How sweep it is!

"WOOOOOOOOOO!!!!"

That was the sound of hundreds of thousands of Canucks fans around the globe cheering as Alex Burrows buried the game winner with just 19 seconds left in overtime.

The Canucks, for the first time in their franchise history, have swept a 7-game series. And they did it with an amazingly solid series against what was, a week ago, a red-hot Blues team. Four things particularly impressed me about the Canucks' performance against St. Louis:

1. Luongo. Obviously. 5 goals allowed on 131 shots, for a ridiculous .962 save percentage just about says it all. For those of you keeping track, that's 1.25 goals on roughly 33 per game. Bobby Lou was spectacular, even though solid team play in front of him meant that he didn't always need to be.

2. Throughout the series, even on the rare occasion that St. Louis grabbed the momentum (see Period 1, Game 3 and Period 2/OT, Game 4) the Canucks displayed incredible poise to settle themselves down and keep playing their game. Rather than get frazzled, the 'Nucks rode out the Blues momentum and then went for the jugular to shut 'em down.

3. Depth. Give GM Mike Gillis kudos, because this squad showed that it is solid from Sedin to Johnson, Ohlund to Vaananen. Obviously the top line of Burrows (3G, 0A) and the Sedins (2G, 3A for Daniel and 1G, 3A for Henrik) was awesome. But how about the fourth line, who brought energy all game every game? And playoff rookie Kyle Wellwood, who showed resiliance and brought an as-yet-unseen toughness to the rink? And what about Mason Raymond, who drew into the lineup only because Taylor Pyatt was unable to play due to personal tragedy - Raymond didn't hit the scoresheet, but he brought intensity, speed and a signature moment when he flattened noted pest/trash-talker B.J. Crombeen in Game 3? Then there is the defence. The D was excellent at taking away shooting and passing lanes, thus shutting down the Blues skilled forwards, as well as mostly keeping the St. Louis forwards from crashing the crease.

4. The Canucks special teams were amazing in the series. The powerplay went a solid 4/18 (22%), and scored all three goals in a key Game 3 road win. The penalty killers, meanwhile... well, WOW. What else can you say? The Blues had 22 chances on the PP, and only scored one goal the entire series! Those 22 chances included three lengthy two-man advantages, as well as three powerplays in the OT period of Game 4. Three cheers to the Canucks PK for its yeoman's work in the series - thank goodness they'll have a lengthy rest to ice bruises from all those blocked shots.

So, to celebrate, enjoy this clip of the winning goal, post-game celebration, post-game interviews and, of course, the end-of-series handshake:

Game One at the Garage

I had the pleasure of attending Game One of the Canucks/Blues series with my friend Dan on Wednesday night. The atmosphere was amazing, and the result - obviously - outstanding.

I had only been to two playoff games in my life before this year, both of them losses. My older brother took me to one of the early home losses to the Calgary Flames in 1994, and Dan and I watched the Canucks get swept by the Avalanche in Game Four of their 2001 series. On both occasions I had a blast regardless of the score, but obviously I was hoping for a better result this time around!

The pregame atmosphere was electric, with 18,000 fans vigorously waving their towels that the Canucks kindly, provided to us - thus saving me the trouble of digging up my chocolate-frosted-malt-stained towel from 1994.


The fourth line got started the game, and they brought a great level of intensity all night. Johnson was a beast on the penalty kill, and Rypien and Hordichuk hammered the Blues throughout the game. But the kid in the McDonalds jersey did nothing all night, and I think that Alan Vigneault should think long and hard about letting him back on the ice.

St. Louis' patented "Olympic Rings formation" failed to penetrate the Canucks defense.


Naturally, everyone went crazy out on the street after the big win. I have absolutely no idea who the guys on either side of me are. But I got the distinct impression that they are fans of the local sports team.


And, of course, the night ended with some good, ol' fashioned running down the middle of the street and high-fiving people in cars. Good times!

