Fanning the flames of the Vancouver/Calgary rivalry

Hi folks, it's been a while since I posted here at 'Nucks and Pucks. Been a busy time with school, so I have been neglecting my blogging duties. I did find time to write a post at Nucks Misconduct about why, as a Canucks fan, I feel obligated to hate our #1 rivals, the Calgary Flames. Please check it out if you haven't done so yet!

I will hopefully have more time to post here in the near future, so please check back soon!

Canucks at the Olympics

In case you haven't been watching, a number of Vancouver Canucks have been starring for their national teams at the Olympics. In Canada's opener against Norway, Roberto Luongo was solid in a 15-save shutout win. Today, the Sedins chipped in with a combined three points to help Sweden overcome Belarus 4-2. And, last night, Pavol Demitra scored the shootout winner for Slovakia in their upset win over Russia:



Ryan Kesler (USA), Christian Ehrhoff (Germany) and Sami Salo (Finland) are also starring in the tournament, which has thus far seen some amazing hockey action. Canada vs. USA on Sunday should be a doozy.

Keep it up boys, you're doing your countries and the Canucks organization proud!

I'M BAAAAAACK!!!

Hi folks. I have decided to try to restart my efforts to update 'Nucks and Pucks, which I have neglected due to my writing at Nucks Misconduct. What I hope to do is to post about once a week on 'Nucks and Pucks, probably with a few random thoughts on hockey and the Canucks.

I will still be writing more Canucks-specific material at Nucks Misconduct, so please do check that site out. If you want to look back at what I've written for the site you can check out my profile and the archive of my posts here.

So I look forward to more regular postings here at 'Nucks and Pucks, and hope that you, my loyal readers, will enjoy. My first upcoming piece will be a discussion of international women's hockey, and the controversies that are currently swirling as a result of the absolute domination of the sport by Canada and the US. Look for that in the next couple days.

In the meantime, to announce my return to regular blogging here, I hand the mic over to Terrell Owens, who composed this song upon his arrival to the Dallas Cowboys for the 206 season - and in the process provided one of the more hilariously bad athlete-turned-musician moments of the past decade. But tell me you can't get that chorus out of your head...

"I'M BAAAAAACK!"

Leafs Bashing Week (Day) ends with a great success!

Well, you can make it six straight games that the Canucks have defeated the Maple Leafs. it was a great, great game and a very fun night at the game. The fans of both teams were great, and it was as exciting a game as you can ask for. I did a recap of my experience at the game over at Nucks Misconduct, so please do check that out. As well, enjoy the highlight package:



Go Canucks!

Leafs Bashing Week, 2009-10 - Part II

Well it's been a while since I've posted here, but thanks to a little needling from a 'Nucks and Pucks fan (thanks Becky!) I am keeping the Leafs Bashing Week tradition alive - but the week is condensed into one day, the Game Day.

I am fortunate enough to be attending the game tonight at the ACC in Toronto. I am anticipating a huge crowd of Canucks fans. The last time I saw these teams play was in the 2007-08, when our back-up goalie (Andrew Raycroft) was the starter for the Leafs, there were 2000-3000 Canucks fans at the game. Given the Maple Leafs woeful season, it has been much easier to acquire tickets in Toronto this year - and as a result I am expecting a significant Vancouver representation at the game.

I will go out on a limb and estimate that 1/4 of the crowd will be Canucks supporters - which, if true, should inject some life into the normally quiet ACC.

Anyway, the Leafs have pretty much made Leafs bashing redundant this season. They sit third last in the NHL, and they can't even root for a great draft pick as Brian Burke traded it as part of the Phil Kessel trade. It is quite a disaster for the Leafs and their fans, and really I don't know if I can add anything to the onslaught of criticism that the team has received from the media and from fans.

I hope that the Leafs turn it around soon - it is a much more enjoyable league when there are strong Original 6 teams, including the two Canadian behemoths - Montreal Canadiens and the Maple Leafs. That being said, I am going to enjoy the fact that Vancouver is the top Canadian club right now and has been playing lights out hockey lately.

