Five Thoughts; Canucks Swept in San Jose

So long 2013 Canucks.

The Canucks played their best game of the series Tuesday night, unfortunately it’ll also be their last game played this season. Vancouver fell to San Jose 4-3 in OT in game 4 of the series, resulting in the Canucks being swept for the first time in the post season since 2001. There was a lot of hope going in the game, Ryan Kesler had said that he wasn’t going to go down easy. Jason Garrison had noted that the team was going to put the past behind them and focus on the game ahead. However, some hope was lost early when Sharks’ Brent Burns opened the scoring in the first period. Offense was hard to come by this series, so Mason Raymond brought a spark of hope to Canucks fans everywhere with his game tying goal later in the first period, only to have it put out by Joe Pavelski’s 2-1 goal late in first period.

Ryan Kesler commented during the second period intermission that the Canucks were going to do their best and “compete like bastards,” for the remainder of the game, and compete they did; with goals by Alexandre Burrows and Alexander Edler, rallying the Canucks to their first lead (3-2) half way through the third period. Unfortunately, the Sharks fired back with a game tying goal by Pavelski late in the third period, and followed that up with Patrick Marleau’s eventual overtime winner. Bing, bang, boom: the season ends for the boys in blue.  

1. Cory Looking for Glory: There was a lot of controversy coming into tonight’s game with word that Cory Schneider was getting the start for game 4, especially after his 5 goal outing in game 3. He was visibly shaken after his last start, getting consoled by teammate Roberto Luongo, because Lu’s clearly been there and dealt with that. How did Schneider do this time around? He was better, stopping 43 of the 47 shots he faced, but was he good enough? Schneider did try his best to keep his team in the running, including killing a crucial 4 minute double minor in the second period. That being said, the game-tying goal, and ultimate OT winner both resulted from Schneider’s inability to retain control of the puck after an initial save. What does the future hold for Cory? Only time will tell.  

2. Zebra Crossing: You never want to dig for excuses after your team loses, but it’s hard to overlook the questionable calls against,and missed calls for the Canucks in this series. The penalties were 24-10 in favour for the Sharks this series. Yes, some of those were a result of the Canucks’ poor decision making, but that’s quite a differential and something you don’t see too often in professional sports (especially in the playoffs).

The most questionable call came in overtime against Daniel Sedin, who was given a 2 minute minor for boarding. How often does a Sedin even throw a hit? And then to have it be called boarding? A call like that happens once in a blue moon. Replays show that it was a clean shoulder to shoulder hit, and hockey fans even outside Vancouver admit that it should not have been penalized. Nothing can be done about it now, but one thing is assured, that penalty will haunt Canucks fans all off-season. Side note: Daniel Sedin was also issued a misconduct penalty for “abusive language” at the end of the game. Nice to see that refs are out to tame the potty mouths of hockey players, they’ve sure got their priorities straight.

3. Time in the Sin Bin: While some calls were worthy of debate, there was no questioning the fact that the Canucks took too many undisciplined penalties. Not one player was to blame, a lot of different names were thrown into the mix. Daniel Sedin was called for hooking a few minutes into the game and Derek Roy for boarding later in the first period. The second period saw Dan Hamhuis’ double minor for high sticking and Alexander Edler for slashing. Kevin Bieksa personified his frustration with a sloppy cross-checking penalty in the third period. All these infractions, later followed up by Daniel Sedin’s boarding penalty in overtime, meant that the Canucks spent a majority of the game a man down, and killing penalties. Bottom line, it’s hard to win do or die games when you’re more worried about preventing goals, than you are creating chances to score them.

4. “Compete Like Bastards”: Ryan Kesler is known for his dramatic theatrics. He’s also known for coming up big when the team needs him most and doing whatever it takes to win. During game 2, in a second intermission interview, Kesler said that the team would find ways to tie the game (with the Sharks then leading 1-0) and get ahead. What happened? Kesler came into the third period firing on all cylinders, scoring not only the game tying goal, but the goal to put the Canucks up 2-1 late in the period. Point being, Kesler has a knack for firing up his team.

