I Honestly Think Vancouver Has A Shot At The Stanley Cup

[Michael Griffiths]

Since Christmas, they (the Canucks) have the best record in the entire league, and have been able to beat any team they play. Not only that, they are amazing under pressure, as they've had to win almost every game this month in order to make the playoffs -- and they have done just that. They've risen to the challenge, night in and night out.

My argument is, since they've been been playing basically playoff hockey for about a month, they are probably more focused right now than any other team in the NHL, and since they are also the hottest and best team in the league right now, they can do some serious damage in the playoffs.

Further, they have two of the top three scorers in the entire league! How many teams get to boast that? Not many since the Oilers and Penguins had their day.

Anyone agree?

(On a side note, it's interesting that the top 3 scorers in the league this year play on Canadian teams. And it's the first time since 1987 that a player on a Canadian team has won the scoring title (Gretzky, playing for Edmonton). In fact, this will be the first year in something like 22 years that someone other than Gretzky, Lemieux or Jagr will win the scoring title. Crazy.)

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The Tempest

[This message has been edited by Michael Griffiths (edited 04-13-2002).]

 

[kobayashi]

Originally posted by Michael Griffiths:
Since Christmas, they (the Canucks) have the best record in the entire league

the canucks are definetely a contender in the west. i think we will see the west come down to vancouver(if they don't burn out), colorado and detroit.

i really think the winners of the east will be either toronto or new jersey. i don't think boston has the fortitude to pull out a successful playoff for that long a time.

essentially i think the cup is wide open.

you make a good point about top players being in canada. how about the number of canadians at the top of the scoring race?

iginla, murray, shanahan and lindros are all in the top 10 for goals while iginla, bertuzzi, sakic, francis and oates are in the top 10 for points.

what was that herb brooks said the day before the gold medal game in salt lake?
something about a stu-pid game?

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slowly, by our own designs, we suppressed those we became dependant upon. then there was an uproar

 

[The Wanderer]

it's not impossible, there are several teams with a legitimate shot, but it can also backfire that Vancouver has been forced to play with such intensity for the 2nd half of the season, they could eventually wear out mentally and physically; and btw, the Devils over here in the East are playing as well as anyone (14-3-1 down the strech)

I did say last week in another thread that I thought we could see some major upsets in the opening round of the Western Conference playoffs (when was the last time Detroit or Colorado played an important game?)

 

[bonoman]

Well i must totally agree with you!!

I love Vancovers game.

My Oilers arnt in but i will be cheering for the Canucks!!

I hated to see a fellow canadian team knock out a canadian team(calgary-edmonton). But we didnt deserve to make the playoffs if we couldnt beat calgary!!

GO CANUCKS!!!!

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Running to Stand Still-"you gotta cry without weeping, talk without speaking, scream without raising your voice."

"we're not burning out we're burning up...we're the loudest folk band in the world!"-Bono

 

[kobayashi]

Originally posted by The Wanderer:
the Devils over here in the East are playing as well as anyone (14-3-1 down the strech)

well if the islanders can't pull off a victory tomorrow against philly it is devils and leafs. again. should be a good one

 

[Michael Griffiths]

Today's Vancouver Province front page headline:

"We're the league's highest scoring team. We have 2 of the top 3 scorers in the league. And we have the best record since Christmas -- Bring on the competition!"

Yes, playoff fever has hit this city!

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The Tempest

 

[Zoomerang96]

you know, why dont i put my view like this on the canucks:

if they beat out detroit theres no stopping them. period.

however, wanderer has pointed out something of importance. burnout. i agree completely, but i think wed have seen something in the calgary game. in their first non-must win game, they hammered them.

cant wait for the playoffs!

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-deathbear

 

[LarryMullen's POPAngel]

Originally posted by Zoomerang96:

if they beat out detroit theres no stopping them. period.

Don't say that!! lol

I have been getting pulled back into hockey lately, and I keep telling myself that the Wings are saving themselves for the playoffs. (They lost again today. Ugh.)

