With the Boston Bruins and their fans celebrating the team's first Stanley Cup since 1972 (6th overall) in Beantown Saturday with a parade, it's as good of a time to look back at a Stanley Cup Final that produce record ratings for both the CBC and NBC. Despite having a Canadian team, which everyone thought would be bad news for NBC/Versus, game 7 ended up being the most watched game in the States in 39 years.
First off, congratulations to the Boston Bruins for winning the Stanley Cup, but also to the Vancouver Canucks for the year they had. It was another disappointing finish for the Canucks (which isn't exactly new for the franchise) but it certainly was a memorable 40th season for them.
It's hard to call this year's Stanley Cup Final a classic, but it certainly won't be forgotten for many different reasons. Unfortunately, at the fore front, the bad might be overshadow the good and there were some great stories to tell in the 2011 Stanley Cup Final.
First, the good.
Conn Smythe winner, Tim Thomas, had a bad year last season, complicated by an injury. He had lost his starting job to Tuukka Rask and appeared as if he might be on his way out. But, his age and salary might have prevented a trade out of Boston and you can bet everyone, from the team to the fans, are glad that trade didn't happen. Thomas was simply stupendous in the Final, giving up just 8 goals in 7 games and posted 2 shutouts, including game 7. Without him, the Bruins would not have won despite piling on the goals on Roberto Luongo when in Boston.
For the two B.C. (British Columbia) boys on the Bruins, Mark Recchi and Milan Lucic, the series was a special one. Recchi, the elder statesman of the NHL, confirmed the retirement plans he laid out before the start of the Stanley Cup Final, just moments after winning his 3rd Cup, on the ice. Born and raised in East Van, Lucic adds to his collection of special memories in his home town, having won the 2007 Memorial Cup with the Vancouver Giants at the Pacific Coliseum, the Canucks' old home. Lucic was also drafted by the Bruins in 2006 in Vancouver in what was then called GM Place, now Rogers Arena.
Other great stories include Zdeno Chara becoming the first Slovak captain to win the Stanley Cup and the second European captain (Henrik Sedin would have been the second Swedish captain had the Canucks won). Head coach Claude Julien, who might have been on the hot seat heading into the season, let it be known to all that he is indeed a very good NHL head coach. Hall of Famer and Bruins team president, Cam Neely wins the Cup he never got as a player, having lost in two Stanley Cup Finals to the Edmonton Oilers.
Despite the riot that took place almost immediately following the game 7 lost, true Vancouver Canuck fans flocked downtown to watch and celebrate the team's great run that just came up short. They had been peaceful and proud of their team. A few idiots ruined everything for everyone that night, but the great citizens of Vancouver quickly made it a point to the people of this city, province, country, and worldwide that what happens does not represent the city as a whole.
As for the bad, well there was that riot that sparked up after game 7 in Vancouver.
As for the Stanley Cup Final itself, there were some crazy moments. There was Alex Burrows biting Patrice Bergeron's gloved finger when the two players got involved in a scrum. Despite the calls to suspend Burrows, the league did not and had an utterly ridiculous answer as to why they didn't; something about not having conclusive video evidence. Burrows would further play the role as the villian in the eyes of the Boston Bruins and their fans when he scored the overtime winner in game 2, giving the Canucks what appeared to be an insurmountable lead in the Cup Final.
Fellow Quebecer Maxim Lapierre, a former Montreal Canadien player and as a fan of the famed team growing up, he had a huge dislike for the Bruins. The forward became a villian in the series himself when he mocked Bergeron in game 2, sticking his stinky glove in the L'Ancienne-Lorette, Quebec native's face. Man, Quebec was well represented in the Stanley Cup Final, including the two coaches (Claude Julien was actually born in Ontario, but is a Francophone like Alain Vigneault).
