said Kesler, who has two assists, a plus-2 rating and 10 shots in the first two games and made a point of taking away some of the Hawks' scoring chances in Game 2 after Toews' line had pressured Luongo in the opener.

In the end, Kesler did his job in both games. He hit, won faceoffs, stole pucks, wore the opposition down, got into transition and fired away at Hawks goalie Corey Crawford, even with linemate Mikael Samuelsson sidelined with the flu in Game 2.

With Kesler and Toews, two of the NHL's best two-way players, battling head-to-head, it may take moving Sharp back to center on the second line to negate some of the effectiveness of Kesler and the defensemen who help him. Kesler, who has 11 hits this series, is the front-runner for the Selke Trophy for best defensive forward, while Toews also is in the discussion after finishing fourth in voting last season. Kesler has taken 21 faceoffs against Toews this series; Henrik Sedin is next at 12.

''Nothing is better than scoring a goal, but shutting those guys down is fun,'' Kesler told reporters Saturday before the Canucks left for Chicago. ''When you are playing against guys that skilled, you've got to focus more defensively.''

Toews, whose scoring woes ­extend to the regular season, didn't have a shot on goal Friday. He had a semi-breakaway in the first period but lost control of the puck just when it looked he had Luongo beaten.

''I'm not going to get frustrated,'' Toews said. ''It's not fun when it seems like you're working as hard as you can, and it seems like when you're getting close to the net, the puck is bouncing over your stick or shots are getting blocked and you don't get to the net. Again, we gave up too many odd-man rushes going back out of their zone. We've got to find a way.''

If they don't, Kesler surely will have a role in it.

Canucks center Ryan Kesler, one of the best two-way players in the NHL, has had a huge role in negating Jonathan Toews this series. | Jeff Vinnick~Getty ImagesJeff Vinnick