If Roberto Luongo can make it through tonight's Game 7 against the Chicago Blackhawks without vomiting – that'll be something.

Such was my opinion yesterday when I was planning to write a column about the Vancouver Canucks No. 1 – worth $10 million – and the Western Conference Quarter-final series.

Funny, I thought yesterday, what can change in two weeks.

And even over three periods. Actually – especially over three periods.

If you didn't know any better, you'd think the Canucks deliberately tried to make their first-round series as exciting as possible, bringing British Columbia to the breaking point before releasing the valve.

Winning three games. Blowing three games. Scoring early. Conceding late. Overtime goal.

That came courtesy of Alex Burrows, who cracked a rolling puck past Hawks' goaltender Corey Crawford at 5:22 of the first overtime period. And after he'd taken a holding penalty 24 seconds into OT.

In his jubilation, Luongo said after the win that the feeling rivaled that of winning the gold medal at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver.

That reaction could be expected after bombing in Games 3 and 4 – conceding 12 goals to his counterpart's two – and losing Sunday's Game 6 in OT after Cory Schneider, the Canucks usual backup who started the game, left early due to cramping in his right leg.

As if there could be any more pressure.

But after losing three straight, surely thoughts of the now-rivals' history seeped into the Canucks' heads – most of all Luongo.

Hawks knock Canucks out of playoffs for third-straight year.

It's a headline that needs work, and one that seemed impossible after Vancouver took a seriously commanding 3-0 series lead.

At 3-1, sure, the Hawks are defending Stanley Cup champions. Then, 3-2. Well, sir, this is madness – something's going terribly wrong – but surely they'll finish them off next game. And finally 3-3 – goalie change? – I can't even bare to watch.

Luongo and company eventually made it through without vomiting. They did one better – they got the job done.

But it seemed that Luongo, who made 31 saves last night – the best a post-to-post read to save a shot by Patrick Sharp – was still shaky, nowhere near worthy of the game's second star.

Especially considering Corey Crawford's performance.

Instead, Crawford looked like the type of goaltender that rises from regular-season obscurity to raise his team to a Stanley Cup win.

Luongo, who no question did his job last night, needs his team to be strong in front of him; namely, to clear any rebounds.

A Stanley Cup winning goaltender needs these things, true, but when his team fails him he still manages to get a toe on it.

Look at Crawford, who made back-to-back-to-back saves – in addition to standing on his head all night.

I'd say Luongo and the Canucks ended up being pretty lucky to get out of the first round in the face of Crawford's coolness and his young, talented team's growing confidence.

Luongo now has another shot, another life, against the Nashville Predators, to prove that he is the type of goalie that can bail his team out time and time again.