Game 3 will be remembered as a blowout, the Bruins dumping the Canucks 8-1. But it will also be remembered for the two B.C. boys deciding to taunt back at the Canucks. Milan Lucic decided to take some liberties with Burrows, slashing him, then punching him, then daring him to bite his fingers off. The surprise came when the recently retired Mark Recchi did the same to Lapierre. Head coach Claude Julien, who was appalled by the actions of Burrows and Lapierre, had to eat some crow following the game and apparently had some words for Recchi and Lucic.
Also a Quebecer, the Canucks starting netminder Roberto Luongo, who had a roller coaster of a ride in the Final. At home, he was great, with the exception of maybe the biggest game of them all, game 7. He posted 2 shutouts (games 1 and 5), but was embarrassed in Boston, getting shelled for 8 in game 3 alone. He didn't help himself out with some comments that were taking out of context by the media and blown out of propotion following the Canucks game 5 victory. With two chances to win the fourth and final game, Luongo did not play well, though neither did his teammates, and once again is being questioned about his abilities.
The series was not a classic despite going 7 games, but it will be remembered for a long time for all the right and wrong reasons. The NHL will want to remember this series for giving it some big ratings in Canada and the U.S. For the Bruins, it will be about ending a 38 year drought, producing the franchise's 6th Stanley Cup. For Vancouver, it will be another disappointing end to what had been a very special 40th season. This might actually be the most disappointing of them all and there have been plenty.
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Canucks Lose, Let's Riot
Full disclosure time. I'm a die hard Vancouver Canucks fan, so I was pretty damn happy when they finally reached the Stanley Cup Finals; even happier when they were up 2-0. Of course, by now we all know they have lost to the Boston Bruins in game 7, giving the Bruins their first Stanley Cup in 39 years. For the Canucks, their 40th NHL season ends like most others, in disappointment. But, this year was a little different, and perhaps the most heartbreaking considering how close they were.
As a fan, I'm use to the heartbreak. It had been 17 years since the last time the Canucks came anywhere close to making the Stanley Cup Final. That was in 1994 when they lost to the New York Rangers in 7, as well. Who knows if it will be another 17 years or maybe they'll be back next year to finish what they started this year. Either way, I'm disappointed by the lost, but I'll move on, just like most fans.
What I'm most disappointed with, however, is what happened right after. While the Stanley Cup was being handed out to the Bruins inside Rogers Arena, mayhem was happening outside not too far away in downtown Vancouver. Canucks fans -rather, drunken idiots who were cheering on the Canucks- decided to let out their frustration over the lost by tipping over cars (including a couple of police cars and setting one on fire), fighting, and some good old fashion looting.
The crowds for every Canucks game downtown and in other locations were getting bigger and bigger as the Canucks made their run to the Stanley Cup Final. An estimated 100,000 fans showed up to watch on big screens that were set up, though most fans were probably there to soak up the atmosphere more than anything because unless you were right up front, it was probably tough to see the action. With the exception of the odd fight and liquor pour outs, the fans had been terrific, leading to many to believe that the pain of the 1994 riot after the Canucks lost was finally going to be put to bed. The liquor free crowds of last year's Olympics leading us to believe there wasn't going to be any trouble.
Despite liquor stores being forced to close early and a heavy police presence, people were out drinking anyways. Again, until tonight, no big problems.
Then the Canucks lost and the idiots came out of the wood works, spurned on by more idiots, before things got really out of hand. This is the part where I'm suppose to say that I'm ashamed to be a Vancouverite, but I'm not. I'm ashamed to have these idiots as neighbours; some of them probably don't even live in Vancouver. These idiots have wrecked what we all thought was healed a year ago.
For what?
Over a game? Sure, a pretty important game, but still a game.
Hey idiots, if you can, pick up a paper or go on the Internet and look up the shit that is going on in the Middle East right now and tell me if it was worth it. That is, if you can. You know, because you might be behind bars where you guys should be.
