VANCOUVER—The Vancouver Canucks have spent the entire week telling everyone they aren’t the same team that was knocked out of the playoffs by the Blackhawks the previous two seasons.Not the same team that won Game 1 both times only to blow momentum-killing leads in Game 2 and go on to lose the series. Not the same team that couldn’t beat the Blackhawks on home ice.The Canucks backed up all that talk Friday night, but not before a few flashback moments.Daniel Sedin scored his second goal midway through the third period and the Canucks survived three near comebacks and a frantic final few minutes to beat the Blackhawks 4-3 and take a 2-0 lead in the first-round playoff series.Jannik Hansen opened the scoring, and Alexander Edler made it 3-1 with 13.1 seconds left in the second period. But Roberto Luongo, who made 22 saves, was beaten by a shot off the boards early in the third, and with 7:10 left after putting a rebound into the slot to set up a tense finish.With the victory, the Canucks headed to the United Center for Game 3 on Sunday night with a chance to take a stranglehold on the best-of-7 series.Ben Smith had two goals, Viktor Stalberg also scored and Corey Crawford made 23 saves for the defending Stanley Cup champion Blackhawks.Smith scored the Blackhawks’ first goal of the series with 5:10 left in the second period to make it 2-1, and added his second with 7:10 remaining in the third to make it 4-3. But Smith also accidentally tipped Edler’s point shot past his own goalie as the second period was winding down.The Blackhawks had won five consecutive playoff games in Vancouver while knocking out the Canucks the past two seasons. The Blackhawks also lost the first game both times before bouncing back to win Game 2 and the series. A couple of times it looked as if it might be happening again.Stalberg pulled the Hawks to within a goal 1:56 into the third, and Crawford kept it close with a couple of great saves on Ryan Kesler. But Sedin, the NHL leader with 104 regular-season points, scored on a 3-on-2 rush, cutting into the middle and snapping a low shot past Crawford’s glove.Smith made it close again on a room-service rebound in the slot, but the Canucks survived a frantic last couple minutes with Crawford out for an extra attacker. None of them came from the Blackhawks top players, however. Captain Jonathan Toews, who lost the puck on an early breakaway, and fellow offensive stars Marian Hossa and Patrick Sharp don’t have a point yet. And the Hawks fourth-ranked power play was shotless in two chances.

NOTES—After losing RW Tomas Kopecky to a hit in Game 1, ….Bryan Bickell left holding his right wrist after a hit five minutes into the third period. He didn’t return and will be re-evaluated Saturday, Quenneville said…..Vancouver second-line LW Mikael Samuelsson was a late scratch because of illness. D Aaron Rome dressed as the 12th forward….Kopecky was replaced by Fernando Pisani. The Blackhawks also subbed C Marcus Kruger for Jake Dowell….. Vancouver LW Raffi Torres can return from a four-game suspension in Game 3, but wasn’t able to practice Friday because of food poisoning.