Canucks Playoffs

THIS IS WHY WE SPEND $20 DOLLARS TO PARK OUR CAR…
$7 DOLLARS FOR A BEER…
AND A $100 DOLLARS FOR A TICKET…
THIS IS WHY WE PUT OUR PERSONAL LIFE ON HOLD…FOR HOURS…
SO WE CAN SPEND QUALITY TIME IN FRONT OF A TELEVISION…
BECAUSE…GOOD OR BAD…SPORTS IS REAL…
LET’S START WITH THE MASTERS…
IF HOLLYWOOD PRODUCES THIS EPIC…
TIGER WOODS AND PHIL MICHELSON MAKE A CHARGE ON THE BACK 9 TO SAVE THE DAY…
INSTEAD…IT COMES DOWN TO A 48 YEAR OLD MAN…
WHO…BOGIES THE LAST 2 HOLES….AND LOSES TO THE 69TH RANKED PLAYER IN THE WORLD…IN A PLAYOFF…
THERE’S A REASON HOLLYWOOD WOULD NEVER TOUCH THAT SCRIPT…
WHO THE HELL WOULD BELIEVE IT…
SO NOW…LET’S TRY AND IMAGINE…
WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE CANUCKS…
IT’S ALREADY BEEN A SEASON THAT HAS HAD MORE SURPISES…THAN THE “CRYING GAME”…
HERE’S WHAT WE KNOW…GOING INTO THE SERIES WITH ST. LOUIS…
IN THE FIRST HALF OF THE SEASON THE BLUES WERE THE WORST TEAM IN THE WESTERN CONFERENCE…
IN JANUARY THE CANUCKS WERE THE WORST TEAM IN THE ENTIRE NHL…
IN THE SECOND HALF OF THE SEASON…THEY WERE TWO OF THE HOTTEST TEAMS…WITH THE TWO HOTTEST GOALTENDERS…
BOTH ENDED THEIR REGULAR SEASON…WITH A 1-0 VICTORY IN DENVER…
HOW WEIRD IS THAT???
WHAT THIS STORY NEEDS IS A HERO…
HOW ABOUT THE SEDINS???
WHO ARE ABOUT TO BECOME UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS…
THERE’S MATS SUNDIN…
WHO IN 13 YEARS IN TORONTO… NEVER GOT TO A STANLEY CUP FINAL…
WHAT ABOUT RYAN KESLER AND ALEX BURROWS…
WHO HAVE SUDDENLY LEARNED TO “LEAP TALL BUILDINGS WITH A SINGLE BOUND”…
AND THERE’S PAUL KARIYA…
WHO IS RETURNING HOME TO VANCOUVER…
DESPITE MISSING MOST OF THE REGULAR SEASON…KARIYA COULD BE IN THE LINE UP FOR GAME 1…
SOME HOW…SOME WAY…SOME PLAYER WILL SEIZE THE MOMENT…AND LEAD HIS TEAM INTO THE SECOND ROUND…
BUT…IF WE LEARNED ANYTHING ON THE WEEKEND…EXPECT…THE UNEXPECTED…

