Superfan91

How much has the lleague paid the canucks this year to make sure they do not make it back to the Finals. Think about it starting last summer when we let ,Christian Erhoff, the only Canucks defenceman capeable of playing the point on the powerpla. IE a good point man is one who when the opposing player fires the puck around the boards in an attempt to cllear the zone has the ability to move laterally fast enough to get to the puck before it leaves the zone. Erhoff was the only defencemen we had with that ability and this year our powerplay has suffered because of it. You just do not give give up a player if he is the only one you have on your team with that particular skill set! If that wasnt bad enough, this year we had something no other team in the league had three good lines. with three very good centers. So, what do we do we trade one of them! We are told it is because kept him here until at least after the playoffs or,at least got another center with a similar skill set to replace him. In lue of Daniels not being able to play,and the trading of Erhoff and Hodgson. We have gone from a team with all the parts needed to win a Stanly cup ie three strong lines with three centers who are great at face offs and at shutting down the other teams centers to a team with only one center with that ability,Ryan Kesler, in. It just seems strange to me how a team could go from within one game of winning a Stanley cup to being knocked out in the first round. Now it could be Mike Gillis and his management team just are not a astoot as we thought they were in regard to knowing the peices needed to build a Stanley Cup team or did a edicked come down from the league telling us to make sure we do not make it back to the stanley cup because 1) The league does not want a repeat of the aftermaths last two Stanley Cup finals the canucks have been invollved in or, is it the league does not want a Canadian team to win the cup because it would hinder the growth of the game in the US. All I know is something is fishy about this. What do you think...

Attention Louie: The season starts in September not December! Why is it every year it takes you a quarter of the season to get into top form? Granted you played a lot of hockey last year but, still it shouldn't take you this long to get back into top form. I know I'm being picky,so what else is new, but if we are going to win the cup at some point during your tenure here. You have to come out of the gate with a more consistent game. Maybe it's because, in the past you have had to carry the load no matter what. Well, this year that's not the case. Cory has done a brilliant job when ever needed. Thank God! In the last ten games it looks like you have finally rounded into form. I just wish coach V. would be a little quicker to pull you or Corey. It seems coach V always waits until one of you give up three or more goals before he pulls you. In most cases that is too little too late. accept against Montreal the other night but, occasions like that are few and far between and the exception to the rule. Just a thought. Now that said as someone once said." Winning isn't everything it's the only thing." Remember that and, Go Conics Go!

Kiddo's to the Canucks. You all played one h-e double hockey sticks of a game last night against Calgary! Last nights game was a great all round effort by everyone on the team. Louie, you played by far the best game I have ever seen you play and I have been at every home game you have ever played as a Canuck. This team so much better when they play as five man units. When all five men go on offense together and when all five men go on defense together. Bottom line, The is no I in team. As long as you remember that there is no one who can beat you. Especially if you play like you did last night. Kiddo's to the Canucks and... Go Canucks Go!

I am writing this addition of my blog because this addition of the Canucks is BORING ME OUT OF MY COTTON PICKING MIND! Every game it's the same thing. Play it safe, dump and chase, wave your stick at your opponent and maybe he'll cough up the puck.When did the NHL become the No Hit League? There seems to be no intensity in our game at all. WOULD SOMEBODY PLEASE HIT SOMEBODY! The brand of hockey the Canucks are producing,at the moment is enough to put one into a coma! Did we not learn from last years playoffs that playing nice don't work. Old saying become old sayings because there is something to them. The one that comes to mind when I watch the Canucks is, "Nice Guys Finish Last" Mike I think it is time for a shake up. I don't think we need to blow up the team but a well placed kick in the pants does seem to be in order. Go Canucks Go!.

