WCF - (1) Vancouver Canucks vs (2) San Jose Sharks Series Thread

[puckhead]

lol.

* One of the most entertaining moments of the game came before it had officially started, as Joe Thornton and Ryan Kesler jostled for position on the game’s first faceoff. Eventually, both would be thrown out of the circle, leading to a much less interesting opening draw: Patrick Marleau vs. Mason Raymond. The two wingers said “Hello,” smiled politely at one another, then exchanged e-mails before the linesman dropped the puck.

Thornton and Kesler will be an interesting matchup throughout this series, especially because of the reputation each has accrued. Kesler has a reputation as a shutdown guy; Thornton has a reputation as a guy who can get shut down. You’ve got to imagine Jumbo Joe will be motivated to win this this series battle, and he certainly did tonight, notching two points, and winning 6-of-9 draws against Kesler, including 5-of-5 in the neutral zone. That said, tonight played out a little like that commercial where the old lady in the motorized scooter beats the two sports cars to a parking spot. In this metaphor, Henrik Sedin is that old lady.

I Watched This Game: Canucks vs Sharks, May 15, 2011 | Vancouver Sun Sports Blogs

 

[jstewismybastardson]

Gallagher subtle-ly hating on Luongo (like DaBolts did comparing Luongo to Osgood)

Gallagher: Canucks Cup run reminiscent of Motor City

dantolensky twitter:
Since the benching vs Chicago, Roberto Luongo has won six of his last eight starts, allowing just 14 goals on 225 shots- 1.58 GAA, .938 SVP.

looking at those games i say 5 goals were either Luongo gaffes or just horrible puck luck (pucks off dman)

#1: last nights Thornton goal off bad puck handling
#2: Nash game 6 Legwand bad angle/behind the net goal
#3: Nash game 5 Legwand over the net and off Edlers glove
#4: Nash game 3 Ward wraparound goal off Ehrhoffs skate
#5: Nash game 2 Suter behind the net goal

"IF my aunt had nuts" ...the numbers would be

9 goals allowed on 225 shots, 1.02 GAA and .960 SVP

 

[mooger_35]

He's been great minus 1 brain fart per game. And not all of those farts have been his own.

 

[puckhead]

He's been great minus 1 brain fart per game. And not all of those farts have been his own.

yeesh - I think he's pissed at the Sedins for something (maybe taking the 'C').
it seems everyone of those brainfarts tags the twins with a minus
- yes they were on the ice for Thornton's goal, too

 

[puckhead]

didnt see it posted here but that moment they showed AV laughing when they had that defenisve zone faceoff coming with less than a minute left after the icing call ... and no centres on the ice (Burrows and DSedin)

Henrik went up to him and asked him if he wanted him to switch jerseys with Daniel and get on the ice (lol)

 

[jstewismybastardson]

After the game, Elliotte Friedman asked Henrik what was said in the exchange, and the captain replied, “I’ll never say.”

Solid joke, Hank, and it definitely explains Vigneault’s unabashed laughter. Henrik’s pout, however, remains unexplained

Could it be because HSedin wasnt joking

 

[puckhead]

Could it be because HSedin wasnt joking

lol... you could be right

 

[jstewismybastardson]

surrey lol ... if they end up rioting .. will they loot the pawn shops to egt their stuff back (Im sorry surrey that was uncalled for )


momentary bhangra dancing at the 6 second mark
[YOUTUBE]n2y26PJLnI0&feature=player_embedded[/YOUTUBE]

[YOUTUBE]xDBASiAayxA&feature=player_embedded[/YOUTUBE]

 

[jstewismybastardson]

cbc ratings for game 1

CBC's game 1 numbers: #lightning at #bruins, 2.3 million; #sharks at #canucks, 3.5 million

canada wants to see a canucks snuff film

 

[puckhead]

It begins, part 2: electric boogaloo

Dan Boyle, on game 1 - We had guys busting their humps to get up the ice, and the guy with the puck does absolutely nothing with it.




team dissension, you are a cruel, cruel mistress.

 

[jstewismybastardson]

It begins, part 2: electric boogaloo

Dan Boyle, on game 1 - We had guys busting their humps to get up the ice, and the guy with the puck does absolutely nothing with it.




team dissension, you are a cruel, cruel mistress.

Myyyyyyyy Dannnnyyyyyyyyyy Booooyle

Dan Boyle on Canucks diving: “Their heads are going back like they’re being shot with a gun." Here we go again...

 

[KillerVee]

Dan Boyle is constantly grumpy

 

[postmaster]

Myyyyyyyy Dannnnyyyyyyyyyy Booooyle

Dan Boyle on Canucks diving: “Their heads are going back like they’re being shot with a gun." Here we go again...

I'd like to see his quotes about his teammates last round.

 

[naes666]

LOLz.

 

[filosofy29]

I'd like to see his quotes about his teammates last round.

I really like how Jumbo's been playing this postseason. However, he did do one of the worst dives I've seen in quite awhile against Franzen.

