Western Conference Final: Sharks/Canucks...the Motion in the Ocean!!!

 

by Lisa Ovens

That's right...

SUNDAY SUNDAY SUNDAAAAY...

get your wetsuit on and batten down the hatches...

 It's the Motion in the Ocean series...

Big Sea Logos will be dukin' it out for Pacific Ocean Supremacy...Sharks vs. Orcas!

Well, the above paragraph was lifted from my first book, Hockey and High Heels. The first game diary of that book featured a regular season home opener between the Sharks and the Canucks...at that time (2002) I was pondering rivalries, and I didn't feel there was a huge rivalry between the two teams so I made up my own involving the logos. Nine years later, and these two teams are meeting for the first time in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. It's so magical :o)

Watching the players on the ice this series will be a blur filled with outlines of large, finned, predator sea creatures crashing up against each other in the corners, or coliding in the neutral zone for fearsome open ice hits. Not only that, it definitely will be cool blend of blue-y greens on the ice over the next week or so with all of that teal, kelly green and royal blue. Not a red symbol or logo in sight.

I do wonder how this series will rate on the dysfunction meter. I'm mean there are some pretty big suitcases packed with playoff dysfunction and misery on both sides of the baggage carousel here. The Sedin Twins lack of playoff domination through the first two rounds surely has been out-shined by the whole Patrick Marleau is a gutless player comment out of the mouth of  Jeremy Roenick. Thanks for that, Jeremy! The Canucks blew their 3 game series lead and then salvaged the victory in Game Seven OT. But that was way back in Round One. They've had another round to work out some bugs. The Sharks are fresh off blowing a 3 game series lead and then finally saving face in last night's game seven win over the Red Wings. It was only by one goal, and it just happened yesterday. And that's just this year! I'm not going to go back in time and look at the checkered playoff pasts of the Canucks and the Sharks. May the teams start over fresh in Game One on Sunday. Okay...the Canucks start fresh...the Shark;s may they hold a little dysfunction close to their hearts for the next week and a bit!

Happy Conference Finals, everybody!