As a teaser for tonight's game, here is the highlight package from the last time these two teams met, way back in October:



I will post some pictures from the game, so check back here soon. And, as always, if you want to read more of my work look for nucksandpucks posts over at Nucks Misconduct. Or check out this link for a list of my work for the site.

Leafs Bashing Week, circa 2009-10

Hey folks! It's been a while, but remember you can also check out my random Canucks musings over at Nucks Misconduct.

On Saturday the Canucks and Maple Leafs meet for the first time this season, and I couldn't let this important occassion pass by without comment. I wrote a lengthy piece for Nucks Misconduct about my relationship as a Canucks fan to the Maple Leafs. However, I wanted to add a few jokes here to stoke the trash-talking fires. Not that the Leafs need any more jokes, as in this respect their play on the ice is doing the talking for me.

It's gotten so bad here in Leaf Land that the Toronto Star solicited its readers to provide their best TML jokes. Here are a few selections:

Two guys are camping out in the Muskokas, sitting around a fire at night and relaxing. Suddenly one of them sits bolt upright and shouts "DAMMIT! The Leafs lost!" His friend, impressed with his friends psychic ability asked "How do you know?" His friend replied, "It's after 10:00pm."

What's the difference between the Toronto Maple Leafs and a triangle?
A triangle has three points.

Why are the Maple Leafs like a bad bank?
No checking, no savings, and definitely no interest!

Well, I can see that I'm no further use. Toronto fans have clearly taken on the Leafs Bashing role formerly filled by non-Leafs such as myself. Poor Maple Leafs - they beat themselves on the ice, and their fans beat them up off of it.

Let's hope that Vancouver adds to the misery tomorrow night. GO CANUCKS!!!

Ch-ch-ch-changes!

Hi folks! Sorry it has been a while since I've posted anything here, but I have been busy with a few different things - moving across the country amongst them!

I have also been juggling a new hockey blogging priority. The guys who run 'Nucks Misconduct have offered me a spot as a blogger on the site, so I will be writing for the site every week or so. It is a pretty exciting opportunity, as 'Nucks Misconduct is the biggest Canucks blog out there and is part of SB Nation.

Obviously this means that my already limited time for 'Nucks and Pucks is further diminished. However I still plan to keep it going for the time being, albeit on a much less frequent basis. I hope that you'll still check back from time to time to read my random musings.

Thanks to everyone for reading, and I hope you'll not only continue to check 'Nucks and Pucks but also check out 'Nucks Misconduct! My first post went up today, and can be read here.

To randomly conclude, here is the song reference in the title of this post:

SB Nation and my first Fan Post

If you haven't heard about SB Nation, it is well worth checking out. SBN acts as a sort of umbrella for a variety of high quality sports blogs covering nearly every NHL, NBA, NFL and MLB teams, as well as a variety of other sports including NCAA basketball and football. SB Nation is self-described as:

"a collection of over 200 individual communities, each offering high quality year-round coverage and conversation led by fans who are passionate about their favorite teams, leagues or sports."

One exciting feature of SB Nation are Fan Posts, which allow everyday fans to contribute their insight to a well known and respected blog. The posts appear on a sidebar of the main site and may get picked up on the main page of the blog.

The Vancouver Canucks SB Nation blog is 'Nucks Misconduct, which is well worth checking out. I have occasionally linked to it from 'Nucks and Pucks, and if you haven't checked it out yet I suggest you do so. It has quickly become one of my daily stops on the ol' World Wide Web.

Furthermore, I have officially entered the Fan Posts fray and have contributed my first post to 'Nucks Misconduct. It is fun to reach a wider audience than my small, but loyal (thanks guys!) readership, and I'm happy to see that the post has generated a fair bit of discussion about the upcoming Canucks season.

I'll still be writing here on 'Nucks and Pucks, but plan to contribute the occasional post on SB Nation. So keep your eyes peeled to 'Nucks Misconduct and you might just see a familiar writer popping up on the sidebar from time to time!

Gallery: Ugly uniform portraits

In the wake of my new NHL marketing suggestion - Worst Uniform Night - I was inspired to create some images of what this may look like in reality. What follows is a gallery of portraits featuring contemporary NHLers sporting some of their respective teams' worst ever uniforms.

