<table width=100%><tr><td><img src="http://cdn.nhl.com/canucks/images/upload/2007/09/sunny_blog.jpg" align="left" hspace="4">Run for your lives! Randy Myers is coming into the game!

That was the reaction of many Toronto Blue Jays fans during the 1998 MLB season.

The Jays had acquired Myers by signing the free agent reliever to a three-year, $18 million contract the previous winter. It was during a weird phase for Toronto, in which the Jays organization deluded itself into thinking it was a World Series contender when it was anything but. Oddly enough, that phase continues today.

Myers was deemed to be the final piece of the puzzle, a shutdown closer coming off a 45-save season with Baltimore in which he was an all-star and finished fourth in voting for both the American League MVP and Cy Young awards.

What could possibly go wrong for Toronto by signing the 35-year old pitcher to a long-term deal for an average salary of six million dollars?

In one word: a whole heck of a lot.<a href="http://cdn.nhl.com/canucks/images/upload/2007/11/myers.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://cdn.nhl.com/canucks/images/upload/2007/11/myers.jpg" align="right" border="0" hspace="4" vspace="1"></a>

Myers’ overall numbers as a Jay can be a bit misleading. He compiled 28 saves in 33 opportunities in a Toronto uniform. That percentage puts him roughly on par with the work done by closers such as Mariano Rivera and Bobby Jenks this season.

But it was the way Myers collected those saves that had him traded to San Diego just over four months into the campaign.

Nothing was easy. Myers would routinely enter a game with his team up by three runs and quickly give up two. He’d then load the bases before recording a strikeout or double play to get out of the jam.

This happened all the time. Jays fans were terrified by the sight of Myers jogging out of the bullpen as they knew their hearts would be pounding uncontrollably in just a matter of seconds. A once-comfortable lead was destined to nearly fade away under the closer’s watch.

But Myers somehow managed to get the job done the majority of the time, albeit just barely.

So what does any of this have to do with the Vancouver Canucks? Well, it turns out this Canucks team has a little Randy Myers in it. Vancouver uses every tiny bit of breathing room at its disposal to narrowly escape with two points, often leaving its own terrified fans curled up in the fetal position.

Take Friday night’s home win against Colorado, for instance. Vancouver took a 1-0 lead into the third period but couldn’t hold it. The Canucks were bombarded by the Avalanche for much of the frame, including a late Colorado powerplay. Vancouver managed to escape with the overtime win after a lucky bounce off a Colorado defenseman. <a href="http://cdn.nhl.com/canucks/images/upload/2007/11/nov0307_avs06_b.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://cdn.nhl.com/canucks/images/upload/2007/11/nov0307_avs06_t.jpg" align="left" border="0" hspace="4" vspace="1"></a>

The 3-2 victory over Calgary the night before followed a similar theme. Vancouver took a 3-0 lead into the third period. But rather than make things easy for themselves and their fans, the Canucks gave up two goals in 33 seconds to let the Flames back in it. A tense final minute concluded with the Flames buzzing around the Vancouver net, just barely missing out on tying the game. Randy Myers couldn’t have scripted it better himself.

On November 3, the Canucks held 3-1 and 4-2 third period leads against Colorado at the Pepsi Center. But Vancouver found a way to make it interesting both times, with Brad Isbister taking a holding penalty that allowed Marek Svatos to make it 3-2, and the entire team falling asleep on a Svatos breakaway that made it 4-3 in the final minute. Again, Vancouver held on for the win by the narrowest of margins.

On October 26, the Canucks had a 3-1 lead against Washington with three minutes to go. Then Taylor Pyatt took a high-sticking penalty that allowed Alexander Ovechkin to make it a 3-2 game. Sami Salo took a slashing penalty just 19 seconds after the goal, giving the Capitals a golden opportunity to tie things up, though they eventually ran out of time.

Finally, on October 6th, the Canucks held a 3-1 lead against the Flames going into the third. But Vancouver gave up two goals to Daymond Langkow in just over six minutes, sending the game to overtime where Daniel Sedin poked one past Miikka Kiprusoff with five seconds remaining in the extra frame.<a href="http://cdn.nhl.com/images/wire/ap/2007/11/bdd86d72-86a6-4fe0-b715-095916acf859.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://cdn.nhl.com/canucks/images/upload/2007/11/calgary_3_luongo_t.jpg" align="right" border="0" hspace="4" vspace="1"></a>

The Canucks have narrowly escaped with two points after holding third period leads. On four of those occasions, they’ve been up by more than one goal but been unable to keep their opponents from rippling the mesh and drawing near or even.

This might very well be a source of concern for Canucks fans, but if Randy Myers taught us anything it’s that it is possible to win games in which you nearly give up your full lead but hold on by the skin of your teeth. It’s nerve-wracking, but it somehow works.

In which case Canucks fans might want to consider setting up appointments with their cardiologists as soon as possible, because with the way this Vancouver team looks intent on making things interesting in the third period, we’re due for one heart-thumper of a season.

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