During the second period intermission of game 4, Kesler said that his team had to go out there and “compete like bastards.” Using it as their battlecry, the Canucks (despite the loss) were able to score more goals tonight than they had in any game all series. Burrows (PPG) and Edler, combined to score 2 unanswered goals in the third period, giving the Canucks their first lead of the game 3-2. So, while they may not have won, their offensive production made this game one worth watching.  

5. Where Do We Go From Here? The Canucks elimination Tuesday night becomes their earliest playoff exit since 2001. The team has failed to pull together a mere 2 wins in their last 2 post-season appearances. Which begs the question, where do we go from here? Right now there are more questions than answers, but it’s probably safe to say that changes will be made. Could Alain Vigneault’s time as Canucks Head Coach be over? Many have criticized him for starting Schneider in games 3 and 4 in place of Roberto Luongo who was stellar to start the series, as arguably the team’s best player.

Could Mike Gillis also be replaced? More questions arise when considering what the Canucks roster will look like at the start of next season. Many Canucks struggled this series, most noteworthy being Mason Raymond, who will be a free agent this summer. What will become of injured David Booth? Derek Roy? Keith Ballard? And most importantly where will Roberto Luongo start next season. One thing is certain, this might be the last time we see this Canucks core together. It could be the end of another era in Vancouver.

Mandy @ForeverCanuck @WeveGotTwins

Five Thoughts; Sharks Take 3-0 Series Lead

No Niemi, the pucks not behind you. Hasn't been all that often this series.

It’s Déjà vu. After a disastrous collapse in the third period, the Canucks drop Game 3 to San Jose and go down 3-0 in the opening round of the playoffs for the second straight year. A whole lot of negativity surrounding the number 3... The Canucks were down only 2-1 after 40 minutes, and after a goal from Burrows the Canucks looked to have the momentum going into the final period. Unfortunately, the floodgates opened in the third, with the Shark scoring three goals in the first five minutes, two of which were just nine seconds apart. The Canucks are now hoping (for yet another year) to be just the fourth team in NHL history to come back from a 3-0 series deficit. The Nucks will have to play like their lives depend on it (and for some, it’s their careers in Vancouver) if they hope to come away with the historic upset. Avoiding the power-play, having players step up, and believing in the team are the main notes in tonight’s 5 thoughts.

1. Wish We Played Like That: The Canucks need to stay the hell out of the penalty box! I said this after Game 1, and I’ll say it again. Tonight, the Sharks special teams won them the game. The Sharks are killers on the power-play, and they made that perfectly clear tonight going 3-for-5 with the man advantage. Their power-play was amazing, and their PK was just as terrific—blocking shots and keeping their team in the game early. The Sharks realize that power-plays can win not only games, but series too. Someone forward that memo to the Canucks!

2. Not So Powerful: Unlike their counterparts the Canucks power-play has been extremely weak; scoring just one power-play goal in the entire series (yeah…I know). Vancouver had a chance to grab a hold of the game early with a rare 4-on-3 power-play. But, typical as it has been of late, the Canucks were unable to capitalize. The resulting momentum shift lifted the Sharks to their own power play goal only minutes later. Vancouver had the exact same problem last year against LA, and if they have any hope of clawing back into this series the power-play is priority number one.

3. You Said it Cherry: If anyone watched Coaches Corner the other night you will have heard Don Cherry’s rant about the linesmen. Cherry showcased how the linesmen in the playoffs are doing a horrible job with the face-offs (I agree whole-heartedly). The linesmen are double clutching on the puck-drop, not letting the centres battle at the face-off, and worst of all, waving out players from the face-off WAY too often. Tonight, there was hardly a face-off where the starting players didn’t get waved out. In certain situations a clean faceoff can lead to a goal. And, like any NHL team, there are players who are specifically designed for said face-offs. By waving out the players, the linesmen are taking away a key aspect of the Canucks offensive threat; Kelser and Roy’s talents now become useless. Linesmen, you are not the stars of the show. Drop the damn puck, that’s it!