Please note, the following portraits are very ghetto - I can only do so much in Microsoft Paint, and the $1 I've earned in ad revenue over the past year won't quite cover an upgrade to Photoshop. Let me know if you enjoy these, and I'll try to do some more of them. If you have suggestions for players/uniforms you'd like to see, then fire away in the comments section.

Portrait #1 - Daniel Sedin and Alex Burrows, "'V' for Vendetta"


Portrait #2 - Keith Tkachuk, "Tuning up for the game"


Portrait #3 - Mike Richards, "All for one, and one for Cooperall!"


More to come???

We're Number 4?

Okay, I'm done all of my work for my Masters, so let's get back into some hockey after a long summer hiatus! What better way to kick it off then with some positive news, or at least a reason for optimism. Or skepticism.

Ross McKeon of Yahoo! Sports released his mid-summer Power Rankings, in which he ranks all 30 NHL teams. And guess who sits at Number 4? From McKeon's column:

4. Vancouver Canucks – You want an early Calder Trophy candidate? Remember the name Cody Hodgson, the 19-year-old center the Canucks drafted 10th overall in 2008. He’s got a great chance not only to make Vancouver’s opening-night roster, but to excel right off the bat. Oh, and don’t be surprised if Mats Sundin returns to Vancouver once he decides he’s not done yet.

Aside from his apparent inside knowledge and/or speculation about Mats Sundin, McKeon's main reason for ranking the Canucks this high seems to be Cody Hodgson. Now I'm as excited as anyone for his arrival, but I think that Canucks fans need to be cautious about expecting too much from a kid who is two years away from being able to buy a beer when the Canucks are on the road against 24 of the NHL's teams. The signs point toward Hodgson becoming a Linden-esque franchise cornerstone, but he clearly has a lot to accomplish before meeting such expectations. And expecting him to have an all-star rookie season may be bit much. If he gets 60 points I will be ecstatic about his potential.

So, not to be a downer, but I think McKeon may have overestimated the Canucks' fortunes. I think they have a decent chance to beat out Calgary for the Northwest Division crown. I do not anticipate them being better than every Western Conference team except the Chicago Blackhawks. Sorry, but the Canucks have a lot to prove before you can put them ahead of the Detroit Red Wings or even the San Jose Sharks. And I'm not certain that, as things stand, they're necessarily better than the Anaheim Ducks or the Flames.

I don't know the last time the 'Nucks would have placed this high in any kind of ranking. Certainly not since the West Coast Express era, assuming a sane person was compiling the rankings. Maybe I'm uneasy with too much preseason Canucks hype because I feel like it setting them up to fail. 20+ years as a Canucks fan has made me suspicious of claims about the greatness of a given squad. Based on the Canucks' two best results (1982 and 1994) it seems like our best moments come when no one expects them.

Oh no, not Andrew Raycroft!

One-time Toronto Maple Leaf, and some-time butt of my jokes, Andrew Raycroft has reportedly signed with the Canucks.

Seriously?

I don't really get this move, unless there is an imminent trade involving Cory Schneider. Assuming Luongo signs a long-term extension, conventional wisdom is that Schneider backs up Luongo this year to increase his already-quite-high trade value. So why bring in a mediocre goalie to back up Bobby-Lou? Furthermore, with cap space limited, why pay a significant chunk for a back-up?

Unlike Kyle Wellwood, this is one ex-Leaf reclamation project I am not a fan of.

Canucks draft Jordan Schroeder. . . and Luongo signing an extension?

Well, GM Mike Gillis might have pulled off another steal in the First Round of the NHL Entry Draft. Hot on the heels of last year's 10th overall selection of Cody Hodgson, the Canucks plucked Jordan Schroeder - who many experts considered to be a Top 10 pick - 22nd overall.

Schroeder comes to the Canucks from the hockey factory that is the University of Minnesota. At UM he demonstrated considerable offensive prowess, and would have probably been a Top 5 pick if two factors had not worked against him: he had a mediocre World Junior Championships this year, and he is, um, on the smaller side for NHLers at 5'8". Still for an 18 year-old 5'8" kid he weighs an impressive 178 pounds - in a couple of years this guy is going to be a tank.