But if another team had to win the cup, it'd be cool to see Vancouver get it. I remember rooting for them back in 94 when they were playing the Rangers.

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Do you have an opinion, a mind of your own?
I thought you were special, I thought you should know

 

[Michael Griffiths]

Yeah, there was a lottery sale today at GM Place to see who has a shot at buying tickets. I couldn't get there (work), so I will have to rely on those slimy bastards in the long coats. On second thought, I don't have hundreds of dollars to spend on a playoff game, so Hockey Night In Canada it is then...

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The Tempest

 

[The Wanderer]

I also feel that Montreal has a serious chance to upset Boston

 

[LarryMullen's POPAngel]

Originally posted by Michael Griffiths:
Yeah, there was a lottery sale today at GM Place to see who has a shot at buying tickets. I couldn't get there (work), so I will have to rely on those slimy bastards in the long coats. On second thought, I don't have hundreds of dollars to spend on a playoff game, so Hockey Night In Canada it is then...

Hey, HNIC RULES!!

(Not Canadian, but lives near the border and gets CBC.)

 

[The Blunt Edge]

Detroit's a tough first round assignment but I think the ole Canuckleheads have a decent shot at upsetting them. Just tried to get Canucks playoff tickets, but no luck. Looks like I'll just have to watch it on the CBC. Go Canucks Go!!

 

[kobayashi]

Originally posted by The Wanderer:
I also feel that Montreal has a serious chance to upset Boston

if boston uses its size i don't see the habs prevailing.
aside from koivu inspiration montreal really only beats the bruins in net, but we've seen montreal prove how valuable that can be in the past...

 

[Michael Griffiths]

Wasn't that game incredible! Up and down, nerve racking hockey. I thought that overtime was going to cause me a heart attack! In the end, Vancouver somehow, anyhow, managed to do it again. They manage to pull the rabit out of the hat over and over it seems. It was kind of odd to hear an entire arena dead silent like that, right after the Canucks scored in OT. What a shocker.

Well, the sun is shining here in Vancouver; the snow-capped North Shore Mountains are magestic as always, and all seems right in the universe...

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The Tempest

 

[The Wanderer]

cheap goal but who cares, so was the Larionov goal in the 3rd; did anyone see the look Hasek gave his defensemen after the game-winner? not a good idea to show up your teammates, just suck it up and move on, no need to be pointing fingers the moment something goes wrong

oh, and Detroit is still winless in April...

Philly didn't play well from what I saw, but Ottawa is inept in close playoff games, just ask are resident Maple Leafs fan

NJ played ok in 2-1 loss, but are clearly under-manned without Nieuwendyk, Sykora and Gomez; Irbe was solid but the Devils didn't have that many high quality scoring chances; faceoffs were a nightmare, lost 40 of 60, good news is that Nieuwendyk will be back for game 2, still day-to-day with Sykora's foot injury, Gomez unavailable for 1st round

I'm not watching San Jose/Phoenix, would someone else like to comment on that one?

 

[kobayashi]

Originally posted by The Wanderer:
just ask are resident Maple Leafs fan

it's true

i unfortunately had to entertain an ottawa girl tonight who had been dumped by her boyfriend so got stuck watching those two teams plod around the ice. based on that game they should both be eliminated in the first round.
i like vancouver's resilience. for a lot of those guys it was their first playoff experience and it was in detroit, so called 'hockey town', and they came back from 3 deficits to win, in overtime at that!

 

[The Blunt Edge]

I have trouble calling Detroit "Hockeytown" when I see empty seats during a playoff game, while I can't get tickets to a Canucks game. Bah!

I thought the Wings/Canucks game was pretty sloppy last night. Canucks were horrible on the power play and weren't passing very well, and Detroit at times looked a bit confused in their own end. Cloutier outplayed Hasek and that'll need to continue to happen if Vancouver are going to beat the Wings. But full marks to the Canucks for pulling off the win in Detroit. Now, let's make it 2-0 on Friday ...

