Don Cherry Suit Watch: Loud and Proud = WIN!!!

Don Cherry: Game One June 1st,2011

His voice predicted the Canucks would win game one, and so did the jacket. The Canucks 2011 Stanley Cup Playoff  win/loss record is now 10-2 when Grapes choses a bold, patterned look for his segments on Hockey Night in Canada.
The above "Christmas in June" plaid look for Game One practically gift wrapped the win for the Canucks! I kid. We know the Raffi Torres goal at 18.5 seconds left in the Third, gifted the Canucks the 1-0 win.

However, beware of Cherry's Bruins inspired looks... and you know they are coming. Often with a one tone/color jacket, when Don Cherry shows his Bruin love via the more subdued ensembles, the Canucks are 3-5. It was only 1-5 up until the Western Conference Final.

Tonight is Game Two...what will Grapes be wearing???

38 Year Drought vs. The 40 Year Old Virgin: Welcome to the Stanley Cup Finals!!!

Vancouver Canucks 40th Anniversary Pin and Puck



 vs.

Boston Bruin Original Six Magic Gloves...marked down to $2

                                                               Let the Hockeyandhighheels.com Swag Off begin!!!!

by Lisa Ovens

Not sure if I am the first to dub the Vancouver Canucks as forty year old virgins because they haven't won a cup yet, but it seems to fit the bill. Especially with the Boston Bruins 38 year cup drought...talk about two teams not getting any action...haha!

First I need to address all combo Bruin/Canuck fans, and I know they are out there. I actually know a guy named Tom who is originally from Boston, but has lived in Vancouver for many years. He is a serious hockey fan, and a serious fan of both teams. Talk about Karma for these types of combo fans. Think about it...in the 2010 Playoffs, both the Canucks and the Bruins exited the playoffs in the most embarrassing ways ( with the Bruins rating higher on the blushed cheeks embarrassed scale). Now look at where they are....both in the Stanley Cup Final!!!

But...I'm not crazy about this match up. It is a little too familiar for me and Canuck nation: Seventeen years ago the 1994 Stanley Cup Final, that version of the Vancouver Canucks faced another Original Six team in the New York Oilers,er, I mean the New York Rangers. The Rangers had also been languishing in a cup drought...54 freakin' years!! The Canucks lost in Game Seven, and the rest is history.

So, as you can see, I am antsy about this. The Bruins Cup drought has lasted almost as long as my home team, the Vancouver Canucks have been in existence. However, I will say, today's version of the Vancouver Canucks has the best shot at winning the goose bump inducing silverware for first time, so I just gotta deal with it. And one other thing...

Colin Campbell

As a fan you really don't want to have to think about this sort of stuff, but it is hard not to considering the high stakes involved for both the Canucks and the Bruins. If it were up to me, I'd temporarily relieve the duties of Senior VP and Director of Hockey Operations, Colin Campbell for this final round of the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs, and have him sit in the stands like all the other players' parents so he can cheer on his son, Gregory, who happens to play for the Boston Bruins. That should be the only position Colin Campbell should be in to support his son for the upcoming best of seven series.

The cloud that surrounded the man in charge of the league's officiating earlier this season is too close for comfort. It wouldn't take long for things to get ugly if there is any hint at all of certain actions benefiting the Bruins and the fact they are at their best during five on five play. And on a slightly more wacky front....


Don Cherry

Since 2008 I have had a regular playoff feature titled The Don Cherry Suit Watch. Just a simple little bit consisting of showcasing what the Canadian Hockey Icon wears during his Coach's Corner segment of Hockey Night in Canada.

But during this Canucks 2011 run, I began to notice a pattern which developed into a statistic: When Cherry sports the loud, patterned jackets the Canucks often win, and when he adorns himself in subdued one tone, or one color jackets the Canucks lose more games. We all know how much Don Cherry loves the Bruins...well if you follow his threads, his Bruin ensembles lean towards the more subdued. I am wondering how much "Bruin" has Grapes packed  in his garment bag? Enough for seven possible games?

Don Cherry must not find out about this stat, and possibly influence the outcome of the series with his jacket selections. Let the jacket lay where it falls. However, the Canucks are improving on the "subdued suit" side of things - the win column gained some ground in Round Three with the San Jose Sharks.

This is the latest win/loss stat leading into the Final..

Big, bold pattern Canucks are 9-2

Cool and Subdued Canucks are 3-5

 

There, I got a few things out of my system...


GO Canucks!!

Tampa Bay Lightning Fans Upstage, Well, EVERYONE!!!

photo by Jim Reed, Tampa Bay Online

Forget full body, spandex suit clad hockey fans hovering around penalty boxes drawing more attention to themselves than the team and the game itself...

Look at what an off ice collective group effort can do to show support for their team!

The above "Human Lightning Bolt" was seen at Tampa Bay's airport when the Lightning took off for Boston the other morning.

What a tribute... and it is truly inspiring!

Tampa Bay Online: click here for the full story

Game Three Sharks/Canucks: Choppy Water at the Shark Tank

Canucks lead series 2-1

by Lisa Ovens

It was a choppy affair; a real bumpy ride for all involved at the Shark Tank Friday night. The multitude of penalties called played a big part in the game, and this fan longed for a smoother ride through Game Three. Instead it was stop, start, bump, oops there goes another defender kind of game. Despite being down 4-1, the Canucks forged ahead and almost righted the ship, but ultimately came up short in the 4-3 loss.