Also, size doesn't really matter in the NHL. Right Kyle Wellwood?

I am very happy with this pick. The Canucks were expected to go after an offensive defenceman, but when a talent like Schroeder falls into your range you have to jump on the opportunity. Along with Hodgson (and hopefully Henrik Sedin), he will ensure the Canucks are strong in the centre ice position for years to come.

You can read a full scouting report on Schroeder here. My friend Dan pointed out that the University of Minnesota's top three centreman are all now property of the Canucks (and at least two of them hail from MN). Odd, especially (as pointed out by the TSN crew) given the hostility between the Minnesota Wild and the Canucks.

In a positive symbolic act, none other than Roberto Luongo announced the Canucks' pick. Not only was this a grand slam with the hometown Montreal crowd, it was also a good sign that the Canucks captain will sign an extension to keep in the Green and Blue for years to come. There a a variety of options on the table, but here's hoping that the $6.8 million per season for six years comes to pass. Lou is under contract through next season, meaning that this deal would keep him here for seven more years. $6.8 million is a reasonable cap hit compared to other elite NHL goalies, and is much more palatable than the rumoured $8 million per season.

If you missed the draft... well congratulations, because that's four hours of my life I will never get back. I kid - it was reasonably entertaining. However, if you missed it, here is the the selection of Schroeder:

What makes a Canucks fan a Canucks fan?

Puck the Media has posted a quite hilarious NHL Fan Glossary (H/T Puck Daddy for the link). Here is what they have to say about Canucks fans:

"Canucks, Vancouver. Is kind of embarrassed that the team is basically a different way of saying Canadiens. Thinks Steve Moore had it coming. Owns every one of the teams 27 different jerseys."

Okay, "had it coming" might be a tad strong, though I was quite upset by Moore's previous hit on Naslund. And, personally, I'm not at all embarrassed that Canuck means Canadian! It means we don't have to resort to putting the Canada flag on our jerseys like a certain Alberta team I can think of (anyone else think the Flames come off as a bunch of college kids travelling around Europe who try to be "cool" by rocking the maple leaf on their backpacks?).

And yeah, the team has had a veritable colour prism of jerseys over the years. All of which make appearances in the stands at games. Bonus points if you own the salmon-red third jersey from the mid-90s. Extra bonus points if you actually wear it outside the house.

Unfortunately the entry on the Canucks appears to be the second smallest after the Maple Leafs ("Cherishes the team’s most recent Stanley Cup win in “The Love Guru”"). Surely there is more that makes up the identity of Canucks fans? Here are my suggestions for further entries (some serious, some humorous):

• Still has mixed feelings about the Orca.

• Still talks about the '94 Stanley Cup run like we actually won the Cup.

• Will always hate Mike Keenan for coaching the Rangers in '94, for the way he treated Trevor Linden, and for recently coaching the Calgary Flames. And for just being Mike Keenan.
  

• Conveniently forgets that Linden is actually from Alberta and grew up a Flames fan.

• When speaking with Leafs fans will counter the "Well the Canucks have never won a Stanley Cup" argument by noting that Toronto has not won one since before the Canucks existed as an NHL franchise.

• Has thought "we have a chance this year!" every season since 2001, only to be bitterly disappointed come April/May.

• Loves Stan Smyl even if he/she never saw him play.

• Regularly contemplates what could have been in the 2003-04 season if Todd Bertuzzi hadn't, well, you know...
  

• Knows that the 7th Man banner at GM Place was really, really lame and avoids talking about it all costs.

• Is happy that Matt Cooke won a Cup, even if it wasn't with the Canucks.
  

• When complaining about Roberto Luongo having an off game, forgets that his predecessors included Felix Potvin, Dan Cloutier, Bob Essensa, Peter Skudra, Garth Snow, Arturs Irbe and Alex Auld. Upon remembering this fact, kisses the ground and thanks his/her lucky stars.