4. Where are They?: I’m pretty sure every Canucks fan has thought the same thing: where the hell are the Sedins? It has been three playoff games and the Sedins are nowhere to be found. Their imprint on this series is essentially non-existent. With just 4-points between them the Sedins have not stepped up to the challenge; and guess what, the team needs them to now more than ever. Not only have the Sedins not produced, but no one else has stepped up (except Kesler), which just compounds the issue. If the two highest scoring players on the team aren’t producing and no one else is willing to step up, it means trouble for the Canucks. For Game 4, Henrik and Daniel need to go beast mode like Kesler did in Game 2, plain and simple.

5. Believe: Well, the Nucks dropped essentially a must win tonight. With just three teams in NHL history to ever come back from a 3-0 deficit, it is usually just a matter of time before the series is done. But, never give up on your team. We as fans have to stay behind the team, and believe that the Canucks can accomplish this Herculean task. And, if you look at recent playoffs, the comeback isn’t such a farfetched notion. Just three years ago Philadelphia completed the upset against Boston after going down 3-0 in their series. And, I am sure we all remember that wrenching feeling of the Canucks actually having to play Game 7 against Chicago two years ago when the Nucks were up 3-0. Yes, all the stats argue against the upset, but you know what sometimes it happens. Sometimes, glory can be found after a journey of misery. But, it all starts

with the fans. Support the team, don’t giving up, and simply believe.

Ross Langill @Rlangill @WeveGotTwins

Five Thoughts; Sharks Take 2-0 Series Lead

Luongo watches the Canucks best game in god knows how long vanish into the realms of irrelevance.

Love hurts. There's no other way to describe the Canucks 3-2 overtime loss to the San Jose Sharks last night. The Canucks were flat out of the gate and were it not for Luongo this game could have got ugly fast. Bobby Lu made too many great saves to count, and secured his spot in the TSN honour roll for no less than half of it. Most importantly though he gave his team a chance. After the Canucks escaped the first only trailing one on a Joe Thornton rebound goal, things changed real quick like. At about the half-way mark in the second Vancouver flipped the proverbial switch and took control of this game. Led by Ryan Kesler, the Canucks tallied two goals early in the third - both were some kind of pretty. What seemed like a safe lead had been secured, but fate had other plans. The Sharks tied the game with 55 seconds left and went on to win the game in overtime. All this and more in the five thoughts, while my keyboard gently weeps.

1. Bingo-Bango-Bongo: His name is Roberto Luongo. If you know me personally, you know all too well how I feel about "blame Luongo" morons. For reasons beyond me, I constantly waste my time arguing with these tools. Luongo just made my job an awful lot easier; for a week or so, in which time I'm sure he'll be the boogie man again. Back to the matter at hand though. Luongo was just amazing. Were there another four pseudo words in that infamous "bingo-bango-bongo" there would be one for every highlight reel, jumping out of my seat and screaming good save he made. There were saves on rebounds, there were saves on cross crease passes and there were saves that just defy logic - all in all there were 30 saves. I feel a little bad in... feeling this way, but maybe I'm not the only one who could care less when Schneider returns?

 2. "Beast Mode": I often wonder if Canucks fans or Ryan Kesler are aware of how blatant a nickname ripoff "Beast Mode" is. Marshawn Lynch of the Seahawks kind of started beast mode and it's kind of his thing, but I'm sure after yesterday's performance by Kesler he's all too willing to share the honour. If there was one player on the Canucks who was emotionally and physically invested in this game throughout it's entirety, other than Luongo, it's Ryan Kesler. At about the half-way mark in the second Kesler put the team on his back doe and single-handedly shifted momentum in Vancouver's favor. In an interview he took during the second intermission Kesler said something along the lines of 'we're going to tie this and take the lead'. It took him less than 8 minutes of play in the third to live up to his promise with two thunderous slap shot goals.

Obligatory 2011 Nashville Predators series reference. There, I made one.