The Sharks brought it as best as they could to end their Western Conference Final losing streak, feasting on power play opportunites (10 of those...yikes!), and just generally wanting the win more than the Canucks did for a lot of the time. Not surprising since they looked like guppies in Game Two's 7-2 loss to Vancouver a couple of days ago. Patrick Marleau, the man one man called gutless last week, earned the second star tonight, scoring two first period goals with one being a pretty breakaway tally.

So, the Canucks are facing their second Finnish goaltender in a row these playoffs. We went from a Rinne to a Niemi. A Pekka to an Antti (new fans, I did their last names first if you aren't up on your Finnish goaltenders). Thought Niemi was on his game stopping what he needed to to keep the Canucks from completing an inspiring comeback after a bevvy of penalty kills and the loss of defenders, Rome and Ehrhoff. So essentially the Canucks did pretty good considering all of that drama and a crappy first period start!

Now, in the stands I saw a lone, Lime Green Man (he was the one wearing a shark costume on half of his body, thus looking like he was being eaten by a shark), and a couple of  Light Blue-ish Teal Men. Who knows how many more dudes in spandex there were, but I enjoyed the variety immensely because it can't be all Green Men, all the time.



The ladies love the hockey!!!



And how about those Road Canuck Fans...the sportscasters speculated about 4000 Orca clad Canuck fans surfaced in the tank and I could hear them singing Oh Canada...sweet!

After thoroughly enjoying  the Canuck wins in both Games One and Two (who doesn't like that 2-0 feeling in the postseason?), we now have a little adversity to face in this series: can goalie Roberto Luongo improve his Shark Tank win stat (he's 0-4 currently)? Who will shore up our fabulously blue line with Ehrhoff and Rome likely out? Will the officials continue to control the weather for both teams in this Motion in the Ocean of a series? How will the Canucks fare starting at noon in the ridiculously timed Game Four on Sunday? Will we see more shades of blue, teal and green spandex lurking around the Canucks Penalty Box??

Don Cherry Suit Watch:  Jacket/Canucks Win Loss Stat

Well the tides are turning on the Suit Stat in this series... May 18th, Game Two: Cherry adorn in a subdued suit, yet the Canucks win (subdued look Canucks record is now 2-5)

May 20th, Game Three: Don sports that crazy, loud Edmonton Oiler third jersey inspired jacket and the Canucks lose (loud patterned Canucks record is now 8-2) 

Post Script: Duty calls, and I will have to miss Game Four, the first time in years that I've had to miss a Canucks playoff game. Go Canucks Go!!!

OT: When was the Last Time You Saw One of These?

Before Game Two of the Sharks/Canucks series, I came across the above one dollar bill. I can't believe I didn't recognize what it was at first!

The Canadian one dollar bill was discontinued in 1989, so I'd call this a rare sighting. the last time the Vancouver Canucks were in the Western Conference Finals was 1994.

Here's to rare sightings :o)  Go Canucks GO!!!

Report from Nashville: Game 6 and the Off-Season

Marie Meisel is a Nashville Predators season ticket holder and a guest contributor to Lisa's Lounge. Read along as she wraps up with the final Preds game this post season, and looks ahead to the summer...

by Marie Meisel

After the nail biter that was game 5, the Predators were welcomed Sunday May 8th by several hundred fans at the airport. It was great to see the guys smiling and enjoying their welcome home. http://video.predators.nhl.com/videocenter/


Monday was game night. Game 6, do or die time. We had our towels, we had our vocal cords and we had our passion for our team. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough and the Predators Magical Playoff ride ended in a 2-1 loss. We stayed for the traditional handshake and saluted our team with one last “Let’s Go Predators”.

It was sad to see the season end. No more trips to the arena, no more comparing notes with fellow fans between periods, no more overpriced concession stand pizza. All that was left was a round of hugs and wishes for a good summer to the various members of my hockey family.

But this playoff run was a huge step for the team and for us as a fan base. The team finally got over the first round hump. They took the best team in the regular season to 6 games, five of which were 1 goal games. Pred Nation finally received a measure of respect from many fans around the league for our passion and knowledge.

The Canuck fans who posted on our message board were respectful and appreciated our online version of southern hospitality. And many Canadians got to see what many of us already knew, hockey is alive and well in this part of Dixie. How about calling Nashville a new traditional market? We’ve borrowed a few traditions from other teams and put our own twist on them. We took Detroit’s octopus and made it our own by using a catfish. We have used the rally towel that Vancouver started. And we have our chants and the well known TV timeout standing ovation which are uniquely ours.

Now it is off season for the citizens of Pred Nation. We will enjoy the warmer weather. Get around to all those things that got neglected during the season. Get reacquainted with non hockey loving family members. For myself, I am in the process of buying my first home. I will be doing some traveling. I will catch up on my professional reading by going through the pile of nursing journals on my bedroom floor. I will drop by Lisa’s Lounge periodically to add columns on road trips and playing fantasy hockey. And perhaps even read a non hockey related book or two.

I will be checking various message boards though perhaps not as frequently. I will follow the playoffs as they progress towards the awarding the Stanley Cup. Good luck to Lisa’s Canucks. I will get together with my friend Robin to watch the NHL Awards show to check out the players all cleaned up. And see if any our guys: David Poile, Barry Trotz, Shea Weber and Pekka Rinne get an award.

