Next Year - Congrats Chicago Blackhawks

[mattola]

Next Year – A Statement synonymous with the Vancouver Canucks. Especially when it comes to second round defeats. Every Year its the same story with this franchise. In 40 years as a fan of this team we have seen them advance twice past the second round, only to be defeated in the Finals. This is becoming the same story too many years in a row.

Every year Canuck fans get the hope that this is THE team this is THE year only to see them fail again in a more deplorable fashion.

This year may have been the worse. From being the best Western Conference Home team and the 2nd best in the NHL the Canucks won 2 out of 5 games on home Ice in the playoffs. In the Chicago Series? NONE…. 0-3 they also did it in the most embarrassing way. they were outhit, outshot and outscored 17-8. ON HOME ICE. In the now infamous game 6 the Canucks whimpered away onto the golf course for an other year of no Stanley Cup. The Canucks have NEVER won a second round series when trailing in the series. The Last 2 that they have lost in (Both to Chicago were BLOW OUTS)

The Canucks never stood a chance in this series. Luongo never found his game and the lack of Depth on the 3rd and 4th lines and the defense gave Chicago the advantage the whole series. With Luongo playing his worst hockey of the season the Canucks were forced to try to match the Hawks player for player something that couldn’t be done last year and was not addressed in the off season by Mike Gillis.

The Canucks were simply outplayed in every fashion and out coached. Isn’t that what better teams are supposed to do? Luongo really needed to steal games from the Hawks something he just couldn’t do. The Hawks were coached very well and had an answer for every Canuck on the roster. Canuck fans are calling for the heads of AV, Gillis, Luongo, the Sedins are sisters again apparently even though they had the best seasons they have ever had and showed a new grit and Emotion not seen before in them, but hey they didnt satisfy the “What have you done for me lately” group. What needs to happen is the entire team, and fan base just need to step back breathe and enjoy another early summer in Vancouver and at least remember some good things this year.

- Burrows had 35 goals
- Samuelsson had over 30 goals
- Henrik Sedin won the Art Ross and was nominated for the Hart and Ted Lindsey trophies
- Daniel had a Career year despite missing almost 20 games
- Mason Raymond had a career year and a 20+ goal season
- Pavol Demitras contract is finally over
- Kesler had a Career year
- Luongo is signed long term and no matter how you feel about him that is a good thing at a $5.2 M cap hit there are options in that deal and allow trades but that is a subject for another time and one I do not believe should happen.

Shine up the clubs again…..

Congrats Chicago you WERE the better team. I see you going to the Finals.

GO CANUCKS GO

 

[mooger_35]

Not to nitpick but we were 2-6 on home ice.

2-1 vs LA
0-3 vs Chicago

I agree with everything else. It was a successful year individual wise, just not for the team in the end. Injuries had a lot to do with it but so did Chicago. We were outplayed, and even in the two games we did win, if not for Luongo early, we could have lost those too.

This team will look very similar next year too. Only a handful of fringe players have contracts that are up so unless there are deals, we'll be going into 2010/11 with this roster. Hopefully plus a couple young energenic prospects (Hodgson & Schroeder).

 

[jstewismybastardson]

the Sedins are sisters again apparently even though they had the best seasons they have ever had and showed a new grit and Emotion not seen before in them, but hey they didnt satisfy the “What have you done for me lately” group.

I am completely fuckin sick of hearing the bolded comment

what the fuck do they have to do? They were point per game. No one else on the team stepped up offensively in the second round. With Kesler hurt line 2 was a nothing line. And to top it off Vigneault did virtually nothing to get the Sedins away from the Toews line or Keith and Seabrook duo on the back end.

though everyone on the team deserves some blame for me Im not putting any of this mess on the Sedins

Keith, a Penticton resident, says being out against the Sedins every shift was a challenge for himself and blueline partner Seabrook. But Keith figures the criticism of the Swedes, now and over the years, is unwarranted.

"I live in B.C. and I don't understand it (the criticism)," said Keith. "Being from there, I know there's a lot of pressure on them and I think they've done pretty good over the years. "I think they've been good. For me and Seabrook they've been very challenging. We have a lot of respect for them, the way they play. They battle hard, they take hits, they make plays under pressure."



btw ... why not dress a 7th d man when you have one guy playing with a frozen dong region?