2009 Playoffs: First Round Predictions

Ah, mid-April. Spring is in the air, the Boys of Summer have started playing even though it's still springtime, and the Toronto Maple Leafs are holding their first team golf tournament of the year - which, of course, means that the NHL playoffs are starting.

This year's first round series features some doozies. A second straight Battle of Pennsylvania. The finally-back-in-the-playoffs Chicago Blackhawks against some bunch of underachieving bums. The latest instalment of the Original 6 Boston-Montreal rivalry (and this time Boston's the favourite!). The defending champion Detroit Red Wings against playoff virgins Columbus Blue Jackets. The second ever Battle of California.

* Bonus points if you knew that the first was between the LA Kings and the Oakland Seals (later the California Golden Seals) back in 1969 - 'cause that's what everyone in SoCal and the Bay Area was really caring about in 1969.

So, without further ado, here are the official 'Nucks and Pucks predictions for the First Round:

Eastern Conference

Boston Bruins (1) vs. Montreal Canadiens (8) - Bruins in 5

Boston was the class of the East this year. The only class the Habs looked like they belonged in was Kindergarten - despite their fine finger-painting skills, the Canadiens were a total gong show this year. This is the year the Bruins finally beat their bitter rivals in the playoffs.

Washington Capitals (2) vs. New York Rangers (7) - Capitals in 6

The Rangers have way better goaltending and the always intriguing wild-card that is Sean Avery. The Caps have the most talented player in the game, and a not half-bad supporting cast. If Jose Theodore can do a reasonable job of stopping pucks the Caps should take it.

New Jersey Devils (3) vs. Carolina Hurricanes (6) - Hurricanes in 6

Not as much of a mismatch as it appears. Carolina has been on fire in the past few months, and Martin Brodeur has been spotty since returning from injury. A lot of people are calling this upset, and I am jumping on that bandwagon.

Pittsburgh Penguins (4) vs. Philadelphia Flyers (5) - Penguins in 7

This rematch of last year's Eastern Conference Final should be a dandy. It's probably the closest thing to a toss-up in the East - hey, whaddya know? The teams tied for points with 99.

Western Conference

San Jose Sharks (1) vs. Anaheim Ducks (8) - Sharks in 6

You can't underestimate the Ducks, given their recent Cup win and solid blend of veteran and young stars. And, of course, the likelihood that they will break out the Flying-V or the Triple Deke. Still, the Sharks have been the best team in the NHL this season and it is difficult to imagine them folding to the amateur game plan that Randy Carlyle will inevitably steal from Emilio Estevez. Still, the Sharks will have to bring their A-game to overcome this:



Detroit Red Wings (2) vs. Columbus Blue Jackets (7) - Blue Jackets in 7

Yep, that's right. Not sure why, but the Red Wings feel primed for a first round exit. They're a hell of a team, and it's hard to pick against Lidstrom, Datsyuk, Zetterberg et al. But the combination of wear and tear from playing last season into June, the excitement around CBJ because of its first playoff birth, and a plain old-fashioned gut feeling causes me to pick the upset.

Vancouver Canucks (3) vs. St. Louis Blues (6) - Canucks in 4

Duh.

Chicago Blackhawks (4) vs. Calgary Flames (5) - Blackhawks in 6

I don't have a good feeling about either of these teams, but one of them has to win. The Hawks are young and talented, but like most young and talented teams they need a good, solid first-round playoff loss to teach them how to lose (see Capitals 2008, Penguins 2007, Oilers 1979-80). However their first round opponent has spent the better part of the last two months frittering away the Northwest Division crown, and seems all set to trade their hockey sticks for golf clubs. It's okay, the Hawks can wait until their second round match-up against the Canucks to receive their requisite humiliating defeat.

About damn time

I am taking a quick break from my end-of-semester insanity to write this post because of a story I just read from TSN. The Hockey Hall of Fame has amended its bylaws in a move that essentially opens the door to deserving women candidates - finally.

