Being within spitting range of anything Edmonton is never a good look. One simply can’t take for granted the extent to which this is normal behaviour in those parts and its best not to be vulnerable. When this distance quantified in the form of a four point gap in the standings between the Canucks and Oilers, it’s definitely time for some soul searching.

It appears as though Vancouver found themselves, if just for a night. Rogers Arena was abuzz with the celebration of the West Coast Express line and the Canucks did their best to not dull the mood. Launching a four pronged offensive attack, the Canucks lit up the Buffalo Sabres to the tune of a 5-2 shellacking.

Capitalizing on a Radim Vrbata hat trick, the Canucks climbed from the basement to second in the division in the matter of a night. 

They may not have brought home the ultimate prize, but there’s no denying that the West Coast Express era of Canucks hockey was one of, if not the most entertaining periods in the history of the Vancouver Canucks. The trio of Markus Naslund, Todd Bertuzzi and Brendan Morrison were an absolute thrill to watch and my only regret is that I was living in California for three of their more prominent seasons.

Honouring the trio before tonight’s proceedings was a great moment for a team that could use a few more of those this season.

As is often the case, the visiting team launched the opening salvo and the dam cracked early. On a broken play into the Canucks zone, Brian Gionta knocked the puck out of mid-air past Ryan Miller for the opening goal. The goal was the topic of much controversy though, as the replay seemed to indicate that – against all logic – Gionta knocked the puck out of air above ever-so-slightly above the crossbar. You be the judge.

It didn’t take long for the Canucks to bounce back though, as Vrbata would launch the first of a series of goals past an out of position Linus Ullmark. This play was made possible by an excellent hold at the blue line by Ben Hutton, who seems to have developed somewhat of a knack for those. Chris Higgins drove the net and Vrbata was all too happy to pick up the scraps. 

Not long after, Vrbata was dandy on the spot for a deflection in the slot off the rush in transition. The Canucks entered the second intermission with a lead and seemingly in full control of the game.

The Canucks started the second frame tilting the ice heavily towards the Sabres netminder. They were rewarded for their efforts early, in the form of a Brandon Prust goal on the heels of some nifty playmaking, courtesy Derek Dorsett.

Much like happened in the first period, this goal was followed shortly thereafter by another shifty deflection goal in the slot. And again, it involved a Sedin. This time though, it was Henrik dandy on the spot for a goal. 

The Canucks rested on their laurels for the third and were bit, in the form of a wrist shot top shelf by local kid Sam Reinhart – you’ll remember him as a Canucks Army favourite leading into his draft. Vrbata met this marker with a goal of his own, the third on the night and put any hopes of a Sabres comeback to rest.

There were hats thrown. So very many hats.