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So my beloved Canucks are in the Stanley Cup Finals! Whatever, you might say, the Stanley Cup is awarded every year. This is a true statement - BUT consider the following: the Canucks have not been in the Stanley Cup Final in 17 years (that is a long time). Also the Canucks have never won the Stanley Cup (this is problem all Canuck Fans have had to deal with in their 40-year history). And in the past 17 years this is also the first time we've gotten past the 2nd round!
(Quick digression for the purposes of explaining: the playoffs are four rounds or series of 7 games which eliminates teams until you get to the finals. Teams in the Western Conference Battle it out and Teams in the Eastern Conference Battle it out, and then the winners of each Conference face each other in the Stanley Cup Final - which is also a best of seven series - so first team to four wins gets the Cup. This is why it takes so long. I personally love it, although I agree that playing hockey in June is strange.)
Game 1 is tonight and we're playing the Boston Bruins (Boo!). You may have heard of them, they've been around a while. Unfortunately for us they are big and tough and they have a secret weapon: Colin Campbell, the (only-retired-yesterday former) head disciplinarian of the NHL, is the father of one of their players.
The cynical among us believe that the League favours a Boston victory. Politically and economically it's good for the Cup to be won in the States because it increases interest from a country that would prefer to be watching Basketball or Baseball. And since most of the teams are in the States - this is an issue. Honestly considering the amount of money that Canadians pay to go to see games (a bunch of which goes to support teams in the Southern United States) I think we deserve to have a Canadian Team get the Cup! And since the Canucks are the only Canadian team to make it past the first round this year - obviously it should be us!
So I'm super excited! There's been some awesome plays and brilliant moments already in the playoffs. Not the least of which was almost getting eliminated in the first round by Chicago (*shakes fist in the direction of the Windy City*). Man - I was on my feet for all of that overtime period and when Burrows scored - it was beautiful.
Also super exciting: we might have Manny Malhotra back! He's an awesome centre. But more importantly he's been out with a really serious eye injury since before the start of the playoffs. They thought that he might not regain vision in his left eye - but he's had a few very successful surgeries and might be able to play in this series! Which is completely amazing because everyone was saying that he wouldn't be back this season and might have to retire. It's an amazing comeback. And what a fabulous guy - I've been so impressed with how the Canucks organization has been treating his injury. I wasn't paying too much attention to it (other than hoping he was alright) but Pass it to Bulis did a feature on it and it really showed how much the organization cared about him as a person and a member of the team as well as just a good player. He's been at the games and in the dressing room between periods, and the Canucks have been very firmly keeping all the medical details private and preventing any intrusive media speculation about whether he'd be able to play again. I really like cheering for a team who's organization I can respect.
Anyway - the Canucks are playing tonight! Will Roberto make some amazing saves? Will the Sedin twins use their not-so-secret twin powers to score exciting and pretty goals?
Exhibit A: Who passes through the goaltender's five-hole? Henrik Sedin apparently!
Will Burrows mouth off and draw a penalty? Or will he just score shorthanded? Will Bieksa get another Gordie Howe hat trick (goal, assist and a fight)? Will Jannik Hansen reveal that his other job is playing beaker on the Muppet Show? Will Mason Raymond get another high stick to the face and break more of his teeth (without the refs bothering to call a penalty)? Will 90% of the female and 10% of the male Canucks fans weep at the disfigurement of his pretty,pretty face?
I don't know! But I'm watching this game (and the other >6)!
GO 'NUCKS GO!
(Quick digression for the purposes of explaining: the playoffs are four rounds or series of 7 games which eliminates teams until you get to the finals. Teams in the Western Conference Battle it out and Teams in the Eastern Conference Battle it out, and then the winners of each Conference face each other in the Stanley Cup Final - which is also a best of seven series - so first team to four wins gets the Cup. This is why it takes so long. I personally love it, although I agree that playing hockey in June is strange.)
Game 1 is tonight and we're playing the Boston Bruins (Boo!). You may have heard of them, they've been around a while. Unfortunately for us they are big and tough and they have a secret weapon: Colin Campbell, the (only-retired-yesterday former) head disciplinarian of the NHL, is the father of one of their players.
The cynical among us believe that the League favours a Boston victory. Politically and economically it's good for the Cup to be won in the States because it increases interest from a country that would prefer to be watching Basketball or Baseball. And since most of the teams are in the States - this is an issue. Honestly considering the amount of money that Canadians pay to go to see games (a bunch of which goes to support teams in the Southern United States) I think we deserve to have a Canadian Team get the Cup! And since the Canucks are the only Canadian team to make it past the first round this year - obviously it should be us!
So I'm super excited! There's been some awesome plays and brilliant moments already in the playoffs. Not the least of which was almost getting eliminated in the first round by Chicago (*shakes fist in the direction of the Windy City*). Man - I was on my feet for all of that overtime period and when Burrows scored - it was beautiful.
Also super exciting: we might have Manny Malhotra back! He's an awesome centre. But more importantly he's been out with a really serious eye injury since before the start of the playoffs. They thought that he might not regain vision in his left eye - but he's had a few very successful surgeries and might be able to play in this series! Which is completely amazing because everyone was saying that he wouldn't be back this season and might have to retire. It's an amazing comeback. And what a fabulous guy - I've been so impressed with how the Canucks organization has been treating his injury. I wasn't paying too much attention to it (other than hoping he was alright) but Pass it to Bulis did a feature on it and it really showed how much the organization cared about him as a person and a member of the team as well as just a good player. He's been at the games and in the dressing room between periods, and the Canucks have been very firmly keeping all the medical details private and preventing any intrusive media speculation about whether he'd be able to play again. I really like cheering for a team who's organization I can respect.
Anyway - the Canucks are playing tonight! Will Roberto make some amazing saves? Will the Sedin twins use their not-so-secret twin powers to score exciting and pretty goals?
Exhibit A: Who passes through the goaltender's five-hole? Henrik Sedin apparently!
Will Burrows mouth off and draw a penalty? Or will he just score shorthanded? Will Bieksa get another Gordie Howe hat trick (goal, assist and a fight)? Will Jannik Hansen reveal that his other job is playing beaker on the Muppet Show? Will Mason Raymond get another high stick to the face and break more of his teeth (without the refs bothering to call a penalty)? Will 90% of the female and 10% of the male Canucks fans weep at the disfigurement of his pretty,pretty face?
I don't know! But I'm watching this game (and the other >6)!
GO 'NUCKS GO!