Until now the Hall has allowed a maximum of four inductees, of either sex, each season. Given the dominance in HHOF voting of the NHL over international leagues and competitions, the fact that there is no solid women's league, and the relative newness of the women's game (the first World Championship was held in 1994 and the first Olympics in 1998) this has meant that the odds of a female player or builer gaining entry were slim to none.

As of next year the Hall will consider a maximum of four male and two female candidates. In the last decade we have witnessed some legends in the women's game, so it is great to hear that the likes of Cammi Granato, Hayley Wickenheiser and Cassie Campbell* will likely be enshrined in the near future.

* In case you're wondering, Cassie Campbell will get in for her accomplishments on the ice rather than for her job as part of the Hockey Night in Canada broadcast crew. Although she sure did a bang-up job with Kraft Hockeyville this year, right? Right?

There are still a lot of organizational problems with women's hockey. Domestically, there is no sound North American league. And internationally, the US and Canada remain lightyears ahead of other countries in their development. But hopefully this will change in the near future - the 2010 Olympics will provide an interesting barometer to gauge the development of second-tier nations such as Sweden, Finland and - yes - China.

But despite these problems there are still some great players who have shone in the World Championship and Olympic spotlight. And this is made all the more impressive by the fact that these women are amateur athletes who must juggle their personal and professional lives with the rigours of competing in hockey at an international level.

As for the lack of competition between Canada/US and the rest, Sweden's historic upset of the United States in the 2006 Olympic semi-finals gives hope that this balance of power is slowly shifting.

So, as the women's game evolves, it is only appropriate that the Hockey Hall of Fame also shows that it can - gasp! - change with the times. The Hall has been criticized in the past for its unwillingness to adjust to new realities and to shed its NHL bias. But at least it is now showing that it is flexible, and hopefully this will soon be demonstrated by the induction of the deserving female candidates that it has thus far ignored.

My sudden love affair with a Deutsche Eishockey-Liga team

So I have recently become a huge fan of the Eisbären Berlin (Berlin Polar Bears) of the German Ice Hockey League, the Deutsche Eishockey-Liga (DEL for short). Why? How? Well, it's not just because Andrei Lomakin played for them from 1995-97. Actually it has nothing to do with Andrei Lomakin, who until today hadn't crossed my mind since about 1992. No, the Eisbären won my heart for other reasons.

The first time I came across the Eisbären was in Berlin last October. I knew that there is a pretty good hockey league in Germany (probably the fourth or fifth best league in Europe) and was hoping I might get a chance to see a game. Sadly my schedule would not permit it. However, upon arriving I did see immediate signs of popular support for the Eisbären in the form of a billboard advertizing tickets.

I stumbled across the Eisbären just a few hours later, when I stopped into for a coffee at Dunkin' Donuts. And before I go any further, yes I too was shocked to learn that there was a Dunkin' Donuts in Berlin of all places. It's not even ubiquitous in the United States - there is no location, for example, in Seattle.

However there it was, smack-dab in the middle of the Zoologischer Garten plaza. I knew that America runs on Dunkin'. I had no idea that Berlin does as well.

Anyway, back to the Eisbären. So the hockey club has a star player named Constantine Braun, who is a draft pick of the LA Kings, and his nickname is apparently "Brownie." So, naturally, the Eisbären, Herr Braun and Dunkin' Donuts teamed up to promote both the hockey club and, you guessed it, Dunkin' Donuts brownies. You could purchase a brownie and Eisbären tickets in one amazing combo.

Needless to say, I was impressed. Hockey, my second favourite multinational coffee chain and bilingual puns make quite the triple threat.

Fast forward five months. I discovered that the Vancity Theatre is showing a variety of hockey-themed movies. Of course the line-up features the cult classic Slap Shot, the acclaimed The Rocket and, awesomely, the unintentionally hilarious Jean-Claude Van Damme masterpiece Sudden Death. One movie stood out to me though, a documentary that I had never heard of: Home Game.

