Game One Recap: OT Thrilla!

Holy crap I'm tired. Granted I didn't stop 72 shots or play 54:27 like Kevin Bieksa but I did watch/listen (that will require a separate Versus post all together) until damn near 4:00 AM EST. My alarm goes off 90 minutes later. Suffice it to say, I need a coffee IV. Or maybe a New Jersey special coffee is in order.

But what more can you say? 6^th longest game in NHL history (at least “modern” NHL history; I am required to say that or Don Cherry will show up on my doorstep and give me a curbie), longest in Canuck history and most saves by a Vancouver netminder in the playoffs…shit Luongo will you just stop breaking records? We allllllll get it, you’re really good at what you do. Someone hug this guy or something, he needs some reassurance.

Can’t this team just play 60 minutes and score enough to just end the game? No, no we can’t? OK, fair enough.

I didn’t get to drunkblog this one (I got my eye on game 2) but here were my favorite and least favorite moments:

Bad: Sopel can’t pick up a cracker.
Good: Sopel isn’t playing.

Bad: Jan Bulis taking a hooking penalty in the offensive zone penalty at the end of the first.
Good: Matt Cooke, while trying to check Modano I think, ends up slamming Bulis instead as the hooking penalty is being called. Coincidence?

Bad: Vancouver ending the night 1-8 with the man advantage.
Good: Canucks killed off 6 of 7 Dallas power plays.

Bad: Matt Cooke and Alex Burrows going down with injuries.
Good: Say it with me: “we want Rypien!”

Bad: Being outshoot by Dallas 76-56.
Good: Having Marty Turco to shoot at (5 GA, 2.18 GAA).

Bad: Coughing up two late third period goals.
Good: Luongo’s perfect 36 saves in 4 OT’s.

Bad: Markus Naslund’s regular season (not bad, but you understand).
Good: Naslund’s playoff opener (1 G, 1 A); he was everywhere and as dominant as I’ve seen him all year.

Bad: All the media monkeys who said the Canucks can’t score.
Good: 5 different goal scorers, 9 guys with points. Suck it.

It wasn’t pretty, but it was a win. Luongo was unreal, Naslund was on fire, the twins were the twins and the team hung in there with a shortened bench for the equivalent of a hockey doubleheader. The heart of this team is un-fucking-real.