 3. The Howler-Monkey's back: Ah yes, isn't it ironic that former Canuck Raffi Torres has been taking the boots to his former squad all series? For those who aren't aware of how the trade deadline went, it's all the more ironic since he came oh so close to becoming a Canuck again. Unfortunately for Vancouver, Doug Wilson and the San Jose Sharks ponied up the third round pick necessary to land that bug-eyed beast of a winger. After last night, I'm starting to think Mike Gillis should have offered a third too. I don't write for Canucks Army, and as such I haven't a clue how many scoring chances Torres has but I'm going to assume he's at the double-digit mark this series. After getting robbed on of these chances in the first, on a miraculous glove save by Luongo, it would be easy for him to curl into the fetal position and just go back to gooning. If that makes any sense. Instead, Torres goes on to score the overtime winner for the Sharks.

 4. Those Adjustments That Vigneault Never Makes: Much like Luongo blamers, Vigneault haters get an earful from me with great frequency. One of their more frequent critiques is that he never makes the necessary adjustments - which is funny because depending on what day of the week it is, he changes lines too much... huh, go figure. Well, if you really wanted to you could make the case for Vigneault's adjustments at the beginning of the third working wonders. AV - and his lozenge - moved Kesler back to center, on a new look second line, between Hansen and Higgins. He also gave Kassian a few shifts with the Sedins and I even saw Hamhuis and Bieksa playing together again for the occasional shift. Even his questionable move of leaving the Sedins out in the final minute made some sense. According to the numbers, certainly not the eye test, the Sedins have been some of the better defensive Canucks forwards all season. The results weren't there, but even the most fervent of Vigneault critics can't blame them on AV. Not logically anyways.

 5. Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Edler: When Alex Edler is at his best, he looks like a Norris trophy candidate. When Edler makes plays like the ill-timed and even more poorly executed pinch that cost the Canucks the game, not so much. This series is already drawing comparisons to the Canucks first round series from last year, against the Kings. The biggest of these similarities has to be Edler's borderline awful play through the first two games. A -2 and only 2 hits just aren't gonna cut it. Time to justify that payday, Edler.

J.D. @WeveGotTwins

Five Thoughts; Sharks Take 1-0 Series Lead

The howler-monkey strikes again!

I love the smell of the playoffs in the evening. At long last the Canucks series has started with the Sharks and in typical Canucks fashion, with a twist. With Schneider still nursing that infamous “body” injury, Roberto Luongo suited for the Canucks. Vancouver of course was left with little in the way of a drop off in goal. Luongo stopped 15 shots in the first, including an absolute rob job on former Canuck Raffi Torres, to keep his team in the game early. After a scoreless 1st the Canucks came out firing to play their best period of the game. After a great defensive zone breakout, Bieksa, and everyone on the ice, crashed the net to score
a beauty of a garbage goal (they finally followed my advice ala killer instinct—you heard it here
first). The momentum gained from this goal however was short lived. A "dumb" penalty by Zack Kassian led to a Logan Couture power play goal and it was all downhill from there. The third period was all Sharks as they took control of the game, scoring twice on Canucks mistakes to take the 3-1 win and the 1-0 series lead. The Canucks have looked better and were it not for Luongo, things could have been worse. If the boys in blue want to see the second round then they will have to build upon some critical aspects that are outlined in my first playoff edition 5 Thoughts.

 1. Shark Bait: The San Jose Sharks came into this series tied for 7th best power play in the league, and jeez did it look deadly. The Sharks tallied 7 shots in their first power play alone. The Sharks power-play had great puck possession, a lot of shots, and patience. The Canucks took 5 penalties, and despite how good the Canucks PK was looking, it was just a matter of time before SJ potted one; like Couture did on the Sharks third PP. If the Nucks have anything to learn from this game, its stay the hell out of the box. Because down the road, that San Jose power-play is going to make the Canucks pay…big time.

 2. Why We Love the Playoffs: The Canucks out-muscled the Sharks in one team stat specifically…hits. The Canucks bullied the Sharks with a season high 40 hits. Dale Weise looked like a freight train out there, leading the Canucks (along with the Honey Badger—Hansen) with 5 hits; only Raffi Torres had more (of course) with 6. Weise not only made big hits, but smart and timely ones. He backed off when needed, and laid the hurt on when the time was right (that's big in the Dutch league). In my mind the Canucks always do one thing right when it comes to the playoffs, and that’s amp-up the physicality. If the Nucks continue to bruise the opposition, eventually it will take its toll. The Sharks will begin to drop, or they will make a stupid play to avoid a hit, and the Nucks will capitalize. Keep on cruisin’ for the brusin’ boys!