Here we go again,"From the penthouse to the outhouse",and the truth be told, nobody gives a dam." Oh you do? Then why,pray tell do you keep filling the building to capacity as the team ascends further and further down the standings? If you are really serious about wanting a Stanley cup winner in this town then show it in the only way the powers that be understand. Just stay home. Yes, it's true we were one win away from winning the Cup last year but one win away is not winning the cup. If you're going to finish second you might as well finish last. Actually, finishing last would be a good thing for this team in the long run and its something we have never done in our 41 yr. history. Who do you get when you finish last...usually a player you can build your team around. But no here we languish in the middle of the pack again. We will probably get in the playoffs again we might even go a few rounds ,but if we do actually get to the final again and push comes to shove I'm sure it will end in the same results as 1982, 1994 and 2011. Now all together now..."We're number two!". it

Would the REAL Vancouver canucks please stand up! Which team are you are you a team that gets a lead and then plays kitty bar the door the rest of the night or are you the team that went into Chicago and kicked Ass! I am hoping you are the latter because I am sick and tired of looking at the former. A long time ago I saw an interview with Wayne Gretzky in which he said when he went out on the ice he went with the attitude that the puck was his and in doing so, tried to the best of his ability to either score or at least maintain possession of the puck. In that way no matter how good the opposing team is they can't score.. So, what's it going to be Canucks, keep on playing kitty bar the door and pray that louie and Corie can hold down the fort( remember game seven of the Stanley cup final?) Or, will you actually try something different. Dam the torpedoes and full speed ahead. every shift all the time and may the chips fall where they may. "Go Canucks Go!"

Nice guy's finish last... This describes every Canucks teams since 1970. For example last night the Canucks were up 5-0 going into the third period. So, what do they do, instead of trying for a sixth seventh or eighth goal they play kitty bar the door for the third period. Worse than that they gave up a goal in the last minute of the game to a team that didn't deserve a goal and ruined a shutout bid for louie to boot. This team is at its best when they play high tempo game at both ends of the ice. Every time coach tries to rein in the troops it end sup biting us in the butt. My advice to coach V is loosen your grip on the reins and let things fall as they may. Let this team play the way they seem to want to play,which is high tempo at both ends of the ice. Elite teams aren't concerned about blowing out other teams. They play there best at all times and if they blow out teams in the process that's just too bad. Teams that play that way all the time don't have to spend time looking for their game because there game is always there. They don't slump going into the playoffs. They don't sneak into the playoffs. They go out and win championships. Go Canucks Go. t

I will be,"The Season Ticket Game", on Thursday,October. 2011. Since I found out about this it has gotten me thinking about the Canuck's players and fans who have gone before. In the 1974-1975 the W.H.A. Came to Vancouver, in the form of a team called the Vancouver Blazers. At that time there was a waiting list to get season tickets for the Canucks. So, my parents decided to get Season tickets for the blazers. That year was the first year the Canucks won any thing. They won their division and, with that, chased the Blazers out of town. The following year, the 1975 -1976 season my parents and I got season tickets with the Canucks. For the next four years we three, came out to every game together until 1980,when on October 24,1980 my father past away of cancer. Then there was just us two,my mother and me. the number of games we missed over the next several years you could count on one hand and have fingers left over. We were there through both the 1980 and 1994 cup runs. This past year was not a good one for my mother. She had several health scares and spent from before Christmas last year until early mid January in the hospital,getting out for one day only to go back in. She began to improve and was getting ready to come home when on March Th, 2011 she had a massive stroke. She fought very hard but, passed away on March. 2011. Although she was very sick during the last year of her life my mothers face would still light up when talking about the Canucks. Now we are one, So when I go to the game on Thursday night I will be thinking of those who have gone before. players like: Barry Wilkins, Gary Lapel and Rick Ripen, and fans like Morris and Pearce and my mother and father who were there in 1976 when I first became a season ticket holder. I know they will all be looking down on me with a smile chanting, "Go Conics Go!"