I hope the police get every single one of the idiot rioters, but they probably won't be able to because there were so many. But, here's the beauty of the technology of the day. Everyone has a camera phone these days and no doubt some of them were rolling. And some of those videos will probably end up on Youtube. And, some of them will probably be posted by the idiots as they or their buddies cause damage.
And speaking of the police. Some people will no doubt criticize them for not putting an end to the riot sooner. Some people will probably say that they were too violent and cracked innocent people over the heads. To those people, I say: shut up!
The police have a tough job and it is easy to say, "well they should have done this or that." If it was, then anyone without training can call themselves a police officer. There was almost 100,000 people out there versus how many police officers?
If you were an innocent bystander, then you should have been long gone by the time the riot squad showed up. But, if you decided to stick around and watch and ended up getting whacked or tear gassed, don't complain about the police. Go and complain to the idiots who started the damn riot in the first place. Go find out who they are, go to their homes, and whack them back or tip over their cars. See if they like it.
It was a disappoint lost by the Vancouver Canucks, but it more disappointing to see a group of drunken idiots ruin what had been a great run for the entire city and province of British Columbia.
As a fan, I'm use to the heartbreak. It had been 17 years since the last time the Canucks came anywhere close to making the Stanley Cup Final. That was in 1994 when they lost to the New York Rangers in 7, as well. Who knows if it will be another 17 years or maybe they'll be back next year to finish what they started this year. Either way, I'm disappointed by the lost, but I'll move on, just like most fans.
What I'm most disappointed with, however, is what happened right after. While the Stanley Cup was being handed out to the Bruins inside Rogers Arena, mayhem was happening outside not too far away in downtown Vancouver. Canucks fans -rather, drunken idiots who were cheering on the Canucks- decided to let out their frustration over the lost by tipping over cars (including a couple of police cars and setting one on fire), fighting, and some good old fashion looting.
The crowds for every Canucks game downtown and in other locations were getting bigger and bigger as the Canucks made their run to the Stanley Cup Final. An estimated 100,000 fans showed up to watch on big screens that were set up, though most fans were probably there to soak up the atmosphere more than anything because unless you were right up front, it was probably tough to see the action. With the exception of the odd fight and liquor pour outs, the fans had been terrific, leading to many to believe that the pain of the 1994 riot after the Canucks lost was finally going to be put to bed. The liquor free crowds of last year's Olympics leading us to believe there wasn't going to be any trouble.
Despite liquor stores being forced to close early and a heavy police presence, people were out drinking anyways. Again, until tonight, no big problems.
Then the Canucks lost and the idiots came out of the wood works, spurned on by more idiots, before things got really out of hand. This is the part where I'm suppose to say that I'm ashamed to be a Vancouverite, but I'm not. I'm ashamed to have these idiots as neighbours; some of them probably don't even live in Vancouver. These idiots have wrecked what we all thought was healed a year ago.
For what?
Over a game? Sure, a pretty important game, but still a game.
Hey idiots, if you can, pick up a paper or go on the Internet and look up the shit that is going on in the Middle East right now and tell me if it was worth it. That is, if you can. You know, because you might be behind bars where you guys should be.
I hope the police get every single one of the idiot rioters, but they probably won't be able to because there were so many. But, here's the beauty of the technology of the day. Everyone has a camera phone these days and no doubt some of them were rolling. And some of those videos will probably end up on Youtube. And, some of them will probably be posted by the idiots as they or their buddies cause damage.
And speaking of the police. Some people will no doubt criticize them for not putting an end to the riot sooner. Some people will probably say that they were too violent and cracked innocent people over the heads. To those people, I say: shut up!
The police have a tough job and it is easy to say, "well they should have done this or that." If it was, then anyone without training can call themselves a police officer. There was almost 100,000 people out there versus how many police officers?