Then the NHL Entry Draft in late June, though there is less excitement this year since we don’t have a first round pick. Wait to see what players are re-signed (especially our captain, Shea Weber) and who is let go. In July, there will be prospect camp. And as the calendar rolls around to August, training camp will start.

Until we meet again, in the words of Paul McCann our arena announcer...

Good night and good hockey!

Game Six: Canucks Advance, Predators also Advance...sort of

This Guy!!!

Canucks 2 Predators 1

Canucks win series 4-2

by Lisa Ovens

There will be no Game Seven. No Game Seven. Oh thank heaven, there will be no Game Seven! The Vancouver Canucks managed to finish off the Nashville Predators in six games, much to the pleasures of their fans. A little extra rest is something we were hoping for as we turn the corner into the last half of the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

That guy, Ryan Kesler deserves every bit of praise for the hard work he personally put into the Canucks second round victory over the Nashville Predators. And that'll happen in the playoffs: one player becomes possessed, and everyone look out. But we have to remember they are a team, and in order to take those 16 wins required, we can expect to see others pull off the extraordinary when it will be needed most. For example... Enter Jeff Tambellini. He hadn't been inserted into the line up until last night, his very first playoff game. His quick and efficient work interupting a Martin Erat breakaway surely had an impact on the outcome of the game. We could be singing an entirely different tune today had Erat scored.

And why do I say the Nashville Predators have "sort of advanced"? Well, finally in this round two, it became glaringly apparent that there is a living, breathing, passionate nation of hockey fans in Tennessee. The South. There must have been a few million Canadians tuning in last night and throughout this series featuring the last Canadian based team/city in the playoffs (many of them cheering against the Canucks I am sure) so the elitest hockey fans out there have to be aware of this by now. No one is allowed to say the people don't care about hockey in Nashville ever again.


Congratulations Canucks...we are in Western Conference Finals after all of these years :o)

The View from Smashville

by Marie Miesel
Lisa did a nice job summing up games 1 and 2 in Vancouver!

I do have a funny story about game 2 before moving on. I was on our message board np.com chat room for game 5 against Anaheim. I was very frustrated and decided to turn the game off. As you all know the Preds tied it in the dying seconds of regulation and then won it in OT. A mojo/superstition was born. Prior game 2 in Vancouver, I had promised to log off if we were behind. With 9 minutes left, I logged off. And we tied it up in the last minute. I furtively followed the first OT. I came back to the chat room for the second OT and was able to enjoy the win with my fellow fans.

Games 3 and 4 were at our house on 5th and Broadway. The front office decided to go with a “Gold Out” theme. Bright yellow T-shirts and towels were on every seat. We supplied the noise. We are getting noticed for our vocal commentary on the game action. TSN, CBC and even a French language paper in Quebec have done stories on our fan base. Alas, the power of Gold was not enough. Game 3 was a 3-2 OT loss with the game winner scored on a controversial power play. It was also Ryan Kesler’s coming out party. He had 2 PPG including the game winner.

Game 4 the crowd came back with the same energy but again the Preds struggled offensively. We lost 4-2 with goal #4 an empty netter. Kesler drew another penalty. This time on Ryan Suter and proceeded to score the game winner on the PP. Heartbreak at the Bridge. I wanted to cry. I had intended to wish all my hockey buddies a good summer. But I didn’t. Perhaps part of me knew that just maybe we would get another home game.

Game 5 and Hockey Night in Canada. The biggest hockey stage outside the Olympics and World Jrs. Most Canucks fans were predicting an easy win. Time to get rid of those pesky, no talent Predators. I didn’t hold out much hope myself. The Canucks have been are a better team statistically and have outplayed the Predators for the most part. Pekka Rinne has been a major reason we have been able to stay in the previous 4 games. And there was Ryan Kesler, itching to make our defense look silly again. And he did. He had 2 goals in the game.

But as it happened against Anaheim, where Nick Spaling, Jerred Smithson and Matt Halischuk entered Predators lore, another unlikely hero stepped up. Joel Ward, a product of the Canadian University hockey system, scored 2 goals and played his heart out on defense. David Legwand also scored twice including once with a little help from Alex Elder. No offense Canucks fans, but fluky goals still count.

And we Preds fans know a little something about fluky playoff goals. First round 2009 playoffs, game 6 against Detroit. Nik Lidstrom shoots a puck from the neutral zone at the end of the period. It takes a funny bounce and pops right over Dan Ellis’s shoulder. That shot ended our hopes of getting past the Wings. First round 2010 playoffs, game 6 against Chicago. Brent Seabrook shoots the puck down the ice on a dump in; it deflects off Patrick Kane’s skate at the blue line and bounces in. I wouldn’t be surprised to see another fluky goal in Game 6 Monday night. Though, I do hope it’s ours. 8-)

And now a word from the soapbox. The internet is a wonderful tool. Being able to post on hockey message boards, meet other fans and discuss hockey with a wide audience is great. Sadly, it is also a vehicle for the petty, mean spirited and downright ignorant to inflict their views on the general populace.