Okay,koodo's to,"THE 7TH. MAN" in game five of the semifinal's. You were much better...but, there is still room for improvement. In case you have been living under a rock and haven't realised it.WE ARE GOING TO THE STANLEY CUP PEOPLE! So, show your support for,"OUR TEAM!" This is not a time to be sitting on your hands being the startipical quiet,polite Canadian's. As they say at the games,"GET UP AND SHOUT"your support from the rooftops. In the American war of independence they talk about,"The Shot Heard Around The World." Let us Canuck Fans be the fans heard around the world! or at least around the province. Wether you're watching the game at home, in a pub or at the game live. Be loud be proud be Canucks. Let's be so loud from border to border to border to border the team can,not only, feed off the energy of the people in attendance at the game but, from the energy put forth by all of us throughout the province. If we do that wether its Boston or Tampa Bay we face it won't matter. Nobody will be able to stop us if we put all our energy and support behind our team,The Vancouver Canucks!" Now all together now, GO CANUCKS GO,GO CANUCKS GO,GO CANUCKS GO!

As I looked around ROGERS ARENA IN GAME FIVE OF THE VANCOUVER-NASHVILLE series I noticed Something. Whenever the croud started the wave or were asked to,"MAKE SOME NOISE!" Everyone would get involved. Everyone that is but, the upper eshelon of,"THE 7TH. MAN." As I looked down from my seat in section 311A WC SEAT 3 I noticed very few of the people in the suites or the club seats were cheering. Now I know these people pay more for thier seats than any of the rest of us in the building and they can do what they want but, we have just been through two very tough series and,as we get deeper into the playoffs each series will get progessively more difficult as we go up against progressively better teams. As the competition gets stronger the more our team will need all of us who make up,"THE 7TH. MAN." No matter who we cheer for during the regular season, during the playoffs we should take the atitude that,"WE ARE ALL CANUCKS." ALL OF US! From the people who come and buy a single game ticket , the season ticket holders,the club seat owners or,suite owners.We all need to pull in the same direction. Every home game during the playoffs should be us against them. Us 18+ thousand + THE CANUCKS PLAYERS,COACHING STAFF TRAINERS AND WATER BOY VS THE OPPOPSITIONS PLAYERS,COACHING STAFF,TRAINERS AND WATER BOY. If we do that nobody and I mean nobody will be able to beat us.As the old saying goes,"IF All ARE FOR US NO ONE CAN BE AGAINST US!" So, my question to all Canucks fans everywhere is will you be content with settling with the canucks having a great regular season but, bowing out somewhere along the line during the playoff short of winning the big prize,"THE STANLEY CUP"? I feel this team has what it takes to win it all with a little help from,"THE 7TH. MAN." GO CANUCKS GO!!!

"NANANNA, NANANANA, HEH HEH HEH, GOODBYE. Well, for the first time in my thirty five years as a Canucks Season ticket holder I am jumping off the band wagon. I have seen this movie way to many times. Every time I think the Canucks have a legitimate shot at the Stanly Cup an opposing team finds our teams weakness, and exploits it. In 1982 we had Grit, determination and great goal tending but,lacked the offense to go toe to toe with the likes of Gilies,Potvin and Bossy. In 1995 we had grit, speedy forwards and great goaltending but, lacked the" do whatever it takes to win attitude all winning teams have. This year we have a team who all year has shown it has scoring ability on all lines, a Mobile physical defense, Superior goal tending H and depth on the farm to bolster the roster should we sustain an injury in any one of these areas.However, something the team presently lacks,since the injury to Manny Maholtra, is a more than one superior face off man. With both Maholtra and Kestler in the lineup we had two superior face off men on the team, which is more than most teams in the league have save, Pittsburgh and yes Chicago. With both of them in the lineup on most occasions we would starting with the puck, and that is the main reason we faired so well against the Black Hawks in the regular season. The lack of being able to gain possession of the puck has killed us against the Hawks. N0TE: Mr. Mike Gillis please put on your to do list to obtain another superior face off man,be it through the Junior Draft or via the trade route. For now, I pray I'm wrong if not as the game clock counts down in game seven we will be hearing the refine,"NANANANA,NANANANA,HEYHEYHEY, CANUCKS GOODBYE!" , , .