If you were an innocent bystander, then you should have been long gone by the time the riot squad showed up. But, if you decided to stick around and watch and ended up getting whacked or tear gassed, don't complain about the police. Go and complain to the idiots who started the damn riot in the first place. Go find out who they are, go to their homes, and whack them back or tip over their cars. See if they like it.
It was a disappoint lost by the Vancouver Canucks, but it more disappointing to see a group of drunken idiots ruin what had been a great run for the entire city and province of British Columbia.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Only In The NHL
Only in the NHL can what happened today happen. No, I'm not talking about the 4 game suspension handed out to Vancouver Canucks defenceman Aaron Rome which is the longest in Stanley Cup Final history. Nobody had been suspended for more than 1 game, even when warranted. The 4 game suspension, under the new NHL's directive to get rid of hits like Rome's late hit on Nathan Horton, was correct.
However, the suspension has a lot of people, mostly the Canucks, confused and a little pissed off. Head coach Alain Vigneault, in particularly, seemed to be seething when asked about the suspension. He pointed out that Jamie McGinn of the San Jose Sharks wasn't suspended for his hit from behind on Aaron Rome in the West Final, which knocked the now suspended Rome out of the final two games of that series. An argument can be made that the McGinn hit was more vicious than Rome's, if not at least on the same level.
To be fair, it was former discipline czar, Colin Campbell, who resigned just before the start of the Stanley Cup Final, decided that McGinn did not deserve to be suspended, and not Mike Murphy, who ruled on Rome. Though Brendan Shanahan will take over Campbell's position next season, Murphy got the job for the Final and probably wasn't expecting he would have two incidents to rule on through the first three games.
Complicating matters even further is the fact that Murphy consulted with several people before making his ruling, including former NHL disciplinarian and current Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke. Through his trade for the mostly ineffective Tomas Kaberle, Burke gets the Bruins 1st round draft pick, which would either be 29th or 30th. That part, isn't really that much of a big deal.
What is, is that Burke has a long history with the Canucks. He was their former GM for 6 years; in fact he drafted some of the current crop of players on the Canucks, including the Sedins. The NHL investigated Burke and the Leafs and fined them for tampering last year when the twins were to become unrestricted free agents. There also is the part where he and current Canucks owner Francesco Aquilini have their issues. Before he became GM of the Anaheim Ducks, Burke was linked to Ryan Beedie and Tom Gaglardi and their lawsuit against Aquilini for control of the Canucks a couple of years ago.
I can't believe Murphy actually decided that speaking with Burke was a good idea in the first place and that he actually admitted it.
Murphy could have spoken to anyone at the NHL about this matter. He should have spoken to Commissioner Gary Bettman or his right hand man, Bill Daly. He could have seeked out the advice of the soon-to-be discipline czar Brendan Shanahan. Under no certain terms can he consult with a GM that has links to both the Bruins and Canucks, one way or another. Even if Burke has no connection to either team, Murphy shouldn't be consulting to any GM, period. Anybody associated with a team is not allowed to talk about a player from another team, otherwise it would be tampering. So, it's a little shocking Murphy called Burke and Burke answered.
Bettman promised that the NHL justice system would be reviewed at the end of the season. He might want to start with the job Murphy has done so far.
However, the suspension has a lot of people, mostly the Canucks, confused and a little pissed off. Head coach Alain Vigneault, in particularly, seemed to be seething when asked about the suspension. He pointed out that Jamie McGinn of the San Jose Sharks wasn't suspended for his hit from behind on Aaron Rome in the West Final, which knocked the now suspended Rome out of the final two games of that series. An argument can be made that the McGinn hit was more vicious than Rome's, if not at least on the same level.
To be fair, it was former discipline czar, Colin Campbell, who resigned just before the start of the Stanley Cup Final, decided that McGinn did not deserve to be suspended, and not Mike Murphy, who ruled on Rome. Though Brendan Shanahan will take over Campbell's position next season, Murphy got the job for the Final and probably wasn't expecting he would have two incidents to rule on through the first three games.