Do you have suggestions for the list? Any defining Canucks' fan characteristics you care to share? use the comments section to add suggestions to the list.

Sign the Sedins!

Will the Sedins return to the Canucks? This is undoubtedly the biggest question facing the Canucks' GM Mike Gillis right now, and one that will shape all his other off-season decisions. The Twins want to stay in Vancouver, but Gillis is rightly concerned that meeting their salary demands (believed to be about $6.5 million per season) will hobble the team's ability to maneuver under a salary cap that is likely to drop in the next season or two.

I have a feeling that the Sedins will end up settling on a contract with the Canucks. Is it worth it for both of them to leave a city they and their families like and a team that is better than most of the teams rumoured as potential destinations (Toronto, Montreal, LA) for an extra $500,000 a season? Obviously that's a lot of money, but they'll still likely get something in the range of $6 million so it's not a huge loss of income. From the Canucks perspective, and extra $1 million of cap space can go a long way.

The Sedins are excellent players, and I think they are in the $6 million range. A lot of people underestimate them, but consider how they stack up statistically against other stars:

With 82 points each, the Sedins tied with Mike Cammalleri of the Flames for 13th in NHL scoring. That means that they finished higher in scoring than players such as Rick Nash, Eric Staal, Daniel Alfredsson, Henrik Zetterberg, Dany Heatley, Marian Hossa, Jonathan Toews and Vincent Lecavalier. This is not to say that the Sedins are necessarily better than these players, but that statistically they stack up favourably against some very impressive competition.

Goal scoring is not exactly the Canucks' forte, but that's no fault of Daniel. He had a respectable 31 goals, good enough to tie with a host of other players for 26th in league scoring. Yes, he could and should be higher - but who will pick up that slack if the Canucks let him and his brother walk? Plus, do you really think Alex Burrows will come anywhere close to replicating his 28-goal season playing without the Sedins? Just ask Anson Carter how difficult it is to replicate a career year sans les freres Sedin.

We all know Henrik is an assist machine. With 60 helpers, he finished 8th in the league behind players such as Evgeni Malkin, Sidney Crosby, Pavel Datsyuk and Joe Thornton. The previous season he finished 4th with 61 assists. But did you know that Daniel was hot on his brother's tail with 51 assists, placing him 14th in the league? These guys make players around them better. Period.

In the playoffs the Sedins continued their clutch play, each scoring 10 points in 10 games. Yes, they could have done more. But so could have Sundin, Luongo, Kesler, Burrows, etc. I thought the Sedins were among the team's best players in the playoffs, and stepped up their physical game in order to get on the scoresheet.

Losing the Sedins would leave a huge hole in the Canucks forward corps. Who would step up to the top line? 19-year old rookie Cody Hodgson? Ryan Kesler? Pavol Demitra? There aren't a lot of good internal options when it comes to filling two of the top three first-line sports. Unless Gillis has a couple aces up his sleeve in trade or free-agent form (Lecavalier? Heatley? Gaborik?), losing the Sedins would be crippling.

What are your thoughts about the Sedins? Should the Canucks keep them? Let them walk? If they stay, what are they worth?

Reminder: 'Nucks and Pucks Reader Comment Awards

Back in January I announced the first semi-annual 'Nucks and Pucks Reader Comment Awards. There were some great comments made in the first six months of the blog, and I am happy to see this trend continuing as the 'Nucks and Pucks one-year anniversary approaches.

The deadline to be considered for Version 2.0 of these prestigious prizes, which earn the winners limited edition 'Nucks and Pucks beers, is fast-approaching: only comments posted between January 1 and June 30, 2009 will be considered.

Therefore, this is a reminder to regular and casual readers to continue to post intelligently, hilariously, obnoxiously and/or excessively in the next month. The awards up for grabs are the Hart Trophy (best comment), the Art Ross Trophy (most comments) and the Calder Trophy (best comment section newcomer).

In addition, I am introducing a new award: the Tom Larscheid Award, given to the commentor that most blatantly exhibits Canucks favouritism/homer-ism. Anyone who has listened to the Canucks radio/internet broadcasts knows that Larscheid's passion for the Canucks is immense, and in that spirit this award is designed to encourage more pro-Canucks chatter in the comments section.