 

[ladywithspinninghead]

Woohoo!! Well, after last night, I think my beloved Canadiens may have a fair shot!!!!

5-2 but almost was 6-2!!!!!!!!!! Yeah!!!

 

[kobayashi]

another great game for the canucks tonight. defensively controlled the wings forwards, shanahan and the like had a very limited number of hits, and hasek had an at best shaky game. though hasek is not the only problem, i think bowman would be warranted in starting legace in game 3. evidently 'playoff' atmosphere has done very little in raising the ire of the wings players, save stevey yzerman who had a characteristically courageous performance. perhaps switching the goalie up for a period for a bit is the answer. we'll have to see if bowman has the balls.
<--cannot believe he was stupid enough to publicly appear to be suggesting coaching strategy to scotty bowman.

carolina played a great game tonight against the devils. irbe looked excellent in the net turing aside all but 1 of jersey's limited shots. brindamour and francis look great and should continue giving the devils trouble in east rutherford.

 

[The Wanderer]

kobayashi, I find it baffling how everyone keeps saying that Irbe has stolen the first two games of this series, game 2 was basically the same as game 1 -- limited scoring chances for both teams

Kevin Costantine has the Devils reverting to grind it out, ultra-conservative hockey and it didnt work after 95, and playing a more open style and relying on the skill of your players got the Devils to the Finals the last two years, this is ugly and headed no where

 

[kobayashi]

Originally posted by The Wanderer:
kobayashi, I find it baffling how everyone keeps saying that Irbe has stolen the first two games of this series

did i say that? i didn't think i said it but maybe.
irbe is playing well but keep in mind what was expected of irbe versus brodeur going in. relative to those early expectations irbe is playing incredible to brodeur's mediocrity. i didn't see the OT goal tonight(thanks to sportsnet losing their feed about 5 minutes into OT

) but thought brodeur missed at least one goal on wednesday night, i can't remember now but did he not get beat 5 hole once.
the canes are truly an ensemble cast: irbe, francis, brindamour, battaglia, kapanen and upstart cole. i'm sure i'm forgetting some there

 

[Michael Griffiths]

The Canucks are not surprising me anymore. Living in Vancouver, we've known how good they've been since Christmas (having the best record since then), and this is their 10th straight win, while being unbeaten in 11 (including the end of regular season play). They are plainly the best team in the league, and now the secret's out.

The line of Naslusd, Burtuzzi and Morrison is the best in the NHL, and Naslund's goal tonight was scored on another typically amazing shot. Looked like Lemieux there for a second. He just kind of hangs onto the puck during the follow-through, and releases a bullet with precise aim -- in tonight's case, right into the top corner.

By the way, Wanderer, thanks for giving us Morrison! He's an amazing player. Nice guy, too.

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The Tempest

 

[The Wanderer]

well thanks for giving us Mogilny, he did help us win a Cup

koby, I just meant in general people who arent really watching the series seem to be looking just at the shot totals and are being mislead. Brodeur gave up a 5-hole goal on the 2nd Carolina goal in Game 1, he also made 2 breakaway saves and a 2-on-1 save in the 3rd keeping the Devils in it; tonight the 1st goal was a re-direction of a bouncing puck and the shot looked like it fluttered as Cole clearly didnt get a clear shot off, it was a bit lucky, not a bad goal at all, and the OT goal came after a lazy clearing pass was knocked down at the point and sent to Battaglia who was all alone in front for a quick re-direction of the shot, it clanged in off the top right corner cross-bar, a perfect one-time re-direction, again, not a bad goal at all (and Brodeur made some big saves including two of note against Cole when the game was tied at 1)

I know what you're saying about people expecting the Devils to win easily, and it irritates me because Brodeur gives up 4 goals in 7 periods, and people start to say it's his fault the Devils aren't winning... nonsense, they aren't generating any offense, this is a team that never replaced Mogilny and are playing without their 2nd line center (Gomez) and Sykora played sparingly because of a foot injury (he couldnt even skate two days ago)

but I'm curious as to what you thought of the Rafalski goal that was waved off in the 3rd period