Complicating matters even further is the fact that Murphy consulted with several people before making his ruling, including former NHL disciplinarian and current Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke. Through his trade for the mostly ineffective Tomas Kaberle, Burke gets the Bruins 1st round draft pick, which would either be 29th or 30th. That part, isn't really that much of a big deal.
What is, is that Burke has a long history with the Canucks. He was their former GM for 6 years; in fact he drafted some of the current crop of players on the Canucks, including the Sedins. The NHL investigated Burke and the Leafs and fined them for tampering last year when the twins were to become unrestricted free agents. There also is the part where he and current Canucks owner Francesco Aquilini have their issues. Before he became GM of the Anaheim Ducks, Burke was linked to Ryan Beedie and Tom Gaglardi and their lawsuit against Aquilini for control of the Canucks a couple of years ago.
I can't believe Murphy actually decided that speaking with Burke was a good idea in the first place and that he actually admitted it.
Murphy could have spoken to anyone at the NHL about this matter. He should have spoken to Commissioner Gary Bettman or his right hand man, Bill Daly. He could have seeked out the advice of the soon-to-be discipline czar Brendan Shanahan. Under no certain terms can he consult with a GM that has links to both the Bruins and Canucks, one way or another. Even if Burke has no connection to either team, Murphy shouldn't be consulting to any GM, period. Anybody associated with a team is not allowed to talk about a player from another team, otherwise it would be tampering. So, it's a little shocking Murphy called Burke and Burke answered.
Bettman promised that the NHL justice system would be reviewed at the end of the season. He might want to start with the job Murphy has done so far.
The Fall Of Rome
To nobody's surprise, Vancouver defensemen Aaron Rome was suspended by the NHL for his hit on Nathan Horton in game 3. Perhaps to the surprise of some, Rome has been suspended for 4 games, the longest suspension in Stanley Cup Final history. The last player suspended in the Final was Chris Pronger in 2007. The then Anaheim Duck defensemen laid a vicious elbow on Dean McAmmond of the Ottawa Senators, resulting only in a 1 game suspension, despite having already been suspended earlier in the playoffs.
Some will argue about the length of Rome's suspension, especially considering past suspensions in the Stanley Cup Final which has never exceeded more than 1 game. But, this is the new NHL where these types of hits are frowned about and will be punished accordingly. One does have to wonder, though, on whether or not the length might have anything to do with Alex Burrows escaping punishment for his biting incident? Conspiracy theorists can talk among themselves.
The lost of Rome is nothing compared to the lost of Horton, who won't be back for the rest of the Final because of a concussion. Rome had taken the spot of the injured Dan Hamhuis on the shut down pair with Kevin Bieksa after spending most of the season and playoffs in and out of the lineup as a depth defensemen. The Canucks had built up enough depth (the most in the NHL) to withstand injuries, and now suspensions. Keith Ballard (and maybe Chris Tanev) should slide in unless Hamhuis is back for game 4.
As for Horton, he hadn't done much for the Bruins in the first two games of the Final. However, he has played a very big role for Boston leading up to the final round. When he scores, the Bruins were 8-0. It was he who scored the winning goal midway through the third period in game 7 of the East Final after some suggesting that maybe he should have been suspended for spraying water on a fan in Tampa Bay. This year was his time in the playoffs after toiling with the Florida Panthers for 5 seasons.
Some will argue about the length of Rome's suspension, especially considering past suspensions in the Stanley Cup Final which has never exceeded more than 1 game. But, this is the new NHL where these types of hits are frowned about and will be punished accordingly. One does have to wonder, though, on whether or not the length might have anything to do with Alex Burrows escaping punishment for his biting incident? Conspiracy theorists can talk among themselves.
