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!!!

Don Cherry Suit/ Canucks Win/Loss Statistic: UPDATE!

Don Cherry's loud Pattern from May 15th Coach's Corner

The Vancouver Canucks are now 8-1 when Don Cherry wears a loud, patterned jacket on Hockey Night in Canada's Coach's Corner. The Canucks are 1-5 this playoffs when Cherry wears subdued one tone or one colour jackets.

What jacket will Grapes select on Wednesday  for Game Two of the Motion in the Ocean series featuring the Vancouver Canucks and the San Jose Sharks?? Canucks lead the Western Conference Final series 1-0

For the full story on  the Don Cherry Suit Jacket/ Canucks win/loss statistic, please click here.

GO LOUD....GO CANUCKS!!!!

The Don Cherry Suit Win/ Loss Statistic

When Grapes goes loud...the Canucks win!!

by Lisa Ovens

After two rounds, the Canucks have played 13 games...8 wins 5 losses. Mixed into all of these playoff hockey memories? Visions of Don Cherry's suit jackets kept appearing in my minds eye. I started to see a pattern, and it wasn't plaid or pretty florals.

I went back through Coach's Corner archives to confirm what Don Cherry was wearing during the segments, and this is what I found...

Since the beginning of the Playoffs, The Canucks are 7-1 when Don Cherry sports a loud bold suit jacket during his Coach’s Corner segment on Hockey Night in Canada.

When Grapes wears a more subdued suit jacket (only one tone or colour) …the Canucks are 1-5

Subdued suits and Canucks mostly lose

2nd round Predators/Canucks

Game Six win bold pattern
Game Five loss subdued/one colour
Game Four win subdued/one colour
Game Three win bold pattern
Game Two loss subdued/one colour
Game One win bold pattern

Wins:  Bold Jacket 3 subdued Jacket 1     Losses:  Bold jacket 0 subdued Jacket 2

Round one was a little different. Cherry didn’t start his Coach’s Corner segments until after the Canucks won Game One. However, even when Cherry’s segments were featured during the Habs/ Bruins series, they happened in between the Canucks/Blackhawks games and his choice of jacket still supports the win/loss pattern…

Game Seven win Bold bold pattern
Game Six loss ( the day after subdued suit)
Game Five loss subdued Easter look pink (one colour jacket)
Game Four loss subdued Easter look purple (one color jacket)
Game Three win  Bold
Game Two win   Bold   Checked jacket between Canuck wins
Game One win    Bold

Wins: Bold Jacket 4 subdued jacket 0  Losses:  Bold Jacket 0 subdued jacket 3

Right now the Canucks are playing game number 14, the first of a possible seven in the Western Conference Finals against the Sharks. The Sharks are leading 2-1 after the second period. Don Cherry's jacket for the evening? Green plaid.


So there you have it! GO PLAID 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!

Two of these teams are not like the Others...

by Lisa Ovens

Boston Bruins, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Montreal Canadiens, San Jose Sharks, Detroit Red Wings, Vancouver Canucks, Chicago Blackhawks.

Can you figure out which two teams are different than the others and why? The answer is below this mini Don Cherry Suit Fest...

The two different teams are the San Jose Sharks and the Vancouver Canucks. What they have in common goes beyond the finned, ocean dwelling creatures on their sweaters. Neither of these teams has won a Stanley Cup.

Based on the last few cup winning teams, it's a good thing for the Canucks and the Sharks that Marion Hossa doesn’t play for either of them...

Red Wings: one  Penguins: one

Marion Hossa: nothing

The San Jose Sharks are now one step closer to making the Stanley Cup Final after knocking out the Detroit Red Wings last night. We can't say the same for the Vancouver Canucks, as their Stanley Cup Final campaign is on the ropes, down three games to one against the Chicago Blackhawks, the Canucks need to win three more games this week to stay alive this post season. Today is the first day of three possible judgment days. If the Canucks can't win game five for themselves, maybe the could win one for their moms.