 3. That’s Our Boy: For the first period the best person on the ice, without a doubt, was Roberto Luongo. Holy crap did he look good right off the bat. That enormous save on Torres in the first was a “leap-off-your-seat-and-scream-in-amazement” kind of save (guaranteed Sports Centre honour roll). With Schneider out, and Luongo starting game 1, there was a lot of speculation on how Lu would bounce back after that embarrassing 7-2 loss to Edmonton in the final game of the regular season. Well, he was pumped and ready to go from puck drop. Yes, he had a “semi-stupid” play behind the net where he swept it away from our D-man, which lead to a goal. But, if it wasn’t for our Lu the score could have easily been 3-0 at the end of the first. Luuuuuuu!

4. I hate to blame em’: I always, always, always hate to blame the zebras (referees for the layman), but there is just something about the Canucks and referees in the playoffs. Throughout this game the zeebs had too many bad or non-calls; and not just on the Canucks. There was the blown off-side in the first that almost led to a goal, the Torres elbow that wasn’t called, the weak roughing penalty on Weise, the terrible interference call on Bieksa, the cancelled icing when Edler clearly touched the puck, the non-call on Hansen’s hit, and even the weak boarding call on Desjardins. I don’t know what it is, but the Nucks always seem to not have great refs in the playoffs (do I need to remind anyone of a certain Boston player playing speed bag with one of our Sedins?). Yes, I sound like a whiner, but look across the league and there was some pretty sh*tty refereeing tonight (e.g. Ference’s flagrant elbow that wasn’t called). NHL step it up please, otherwise we Vancouverites think it’s a conspiracy. Besides, is there ANY other league that arbitrarily changes it's rules for the playoffs? Didn't think so.

5. It’s the little things: Tonight the Canucks were beat in almost every team stat. The Nucks were well out-shot in the first (15-9), no Canuck was above 50% in the faceoff circle, and the Nucks had eight giveaways compared to San Jose’s two. Yet, even outside of the stats, for the 1st and 3rd periods the Nucks looked like they weren’t firing at full capacity. The breakouts looked soft, passing wasn’t 100%, the power-play looked off, there wasn’t enough traffic in front on Niemi, and there was just too much mis-
communication. For Game 2, the Canucks simply have to grease the wheels and fine tune their game. They definitely have the tools needed to beat the Sharks (again look at the second period), but playing for 20 minutes only gets you so far. Skate hard, get the power-play back on track, keep the hit parade coming, and for the love of god get shots through with a lot of traffic in front (come on Niemi is tiny). Let’s go, Game 2!!!!

Canucks Playoffs Preview; Quarterfinals

Time to dig into that California roll.

It wasn’t their prettiest - nor the most dominant - victory of the Northwest Division, but the Canucks found a way to do it for the fifth straight year. Who that matters to in this city is beyond me. Wake me up when they’re planning the parade down Robson.

After getting this so-called “news” the city of Vancouver collectively sat on pins and needles; anxiously waiting to find out who their first round opponent would be. It’s not the Minnesota Wild, but rather the next “easiest” team, the San Jose Sharks. Easy might not be the appropriate word... maybe they are just the ideal team.

If you’re getting a sense of deja-vu all over again, there is good reason. More or less. The Canucks faced the Sharks in the Western Conference Finals during their 2011 run to the Stanley Cup Finals. In case you couldn’t put two and two together on that one, or maybe you just started cheering for the Canucks last season, that means they won that series. It took five games and one of the luckier bounces in Canucks history to stick a fork in that one.

Enough about the past though. In getting with the now and the two teams it features check out the We’ve Got Twins preview of this series.

