saintpakoFiled under: Games
Another disappointing playoff for this year’s President Trophy Winner – San Jose Sharks, and the Trade-Deadline Winner – Calgary Flames. This is good news for the Canucks.
The Anahiem Ducks’ upset of the Sharks means that the Canucks can avoid playing against the defending-Stanley Cup Champion, for at least another round. Of course, with the way the Blackhawks played against the Flames, especially the spectacular play of goaltender Khabibulin, the Canucks shouldn’t start buying those champagne yet. Still, it’s better than playing against a Flames team which always seem to have the Canucks’ number or the highflying Red Wings.
Although it has happened to the Flames before, four consecutive times including this year, Calgary’s first round exit seems…unexpected. This is, of course, not to underestimate the skills and will of the young Blackhawks. However, the Flames already a very powerful team, were improved significantly after the trading deadline this season. They were unanimously awarded as the winner of the trade-deadline, by adding Star Centerman Olli Jokinen and Veteran Defenseman Jordan Leopold. But with just 2 goals and 3 assists in 6 playoff games, and 8 goals and 7 assists in 19 regular season games at a horrible -8 plus/minus total, it’s difficult not to think trading away Matthew Lombardi, who actually had one more point than Jokinen in the same 19 games, was a wise decision at all.
Maybe it is as Matthew Barnaby says on TSN, the team which will play against the Flames in the playoff will be glad Calgary added Jokinen to their dressing room.
How about the San Jose Sharks??
Despite having a fabulous regular season, finishing top overall with 53 wins, 18 losses and 11 OT losses, the Sharks regressed during this year’s playoff back to 8 seasons ago, when they were ousted in the first round by the St. Louis Blues. But since then, the Sharks have never once been defeated in the first round of the playoffs. Since the Lock-out season, the Sharks have never finished lower than the second spot in their division.
Last season, the Sharks finished second overall in the entire league, but their defeat in the second round to the Dallas Stars were deemed disaapointing and unacceptable. A team lead by a leader who has been named a playoff-underachiever, the Sharks set out to silent all their critics this season. Who would’ve guessed that a team which most commentator named as the “most feared team” in the entire league will end their season worse than their last?
Well, playoffs are full of surprises and drama, everything is magnified 100 times, that’s why it’s so interesting, that’s why even the best players would call their careers disappointing if they’d never won a cup.
Starting this Thursday or maybe Friday, the Canucks will have to continue their path for the ultimate glory, a path that will only be more difficult as they go further, a path that is filled with blood and bruises, pain and anger; but it will surely be a path that both San Jose and Calgary wish they can still venture upon.
Filed under: Games
We’ve all heard about how French-Canadians are seen as rude and arrogant. To avoid being niavely discriminating, I know that it’s a stupid and unfair comment. There are rude and arrogant people in every society in every country; and I’m sure a majority of the French-Canadians are nice and polite people. But if you think about it, there must be a reason why people say these things.
Maybe we can find some clue in the Canadiens/Bruins playoff series, since afterall, the Montreal Canadiens are the only NHL team left with their home crowd being mostly French-Canadians.
A main reason why the NHL attracts a lot of fans is because it’s a sport about traditions and respects. Back in the earlier days when hockey players are unhappy about how their opponents are fighting, they will drop their gloves and solve their differences on the ice. After a good fight, the players will give each other a nod, a pat on the shoulder, or even a handshake. They do this, because they have respect for each other. Fans love this, because it feels right.
But what fans would boo the singing of the U.S. National Anthem, during the first home game of their playoff series during their teams’s 100th year celebration?? What’s the reason for the boos?? Canada and the United States aren’t at war, even if they are, isn’t the spirit of sports suppose to transcend politics?? Despite the some rough stuff during the first two games, the series wasn’t particularly dirty, and Boston played two very respectable home games. The Canadiens were down two games only, there’s still plenty of hockey to be played, the booing was un-called for.
Don’t the fans of Montreal know that four players (Higgins, Bouillon, Komisarek and Schneider) in the roster are Americans?? How would it make the US players feel with the home team “supporting” them like this??