The lost of Rome is nothing compared to the lost of Horton, who won't be back for the rest of the Final because of a concussion. Rome had taken the spot of the injured Dan Hamhuis on the shut down pair with Kevin Bieksa after spending most of the season and playoffs in and out of the lineup as a depth defensemen. The Canucks had built up enough depth (the most in the NHL) to withstand injuries, and now suspensions. Keith Ballard (and maybe Chris Tanev) should slide in unless Hamhuis is back for game 4.
As for Horton, he hadn't done much for the Bruins in the first two games of the Final. However, he has played a very big role for Boston leading up to the final round. When he scores, the Bruins were 8-0. It was he who scored the winning goal midway through the third period in game 7 of the East Final after some suggesting that maybe he should have been suspended for spraying water on a fan in Tampa Bay. This year was his time in the playoffs after toiling with the Florida Panthers for 5 seasons.
Blown Away
Nobody saw that coming.
A Bruins win? Sure.
A 8-1 blowout? No F-ing way.
The bad blood from the first two games boiled over in a big way. This game was ugly on the scoreboard, then got ugly on the ice. After piling on the goals, all eight of which were on Roberto Luongo, who had played so well since the first round, the Bruins began to assert themselves physically against the Canucks, but not always in a clean and legal manner. Perhaps not too surprising, the two main targets of the Bruins' bad blood were Alex Burrows and Maxim Lapierre.
Claude Julian must have felt a little red faced at how his team acted considering his comments prior to the game about how perturbed he was at Lapierre's actions, taunting Bergeron by sticking his glove in the Bruins face, though the win surely tempered any anger he might have had. Milan Lucic slashed Burrows behind the net during a scrum, then sucker punched him, before taunting him by sticking his fingers in Burrows face. Even 100 year old Mark Recchi got into the act, sticking his gloved hand into Lapierre, mocking the forward. To his credit, Julian made it be known following the game that he did not condone the actions of his players.
The Bruins who desperately needed the win to stay alive in the Stanley Cup Final, certainly seem to want it more than the Canucks. It was by far the Canucks worst game since the first round, perhaps their worst period. They looked a little too relaxed at times, particularly on the powerplay, and paid for it, giving up two short handed goals.
But, when is a win, a loss?
When you lose one of your key players, that's when. Five minutes into the game, Vancouver defender Aaron Rome crushed Nathan Horton as the Bruins forward had just passed the puck to the side. It was an extremely late hit. Horton was stretchered off and taken to the hospital, while Rome was given a 5 minute major for interference and a game misconduct. A suspension is more than likely. It's hard to believe Horton will play in game 4, either, and maybe not for the rest of the series.
The Bruins have responded being down 2-0. Now, it's the Canucks turn to respond to this blow out.
A Bruins win? Sure.
A 8-1 blowout? No F-ing way.
The bad blood from the first two games boiled over in a big way. This game was ugly on the scoreboard, then got ugly on the ice. After piling on the goals, all eight of which were on Roberto Luongo, who had played so well since the first round, the Bruins began to assert themselves physically against the Canucks, but not always in a clean and legal manner. Perhaps not too surprising, the two main targets of the Bruins' bad blood were Alex Burrows and Maxim Lapierre.
Claude Julian must have felt a little red faced at how his team acted considering his comments prior to the game about how perturbed he was at Lapierre's actions, taunting Bergeron by sticking his glove in the Bruins face, though the win surely tempered any anger he might have had. Milan Lucic slashed Burrows behind the net during a scrum, then sucker punched him, before taunting him by sticking his fingers in Burrows face. Even 100 year old Mark Recchi got into the act, sticking his gloved hand into Lapierre, mocking the forward. To his credit, Julian made it be known following the game that he did not condone the actions of his players.
The Bruins who desperately needed the win to stay alive in the Stanley Cup Final, certainly seem to want it more than the Canucks. It was by far the Canucks worst game since the first round, perhaps their worst period. They looked a little too relaxed at times, particularly on the powerplay, and paid for it, giving up two short handed goals.
But, when is a win, a loss?