Thanks for Keeping my Seat Warm

Said neither coach of these teams. There are similarities aplenty between these two clubs, but none more blatantly obvious than the pressure placed upon the shoulders of each coach. No guarantees here, but the losing coach goes home - literally. There’s already been chatter this season regarding the security of Alain Vigneault’s job and for as long as the Sharks grossly under-achieve Todd McLellan’s on a hot-seat of his own.

The notion that both clubs windows are slowly closing also plays into the likelihood that the losing team loses it’s coach. With aging cores surrounded by great complimentary talent - on both sides - there is little time to waste. If Vigneault can’t get this club out of the first round, for the second year in a row, things don’t look so good for AV. Same thing goes for McLellan. Time is on neither team’s side and as such they’ll waste none in finding the coach that takes their team that extra step closer to the Cup.

Regular Season Familiarity

Taking a look at how the Canucks regular season matches with the Sharks played out, my confidence is a little shook. Not really, but I’m guessing that it should be. The Canucks went 0-2-1 against the Sharks in the regular season and were outscored in those three games 10 - 5. I take some solace in knowing that they last played each other a month ago today, and that the Canucks were injured to the point of having Bill Sweatt, Nicklas Jensen, Jordan Schroeder and Cam Barker all in the lineup for that game. Hopefully the Canucks are more fortunate on the injury front this time around. It’s also worth noting that in that third matchup, where the Canucks roster was riddled with AHLers(and Cam Barker) they played arguably their best game against the Sharks all season. If there are any positives to be drawn from how their regular season games played out, that’s just about it.

Shaky Foundation

Something you hear all too often in hockey commentary is that contending teams are built from the crease out. Based on how Roberto Luongo turned this franchise around, I’d say that’s a relatively accurate statement. Speaking of Luongo, there’s a chance he could be the Canucks goalie in game one. Isn't it ironic?

The sub-header in combination with how the last two sentences of that last paragraph sounds are a bit misleading of how I feel about Luongo; really it’s more indicative of how I feel about Schneider this season. By that same token, Cory Schneider’s infamous “body” injury is a little concerning. Whatever kept Schneider out of the net for the final few games of the regular season is apparently still an issue and raises questions about his availability for Wednesday’s game.

Speaking to the media Tuesday, Cory gave an update on his status saying “Like I said, I’m going to tell him[Vigneault] I’m ready to play”. In keeping confident with his health Schneider went on to add that he “feels as if I[Cory] should be good to go”. Vigneault didn’t necessarily share Cory’s optimism and said that this is definitely “going to be a tomorrow decision”. Oh how badly I wanted an answer today.

How These Teams Match Up

Not as well as I had hoped. I base this of course purely on my interpretation of the more basic statistics that hockey has to offer. For your viewing displeasure I’ll display them below and let you come to your own conclusion.

San Jose Sharks:

Goals Per Game	Goals Against	Power Play	Penalty Kill
2.4	2.3	20.1%	85%

Vancouver Canucks:

Goals Per Game	Goals Against	Power Play	Penalty Kill
2.5	2.4	15.8%	84%

Luckily for the Canucks this isn’t moneyball and furthermore their stats are a little misleading. Those stats were based on a team that played most of the season with one legitimate top nine center. The Canucks now boast three.

More importantly one of those missing pieces was Ryan Kesler. This team’s special teams rely very heavily upon Kesler and suffered greatly without him. They’re not perfect with him in the lineup, but a heck of a lot better.

Top Performers

In this department it’s the usual suspects really. Save for the absence of Kesler on the Canucks. Note how all the Canucks top scorers have a plus rating. Arbitrary stat really, but I’ll take it.

Vancouver

	Games Played	Goals	Assists	Points	Plus/Minus
Henrik Sedin	48*	11	34	45	19
Daniel Sedin	47	12	28	40	12
Jannik Hansen	47	10	17	27	8
Alex Burrows	47	13	11	24	15
Dan Hamhuis	47	4	20	24	9

San Jose

	Games Played	Goals	Assists	Points	Plus/Minus
Joe Thornton	48	7	33	40	6
Logan Couture	48	21	16	37	7
Patrick Marleau	48	17	14	31	-2
Joe Pavelski	48	16	15	31	2
Brent Burns	30	9	11	20	0

How the Canucks Win

It’s simple really, just stick to the game plan. If you give the Sharks opportunities, they will take them. They made that perfectly clear in their three games against the Canucks this season. If the Canucks can stick to Vigneault’s system, which is predicated on strong defensive play, there is no reason they can’t win this. When healthy, and the Canucks are getting there, they have better depth at nearly every position.