 Our moderators have been very busy editing and banning “trolls” who seem to have no purpose other than to stir up trouble and act like fools. I’m sure the Canucks moderators have had to do the same. Participate in a discussion but don’t descend into name calling and other childish behavior. Hockey fans are the best fans in the world. Let’s show a little class and treat opposing fans with some common courtesy.

Tomorrow night is another home game. Hard to believe we are still playing. Another chance for the Preds and their fans to stand together. Win or lose, I am proud to be a citizen of Smashville.

May we have a good, clean game.

Canucks/Predators and Game Six

Thw Wondertwins need to activate their powers, big time!

Canucks lead series 3-2

By Lisa Ovens

Remember,  way back on Thursday April 28th, when many pundits and fans wrote off this series as a boring one to watch? Boring has been far from it. Well at least since Game Three in Nashville. Although the Canucks took games three and four, I felt the Nashville fans took those games over the Canuck fans, too. If people still think hockey in Nashville hasn't arrived yet, well, I just don't know what else to tell them anymore. The spirit of hockey is alive and well in Music City, and that is almost as much of a story as the ones being written on the ice.

The Canucks should be very thankful for the play of Ryan Kesler throughout this series. He's been seriously bringin' it each and every game. On the other side, Preds goalie Pekke Rinne has been the star, even when the Preds lose.

So the series returned to Rogers Arena with the Predators down 3-1 and on the cusp of elimination. Game Five in Vancouver Saturday night delivered Canuck fans to a very familiar place: witnessing their team lose the game, feeling disappointed, concerned and wondering: how come the team can't get it done on the first try?

Losing 4-3 Saturday night was a reminder of Game Six in series one. Although the team played well that night, they just didn't win the game over the Blackhawks. And here we are again, this time with the Predators climbing back into a series the Canucks could have nipped in the bud.

Considering the overall lack of performance out of the Sedin Twins in these playoffs, we have to think the Canucks have gotten used to finding ways to win without them. If Daniel and Henrik do manage to make some major noise in Game Six tomorrow night, we can only consider that icing on the cake providing Kesler, Burrows, Higgins and Luongo keep up their game.

And, if the Canucks lose again, we have another little demon to deal with: Game Seven takes place back in Vancouver on May 11th: the very date the Canucks were eliminated in both the 2010 and 2009 Playoffs...yikes!

Go Nucks!

Predators/Canucks Games One and Two: Splitsville in Vancouver

photo by Andrew lavigne

Game One Canucks 1 Predators 0
Game Two Predators 2 Canucks 1 (Double OT)

Series tied 1-1

by Lisa Ovens

Many assumed the Canucks would lose Game One after the thrilling and exhausting first round series against the Blackhawks, and then righting the ship to take Game Two. Well, the exact opposite happened. The Canucks shut out the Preds in front of a mild crowd last Thursday evening. That was the night I came up with a new nickname for Preds netminder: The Thud. Pekka “The Thud” Rinne. That’s for the loud thud heard every time Canuck rubber bounces off the sturdy goal tender. But it would be Roberto Luongo earning the shut that night.

Two nights later, it seemed the very same game carried over into Game Two. A match that was more about goal tending than scoring.

Canucks captain, Henrik Sedin is stuck in a scoring slump, along with forward, Ryan Kesler. We can only hope these two can pull out some offense in Nashville for Games Three and Four: they’re going need it in order to quiet the spirited Nashville crowd.

But getting back to game two…seeing Round One catch up to my home team was something that was bound to happen. But, as the long game moved along, they did come alive, but didn’t get the break needed to end the game. Dang…five periods of play and someone’s going to go home angry. May the anger inspire more scoring!!!

For the Canucks and Preds series, I think we’ll be waiting for a turning point that opens the series up. Find those reasons to dislike the opponents. But until that happens, we’ll have to be content with a slower built up.

Here's to slow cookin' playoff hockey :o)

Did you see...
 
Blonde Jazz diva, Diana Krall at Saturday night's game? Kind of makes ya think about another Blond Diva in the Country Music scene hanging out at the Preds games...Carrie Underwood (wife to Mike Fisher). Do I smell a new rivalry cooking between Jazz and Country? BC's Krall takes on  Nashville's Underwood...Krall sits in the stands and that's pretty cool, but if I am not mistaken, every shot I've seen of Underwood, she's up in a suite somewhere. Rivalries gotta start somewhere....
 
Go Nucks...Go Krall!!!

Puttin' the Canuck in the Royal Wedding!

I stayed up late to watch Kate and William's wedding , but I didn't catch what you'll see in the following video...



I've watched it several times now, and every time I laugh out loud :o)
Cheers to International Canuck fans everywhere, especially the one in the above video flying the colors of their fave team ;o) and the fan who posted the video!

Vancouver Canucks/Nashville Predators….so Much in Common!





By Lisa Ovens

I dub this series “The Series of Distinguished Acknowledgements”. Look at the potential hardware both teams are up for winning in June at the NHL awards…

The Jack Adams Award for Coach of the Year (Alain Vigneault, Barry Trotz)

The Vezina Award for Goal Tender (Roberto Luongo and Pekka Rinne)

The Norris Award for best defender (Shea Weber and his fabulous playoff beard)

The Selke Award for Best defensive forward (Ryan Kesler)

The Hart Trophy for most Valuable Player (Daniel Sedin)

Now that’s a lot of acknowledgement! (Please note I only listed nominees from the teams in this series)

Little Engines that Could

On a more mental level…if there is one big similarity between these Semi Final opponents, is how they both finished their first rounds….on incredibly high notes! The Predators had to win Round One. There was no other way. After losing their way out of the playoffs via the first round during five other attempts, it meant the world to their resilient fans to finally get through to the right side of the Quarter Finals. Heck I remember when the Preds had a devil of a time trying to secure a playoff win on the road! So having that Game Six victory, and at home in front of their chant crazy fans, was the bomb.