*Vancouver will have a great shot to win the Cup if Cloutier can continue to play this well, though it's doesn't really seem like a case of Cloutier dominating, Hasek just isn't getting the job done and Vancouver has scored some crazy goals; no argument about Naslund, Burtuzzi, Morrison, right now they are the best, but Sakic's line might have something to say about that later in the playoffs, I don't care who Sakic is playing with, he's as clutch a player as there is in hockey today

 

[Zoomerang96]

great canucks game, but they havent won anything yet.

however, id hate to be in the position the wings find themselves in...going to rowdy vancouver 0-2.

if there is anything more inspiring in hockey than watching yzerman, i dont know what it is. it looked like he couldnt even do cross-overs.

that man is a pure class act. ive never had as much respect for him as i have this year.

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-deathbear

 

[kobayashi]

Originally posted by The Wanderer:
well thanks for giving us Mogilny, he did help us win a Cup
.
.
.
but I'm curious as to what you thought of the Rafalski goal that was waved off in the 3rd period

thanks for giving us mogilny, he's gonna try to help us win a cup

(i hope.)
as for the rafalski goal I think it was a good call. irbe was knocked off his feet for a moment and that was just long enough for the shot to get through. whoever was passing by was not pushed or forced in they just clipped the goalie. had it not been called there might have been some groaning but i think we've all seen much worse non-calls.
my problem is it doesn't come off looking like a very good call for 2 reasons:
1. if you're gonna disallow the goal, there must also be cause for a goaltender interference penalty. if there had been no coincedental goal, would they have called a penalty? if not then they shouldn't be disallowing the goal.

2. the rule is applied with no consistency whatsoever as with many other things in the nhl.

 

[The Wanderer]

not only was there no penalty, but the goalie was several feet out of the blue crease, he left the crease as he often does to move up and be aggressive, challenging the shooter, and he was bumped, he wasn't run or knocked over... but as you said, there is absolutely no consistency to this rule (btw, Ray Bourque and Pat Verbeek are doing post-game coverage on ESPN here in the US, and they both said they thought it was a bad call)

 

[kobayashi]

Originally posted by The Wanderer:
not only was there no penalty, but the goalie was several feet out of the blue crease, he left the crease as he often does to move up and be aggressive, challenging the shooter, and he was bumped, he wasn't run or knocked over... but as you said, there is absolutely no consistency to this rule (btw, Ray Bourque and Pat Verbeek are doing post-game coverage on ESPN here in the US, and they both said they thought it was a bad call)

you think he was right out? to me it looked like he was on the edge. i could see it being considered a bad call as easily as carolina fans(that sounds weird) would have complained.
ray bourque is doing espn? my center ice didn't have the game cause we got it locally on cable but i would have liked to hear that. can't wait for tommorow aft. i've already ordered the blue...so even if the leafs can't pull it off, i won't notice till sunday

 

[Michael Griffiths]

As for Yzerman, he's the most DYNAMIC player in the NHL. I don't know if it makes Detroit look really bad or Yzerman really good, but either way, when your best player is only at 60 percent, and not only is he in on both Detroit goals, but he's also your most physical presence, that's saying something. He was simply outstanding, playing with one knee to boot. Don't tell anyone this, but I actually felt sorry for him last night. The rest of his teammates should give themselves a long hard look in the mirror. They should be ashamed of themselves. That said, I hope the Canucks win. It's just that Yzerman was such a key in the gold medal game for us, and he's such a great sportsman. He might be my second favourite player of all time.

Did you see that behind the back pass right on the tape for his first point? Unbelievable player...dynamic is the word.

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The Tempest

 

[Zoomerang96]

i smell a yzerman appreciation thread in lemonade stand shortly. i cant stress how awesome that guy is. and that said, i want the canucks to win.

looks like the devils are about to win... i seriously think theyre gonna win this series in six.

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-deathbear

 

[The Wanderer]

4-0 and a couple of posts, a goal waved off that was probably a goal... could have seriously been 7/8 - 0 today