How the Canucks Lose

The opposite of above. In all seriousness though, it’s if they can’t win this game at even strength. If you look above at the “How These Teams Match Up” bit, you’ll notice the Sharks have a pretty good powerplay. Keeping disciplined and subsequently keeping the Sharks off the powerplay will be key. And another thing! Don’t stray from the game plan. It got the Canucks threw a bevy of injuries that could derail any team’s season and it can get them through to the next round.

J.D.’s Prediction: I used to live in California and have been to a few Sharks games at the Pavilion, where I once had pie thrown on me and my family's faces on the jumbo-tron. Fu*k the Sharks and fu*k fake pie in the face. I was traumatized. Canucks in 6.

J.D. @WeveGotTwins

Lackluster Love Shown for Luongo

Can a guy get a little respect?

There is no question that Roberto Luongo helped mold the Canucks into the Cup contending team they are today. Before his arrival in Vancouver, goalies were a dime a dozen, with one not staying for more than a season or two at a time, if that, (with the exception of Dan Cloutier, but his extended time with the Canucks left a lot to be desired, to say the least).

No goalie was ever good enough for fans, until Roberto Luongo, who came, conquered, and put an end to the days of Vancouver’s goalie graveyard. Why then, did the Rogers Arena crowd fail to show Luongo his much deserved appreciation on Thursday night, a start which could possibly have been his last as a Canuck on home ice? Because some people can’t appreciate a good thing until it’s gone.

In his seven seasons with the Canucks, Luongo carried the weight of his entire team (and the expectations of this city) on his shoulders, a responsibility that he never backed down from. Along the way of creating stability and re-enforcing hope in goal, Luongo was nominated for numerous NHL awards including: the Hart Memorial Trophy (for league MVP), Vezina Trophy, and the Lester B. Pearson Award. He also lead the Canucks to within one win of a Stanley Cup, and won a gold medal for Canada, yet nothing seems to be good enough to please Canucks fans.

The Montreal, Quebec remains humble after all he has done for his team (including several North-West division championships, a Western Conference championship, and 2 shutouts on home ice during the Stanley Cup Final). Despite the waves of criticism he’s faced over the years from Vancouver’s ever-so, not-so faithful fans, Bobby Lou epitomizes class when questioned about his time here and his role with the team: “Everything happens for a reason…[and]…Like I said after the deadline, I wanted to let everyone know I was here 100-per-cent committed to the team” (x), as always.

If critics are going to hold the fact that Luongo didn’t win a Stanley Cup against him, they should also take a second to reflect on what he did bring to this organization. He made the Canucks Cup contenders again, in a city that saw 18 goaltenders come and go since 1998, Luongo cemented confidence in goal. He also set an exceptional example for his teammates on how to remain calm under pressure, believe in themselves, and give it their all every game.

Night in and night out, Roberto stood on his head for this team when they needed him most, and helped them learn how to win again. “[T]he way he competed every night…it was contagious on our team. He made us into a team that could succeed,” (x) says winger Alex Burrows. Defensemen Kevin Bieksa echoes Burrows’ sentiments, stating “[Luongo] made us an elite team in the league…He gave us the confidence…[and] stability [we needed to compete]” (x).

The legacy of Roberto Luongo in Vancouver will always prove to be bittersweet. When he played well, the city was behind him and he could do no wrong, a bad stretch, and within a blink of an eye, it was time to blame him for the apparent falling sky.

After the game, Luongo was noted saying, “[f]or me it didn’t feel like [my] last game” (x), and while no one is certain what the future holds for Roberto Luongo, the sad display of respect he received by the Rogers Arena crowd Thursday night, assures that Vancouver will never be able to fully appreciate what they have until it is gone. Unfortunately, this time around, they will be saying goodbye to one of the best players this franchise has ever seen.

