Everyone assumes once the team makes the playoffs we're legitimate contenders. Fact of the matter is when we played the Ducks and we lost, we weren't. Ahh yes the first go around with the Hawks in 08-09...how were we supposed to fair? Not very well. Our team wasn't built to match the Hawks so we played the 1-2-2. How about when we played against the Hawks in 09-10, did you honestly think we were favourites to win that series? Nope. Everyone had pegged the Hawks to be serious contenders in the West. How about in '10-'11? Yeah I could say we were the favourites. Most definitely. But to blame Luongo on all those faults is just plain selfish and it's like you're looking for an excuse. We as a team lost in the SCF. We as a team failed and we as a team weren't good enough in the SCF plain and simple. There's a reason the Stanley Cup is deemed the hardest trophy to win in sports. You need all 22 players doing their part and did we get that in the SCF? No we didn't. I like how no one pointed out how Danny said the Canucks were going to win it at home and every media outlet focused on Luongo "pumping" Thomas' tires. Gimme a break.

Side note: What about when Ryan Miller was struggling earlier this year? Did you see Buffalo fans calling for him to be traded? No. Enroth was playing lights out when he was first injured.

Regardless, now everyone is going to say well what about Kesler? How do you explain his play? I don't. He came off major surgery and if you can't see that it's clearly affecting his play than you're clearly naive again and expecting that he replicates a 70 pt season. Also if you haven't noticed that he got more than half his points on the PP last year. How's our PP doing this year? Clearly it's not as potent. However, Kesler is more effective at doing things that don't necessarily get his name on the score sheet every night. He's also had a rotating door of Wingers.. how do you expect for him to find any consistency for him regardless. Is Kesler an elite player? Sure you can categorize him to be one, he's a great two-way player. Not all two-way players are expected to light up the lamp. A 60 Point campaign by any 2nd line center is considered a great season. Sure he's off that pace right now, but let us not forget that he's also missed a good month and a half due to recovery. By that time, everyone's already in game shape stamina. Yeah you can argue it's been the whole season, but believe you me, hip surgery recovery is no fun to deal with.

Now we arrive at the PP. What's wrong with it? Is it me or did we all not notice how predictable our PP was becoming and teams started to pick up on it by the WCF especially during the SCF? So what's wrong with it this year? Hrmm well quite frankly having Kesler on the point has been a like and dislike moment, but to me this just them testing out what will work just incase if the original PP doesn't work. I can assure you that we will be seeing that patent drop pass in the center ice when it comes down it because it worked and it wasn't broken why fix it. You'll see because again individual success does not add up to team success. The players know it. Teams are also figuring to pressure our PP a lot more to make quicker decisions it's an adjustment that all teams have made while playing against us on the PK. Just wait and see again, we don't need to be first.

Finally, we arrive at the Hodgson and Kassian debate. Was this trade worth it? In my eyes yeah it was worth every god damn letter in Hodgson's last name. Why? Well quite frankly he addressed an organizational need. He plays a great cycle game that AV is coaching and his board work is great. Yeah but Hodgson was just as good and has a way better offensive upside!!! Hold onto your panties before they get into a fisherman's knot. Yeah Hodgson is better offensively, but how do you know that he was able to throw up points without ever seeing him play in the playoffs? We all know the games are 10 times more physical, there's more hack and slash and with teams really clamping down in the West, not the east, but the West, it was evident that Hodgson was going to struggle prior to the trade deadline. There were some teams that were jockying for position already so that they didn't have to worry later. Big goals in big games you say? So what's with this Kassian kid? Obviously you're a supporter of this trade so your opinion is biased. No not really loved Cody, but love the potential Kassian brings more. I don't look at Stats, I look at what he does without the puck. Sure you can say he's rushed due to Hodgson was a roster player, but the fact of the matter is that he couldn't even play in the AHL even if we wanted to send him down at the time.

We all say that this kid has an incredible first 5 games and said wow I see what Gillis saw in this kid. Some were saying I heard he plays well because of his adrenaline rush. Now it's gotten to the point of this kid is invisible. You see how bipolar half these boards are? I argue this, if you think this kid plays off adrenaline, would it not make sense that you give him a chance in the playoffs? That's what the playoffs are all about. It's a 16 game adrenaline rush and I'm positive he will strive. He played with it when he played for Team Canada and he'll play with it again.

All in all CDC, thanks for making me realize why we're so hated and when I'm telling people I'm a Canucks fan, I'm automatically deemed the idiot who knows nothing. Relax it's just a game. Stop being so anxious as this team will be competitive for years to come. That I promise.

You stay classy CDC. You stay classy.