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!!!

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!