Some of you have mentioned to me that you've had trouble posting comments. I am fairly certain that if you have a Google ID (eg. if you use gmail) it should not be a problem, but let me know if issues persist.

Tony Hrkac is still playing!

Tony Hrkac had a fairly average NHL career, scoring 371 points (132G, 239A) in 758 NHL games between 1987 and 2003. His was a true journeyman career, as he played for nine NHL teams in that time: St. Louis Blues, Quebec Nordiques, San Jose Sharks, Chicago Blackhawks, Dallas Stars, Edmonton Oilers, New York Islanders, Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and Atlanta Thrashers. He captured a Stanley Cup with the Dallas "Skate-in-the-Crease" Stars in 1999.

Even more journeymanlike, in this time period Hrkac spent parts of eight different seasons in either the American Hockey League (AHL) or the now-defunct International Hockey League. Clearly still in love with the game, or in need of a paycheque, Hrkac toiled for two more seasons with the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL following his last NHL season. Hrkac retired in 2005, the season after the Admirals captured the AHL's Calder Cup championship.

I remember Hrkac primarily because of a 91-92 Upper Deck hockey card that featured him in his new Sharks duds. The combination of that very early-90s image, and Hrkac's awesome name (it's pronounced Hir-kis) stuck in my mind. The card is pictured here, though sadly I never owned an autographed version:

Needless to say, Hrkac had not crossed my mind in some time. So why I am I writing a blog post about him?

Well it all started when I read a game recap for the Manitoba Moose (the Canucks' farm team), who are currently engaged in a conference final showdown with the Houston Aeros. Turns out "Hrkac Circus" is playing for the Aeros, and further investigation revealed that he was signed by the Aeros in March to play his 19th (!) pro season.

Even though I am cheering for the Moose to make the Calder Cup, I am still pretty stoked about Tony Hrkac. Turns out Hrkac is a pretty popular player with AHL fans, as this post-game Rock Star treatment demonstrates:



Wow! How many players elicit this kind of reaction from their fans? I've seen Trevor Linden and Pavel Bure met by post-game reactions less exuberant than this. Guess it just goes to show that everyone loves Hrkac Circus!

[Ed. note: After the writing of this article, the Manitoba Moose eliminated the Houston Aeros from the AHL playoffs. To the best of my knowledge Tony Hrkac has not yet stated whether he will retire (again) from professional hockey or if he will return for another season.]

The Hangover

Ugh.

Yeah, it happened. And I am not happy about it.

I will have to write more about it I guess, but my off-the-cuff thoughts right now (it's 2:00 AM) about the series:

First off, I will give the 'Hawks credit - whenever it seemed like a normal team would quit, they just kept coming. I was entirely sick of the whole "they're so young they don't know any better" judgment that infused the Hockey Night broadcasts, but there is no doubting that the youthful enthusiasm of the 'Hawks carried them through the rough times and helped spark their remarkable comebacks.

I was not thrilled with the officiating in the past few games. Yes, I am biased in the Canucks favour. But it seemed to me that the Canucks had a number of marginal calls go against them, while at times the Blackhawks had to be one degree removed from bloody murder to get a penalty. I do not think that this was a conspiracy or anything like that, I just think that the Canucks got a bit ulucky in terms of what the refs did and didn't see/call.

The two-seconds-after-the-pass hit on Alex Edler in the first set up a 2-on-1 break for the 'Hawks that could have caused a goal, despite the blatant interference. Ryan Kesler got brutally laid out on a completely unnecessary hit that went uncalled, despite the fact that Kesler was down and bloodied for some time. When the Canucks responded with a similar hit by Rick Rypien they got whistled for it. Meanwhile, the "hooking" call on Shane O'Brien in the 3rd was marginal at best.

The Canucks did not lose because of the officiating. They lost because of what Chicago did when they had the chance. The 'Hawks turn the screw like no other team I've seen before. But as a fan, it was tough to see what seemed to be inconsistent officiating give the 'Hawks multiple opportunities to get back into games the Canucks might have otherwise closed out.