Canadiens GM and interim-Coach Bob Gainey called their home team fans “bullies” in an interview immediately after their 4-1 loss to the Bruins in game 4. Gainey was defending his young goaltender for his imitation on Patrick Roy’s mock celebration 14 years ago. That was the year Montreal booed their hometown hero out of town, after an 11-1 loss to the Red Wings dated December 2nd, 1995.
After allowing nine goals on 26 shots, the Montreal crowd jeered him every time he made a simple saves. With coach Mario Trembly reluctant to pull his goalie, leaving their All-Star Netminder out to dry, Roy raised his arm in mock celebration when he made a routine save.
Forteen years later, Carey Price faced the same treatment from his hometown fans. After giving up four consecutive goals, blowing a one-goal lead from the first period, the crowd jeered the young net-minder everytime he made a simple save. In response, Price raised his arm just like his Canadiens predecessor in mockery.
Bob Gainey said that it isn’t fair how the fans treated the young netminder, who just last season single-handedly helped the Habs to re-claim their first conference champions since 1991. With 24 wins, 3 shutouts and a save percentage of .920, Price lead all rookie goaltenders in every aspect of the game during 2007-08′s regular season.
During the post-season of 07-08, Price recorded a 1-0 win over the Boston Bruins, and became the first Canadien Rookie to post a playoff shutout since none other than Patrick Roy. The Habs will go on to win that series, with Price earning another shutout in a 7-game series.
At the age of 19, Price was forced to step up as the starting goaltender for the Canadiens, after the club traded away his mentor Cristobal Huet to the Washington Capitals.
Price despite enjoying a good start this season, began to tail-off in terms of performance, after his ankle injury which side-lined him for nearly a month. Similar to Marc-Andre Fleury of the Penguins and Cam Ward of the Hurricanes, Price shown signs of regression, commonly known as Sophmore Slumps. Maybe, it’s because of his conditioning after the injury, maybe the Canadiens pushed him a bit too hard too early, or maybe he just needs his space and time to learn and grow.
But you won’t find pity or even patience with Canadiens fans. In tonight’s game, or even this entire series, Price wasn’t his previous spectacular self, but his performance is nevertheless decent, at least for a young goaltender with so much pressure on his shoulder. As Gainey explained, the four goals he let in tonight weren’t his faults, and he did made a couple of great saves on break-aways and open-shots. Every Canadiens on the ice and on the bench are as much responsible for loss as Price, but he seems to be the one taking the most heat.
At this moment, there are only two teams which loss 4 straight games in the first round, the other team being the St. Louis Blues. Both teams loss key players due to injury, both teams played below their fans’ expectations, and both teams finished out their season at home.
What does it tell you when one team’s fans gave a standing ovation to their losing home-team, thanking the players for a great attempt, and another team’s fans booing their 21 year-old goaltender who single-handedly won many many games for them in the past, and then clearing out of the stadium before the game is even finished??
If this is what you called one hundred years of hockey tradition, then I want no part of it, thank you. Watching things like this happen, I am ashamed to even call myself a hockey fan.
Filed under: Games
CANUCKS 4-0 SERIES VS BLUES
Wow! Tonight’s win in St. Louis gave the Canucks their first-ever 4-game sweep in franchise history. However, contrary to common beliefs, this is actually NOT the first playoff series sweep for Vancouver, as they did sweep the Calgary Flames in 1982, during a time when NHL playoffs consist of five games instead of the current seven. That was also the team which went straight to the Cup Finals, a game short of winning it all.
Everyone is hoping that this season will have a different outcome than their attempts in 1982 and 1994.
Of course, this calls for some kind of celebration, but again if you ask anyone in the Canucks’ dressing room, they will tell you that nothing has been won, just yet.
A series doesn’t mean a whole lot, especially against a team with three of their key players out of their line-up. Paul Kariya, Eric Brewer and Erik Johnson were all scratched during their entire four playoff games, due to various injuries. It’s not like they are the Wings or the Bruins or the Sharks (well…some may argue about the last team despite their win tonight against the Ducks).