On the other side of this series, the Vancouver Canucks, stuck in what felt like a never ending post- season tango with the Chicago Blackhawks, also had to win Round One just so they could say “we beat them…we finally beat the Hawks in the playoffs!”. There was no other way. It took until an overtime goal in Game Seven to pull it off., and it all went down in front of the hometown fans. Talk about a high note!

Now these two teams are facing each other after both exercising some Stanley Cup Playoff demons. But for these best of seven games, the Predators are in unchartered territory, and the Canucks, not so much: they now have to exercise another demon, getting to the winning side of round two. The Nucks haven’t done this since 1994.

Where's The Love?

Thanks to the two days of the local media billing this as a boring hockey series before a puck was even dropped, the Nucks and the Preds might not be feeling the love they deserve right now. If you saw game one on Thursday night, you would have noticed the empty seats at Rogers Arena. It was the game no one wanted to attend. Are the ticket prices too high, or are we just not a serious hockey town, populated by superficial people that demand confirmation this will be good hockey entertainment prior to committing any time, emotions or cash. All I can say “It’s Playoff Hockey people, what more do you really need?”

Anybody But the Canucks!!

So Canuck haters have quickly jumped onto the Preds bandwagon. May the Nashville Predators enjoy this new found popularity and may it make their first Semi Final appearance all the more special.

On my turf, it’s pretty clear the Canucks are not Canada’s team. Too many Canadian hockey fans dislike us out here on the left coast and can not bring themselves to cheer with us. Cyberspace is full of hate. Oh yeah, I’ve been walking through it, and much like avoiding dog poop on Yaletown sidewalks, I’m stepping aside the steaming piles around the cyber space hockey communities.

All of this hate, kind a makes it more fun!
Go Nucks!

Don Cherry Suit Watch: Keepin' Up with the Jackets!

by Lisa Ovens

The last few days have been busy, and with a few more Don Cherry/ Coach's Corner appearances than normal, I'm behind on the posting So...up first, April 26th...

Look...it's a blast from the past! Don resurrects a look from back in the day when he coached the Boston Bruins. Nice touch, Grapes!

Then it was his choice for the Vancouver Canucks/Chicago Blackhawks Game Seven broadcast...

Wow...just wow. I was in a loud bar that night; almost as loud as this pattern! I had no idea what Don was talking about because I couldn't hear him, but that jacket was speaking volumes!

Hmmm....this one certainly draws the eye to the middle. Not sure why it looks off, which is uncharacteristic for Don. Hockey Night in Canada's is down to covering one Canadian team, the Vancouver Canucks. Here is the Vancouver Canucks/Nashville Predator's Round Two Schedule...

Game One     6pm Thurs. April 28  - Vancouver
Game Two    6 pm Sat. April 30th- Vancouver
Game Three  6 pm Tues. May 3rd- Nashville
Game Four   5:30pm Thurs. May 5th- Nashville
Game Five     5 pm Sat. May 7th- Vancouver
Game Six      Mon. May 9th- Nashville (start time TBA)
Game Seven   Wed. May 7th- Vancouver (start time TBA)

For everything Hockey Night in Canada/ Stanley Cup Playoff coverage, including video segments of Coach's Corner, please click this link! Lots of fun stuff :o)

Happy Playoffs!!

Report from Nashville: A Hockey Franchise Grows Up

By Marie Miesel

Let’s rewind 72 hours. It’s Easter Sunday in the buckle of the Bible belt. A day usually spent at church and with family. But this Easter was also a high holy hockey day. Game 6 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals. After a dramatic Good Friday OT win, the Preds came home with a 3-2 series lead. A chance to win a playoff series for the first time in 6 tries. Having exorcised the ghost of last season’s Game 5 meltdown in Chicago, we were ready to watch hopefully a handshake on our home ice where we were the winning team. Such dread and such hope mixed together. The crowd was large for the pregame warm-ups. Questions loomed. Could we contain the Finnish Flash and the Perry Express one more time? As a previous year’s playoff slogan went Questions Will Be Answered. With our gold rally towels in hand and Pierre Maguire Inside the Glass, we settled in.

We got off to a rocky start with Teemu Selanne scoring his 6th goal in 6 games. I have always liked him as a player, was happy when he finally won a Cup in 07 but man did he make our team look silly. In the previous 5 games, the team that scored first won the game. Nerves were wound a little tighter. Nick Spaling a 3-4th line guy and PKer extraordinaire put a pass from Jordin Tootoo in the last minute of the first to knot the score at 1-1. In the second, the 2 old men and kid 4th line (Steve Sullivan, J P Dumont and Blake Geoffrion) put us up 2-1.