I am still steamed over the "hook" on Dustin Byfuglien in Game 2, which was in fact Byfuglien just losing his footing and smashing into Roberto Luongo, that gave the 'Hawks a powerplay with the Canucks up 2-1. A half-minute later the Canucks shot the puck over the glass, giving Chicago a 2-man advantage upon which they converted to tie a game they would go on to win.

Anyway, I am probably just bitter at this point. I don't feel that the Blackhawks did not deserve to win the series... but similarly, I do not feel that the Canucks deserved to lose it. And the way in which they lost was extremely frustrating.

These Chicago Blackhawks make me think of what I imagine the 1980s Edmonton Oilers were like. It doesn't matter the score, they just keep coming at you again and again, and the capitalize on any mistake you make. I don't know that they will be good enough to knock off Detroit (or maybe Anaheim) in the conference finals, but I do think that they are the most terrifying team left in the post-season. No lead is ever safe against this team.

So here's to the Canucks 08-09 Edition, a team that fit Prototype B of Canucks squads - lovable losers who overachieve (Prototype A is lovable losers who underachieve, but this team only comes around once or twice every decade).

If someone told me in September that the 'Nucks would make it to Game Six of the Round Two I would have seen that as a reasonable and respectable conclusion to the season for this version of the team. Unfortunately, expectations were raised due the Canucks fantastic last few months of the season and quick dispatch of St. Louis in Round One. But, if we can improve from here (ie. Gillis re-signs the Sedins, Luongo plays a brilliant and healthy season, and Cody Hodgson plays like Steve Yzerman Jr.) then who knows how next season will go? Right?

'Cause, well, "next season!" has been the only rallying cry I've ever known as a Canucks fan.

Desperation Time for Canucks Fans : DO WHAT YA GOTTA DO

Alright Canucks fans, it's backs-against-the-wall time. It'll be tough to take two straight against the 'Hawks, but I have faith that the boys can pull it off.

So far in this series the Canucks have won both games I've watched at a bar, and lost the three I watched at home or at a friend's place. So, naturally, I will be returning to the same bar where I watched Games One and Three for the game tomorrow night. Not that I'm superstitious or anything.

I am also going to wear every piece of Vancouver Canucks clothing I own (not including items in storage) as well as boxers with shamrocks on them - all in the hopes that it will help support the Canucks to a huge victory! It will look ridiculous, but that's fine - the playoffs are not about fashion (perhaps that's why Sean Avery's teams never go anywhere in the post-season?). My outfit will look something like this:

Aside from the shoes, socks, jeans and belt, every piece of clothing is Canucks/shamrock related (the boxers will NOT be Britney-style over the pants, they're just there for the photo). I will have my Canucks hoodie on underneath my jersey, and be wearing my hat. Not sure if I will actually wear the scarf the whole night, but I may. The towel will be waving at every opportune moment, the view of the people behind me be damned.

So that's what I feel I've gotta do. My message to Canucks fans is "DO WHAT YA GOTTA DO!"

If you believe in voodoo then poke the hell out of your Nikolai Khabibulin and Dustin Byfuglien dolls. If you are superstitious then stick a horseshoe on a lucky rabbit's foot and hope for the best. Personally, I never ever pray for the outcome of a sporting event - but if you're religious and feel comfortable praying for a Canucks victory then by all means ask for a little divine assistance!

Here's hoping for a Game Six victory and a chance to take the series back here on home ice. GO CANUCKS!!!

Okay, let's lay off Toronto already

This posting only loosely relates to hockey, and has zero real connection to the Canucks. Regardless, I felt like weighing in anyway.

As regular readers know, I am more than happy to take the occasional potshot at Toronto, and in particular the Maple Leafs. Or spend a week doing so. This Toronto-bashing is largely in jest and is intended to be good-natured. It is definitely done with the hopes of encouraging friendly banter, such as that which appeared in the comments section of some of my blog postings about the Canucks/Leafs rivalry. I don't really bear more than a weak West Coast grudge towards Toronto - I did, after all, choose to live in the city for seven years.

