3.05.2007

This is our concern, Dude.

At this rate the playoffs will be extremely mild since the Canucks manage to make almost every normal game now feel like one. Although, perhaps that's just my take from missing the post season for a year and trying to get my postseason fix somewhere. But it was a solid game that had surprisingly few penalties. Not bad for the Canucks…but hey, it’s not like hockey is a violent sport (h/t Kukla) now is it?

The good? The Canucks dominated most of the play and everyone was contributing. Luongo was soft at times, but got it done in the final minutes, the OT and the shootout. Bieska, Sopel and Salo jumping into the offensive rushes is great while Ohlund and Mitchell (even with his two assists) shut down Minny’s top guns most of the night. Jeff Cowan’s going to need to pace himself because, unless he gets a hat trick in the next game, the callers in to Team 1040 will want him in Manitoba before the end of the week (am I too cynical? No, can’t be). The twins, Morrison, Smolinski and even Bulis all had nice rushes. All in all, the team actually used its’ strengths and it was great to see.

The bad? They only played 40 minutes. Again. I don’t know the logic of why the team likes to shit themselves in one of any three periods a night, but after two solid periods, they laid back in the third and let the Wild storm into their end repeatedly. Luongo saving them like that was nice the beginning of the year, but it would be great to see this effort run the tape to a full sixty minute effort.

A query: Does anyone know if Sami Salo wears a mouthguard or does he chain smoke like a 75 year old woman playing the nickel slots?

A parting shot: I shouldn’t even bother with this, but if you were curious, Terry Frei’s still bringing up the Bertuzzi/Moore incident and blaming Naslund. You can almost see Frei standing on a cold Denver street corner wear nothing but carpet samples around his pale waist telling anyone that passes by how it’s all Naslund’s fault and not, maybe, a terrible overreaction started by a guy who was getting a name for such hits. Perhaps Frei could also take a note from his home town captain that Selanne, too, isn’t going to care that May is now on his team in Anaheim. But just wave the ‘Bertuzzi is evil’ flag Terry. Crawford, May, Burke, Naslund, Bertuzzi, the hot chick in section 212, the goal judges, everyone's at fault. Fin too, you know he paid off someone. You can never trust an Orcinus orca anyway. Can one sue an animal? Maybe in Texas...

(And in case you subscribe to the simpleminded “if you’re not with us, you’re against us” way of life, defending Naslund or criticizing Moore doesn’t mean I’m pro spinal damage. What happened to Moore was awful, period. But don’t let Frei obscure the reality we all live in.)

OK, enough of that. Back to the fun: the game tomorrow against the Lightning should be good with both teams trying to shake off rivals for their respective divisional titles. Call it a 3-2 win for Vancouver now. In regulation. A full 60 minute effort. Please?

7 comments:

Jenny said...

it seems everyone is still bringing up the bertuzzi / moore incident !!!

everytime bertuzzi's name is mentioned in an article the next few sentences are always dedicated to

" bertuzzi who cheapshotted moore causing him to fracture his neck - moore still hasn't played since " yadda yadda yadda.

GET OVER IT ALREADY!

Mike said...

Well, that's almost his cross to bear and don't feel so bad about it. He did do it afterall and I'm sure Moore would gladly change places with him if that's how bad it gets for Bert.

My problem is Frei calling Naslund out. As if to say Naslund saying anything, even something as polite as what Drury said after the BUF/OTT game, would have stopped guys keeping their eye out for him is absurd. Frei's reasoning is paper thin.

Just wait until Bert actually plays as a Red Wing in denver. Ugh...

Temujin said...

I wondered about Salo's teeth as well. He makes oodles of cash and cannot even afford Crest Whitening strips?

Geez!

Mike said...

Seriously! I so badly want it to be a dirty mouth guard...but yeah, the guy needs to rethink his dental habits.

As you can tell, I'm really highlighting incredibly important aspects of hockey over here in my corner of the web, huh?!

Sean Zandberg said...

Haha! I thought it was a mouth guard as well!

Terry Frei is a fucktard. Blaming Naslund is just goofy. I still blame the instigator rule and Bertuzzi's ticking time bomb temperament.

Mike, since the Canucks like to win these games by one goal, I think that watching them in the playoffs is going to be a stressful experience. Just not the same stressful that it was under the Crawford regime. At least this team can defend a lead. But when they are only up by 1 goal, the clock takes too damned long to tick down!

Unknown said...

Yeah, one goal games are easier on the mind now, but it would be fantastic if they stop relying on Luongo in the third like that. You just knew the end of that Wild game was going to be bad.

Tonight will be an interesting test. I'm excited to see it.

Jenny said...

now that was a nice game to see - a full 60 minutes or pretty close to it anyway.

lots of goals - shots to a minimum

Minnesota lost :D
we won :D

its a good day