We give the Ducks a PP (very bad idea) near the end of the second period. Jason Blake makes it 2-2 going into the third. It looked like we had gone up 3-2 when Patric Hornqvist appeared to score on a deflection. It was waived off due a high stick. Nick Spaling and Jordin Tootoo team up again and the Preds go up 3-2. Hope was getting a little stronger. But then, (cue music of doom) Mike Fisher goes off for tripping at the 8 minute mark. It was one of the longest 2 minutes I’ve ever experienced. After that, it was holding on for dear life and watching the clock wind down.

Anaheim pulls their goalie. But Saku Koivu gets called for interference on Sergei Kostitsyn in the last minute. The countdown was on. David Legwand, our very first draft picks and EN expert, put home the final nail, 4-2 Preds. It was a very emotional moment. People were crying, hugging and cheering their hearts out. We have waited so long and endured so much to get to this moment. A shout out to the Day One fans who stuck with it through the horrible expansion years, the Balsille takeover attempt and the aching disappointment of 5 first round exits.

Lisa’s Canucks are now on our dance card. They will be favored, as they should be, being the best team in the league this year. But don’t count the Preds out. We are led by Shea Weber, Ryan Suter, Pekka Rinne and cast of mostly unknowns who play their hearts out every night. And a fanbase who’s passion can no longer be overlooked.

Many hockey elitists have wanted us moved, have called us uneducated rednecks, have put down our city and our state. To all you, have a nice day because the Preds are playing in May!

Pierre McGuire from TSN comments on Nashville...

 "It was a spectacular event and I have to tell you guys this right now. What blew me away more than anything else was post game. The amount of people that were crying because they were happy. The amount of people that said thank you for supporting our franchise. The amount of people that said we really appreciate your network covering our games. I was blown away by the hospitality, by the humbleness, by the polite nature of the fan base here and it’s not just me. There were so many Canadian people at this game. A lot of people obviously view Nashville as a destination type area where you come and you watch … go to museums … you go to the Grand Ole Opry … you listen to country music. It’s just a destination location. And it’s a lot of fun. I was blown away by how many people enjoy this team, by how many people care about the future of this franchise, and by the passion of their fan base. This is a winner. Nashville is a winner. Hats off to Gary Bettman. He had the vision to let this thing play itself out. It’s playing itself out right now. This is one of the better franchises in the league in terms of talent on the ice. This is a very positive thing for the league. Very positive".

Canucks/Hawks Post Game Six: Tough Day at the Office

Why did the late Roger Neilson do this? Refs and Blackhawks were involved!

Series Tied 3-3

By Lisa Ovens

The Canucks did everything but win Game Six Sunday night in Chicago. So once again we lost a Game Six to the Chicago Blackhawks.Not that I know anything about this, but I wonder if kicking a herion habit is easier than the Canucks kicking the Blackhawk monkey off their backs?

Alas, we have a new page in the ongoing saga that is the Canucks/Blackhawks Playoff relationship: a Game Seven. For the third meeting in as many years, it will be different, as these teams have always said “see ya next year” after game six, with the Canucks staying behind as the Hawks move forward. But, not this time. It is a whole new plotline (as if we haven’t had our fill of those yet).


Last playoffs, not once did the Blackhawks have to play a game seven.  So Tuesday will be yet another page turner in the big book of A Tale of Two Cities: The Vancouver and Chicago version.

And how about those Hockey Gods, huh? They sure were bringing it. However, the Canucks have some positives to take from Game Six, and I hope for their sake they are not feeling too demoralized after the overtime loss Sunday evening.

That's all I got for now, as I have to get up really early. But I will continue the column Monday evening.

But before I go, I must congratulate the Nashville Predators and their fabulous fans on their very first playoff series win. Bravo!!!!

Report from Nashville: The Agony and the Ecstasy

Games Four and Five

by Marie Miesel

Game 4 was also in Smashville. Good crowd though a little nervous. Could the Preds take a 3-1 series lead? Would our Vezina trophy candidate goalie get back to his regular season form? Would our D hold up under the onslaught of the Perry Express and the Finnish Flash? For two periods we held on, but in the third the flood gates opened starting with a shorthanded goal from Corey Perry. When it was all said and done the Ducks came away with a 6-3 win. Visions of previous playoff failures danced in our heads that night.


Game 5 was back in Anaheim. We scored the first goal; a pretty pass from Jordin Tootoo to Kevin Klein put us up 1-0 after one. The Ducks Jason Blake scored on the PP to even things up in the second. Poor Shane O’Brien. He’s taken a penalty in every game and the Ducks have scored on the ensuing PP each time. Love his toughness but his hockey IQ perhaps isn’t the highest. Tied 1-1 going into the third, Pred Nation held it’s breath as the period began. Forty seconds into the period, Bobby Ryan, back after a two game suspension, scored what many consider to be the goal of the playoffs so far. Poor David Legwand, he was still looking for his shorts on the way to the plane. And can I just say that I really hate it when our team ends up being on someone else’s highlight reel.

We fought back. Joel Ward tied it up. The Ducks re-took the lead on another Jason Blake goal. Most of us figured oh well we’re done. Another playoff failure. But something magical happened. History was made. With 38 seconds left, with our goalie on the bench, Mike Fisher wins the faceoff in the Ducks zone. The puck makes it way to our Captain Shea Weber who wrists it past Ray Emery. Tie Game! Less than 2 minutes into the overtime period, Jordin Tootoo fishes the puck out from the left half wall and puts it on Jerred Smithson’s stick. Jerred buries it for a 4-3 win. The first Game 5 win, the first OT win, and the first time we have been up 3-2 in a series. NHL.com even has a “History will be Made” commercial for us now. History believes in firsts.