But the team did win something tonight, they have won themselves some resting and recovery time. With Sami Salo and Mats Sundin both out of the line-up due to lower-body injury, and various un-disclosed injuries to other players, a week rest will be extremely crucial if the Canucks are to go deep into the playoffs.
Talking about the game, Burrows continue to play the cluth role he’s so famous for during the regular season. He scored two key goals to tonight, the last one being the overtime-winner in the first OT period with less than 30 seconds to go, siliencing the entire 19,350 crowd in Scottrade Center. Alex is perhaps the best player for the Canucks in this series, with the possbility of some people arguing for the Captain as the series-MVP.
Luongo played another great game tonight, it’s almost like he is only getting better as the games went on. A 47 saves effort despite being so exhausted after the overtime period that he required IV fluids to recover, Roberto is definitely a key factor for completely shutting down the Blues’s Powerplay units throughout the entire series.
The Blues played a great game, and it showed their character when they were down 2-0 in the second period. They could easily just give up with half a game to go, three games down, and trailing two goals. But they didn’t, they kept on trying and could’be taken over the lead if Jay McClement had poked the puck across the line a few seconds earlier before the referee put up his hand. Who knows what would’ve happened if they had that lead, and if they can win this game. The momentum will surely swing back St. Louis side, and as Canucks fans, we seen this happened before…maybe too many times.
But their herorics were to be in vain, except for earning cheers from their fans and their organization. Maybe that is enough for now. Since the Blues is a team with a lot of young stars, and this experience will be benefitial for them in the future. If they can continue to grow along this path, we will see the Blues amongst the league leaders in no time.
Having said that, honestly…I don’t really care about the Blues team… I can go on and on about how well the opponents played, and how it’s too bad that there can only be one winner if this was the last series of the playoffs, and the Canucks are now the Stanley Cup Champions. But they are not there yet, not by a far distance.
So looking ahead, the team is probably on their way back home for a well-earned rest, with absolutely no clue as to who they will play next. The Red Wings look like they will win their series against the Blue Jackets, but the Sharks-Ducks series and the Blackhawks-Flames series are far from being decided.
Round 2 Prediction, Western Conference:
I predict the Ducks will upset the Sharks and eliminate the President’s Trophy winner in six games. The Blackhawks will finish off the Flames in seven games.
ROUND 2
Red Wings (2) <——–> Ducks (8)
Canucks (3) <——–> Blackhawks (4)
The Canucks should benefit from their rest against a tired by motivated Blackhawks team. Hopefully, by that time both Sundin and Salo will be ready for play.
Go Canucks Go.
Filed under: Games
Another team-effort win over the Blues in St. Louis puts the Canucks up 3-0 series lead in the first round of the 2009 Playoffs. This marks the Canucks as the first team in the entire league to capture 3 wins this playoff season. Statistically, very very few teams have ever come back from a 3-0 series deficit to take a seven-game series, across all professional sports. But if you ask anyone in the Canucks dressing-room, they will tell you that nothing has been won yet…not even this series.
It was another tight-checking game, as it always is in the Playoffs, but this one started out with the Blues playing a tremendous first period. St. Louis came out flying, and outshot Vancouver 12 to 5 in the first 20 minutes. An early goal by David Backes gave the Blues a 1-0 lead enter the first intermission. However, by escaping 5 minor penalties, of which one of them is a 5-3 powerplay, the momentum was shifting back to the Canucks by the end of the period.
Vancouver then bounced back in the second period outshooting the St. Louis 13-7, and staying out of the penalty box in the entire middle-frame, while scoring two powerplay goals. A point-shot from defenseman Mattias Ohlund and an ugly poke-through by Daniel Sedin standing in front of the net, gave the Canucks a short-lived lead, only to be tied-up by a beautiful one-timer from Andy McDonald six minutes later.