When you lose one of your key players, that's when. Five minutes into the game, Vancouver defender Aaron Rome crushed Nathan Horton as the Bruins forward had just passed the puck to the side. It was an extremely late hit. Horton was stretchered off and taken to the hospital, while Rome was given a 5 minute major for interference and a game misconduct. A suspension is more than likely. It's hard to believe Horton will play in game 4, either, and maybe not for the rest of the series.
The Bruins have responded being down 2-0. Now, it's the Canucks turn to respond to this blow out.
Monday, June 6, 2011
Are We Still Talking About This?
Following the NHL's decision to not suspend Alex Burrows for alleging biting down on Patrice Bergeron's finger, the Boston Bruins decided to not talk too much about it. They took the same tone following their game 2 lost. But, I guess with being down 2-0 in the Stanley Cup Final to the Canucks, Boston head coach Claude Julian has changed his mind on the subject and fully believes Burrows, game 2's overtime hero, should have been suspended, which means Boston would have won that game, right? Burrows had 2 goals and an assist.
Julian also wasn't happy about Canucks forward Maxim Lapierre for mocking the situation, sticking his finger in Patrice Bergeron's face during a stoppage of play. It was a hilarious moment if you were a Canucks fan, but Lapierre's own head coach probably wasn't too thrilled about his antics either, not that Alain Vigneault was talking about it.
It would appear that Julian may be searching for possible excuses for his team trailing in the series as they shift to Boston for games 3 and 4. While the Canucks haven't completely dominated the Bruins, they have taken over in the third period of both games while the Bruins seem to fade.
The Bruins and their fans have no reason to complain. Would Burrows have been suspended had this been the regular season? Probably, especially if the NHL finds conclusive video evidence to suggest Burrows bit down on Bergeron's finger, you know by simply watching the replay. But, one must ask on whether or not Bruins forward Nathan Horton might have been suspended had this been the regular season, for squirting water at a fan and according to some, throwing the water bottle at the fan following the Bruins lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning in game 6 of the East Final?
Or maybe for these two straight punches to the head of a couple of Tampa players? Right, fighting in the NHL is okay, but biting is not.
Julian also wasn't happy about Canucks forward Maxim Lapierre for mocking the situation, sticking his finger in Patrice Bergeron's face during a stoppage of play. It was a hilarious moment if you were a Canucks fan, but Lapierre's own head coach probably wasn't too thrilled about his antics either, not that Alain Vigneault was talking about it.
It would appear that Julian may be searching for possible excuses for his team trailing in the series as they shift to Boston for games 3 and 4. While the Canucks haven't completely dominated the Bruins, they have taken over in the third period of both games while the Bruins seem to fade.
The Bruins and their fans have no reason to complain. Would Burrows have been suspended had this been the regular season? Probably, especially if the NHL finds conclusive video evidence to suggest Burrows bit down on Bergeron's finger, you know by simply watching the replay. But, one must ask on whether or not Bruins forward Nathan Horton might have been suspended had this been the regular season, for squirting water at a fan and according to some, throwing the water bottle at the fan following the Bruins lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning in game 6 of the East Final?
Or maybe for these two straight punches to the head of a couple of Tampa players? Right, fighting in the NHL is okay, but biting is not.
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Just Fan-Tastic!
Some of the images that have beamed to homes, bars and restaurants, public places, and even to a war zone have been those of what I call the "Blue Wave". The "Blue Wave" is the legion of Vancouver Canuck fans, all dressed up in blue jerseys or t-shirts, say for some who have yet bought into the team's original blue and green colours, who have flocked to downtown Vancouver or an intersection in Surrey to watch and celebrate each and every Vancouver victory during the playoffs. The crowds have been getting bigger and bigger as the goal to 16 wins gets closer and closer; two more in fact. On Saturday, the crowd was estimated at around 70,000 hooting and hollering fans. And, for the most part, they have been orderly unlike in 1994.