Now for fans like Lisa Ovens and Jan Snyder, Game 5 wins and first round series wins are old hat. They’ve been there before. We haven’t. We’ve watched the handshake with the winning team on our ice five times. We are a blue collar, non superstar team from a small non-traditional market. As I said in a previous column, these guys are our family. We rejoice and mourn with them. We fought tooth and nail to keep the team here when everyone outside of Nashville wanted them moved. And to be this close to breaking through and proving that we do belong is exciting and terrifying all at the same time.

 But at 5 pm CT today, the Bridge will be rocking once again. And I and my fellow citizens of Pred Nation will be there, hoping that history will be made once again.

Games 4 & 5 Canucks/Hawks: From the Madhouse to a Slaughter House

Game Four Blackhawks 7 Canucks 2
Game Five Blackhawks 5 Canucks 0

Canucks lead series 3-2

by Lisa Ovens

Well, for me personally, I started to become concerned leading up to Game Four. It was the over usage of the word “sweep” and the generic image of a broom, or the use of one as a prop on a set…like the broom acknowledged on Global News' The Stanley Show….yeah Squire Barnes, I’m talking to you. The morning after I saw that, I heard a female radio show host boasting “We’re gonna win the Cup!” . Then  someone told me they saw a weather girl on TV with a broom. After Game Three, it seemed as though the team, the city fell under a spell simultaneously, by that little word, sweep. The day the series began, I predicted Canucks in six, and after Game Three, I, too, was hopeful, but more looking at winning four in a row being a bonus, if anything.

And now, we all remember Game Four. The game when both the Canucks and the Blackhawks transformed into other teams, perhaps from another time, like, say, only a year ago. Or the year before that. This time, instead of turning the final screw, the blue team played with a screw (or two, or five) loose.

Game Five became Part Two of the remake of Trying to Knock out the Blackhawks: Part Five. Yes, it is starting to sound that crazy. What we are witnessing, (and it doesn’t often happen) is the more fragile side of a three nothing lead in a playoff series. And on the flipside, the grand possibilities of being down three nothing. But then again, it could also be viewed simply as the Canuck Way…in the end nothing’s going to come easy.

The Canucks launched a Canuck playoff micro-site called Thisiswhatwelivefor.com. Well, peeps…how do you like these apples? Newer fans are learning what the Playoffs are all about. There must be some fans just freaking out right about now. The rest of us should just know better - especially the ones who work in the local media. As that Nuck title says…this is what we live for. It’s the playoffs. And it isn’t over yet…the Canucks have a shot at winning Game Six, and making me, and others look like mild geniuses. If not, we always have Game Seven. Time to look for something to rally around, boys…you’ll need that.

Rallying sure worked for the Blackhawks. Dave Bolland’s returns from injury and is making a difference, Brent Seabrook’s out, courtesy of Raffe Torres, and they just don’t like that. Net minder, Corey Crawford earns his very first NHL playoff shut out on the heels of his very first playoff win. Heck, even cold Marion Hossa heats things up earning second star, tallying two goals. Perhaps this is why Hossa showed up in my dream the other night (Click here for more about the dream).Hossa. Hossa of all people!!!

If the Canucks are going to re-visit any time from the past, they should go back to Nov. 20st, 2010. They were embarrassed by the Blackhawks on home ice in a 7-1 loss. Yeah, I know the Canucks have a myriad of embarrassing dates with the Blackhawks to chose from. But the Nov 20th one was definitely a major rallying point. I believe “accountability” was the word of the day back then. The team turned it around and steamrolled through the rest of the season finishing in top spot over the entire league.

Finding the rallying point is one thing, what to do with goal tender Roberto Luongo is another. Do we look to the other half of the regular season’s best goal tending duo? No, apprently not. Coach Alain Vigneault will be giving Luongo the start on Sunday. I was kind of liking the idea of a battle between the Two Cory's (or Corey's) in net.

Come on Canucks, the extra day between games will be a blessing. Soon it will be time to kick start yet another winning streak, but every one of you must buy in to it all over again. It's a game six you can afford to lose...this time. But do you really want to do that?

Lightning Strikes Again – But for the Pens!

Pens up 3-1 in the series

By Jan Snyder

Just like a quick strike of lightning, James Neal's quick goal won the game for the Pens! So now we know that James likes drama and was waiting for just the right time to score that first goal in the playoffs. He couldn’t have picked a better time, slamming the puck into the goal from a crazy angle in the second overtime.

This was a strange contest. The power came back to the Pens power play as Tyler Kennedy (Kennedy!) scored a nice one in the first period before a strangely quiet Tampa Bay crowd. This time it was the Lightning who went 0-4 on the power play. In the second, that hard working fourth line did it again as Arron Asham put the Pens up by two.

I don’t want to doubt the Lightning’s passion, the series sure isn’t over yet, but I didn’t sense much urgency in their play as the quiet crowd sat on their hands. But then the little pest, St. Louis, did his thing and scored the first goal, exciting the fans and bringing some noise to the building. When Tampa scored a second goal and tied it, things really started to get interesting.