The rough-stuff at the end of the second period gave the Canucks a powerplay entering the third period, which was capitalized by Steve Bernier 1:41 in the third session. That will proved to be the winner, although the Canucks didn’t actually enjoy any smooth-sailing in the third, especially during another 5-3 powerplay by the Blues during the 7-minute mark.
At the end, timely powerplay goals, excellent penalty-kills, tight-checking defensive play and again a tremendous effort by Roberto Luongo were enough to silence a full-house of 19,350 St. Louis fans at Scottrade Center. If the Canucks are able to secure another win on Tuesday in St. Louis, this will be the first-ever series-sweep for the Vancouver Canucks, since the change to the current seven-game playoff series twenty years ago.
Of course, it will not be easy, or even likely, since the Blues despite lacking production from their specialty-team, has played three very very good games so far. Andy McDonald, in particular, has been just sensational. With Mats Sundin out of the line-up, due to a Lower-Body (Groin) Injury, the Kesler-Hansen-Demitra line has yet to provide any evidence of secondary scoring. However, with the overall “agitating” style the entire Canucks roster is playing, the team may not need a whole lot of goals, if they can get an early lead and then play solid defensively to close out this series.
Evidence of trash-talking by frick and frack on Backes:
Game 4 prediction:
The Blues will most likely bounce back with a tremendous game, it will be even more physical than it has been so far. If the league doesn’t penalize David Backes for his late-game head-shot at Henrik Sedin, the game will really be out of hand on Tuesday. St. Louis has a young team, and they may lack confidence right now, but they have a lot of energy to compensate. If Paul Kariya returns for this possible-final game of their season, the Canucks will have a much tougher time than they did so far in the past three games. Look for Luongo to face this challenge, as he always plays his best hockey when it counts the most.
I think this series will drag on to 5 games, with another win next Friday at home to finish out this series. The team should still be able to take a few days off waiting for the results of their next round opponents. Hopefully there won’t be a lot of injuries for Vancouver when this series is over.
Filed under: Prospects
It’s official, the Islanders have won the NHL Entry-draft Lottery for the 09-10 season.
I find it silly that people are even discussing about who New York should draft this coming June.
Junior-Sensation Sniper-Centerman John Tavares of the London Knights or the 6’6″, 227 lbs Defenseman Victor Hedman of MoDo Sweden? The best North American prospect vs the best European prospect, the super-talented goal-scorer vs the giantly-built physical defenseman, they ask.
Really??????!!!!!!
Well, the people who are suggesting that the Islanders should repeat what they have done during the 1973 entry draft, by picking up a defenseman with their 1st overall pick, are obviously not fans or employees of the struggling hockey club. (They are most likely Lightning fans!!! Just imagine Tavares and Stamkos on the same team!!!)
The argument is that Stanley Cup champions are built around defensemen, and the fact that the Islanders-Dynasty Era of the early 80′s was a direct result of defensiveman Denis Potvin’s strong performance.
It’s a valid argument, I suppose, if the primary objective of the organization is to win a cup eventually, maybe in a few years, when the team is able to gather more talents up-front and in-net.
However, this is not what the Islanders need right now. Their main problem is attendance, or better yet, profit.
The Islanders have been in the bottom 10 teams in terms of attendance for the last seven consecutive years. With an average of 13,500 paid attendance and even fewer people actually attending these games, the team is facing great challenges in terms of revenue. Although, the number of attendance maybe directly related to the seat capacity of the ancient Nassau Veterans Memorial Colisuem, which is where the Islanders play hosts. The NVMC was built 37 years ago, and is now the third oldest amongst all NHL arenas; it is also the smallest stadium amongst all NHL venues.
With these facts in mind and upon the request of the Nassau County, Islanders owner Charles Wang proposed a plan to build a 60-story multifunctional tower mimicking a lighthouse, which they coinced the term “Lighthouse Project”. The “Lighthouse” will have stadiums, housing, athletic facilities, hotel, restaurants…etc, and will be the future home of the Islanders. However, the Nassau County wasn’t able to come to any kind of agreement with Wang & Co, and the entire project dragged-on for almost 3 years. Wang, frustrated, was planning on relocating the New York team to Kansas just this February.