Early this morning the canucks Biggest Fan entered Heaven. My mother and I have been Season ticket holders since 1976.My mother was the biggest Canucks fan ever. She and my father originally got season tickets with the Vancouver blazer's of the WHA in 1975 and when the Blazer's left town in 1976 we got season tickets with the canucks.Their original seats were just below the organist at the pacific Coliseum. I sat in section X Row WC (Wheel Chair) In case I haven't mentioned it before I am a paraplegic. Anyway, In those early days we were all quite healthy and over the next four years we missed attending less canuck games than Jim Robson. In 1980 my father passed away and then we were two. For the next several years I sat in my same seat and my mother moved down to the lower red near center ice behind the players benchs and for several years sat beside Ryan Walters mother. when the team moved to GM Place(now Roger's Arena I moved in section 311 A and she move onto the 100 level. Then a few years ago when she could no longer use the stairs she moved up to section 311 A next to me. :canucks:Over the past several year my mother had ever increasing health problems but nothing not pneumonia high fever bad weather or anything else could keep her from coming out and watching her canucks. It is so sad to me that she passed just when there is so much hope that this year will be the canucks year. If anyone In the canucks organization happens to read this I would like you to print it off and post it in the Canucks Dressing room. Bye Mum ,the Canucks biggest fan and Go Canucks Go!

Last nights game has convinced me we could go deep into the playoffs but, do have enough to win it all? According to fans who commented on my last blog posting we still need a power forward. My response to that is,"what do you call Ryan Kesler chopped liver? Now don't get me wrong, for the longest time I thought kesler was never going to turn into a hockey player never mind a power forward and , might I add, a very good power forward. How did he do it you might ask. First, since Mike Gillis has been here he has added depth to the team. First of all by acquiring players who can play and having those players play in their natural positions. Right wingers are playing right wing left wingers are playing left wing and Centers are playing center etc. For a lot of his career here kesler was made to play every position but one, the one he had been playing his whole life up until then, namely center. Although, with the injury bug hitting our defense so hard Coach V has started to put a forward on the point on the power play. Bad Idea as proving in last nights game in Calgary. Hopefully this will Cease and desist when all are D are back healthy and in playing condition. As to, weather we have what it takes to go all the way I'm not sure. Man for man, we are as good if not better than most. Have we got the ability to shut down Ovechkin and Crosby and still score the goals we'll need to score to win? Frankly I have no idea. I guess we will all find out in do time...GO CANUCKS GO!

Sorry to say but, the success of the canuck's is making me uneasy. I have been a season ticket holder since 1976 and have too often had my hopes dashed by the canucks. Having said that, there are things that are different about this team than any other team in canuck history: 1) Every line has scoring ability. 2) Their defense (when healthy) is the most mobile defensive group in team history. 3) They have two goaltenders of equal talent. The one thing I am not sure weather they have or not is a player, who when, the checking gets tighter has the ability to preserver, fight through tight checking of playoff time and still produce offense. In 1994 we didn't have that Pavel Bure was great during the regular season but, at playoff time he couldn't break through the tight checking. Do we have the ability to go all the way and win the holy grail of hockey the Stanley Cup? Only time will tell...

OK so maybe I was wrong...maybe the canucks do have enough to go all the way...then again... OK I admit the team has been deluged with injuries,especially on the back end and have still found ways to win. However, it is still regular season and as we all know the checking gets much tighter in the playoffs. Can the canucks battle through tighter checking. Having had watched the Canucks against the HABS the answer would be no. Granted we are pretty banged up on the back end right now but even so we should be able to fight through the tight checking. As I see it what we need to do this is two fold more team speed. and to teach the speed demons on the team how to effectively beat an opponent one on one without getting tied up. For example in the case of Mason Raymond, instead of having him constantly trying to beat guys to the puck on dump ins why not tell him to let them get there first and then take the puck away from them. In this way he can go after the puck and not get tide up by the opposing player because no matter how big your opponent is he can't hit you if you are behind him! Also, why is it that he constantly tries to take the outside route when trying to beat a check along the boards. Why do we never try to bank the puck off the side boards to beat the checker then skate to the inside to retrieve the puck off the carom. This kind of play would play to the abilities of a player like Mason Raymond who is a great skater but is not going to win many battles of strength. Bottom line do what brought you here. Keep those afterburner's blazing.