Although they tried, the black and gold couldn’t score in the third and overtime loomed large. I had a feeling that Kovy would be the hero and win the game for the good guys, but as OT 1 went on and on and my blood pressure got higher and higher, neither team scored and ultimately the buzzer sounded.

Oh, no, OT 2! The Pens looked like the stronger team, but it had been a strange game. The Tampa Bay goalie, Roloson, looked like he could be scored on, but he wasn’t. Many shots looked like they’d go in for the Pens, but they didn’t. All in all, one of those head scratchers. Seemingly, the puck was always with Vinny, Marty or Steven Stamkos, but nothing was happening as Fleury turned away all their shots.

Then, from out of nowhere, came James Neal! WooHoo! And sparing us all heart palpitations as he scored about four minutes into the period.

The defensemen were incredible and Orpik played almost forty minutes in the four plus periods! Maybe the team should get him a scooter to ride around in for the next couple of days and let his legs get some rest.

I’m a little concerned about Max Talbot’s head as he took quite a shot near the end of the game. He came back for OT, but I hope everything is okay. Jordan Staal took a nasty header into the boards, but he returned as well. And on Saturday, we’ll get Chris Kunitz back from suspension; however, Tampa will get Downie back from his suspension too.

The home crowd will be fired up and wanting to pull the Pens through and hopefully wrap up the first round. The scheduling is on our side as the guys will have three days to recover from the overtime periods.

Let’s keep this roll going, shall we?

LET’S GO PENS!

Report from Nashville: Game Three in Smashville

by Marie Meisel

Unlike Lisa and Jan, my boys started their quarterfinal series in Anaheim, California. Game 1 was a 4-1 Preds win. Our captain, Shea Weber scored on the power play and they bore down after that. Game 2 was a 5-3 loss with the last goal being an empty netter. They got behind the 8 ball in the first 5 minutes by putting the Ducks on the power play. Two goals later and the Preds were fighting for their lives. They pulled back to within 1 at 4-3 but couldn’t force the overtime. The Ducks definitely play with an edge and sometimes they cross the line. Late in the game Bobby Ryan stomped on Jonathan Blum’s foot trying to get the puck away from him. This was a costly decision as he is now suspended for the 2 games in Nashville.

Which brings us to Sunday and Game 3 at the Bridgestone Arena and TSN was in the house. The area in between the team benches are usually sold seats but we got Pierre Maguire Inside the Glass instead. The team put on a pre game party on the plaza in front of the arena. But at 5 pm CT, we were ready to rock the Bridge. I hope the folks watching the game on TV got a sense of the intensity of the crowd. Hopefully, it will put to rest some of the critics who say we don’t “get” hockey down here. You better believe we do. We were loud from the player intros on. It was amazing to be a part of such passionate crowd.

Jerred Smithson took a penalty in the first 5 minutes and the Ducks dangerous power play went to work. We managed to kill it off and got on the board with our first goal on the power play. We have had a power play goal in each of the 3 games which is amazing considering our power play has been an Achilles heel for us all season. Jordin Tootoo put a puck home mere minutes later. In fact, our arena announcer (Paul McCann) was announcing Erat’s goal when Jordin scored. We were up 2-0 after one and feeling pretty good. The second period saw the parade to the penalty box continue. Then the ducks went on the power play again and Teemu Selanne made us pay. He scored again 30 seconds later when the puck took a funny bounce off our boards and popped right onto his stick. We took the lead back with a goal from David Legwand. The ducks tied it up. Mike Fisher scored the game winner and the last 8 minutes were tense as we held off the Ducks. The relief and joy that roared through the building when the final buzzer went off was awesome.

Many citizens of Pred Nation were hoarse, nursing upset stomachs and feeling their heart rates return to normal on Monday after such a game. But you can be sure that we will be back loud and proud again on Wednesday night for Game 4.

Canucks/Blackhawks Game Three: A Little Mayhem at the Madhouse

Canucks 3 Blackhawks 2


Canucks lead the series 3-0

By Lisa Ovens

It's not often I dream about hockey. After all the hockey I have consumed and digested over the years, I could probably count on one hand how many times hockey has shown up in my nightly dreams. So Marion Hossa was in my dream Saturday night. Why Hossa, I do not know. We were at a skating practice session waiting for our turn on the ice. He was sitting beside me and he was cold. He said "It's cold in here. I am cold". I remember going through my things trying to find something to give him to warm him up. He took my jacket and put half of it over his legs and them motioned like he would share the rest of the jacket with my legs, yet I knew this would not work. Snuggling with Hossa? Next thing I remember we were skating on a speed skating oval with about fifty other people. That was the hockey related portion of my dream.

Who knows why I had the dream and what it means. But now that the Blackhawks are down three games in this series with the Canucks, cold is one suitable description to apply to the Blackhawks. Now...why can't I have a Canuck related dream?? Guess I don't need to because my hometeam has been so hot in my waking world!!!

Once again, the word composure must be used. The Canucks didn't strike first, got into penalty trouble, they had to kill a five on three, Raffe Torres gave Hockey Operations some food for thought with his big "murky" hit on Brent Seabrook, yet they managed to stay glued together and win the game 3-2.

The big question now is...can the Vancouver Canucks put a finish on the defending Stanley Cup Champs season with a fourth win on Tuesday? And furthermore...how will the league respond to Torres? At least we know the Canucks did just fine without him in the line up through the first two games.

And finally, what will my dreams tell me tonight?