Before tonight’s 2-1 win in Game 1 of their first-round series against the St. Louis Blues, I posted some question marks going into the playoffs. One game may not mean a whole lot in the grand scheme of things, but let’s see how the Canucks have managed to answer my questions so far.

First, let’s address the “givens” I stated.

I said Luongo would play well, and he did. Bobby Lou was the game’s first star, and was very solid all night. He made tough stops look easy, and he threw in a couple of beautiful post-to-post pad saves for flavour, as well.

I also suggesed Ryan Kesler would make an impact at both ends of the ice. Kesler didn’t factor into the scoring, but he made some offensive rushes. He was far more prevalent defensively, blocking several shots and coming up huge on the penalty kill, particularly during a long 5-on-3, where he and Alex Burrows were brilliant.

But what about the question marks?

I questioned the offensive impact of the Sedin twins. Daniel scored the opening goal and added an assist, and Henrik contributed an assist as well. That’s a very good sign.

I wondered how Vancouver’s special teams would fare. The Canucks scored a power play goal and potted their other marker on a delayed St. Louis penalty. However, they let in a goal while they were on the penalty kill, as well. But since the Canucks were much stronger in five-on-five play, they really only need to match the Blues’ power play output to have the advantage in the series.

I also questioned the play of Mats Sundin, and unfortunately this was less of a positive answer. Sundin was largely invisible, other than one shift in the third period. He needs to do more, and hopefully will in future games.

Some other bright points from the game:

• The Canucks were physically aggressive and involved, though they weren’t always in as much control of themselves as I would have liked. Even Daniel Sedin got engaged in a couple of scrums, which is uncharacteristic. Intimidation is a valuable tactic in the playoffs, and if the Canucks can keep their aggression under control it will serve them well.
• There were several positives coming from Kyle Wellwood, Mason Raymond, and Steve Bernier. Bernier in particular provided a screen on Sami Salo’s goal from the point, and Wellwood played a solid game at both ends of the ice.