If both the Nassau County and Wang & Co aren’t able to come to an agreement in finding a new home for the Islanders, the team might be the first team to be relocated in the last 12 years. (Hartford to Carolina, 1997)
If you remember, the Pittsburgh Penguins had similar problems during the post-lockout season in 2005, when the organization faced huge monetary loss after years of under-attendance. The Penguins’ home arena is the Mellon Arena, and is the oldest active stadium in the entire NHL. With a maximum capacity of 16,940, the Penguins organization weren’t making any profit from the limited attendance, and reduced advertising incomes.
The organization were forced to consider relocation, but all problems went away the magical moment the Penguins got the first overall draft-pick for the 05-06 entry draft. Agreements were immediately made to keep the team in Pittsburgh for at least the next 30 years, simply because everyone knows that the first overall pick for the upcoming draft was a Canadian kid called Sidney.
History seems to be repeating this year, as the team in most need of a franchise player, someone who can bring the fans back into the stadium, has been awarded the first overall pick. This time, it’s a Canadian kid called John.
People have been comparing John Tavares and Sidney Crosby with Mario Lemieux and Wayne Gretzky. Some disagree, and argue that Tavares is, at best, equal to the potential of a Jason Spezza. But in terms of significance to their hockey club, and their ability to save a franchise, I think few can disagree that at this very moment, John Tavares is Islander’s Sidney Crosby.
Filed under: Uncategorized
There is this thing in the game of hockey you just can’t explain scientifically, it’s called chemistry.
Following up on my last post, the team suddenly find themselves losing consecutive games, thanks to the line-juggling wizardry of coach Alain Vigneualt. Looking back now, with the regular season finally over, it’s okay what Alain did. He was merely testing out different line combination, just like what he did with splitting up Kesler and Burrows. Although the timing is really bad and stupid, he did what he thought best.
The experiment failed completely. Don’t get me wrong, I love Mason Raymond, I think he has tons of skills and potential. He’s fast and has great hands. One would think that Raymond could benefit greatly from icetime with Kesler and Sundin. But he didn’t.
Somehow it just didn’t click. They don’t have that “Chemistry”. The result was a three-game winless streak. In particular, the loss to a Colorado team filled with AHL players were heartbreaking to watch. Yet, Vigneualt didn’t learn from this, and he started the same line-up against Calgary in arguably the most important game of the year.
It was scoreless, and Calgary was outplaying and outshooting the Canucks with 21 shots, in the first period alone. Then, at 13:01, AV finally gave in and call out the RPM line as it was meant to be. Four minutes later, the Canucks scored the only goal in the period, despite being outshot 21-9.
The team finally settled down, and the overall play improved significantly. Captain Luongo played great, stopping 46 out of 47 shots for the all-important 4-1 win.
With this line-up, the Canucks will continue to win all of their remaining two games to clinch their second NorthWest Division title in three years. Of course this will automatically means that Vancouver will have home-ice advantage in the playoff as well.
But, go ask anyone in the Canucks organization, and they will tell you that nothing has been won, just yet. It’s all-or-nothing this year for Vancouver, just like it was during the West-Coast-Express era.
Of course, one would argue that we didn’t have a top-end goaltender like Luongo, or that our depth in our defense wasn’t nearly as good as they are now, or even the skills of the bottom two forward lines are nothing compared to the 2009-edition of the Canucks.
But all these rationale will mean absolutely nothing comes Wednesday when the puck is dropped in GM Place. It will all be about hunger, passion, grit, experience and resilience. Whichever team has more of these will be the winner at the end of the series.
I have been a Canucks’ fan for almost 15 years now. After experiencing all the promises and heartbreaks throughout the years, I think that a fan, I deserve better…better from the team I’ve cheered for all these years. This has to be the year, for our team to at least make it to the conference finals. It has been 15 seasons since the Canucks made it passed the second-round.
With our Swedish sensations in Henrik, Daniel, Mattias and Mats all facing free-agency this Summer, if the Canucks get outsed early this post-season, it will be a very very different team comes next October.