The Stanley Cup riot of 1994 following the Canucks loss in the final to the New York Rangers is a blight in Vancouver's history. It is an everlasting image that may be forever wiped from the memories of those who lived through it. The single event, depending on who you ask, may have turned Vancouver into a no fun city. That was until the 2010 Winter Olympics when Vancouverites, along with those from the rest of the world, learned that we could have fun in big setting and not break a window or overturn a car or two.
Even if by some miracle the Boston Bruins win 4 of the next 5 games to take away what is in the Canucks' grasp, a repeat of the '94 riot is doubtful. A pride in the city has been restored, while the police themselves have changed their tactics. As they patrol through the crowds, they are more apt to get a high five from fans than a certain finger.
Two more wins and the city will see a party that will be far bigger and greater than the two week Olympics. In an Ipsos Reid poll taken just before the start of the Stanley Cup Final, 8 out of 10 British Columbians were excited about the Canucks and the Cup Finals, compared to 53% when asked about the Winter Olympics.
The reason?
It's simple.
The Canucks are celebrating their 40th season in the NHL. They have never won the Stanley Cup and have been to the Finals only twice before this year. The surprising runs of 1982 and 1994 had been the only times the Canucks played in the conference finals. In their history, there has been plenty of heartbreak, disappointment, and out right failures. There have been plenty of bad teams, but also some good ones, filled with some pretty darn good players. But, they always ended up the same: disappointing the faithful in the end. That is, until this season, when the Canucks put everything together and finished first during the regular season. Not only were they the best, they also had the best offence, defence, and powerplay. Their penalty killing just came short of number one, finishing third. They have the league's leading scorer and possible Hart Trophy winner. They also have a handful of others nominated for league awards.
Fans of any sports team live and die by them. They invest their time, money, and heart in a team and for the Canuck faithful, the payoff may finally be just around the corner for them. Two more wins and the Canucks can call themselves champions. And, so can their fans.
The Stanley Cup riot of 1994 following the Canucks loss in the final to the New York Rangers is a blight in Vancouver's history. It is an everlasting image that may be forever wiped from the memories of those who lived through it. The single event, depending on who you ask, may have turned Vancouver into a no fun city. That was until the 2010 Winter Olympics when Vancouverites, along with those from the rest of the world, learned that we could have fun in big setting and not break a window or overturn a car or two.
Even if by some miracle the Boston Bruins win 4 of the next 5 games to take away what is in the Canucks' grasp, a repeat of the '94 riot is doubtful. A pride in the city has been restored, while the police themselves have changed their tactics. As they patrol through the crowds, they are more apt to get a high five from fans than a certain finger.
Two more wins and the city will see a party that will be far bigger and greater than the two week Olympics. In an Ipsos Reid poll taken just before the start of the Stanley Cup Final, 8 out of 10 British Columbians were excited about the Canucks and the Cup Finals, compared to 53% when asked about the Winter Olympics.
The reason?
It's simple.
The Canucks are celebrating their 40th season in the NHL. They have never won the Stanley Cup and have been to the Finals only twice before this year. The surprising runs of 1982 and 1994 had been the only times the Canucks played in the conference finals. In their history, there has been plenty of heartbreak, disappointment, and out right failures. There have been plenty of bad teams, but also some good ones, filled with some pretty darn good players. But, they always ended up the same: disappointing the faithful in the end. That is, until this season, when the Canucks put everything together and finished first during the regular season. Not only were they the best, they also had the best offence, defence, and powerplay. Their penalty killing just came short of number one, finishing third. They have the league's leading scorer and possible Hart Trophy winner. They also have a handful of others nominated for league awards.
Fans of any sports team live and die by them. They invest their time, money, and heart in a team and for the Canuck faithful, the payoff may finally be just around the corner for them. Two more wins and the Canucks can call themselves champions. And, so can their fans.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)