From the Vancity Theatre website:

"The Berlin Eisbarens (Polar Bears) are a professional hockey team with a fanatical following in the depressed, former East Berlin district of Hohenschonhausen. Writer-director Pepe Danquart ( Hell on Wheels ) was commissioned to make a film about the team and their fans despite never having been to a hockey game. The result speaks volumes about the growing gap between the East and West in the supposedly re-unified Germany in a perceptive, funny, enlightening and always entertaining manner. While the film does present a fair bit of on-ice action and dressing-room ritual, it also uses hockey as a vehicle to show the unwillingness of the “Ossies” (East Germans) to kowtow to the cutthroat capitalist ethos of the “Wessies” (West Germans) and the West's incomprehension of the East's desire to be recognized as different."

Wow - does that sound like a great film or what? It was only after reading this description and some quick Wikipedia research that I realized that the team featured in this film is the same one that won me over with its quirky marketing campaign at Berlin Dunkin' Donuts stores.

And then the hook:

"The official song of the Eisbären Berlin is "Hey, wir wollen die Eisbären seh'n" (approximately "Yeah, We Wanna See The Polar Bears"), recorded by veteran East German ban the Puhdys in 1997. The song became a popular tune in German mountain resorts during après-ski parties, and went on to appear on several winter-themed music compilations. It has also been adopted by the club's Russian namesake, HC Dynamo Moscow, and could be heard at their games during the 2008/09 season" (Wikipedia).

There are few things I love more in sports than a rockin' team anthem (something, I might add, the Canucks are sorely missing - a subject I intend to write about on this blog in the future). And boy does Eisbären Berlin have a good tune, compliments of 40-year rock n' roll vets (!) Die Puhtys. Here it is:



Pretty good, eh? It's even better when played over the PA with the crowd singing along. Especially when accompanied by a killer jumbotron presentation featuring, amongst other visual effects, a goalie stopping a puck in front of the Brandenburg Gate:



How could the players and fans not be fired up after that kind of an intro? I'd still be pumped halfway through the second!

Sure the Eisbären have enjoyed a recent run of success lately, capturing the DEL championship in three of the last four years. And sure checking out their roster allows you to finally discover what happened to Stefan Ustorf (remember him? No?). But the club's true charm lies in its passionate fans, creative promotional efforts and, of course, lights-out-awesome theme song.

And that, my friends, why I am now officially a fan of Eisbären Berlin.

Own Goals Addendum

The segue clip to the SportsCentre Top 10 caused the Toronto Sun to run the headline "Brian McKlutz." And yes, because it is the Toronto Sun, it was the headline on the front page of the newspaper. Because, y'know, the Maple Leafs are always more important than anything else that happens in the world. You can check out the cover here.

Additionally, if this Top 10 had been featured this season, this now-infamous Ryan O' Byrne own goal would no doubt have featured highly on the list:



The O'Byrne own goal sent the game to overtime, where the Canadiens lost. This are the same Canadiens who are battling to stay in playoff contention. And if they miss out on the playoffs by one point... well, O'Byrne might just become as big a goat in Montreal as Steve Smith is in Edmonton.

Analyzing the Canucks moves at the Trade Deadline

....................

Oh yeah. They didn't make any moves.

Actually I'm pretty okay with this. The big rumour was Kevin Bieksa, Mason Raymond and a 1st-round pick to Florida for Jay Bouwmeester, which is very steep unless Bouwmeester was guaranteed to resign with the Canucks.

So standing pat, putting faith in Luongo and Co. and not giving away prominent roster players for unproven playoff-performers (cough, Calgary, cough!) seems like a decent move. It was a slow deadline, with so many teams still in playoff contention and fears of a reduced cap scaring away GMs from long-term contract commitments, so making no moves doesn't seem like the worst thing to happen.

It is, however, quite dull. So for entertainment purposes here is a SportsCentre Top 10 Own Goals. They're not all hockey, but they are all highly entertaining. Plus who can complain about seeing the infamous Steve Smith own goal one more time?