Mandy @ForeverCanuck

Five Thoughts; Canucks Owned by the Ducks

Or not.

Well ladies and gentlemen that was the last home game of the regular season, and boy was

it a bad one. The two words to sum up this game are boring and frustrating. Collectively, the

Canucks delivered a lack-luster performance. No one wanted the puck, and most importantly no

one seemed to want the win. Yes, the Canucks had a bunch of new bodies in the line-up, and yes

they wanted to get the new players quite a bit of ice time to prep them for playoffs, but even with

that in mind the Canucks just looked like they didn’t care. Now that being said, Anaheim wasn’t

too far behind, but they put in just a little bit more effort than the boys in blue to take the 3-1 win;

and they deserved it. With all that in mind get ready for a lot of criticism in these 5 thoughts.

 1. Snooze Button: If you had the foresight to miss one game this year, this would have been the

to miss. Most of the reason is stated above, but I will elaborate (as is my job here). The Canucks came out with a weak first period, followed by a weak second, and guess what, also a weak third (not counting the last 3-minutes where Garrison sent home a rocket from the point). The Canucks couldn't look less emotionally invested in this game if they tried. What’s worse is no one on the team stepped up to bring life into the game. Nobody went out and tried to make a big hit, or a nice back check, or even on offensive rush. It’s amazing how the Canucks can come off probably their best game of the year against Chicago,

and then have possibly the worst game of the year the very next game. With playoffs looming,

this wasn’t the best timing boys.

 2. Lay it on the line…or not: Both the Canucks and Ducks have their playoff spots secured going

into this game; neither team can move up or down in the standings. So, technically nothing was

really on the line for this game, and holy sh*t did it show! This game didn’t really matter, and

man did the Canucks play with that exact mind set. Ok, this one might be extremely similar to

the one above, but this point needs emphasis. The whole team just didn’t really look like they

wanted the win. Players were making silly plays, making one (or two or three) too many passes,

and like I have stated repeatedly in the past, there was absolutely no killer instinct to go to the

net and just straight up jam a puck home. Come on boys, two games left…

 3. At Least HE Came to Play: The only player on the ice who seemed like they came to play and

wanted to win was the only person who couldn’t supply us with goals: Bobby Lu. His performance was the only one worth noting with a more positive outlook. Right from the get go he was ready to play. He made some great saves, and genuinely looked like he wanted to get that number one spot back. But, nobody

on the team fed off Luongo’s energy; and if the team in front of you isn’t playing great, there

isn’t much more a goalie can do than simply stop the puck. Yes, Lou let in a somewhat “weak”

goal, but given how the Canucks were playing I attribute it to karma. You don’t support a goalie

who is trying to keep you in the game with some offensive pressure; you get a goal against you.

Karma.

 4. Sorry I can’t Hear You: This was the last home game of the year? Sure as hell didn’t sound

like it in Rogers Arena. Man was it f*cking quite in there tonight. Unfortunately, this is the one

area where Canucks haters have Canucks fans cornered. Compared to the Madhouse in Chicago

or the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Roger’s Arena is a library. Tonight all I heard from the crowd

was one very lackluster “Go Canucks Go” that a four-year-old mute baby could have done better,

and a few “Loouuuu’s” that sounded like an old cat’s fart. Come on fans step it up. It was the last 

home game of the regular season, stand up, shout, cheer, clap, and scream your head off. Fans

have to realize its true what it says in Rogers Arena, the fans are the 7th man on the ice (5 plus a

goalie = 6 on the ice). The fans have to realize that when they make some noise and get behind

their team it can boost the players’ morale. Yes, even if we are down 2-0, making some noise

can benefit our team. Remember this going into the playoffs; I don’t want to have to have this

conversation again.

 5. Long Enough: I have ranted long enough, you have read long enough, and I have said all I have

to say about tonight’s game. We end early today. Class dismissed.

Ross Langill @Rlangill