In today's Globe and Mail Jeff Blair manages to slam every Toronto sports franchise, as well as the NFL's Buffalo Bills, in an article about the Bills first regular season game in Toronto - a 16-3 loss to the Miami Dolphins.

The headline of Blair's article is "Another losing team calls Toronto home," and the first paragraph reads:

"Note to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell: Can we please pick another team? Seriously. As it is, we're chock full of teams that don't make the playoffs."

Okay, I can see how this is kinda funny. But if I was a Toronto sports fan (I guess I sort of am, as I cheer for the Blue Jays and the Rock, and tacitly support the Raptors) I would be pretty pissed off.

Sure TO had a rough 2007-08: the Leafs missed the playoffs again; the Blue Jays did well, but not well enough to make the playoffs on baseball's toughest division; the Rock missed the playoffs for the first time in franchise history; the Argos had an abysmal 4-14 season, despite the presence of a number of ex-NFLers; the Raptors flamed out in the first round of the playoffs; and Toronto FC miss the post-season for the second straight season.

But I sure can't criticize. I mean the Canucks missed the playoffs too, and the BC Lions folded to the Stamps in the Western Division Final. So where does Blair get his smugness from? Why does he feel the need to kick Toronto sport while it's down? Maybe he's a Bostonian, and thus can trash talk about other cities based on the recent success of the Celtics, Patriots and Red Sox. But somehow I doubt it.

I guess I'm bothered by the fact that what should be celebrated as a significant moment in Toronto sports history - after all, this was the first NFL regular season game held in Canada, as well as a chance for the many Bills fans in Ontario to see their team play in their own backyard - gets the shaft because Blair decided that he wanted to use it as a vehicle to diss Toronto.

And c'mon, we all know that Toronto bashing is only really fun when it involves the Canucks whooping the Leafs. Which, by the way, will be going down for the second time this season on February 21. Stay tuned for the trash talk - but in the meantime, lay off Toronto for a bit, kay?

'Nucks and Pucks' preseason prediction off to a roaring start

Regular readers, all six of them, will recall that I made three sets of preseason predictions (well, only sort of "preseason" in one case): order of finish in the Eastern and Western Conferences and Conference and Cup Finals/major award winners. So far they are looking as conclusive as Thomas Dewey's victory in the 1948 Presidential election.

The Flyers, my Eastern darlings, are entrenched in 15th spot in the conference - a place in which they clearly feel comfortable after the 06-07 season. The Dallas Stars, my choice not only to win their division but also the Stanley Cup (!), are kicking around at 12th in the conference.

And the Canucks, my heart-not-head favourite to win it all this year? They're a middling 10th in the West.

Fortunately for my ego the Red Wings are in second in the West, while the Canadiens (who I predicted to make it to the Stanley Cup Finals) are tied for second in points in the East.

Things are not much better on the individual awards front. I was apparently prescient to choose Alex from the Capitals to be among the league's best in scoring - too bad I picked Alex Ovechkin and not Alex Semin, as the latter has 2.5 times as many points as the former.

Marty Turco, who I picked to win the Vezina Trophy, is not off to a hot start and was pulled in yesterday's 5-0 loss to the Devils after some fairly brutal goaltending (start watching at 32 seconds for the worst of it):



Other predictions are looking slightly better: Stars rookie Fabian Brunnstrom has four goals in 5 games, a pace which would likely easily secure him the Calder. And Ryan Kesler's solid defensive play and point-per-game average would place the Canucks forward in good standing in Selke Trophy voting - assuming he can overcome the East Coast bias that potentially robbed Evgeni Nabokov of the Vezina Trophy last year.

Ultimately prognostocation is an inexact science - just ask the now-panicking bookies who gave 150:1 odds on the Tampa Devil Rays winning the World Series. But it's still fun both to make the predictions, and to look back and laugh when they're proven horribly incorrect.

So, while there is still a lot of time for my NHL preseason predictions to come true (after all we're not even through the first month of the season), it is still entertaining to assess the non-success of my forecasts thus far. Maybe I should become a weatherman. Or a bookie.