Happy Mother's Day everyone :o)

Here’s To Team Canadas and Original SIXY!!

hockey art. artist on left, mark gaskin. on right, lisa ovens

by Lisa Ovens

Two Canadian based NHL teams advanced to Round Two: cue the “All Canadian Stanley Cup Final” talk. Yeah, a Canucks/ Canadiens final would be kind of neat, but, it would only last four, maybe five games, making it dull, and fan created damage to the losing team’s city, Montreal would be in the millions.

Four out of six Original Six teams are vying for a place in the Eastern or Western Conference Final. It’s Original Sixy, Original Sexy!

The Series

Montreal Canadiens vs. Pittsburgh Penguins

The Canadiens dropped the first game to the Pens. But the hab fans’ red jerseys sure stood out well in the Igloo’s White Out, if that means anything! The Habs were the last Canadian based NHL team to win the Stanley Cup (1993). It was their twenty-fourth Cup celebration. Unfortunately that stat will remain unchanged.

Hey cute and cuddly Penguins, What’s up with you and only playing Canadian teams this year? First you knock out the Ottawa Senators, you’ll most likely send the Canadiens packing next. The only thing that will be standing in the way of you and the last Canadian team to tussle with will be either a blip of flyer Orange or Bruin yellow. Be afraid, Canuck fans, the Penguins are gunning for us!!!

Chicago Blackhawks vs. the Vancouver Canucks

Chicago is the runt of the original Sixy litter. They’ve been around forever but have only won three Stanley Cups. The Blackhawks bandwagon has quickly filled up over the last couple of years for two reasons: sucking for years plus high draft picks equals some great young talent to mold, and the death of owner Bill Wirtz and the stingy managerial ways.

I guess as far as playoff rivalries go this year, the Hawks vs. Canucks has the freshest of bad blood. There’s a laundry list of incidents from the 2009 Playoff’s round two. The BHawks won that series in six, and this time around, we can expect the Canucks will be on the warpath, righting as many wrongs along the way. The Canucks will find a way to win the series, but it’s going to be a rough ride.

Detroit Red Wings vs. The San Jose Sharks

Let’s face it: The Detroit Red Wings are the Original Sexy of the Original Sixy! The eleven time Stanley Cup champions (four wins since 1997) have brought out the Wing Envy of many. And here’s a cool snippet of history: The first woman to have her name engraved on the Stanley Cup is Marguerite Norris, president of the Detroit Red Wings in 1954/ 1955 season. I am going to quote myself from my round one prediction: “It's hard for me not to pick the Red Wings to win this series. They just know how to deal, those Wings. They deal with everything so well; whatever the storm, they deal with it. They are by definition, Retrosexual Men.”

The San Jose Sharks, as rested as they are, don’t have the “deal with it” trait to the extent the Wings have, even though the Sharks won game one of this series. But you go ahead and try your darndest, Sharkies!

Boston Bruin vs. Philadelphia Flyers

When I think of the Boston Bruins I often think of Don Cherry and Bobby Orr. Now I think of Tuukka Rask and Milan Lucic. But can these two guys and the rest of the B’s win a sixth cup for this Original Sixy born in the year of the Rat? If you think Tuukka Rask is a cool name with all that U and K action, check out this former Bruin name: Dit Clapper (Aubrey Victor, given names) Dit Clapper played 20 seasons (1927-1947) wore number five and after Yzerman and Bourque, is next on longest serving captain on the NHL list.

The Philadelphia Flyers have not met the Bruins in the post season since 1978. Both teams are going to be playing a “so you think you’re tough” kind of game in this series. Which ever team is left standing could be easy pickings in the Eastern Conference Final for the Penguins. The Flyers have had the longest lay off this post season (nine days), and because of that I am going to give the Bruins the edge.

First Round...how’d I do? I picked the Pens, the Canucks, the Flyers and the Wings to win round one. Four right out of eight!!