Northwest Division title

SO WHAT IS A “DIVISIONAL TITLE”…REALLY WORTH???
YES THERE’S SOME PRIDE INVOLVED…FOR BOTH THE PLAYERS AND THE FANS…
HOME ICE ADVANTAGE IN THE FIRST ROUND COULD RESULT IN AN EXTRA GAME AT GM PLACE…
SO…FOR OWNER FRANCESCO AQUILLINI…THAT’S A BONUS…
BUT IN THE BIG PICTURE…
WINNING THE NORTH WEST DIVISION AND LANDING THE THIRD SEED IN THE PLAYOFFS DOES NOT GUARENTEE ANYTHING…
LAST YEAR BOTH THE WASHINGTON CAPITALS AND THE MINNESOTA WILD WON THEIR DIVISIONS AND BOTH WENT INTO THE PLAYOFFS AS THE NUMBER 3 SEED IN THEIR CONFERENCES…
IN THE FIRST ROUND…THE CAPITALS WERE BOUNCED BY PHILADELPHIA…
AND THE WILD WERE BEATEN BY COLORADO…
IN FACT…SINCE THE LOCK OUT…NOT ONE…NOT ONE…THIRD SEED HAS ADVANCED PAST THE SECOND ROUND…
ALSO LAST YEAR…THE MONTREAL CANADIANS WERE THE NUMBER 1 SEED IN THE EAST…WITH A 104 POINTS…
IN THE SECOND ROUND THE HABS MET THE FLYERS…THE NUMBER 6 SEED…
5 GAMES LATER THE CANADAINS WERE PLAYING GOLF…
EVEN WINNING THE PRESIDENT’S TROPHY…
WHICH GOES TO THE TEAM WITH THE BEST RECORD IN THE REGULAR SEASON…
DOES NOT INSURE SUCCESS IN THE PLAYOFFS…
SINCE 1986…ONLY 7 TEAMS HAVE WON THAT TROPHY AND GONE ONTO WIN THE STANLEY CUP…
NO!!!WHAT TRULY MATTERS AT THIS TIME OF THE YEAR ARE THREE THINGS…
THE FIRST…AND MOST IMPORTANT IS…HEALTH…
THE SECOND IS…GOALTENDING…
AND THE THIRD IS THE OVER ALL PLAY OF THE TEAM…
UP UNTIL LAST WEEK THE CANUCKS WERE THREE FOR THREE…
THAT WAS UNTIL THEY LOST 3 STRAIGHT…AND ROBERTO LUONGO LET IN 13 GOALS…
IN HOCKEY…AS IN LIFE…SUCCESS COMES FROM WORKING ON THOSE THINGS IN YOUR CONTROL…
WHAT THE CANUCKS REALLY NEED TONIGHT…IS TO FIND THEIR GAME…
FOR THE RECORD…
IN THE 40 YEARS…THE CANUCKS HAVE WON 5 DIVISION TITLES…
DO YOU REMEMBER WHERE YOU WERE…FOR ANY OF THEM???

Win and You're in

WIN AND YOU’RE IN…
IT’S THAT SIMPLE FOR THE VANCOUVER CANUCKS…
THEY ARE NOW JUST ONE VICTORY AWAY FROM CLINCHING A PLAYOFF SPOT…
MUSIC TO THE EARS TO THE FANS WHO HAVE SUFFERED SO MUCH…
IN THE LAST 15 YEARS THE CANUCKS HAVE MISSED THE PLAYOFFS 6 TIMES…
INCLUDING 2 OF THE LAST 3 SEASONS…
AND IN THE 7 SEASONS THEY DID QUALIFY…THEY WERE BOUNCED IN THE FIRST ROUND…4 TIMES…
AND BOUNCED IN THE SECOND ROUND…3 TIMES…
OH…AND THERE’S THE LOCKOUT THAT WIPED OUT AN ENTIRE SEASON…
SO IT’S EASY TO UNDERSTAND WHY THERE IS SO MUCH EXCITEMENT IN THIS CITY…
THE CANUCKS ARE IN FIRST PLACE IN THE NORTH WEST DIVISION…
THEY HAVE WON 11 STRAIGHT AT HOME…
ROBERTO LUONGO IS NOW BEING CONSIDERED FOR THE VEZINA…
HEAD COACH ALAIN VIGNEAULT FOR THE JACK ADAMS…
AND ALEX BURROWS FOR TEAM CANADA…
BUT TODAY THE CANUCKS MAY HAVE RECEIVED THE ULTIMATE COMPLIMENT…
PIERRE LEBRUN OF HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA HAS APOLOGIZED TO THE TEAM…
THREE WEEKS AGO LUBRUN WAS DOING AN INTERVIEW WITH ROBERTO LUONGO WHEN SUGGEST THE CANUCKS WERE A “DARK HORSE” IN THE WEST…
HE PLACED THEM BEHIND…SAN JOSE…DETROIT…CALGARY AND CHICAGO…
LUONGO WAS NOT HAPPY…
HE RE-ACTED WITH THIS STATEMENT…”WE KNOW WE CAN COMPETE AND GIVE THESE GUYS A RUN FOR THEIR MONEY”…
TODAY LEBRUN WROTE IN HIS COLUMN FOR ESPN…QUOTE…
“MR LUONGO WE OWE YOU AN APOLOGY”…
IT TAKES A LOT GUTS FOR A MAN TO KNOW WHEN HE’S WRONG…AND EVEN MORE TO ADMITT IT…
5 MONTHS AGO…DON TAYLOR PREDICTED THE CANUCKS WOULD NOT EVEN MAKE THE PLAYOFFS…
FOR 76 GAMES TAYLOR HAS REFUSED TO BACK DOWN…
SO TODAY…THERE ARE TWO QUESTIONS THAT NEED TO BE ANSWERED…
THE FIRST IS…
WILL DON TAYLOR FINALLY ADMITT HE WAS WRONG AND APOLOGIZE???
AND THE SECOND IS…
DO YOU…THE CANUCK NATION…WANT HIM BACK???