It’s Make-or-Break time guys, are you ready? I know I am, I have started my playoff-beard already!!!
Filed under: Games
(Update) Avalanche 3 @ Canucks 0 (Beginning of 3rd)
With 4-on-4, the Canucks didn’t get the right call from the referee on a delay of game penalty from Tucker. Turning the other way around, the Canucks again gave a deadly turn-over within their own zone for another goal by the Avs.
It’s too unbearable to watch. It’s easier if you don’t have expectation, but when your team is supposed to be a cup-contender, an effort such as tonight’s, are just a bit too much.
So that’s all for me tonight, catch me again for the Flames game, which could be quite meaningless if Calgary wins in their next game.
Please…please switch the lines back, AV.
(Updated) Avalanche 2 @ Canucks 0 (End of 2nd)
Seriously, it’s not a problem that the Canucks are down 2-0 against a non-playoff team with a severely depleted line-up. It’s not like this is a life-or-death game for Vancouver. It’s not a big deal that the Canucks have only 11 shots on goal throughout two periods.
It’s okay that Luongo gave up 2 goals on 16 shots, while the Canucks is turning Budaj into a Vezina-candidate. Heck it’s even okay that Genius-Coach Alain Vigneualt gave Kesler and Sundin, perhaps two of our best players playing only close to 9-minutes through 40 minutes of play. But the lack of urgency on the coach’s part to do anything to correct this with less than 20 minutes to go in a what could be a confidence-breaker for the team going forward is unforgiveable.
This game, may turn out to be a turning point for the Canucks’ season. Sadly, they’ve done so well to get to this point.
(Updated) Avalanche 2 @ Canucks 0 (11:20 2nd Period)
Wow, the Avs’ are playing a great game!!! Their reserves roster is playing like an all-star team!!! Not!!!
Yet, up near the mid-way mark of the game, the Canucks didn’t register a single shot of game in the 2nd period. It seems like no one wants to play this game from the Canucks. Lousy turn-overs coupled with blue-line point shots provided zero threat to Budaj, the Avs goaltender.
Wow, this is perhaps the worst period I’ve seen the Canucks played for a very very long time. Great job AV!!! AV for Jack Adams this year!
Avalanche 1 @ Canucks 0 [End of 1st]
How dangerous is it to juggle your successful line-up with 4 games remaining in the season?
As a result of a tragic death to Taylor Pyatt’s fiance, Alain Vigneualt juggled his line-up for the Oiler’s game on Saturday and again during tonight’s game against the Colorado Avalanche. Moving Demitra off the RPM line into the third with Hanser and Wellwood, and moving Bernier to the fourth line with Rypien and Johnson proved unsuccessful so far in the first period of the game.
Playing against a severely depleted line-up Avalanche team, the Canucks have a huge advantage in experience and skills. However, by the end of the first period, the Canucks are down by a goal due to the result of a terrible defense breakdown. The team is playing terribly in every aspect, players are chasing the puck, and seemed out of breath and out of sync. The Canucks are playing to the level of the Avalanche, and that is absolutely UNACCEPTABLE.
Is this how you want to end your regular season, entering the playoff win-less against bad teams such as Colorado??
Not to point finger, but AV is the one to blame!!! He is playing a dangerous game here, breaking up the very successful line-up of RPM and Sedin-Burrows. And for what?? Is it because Pyatt is out of the line-up, or is he trying to test different line-combinations this late in the season??? Why is he doing this??? Does he think that there’s a better line-up than the one which brought the team from 3-spots out of playoff contention to first in the division within 2 months???
Players are tired, they are anxious about the playoffs, and now maybe even distracted by the tragic incident of Pyatt’s fiance. Do you really want them to question their confidence right now???
If the Canucks doesn’t make it through the first round of the playoff this season, Vigneualt is definitely the one to blame.