 

[mattola]

I really like how Jumbo's been playing this postseason. However, he did do one of the worst dives I've seen in quite awhile against Franzen.

thank you filo for pointing that out.

 

[puckhead]

I really like how Jumbo's been playing this postseason. However, he did do one of the worst dives I've seen in quite awhile against Franzen.

this is a terrific gif.

 

[naes666]

this is a terrific gif.

classic! hahaha

i would give you rep but not till after this round...

 

[jstewismybastardson]

Botch with a pretty good read on Luongo





There is a Nike commercial about failure and it stars Michael Jordan.

It's been viewed more than 3.5 million times. It has 6,171 "likes" and just 102 "dislikes." In it, Jordan says: "I have lost almost 300 games."

Notice, he does not use the word "we."

In it, Jordan says there were 26 times where he was trusted to take the final shot — and he missed.

"I have failed over and over and over again in my life," Jordan says. "That is why I succeed."

He is vulnerable and superior and all at the same time. When you finish the 30-second clip, you like Jordan more than when you started it.

He has always made that — liking him — so easy. Roberto Luongo, however, has not.

Luongo is the goalie who can't seem to win, even when, well, he's winning. His goals-against average this postseason is 2.23 and his save percentage is .918. These are remarkable numbers if you consider he got shelled in two of his 13 starts.

Luongo is 9-5 this postseason, and just three wins away from getting to the Stanley Cup final. But there exists an unhealthy amount of negativity and criticism which follows him.

Luongo misplays a puck, giving up a goal, but wins and he's a liability. Antti Niemi does the exact same thing, but loses, and he's still a proven winner who nearly stole a game.

It suggests even if the Canucks do win it all, Luongo will not. Think of a main Olympics narrative. Team Canada won gold, Luongo apparently was just along for the ride.

"He never gets really a fair shake in this city and this league," Cory Schneider said Monday. "If we win it’s not because of him and if we lose it’s his fault, it seems like. It’s kind of a lose-lose proposition for him. But he’s ignored all the criticism, all the pressure and all the questions.

"I don’t know what more people want from him."

Take the Patrick Marleau goal Sunday. Luongo was criticized on the CBC telecast for playing too deep. But it's playing that deep which allowed him to have the best season of his career.

"That's a high tip, I don't know why anyone would criticize him," Schneider said. "You have to play the shot. I am just surprised people are questioning that goal.

"We are deeper, and we are looking over screens because of it. Not too many screen shots have gone in on us all year."

The proof is in the numbers. Both Schneider and Luongo had monster regular seasons and did it playing deeper.

Some of this is on Luongo. Whether or not his stick broke in Game 1, and he said it did, when he coughed up the Joe Thornton goal shouldn't matter. There is nothing wrong with saying you made a mistake. You want people to embrace you? Own it. Don't be afraid of failure and try, whenever possible, to take responsibility. It makes you easier to like and admire, something Luongo may or may not be interested in.

If he was, maybe he could have said something like this:

"I made a mistake. My puck handling is a hundred times better than it used to be. Mistakes happen. But it's not going to stop me from playing the puck. I have to keep doing it to keep 220-pound forwards off my defencemen's backs."

If only.

The reality is the Canucks need Luongo to play the puck to neutralize San Jose's heavy forecheck.

"A big part of us spending less time in our end is Roberto stopping the puck, setting up our defence and sometimes himself beating the forecheck," Alain Vigneault said.

On Monday, a question was posed to Vigneault about Niemi. Essentially, it boiled down to this: Was Niemi's greatest quality that he's a winner?

The question implied, some concluded, that Vigneault's goalie did not share the same winner's attribute.

Luongo may have more skills than Niemi, some believe, but not the same, and elusive, championship gene in his DNA. It's a familiar theory, but one splattered with gold-coloured holes.

"People talk about the past but the fact is in the past Vancouver was not the best team," Schneider said. "This year we are where we are supposed to be and people don’t seen satisfied with it.

"It’s like they are waiting for the other shoe to drop. I don’t get it. He’s a big reason we are here."

The storyline the Canucks and Luongo have underachieved in postseasons past has been exaggerated. Has Luongo struggled at times? You bet. But, as Schneider pointed out, this is the first team he's been on which is a legitimate threat to win it all.

Similarly, Luongo's puck-handling issues have been overstated. Either that, or his improvements understated.

"You guys have seen him all year long, he has improved that area of his game," Vigneault said. "We have tremendous amount of confidence in him.

"I think he's worked on it a little bit more this year. It just proves it doesn't matter how old a player is, you can always get better if you work at something.

"Obviously, you don't become perfect. But you can improve and he has."

There is nothing wrong with being imperfect. Just ask Jordan



Read more: Luongo and the role of failure in success

 

[dash]

Jordan the player on the court and in commercials was/is easy to like - When the cameras are off, he's a petty and surly guy. That Hall of Fame speech he gave a couple of years ago was way out of line.