 

[jstewismybastardson]

Not to nitpick but we were 2-6 on home ice.

2-1 vs LA
0-3 vs Chicago

I agree with everything else. It was a successful year individual wise, just not for the team in the end. Injuries had a lot to do with it but so did Chicago. We were outplayed, and even in the two games we did win, if not for Luongo early, we could have lost those too.

This team will look very similar next year too. Only a handful of fringe players have contracts that are up so unless there are deals, we'll be going into 2010/11 with this roster. Hopefully plus a couple young energenic prospects (Hodgson & Schroeder).

im wishing somehow that Connauton can be a Marc-Eduard Vlasic type guy and step in next year


/i know Im dreaming

 

[mattola]

I am completely fuckin sick of hearing the bolded comment

Just to be clear which I dont think it came out that way. I am NOT calling them sisters. I sat in the stands last night listening to about 5 sets of fans doing that and its on the radio again. I think they are tougher than they have ever been and have played their best hockey yet and will be better even next year....

 

[mattola]

thanks for that um correction Mooger. nice to see we were even more futile on home ice than I thought lol

 

[mooger_35]

My correction should of been 2 of 6. Not 2-6.

But ya, it's still worse than your 2 of 5

 

[puckhead]

Not to nitpick but we were 2-6 on home ice.

2-1 vs LA
0-3 vs Chicago

Not to nitpick but we were 2-4 on home ice.

Nice post matty (+1 rep)

I do like this team. they are good, but not great. way too inconsistent, and way too fragile (confidence, emotions, etc). They are not a tough team to play against.

I want Wellwood gone, which is likely given the arrival of Hodgson. The little two feet suicide passes when he stickhandles into trouble drive me absolutely nuts. Like the one to Demitra for the killer 3-0 shorty, or the flip pass in his zone to Edler in the last series with Dustin Brown bearing down on them (I'm surprised Edler got up from that one). he's a chickenshit player, and it hurts the team.

I want Bieksa gone, or at least WAY down on the depth chart. just stupid, stupid plays way too often. You can't take a fucking pass off of the boards? (led to the 2-0 goal last night). I was cursing him out about every other game in these playoffs for a Special Kev moment. Poor coverage, ill-advised passes, plays tough at all the wrong moments. Frustrating, because every now and then he puts a heck of a game together.

I want an upgraded 4th line. Tanner Glass doesn't belong in the NHL. So long Hordi, Rypien has replaced you, but needs to be more effective in his own right.

I want Luongo to take some responsibility and give a shit. Kudos to him for standing in and taking every question, but there were far too many "I don't know what to say" answers.

 

[mooger_35]

Not to nitpick but we were 2-4 on home ice.

I caught it one post up

 

[mattola]

Not to nitpick but we were 2-4 on home ice.

frak it WE SUCKED ON HOME ICE

 

[puckhead]

im wishing somehow that Connauton can be a Marc-Eduard Vlasic type guy and step in next year


/i know Im dreaming

He really was a man among boys on the Giants team this year.
24 goals and 72 points in 69 games as a d-man (G and Pts both franchise records).
another 13 points in 16 playoff games.

He ran the powerplay, played all the big minutes.
I wouldn't be that surprised if he bypassed the Moose altogether.

 

[mooger_35]

Amazing for a team that won 30 games there during the regular season.

The Hawks are in their heads. And I hope we don't face them next year.

 

[puckhead]

I caught it one post up

took me a few minutes to type the rest of the post-mortem

 

[jstewismybastardson]

He really was a man among boys on the Giants team this year.
24 goals and 72 points in 69 games as a d-man (G and Pts both franchise records).
another 13 points in 16 playoff games.

He ran the powerplay, played all the big minutes.
I wouldn't be that surprised if he bypassed the Moose altogether.

yes Im captain obvious but they need to get a dman in the first round. I see Marc Tinordi's son is ranked around 25th. And then there is my man crush Dylan McIlrath

 

[ROOLZ]

believe me, as a Caps fan, i feel your pain, and am sick of saying maybe next year.

It sucks man, but what can you do..You'll get over it. Might take some time, as it did for me, but you'll get over it. Trust me