Filed under: Games
An OT loss for the Canucks means that the Calgary Flames have moved back into the 3rd position of the Western Conference. This one point also means that the Canucks have clinched playoff spot this season. A 6-5 OT loss against a team desperate for playoff berth is…maybe acceptable, to a certain extent. However, blowing a 2-goal lead near the end of the second period is something Vancouver fans should worry about.
Tonight’s game , if anything, showed that Captain Roberto Luongo is not as team1040 sportscaster says playing his best hockey this time of the season. But the silver-lining maybe the continual strong play of the Sedin twins and Burrows, also the production of the RPM line, providing significant offense when needed.
Canucks pulled even after an early 2-0 deficit with goals from Henrik Sedin and Kyle Wellwood. Starting the second period, the Canucks widen the score with two quick goals from Burrows and Daniel. Three minutes later, Bobby Ryan showed why he’s the second overall pick behind Sidney Crosby with an outstanding individual effort to get the Ducks to within one goal. Kesler made it a 2-goal game during the middle-mark of the game.
With a two-goal lead, the Canucks looked to secure their 3rd spot in the West and seemingly let down on defense. Anaheim capitalize the mistakes of the Canucks with two quick goals from Getzlaf and Selanne.
Third-period proved no more goals from both teams, and Overtime solved nothing.
Some criticize the shoot-out arrangement from Coach Alain Vigneault, but nonetheless Corey Perry’s goal on Luongo is maybe one Roberto wish he can have back, because at his A-game, Luongo would’ve stop Perry shot easily.
Still, the Canucks are in great shape entering the last 5 games of the season. Point-wise, tied with the Flames, Calgary leads Vancouver on technical terms with two more wins. The next game will be in Edmonton on Saturday, against the Oilers which are close to being official eliminated from the playoffs. The Oilers have to win all remaining 4 games and the Blues have to lose all remaining games for them to eligible for post-season.
Filed under: Games
For the first time in two seasons, the Canucks sit top spot in the Northwest Division with less than 6 games left in the season. The last time the Canucks were top of their division was back in 06-07 season, the same season that landed coach Alain Vigneault his first Jack Adams trophy as Best Coach of the Year.
Of course he was closed to being fired when Gillis took over GM position in the past off season, and perhaps even closer during the 8-game winless streak this January.
But things have changed since!!! And if the playoff starts tomorrow, the Canucks will be the third seed of the Conference.
It wasn’t a very eventful game, at least not what you expect from a team desperate for a playoff spot. No-one expects the Wild to play a run-and-gun game, but you’d have to wonder what the fans, who paid good money to watch the game live, feel after a game like that.
Of course fans love to see their team wins, but we don’t really mind watching our team lose as long as the game was fun to watch. Hockey fans love the sport because it’s entertaining and exciting. It’s perhaps the fasting team sport you can find, with momentum switching every few seconds.
I hear fans and sport commentators complain about the Wild’s game, their trapping-style of hockey. I guess it’s okay for the fans if the team can win at the end, but it’s simply not acceptable if you are forced to watch sixty minutes of broken play for a 1-1 tie, only for a heartbreaking OT loss, night-in and night-out.
The Canucks know too well the style of hockey Minnesota plays, and they proved tonight that they can play that game too – maybe even better. AV has been known to be great at his defensive plays, we all remember what Markus Naslund said during the off-season when he but openly admits that he will not play for AV anymore if he has a choice.
When things are going well, a defensive-minded game can get you far, especially in the playoffs. However, when you team is struggling, you will find it very difficult to generate consistent offense. This happened to Minnesota before, it happened with New Jersey, and it happened with Vancouver last year.
I’m very happy for this road win, the team deserves to be at the 3rd spot, and top of the division, after their strong push in the last two months. This is exactly the confidence builder the team needs to contend in the playoff. Great game guys!!!!
Lastly, a side-note, don’t you just love Burrows??? I mean he takes a pay cut to stay with the team, he’s passionate and full or energy. Even in a game where he’s held off the scoresheet, you see him standing in front of the Canucks’ bench at the end of the game, “high-fiving” every player when they head into the dressing room.
It’s almost like he’s the captain.