Lately I have been trying to figure out what it is that stops the canucks winning hockey's holy grale The Stanley Cup. After a lot of thought I have come to the conclusion that the Canucks are just too hot headed. They go out game after game and retaleate for something an opposing player has done and are given a penalty for it. A team mate gets injured by a "legal hit" and we lose our cool,take a penalty and more often then not get scored upon. For much of the Canuks forty years in the leage the have been a middle of the pack to lower eshilon team. So, being at the head of the pack is a new experience for them. If they have learned nothing this season I hope that they have figured out It is okay to play in a way in which you try to put the better players on the opposing team off their game or off of thier game as long as you do it under the guise of a legal play. Don't believe me? just as Kieth Ballard and Alex Edler...

Why does everything sports have a nickname but the media? The Canucks are called ,"The Nucks", The Lions are Called."The Leos", The White Caps are Called, "The Caps", BC Place is called,"The Dome" and up until recently the hockey arena was called,"The Garage". Everything sports seems to have a nickname, everything but the media. I am one of the minority. I was born within the actual borders of the actual city of Vancouver instead of Greater Vancouver. For as long as I can remember I have listened to the sports media on the radio, watched the sports media on TV, and read the spor.ts media in the newspapers. Having done this I have come to the conclusion the one prerequisit of being in the sports media in Vancouver is you must either be clinically brain dead sports wise or have crap for brains sports media wise to get a job. They never Thus may I suggest we dubb the sports media in Vancouver with the nickname,"The Toilet" in hopes they begin to flush out origial thoughts instead of constantly spouting verbateum whatever is said on"the Toronto Sports Network, as if whatever they say is Gospel!

So, here we go again waiting for the other shoe to fall. I have been a season ticket holder of the Canucks since 1976 and I have seen this movie too many times. The canucks wet our interest with good play get hot and everyone jumps on the bandwagon sermising the canucks are on the way to winning the stanly cup. Then reality sets in. A short comming of the team becomes apparent and brings us back to reality. This year, as In past years, it's been a vital peice to the success of the team has been injured and we did and do not have a person of aquivilant talent to replace them. In past years it' been Stan Smyl, Marcus Nasland, Pavel Bure to name a few. This year is Alex Edler. We will try to replace him but, the fact of the matter is you can't just replace your best defenceman. I ask myself why does this constantly happen to us? Then I harken back to something Brian Burke use to say when he was the Canucks GM. Each year after the Junior draft Brian would go on Dan Russel's show and fans would phone in and ask about the varieous players we had just drafted and inevidably at some point Brian would respond by saying about some player," He is the nicest kid you ever want to meet. You would be honored to have him take out your daughter." and,there in lies the problem the Canucks have had since day one. Bottom line, we are just too darn nice. Winning hockey teams win because,when push comes to shove, they are willing to do what ever it takes to win. On every shift you do what ever it take to win. If that means trying to put the best players of the opposing team off thier game or out of the game you do it and,if any player is not willing to do this they should get the heck out and get a job at Mcdonalds! Twice in this teams history we have made it to the stanly cup final and twice we have come out on the short end of the stick. In 1980 the reason we didn't win was partially a lack of offencive talent on our part but mostly a lack of willingness on our part to put the Islanders better players off there game or out of the game. In 1994 we had the most talent laiden team in Canuck history but again came up short. Why, one reason, we didn't have anyone on our roster with the jam to put,"The missing Link" aka Moose Messier off his game or out of the game. The 1994 team had the talent but, not the dispasision. to win the cup.In the whole 40 yr. history of the Vancouver Canucks no GM has ever addressed this problem. I am a firm believer in old sayings.Old sayings become old sayings because there is something to them. When I think back to when brian burke was the Canucks GM and would say a Canuck player was " The nicest kid you'd ever want to meet." I think of the old saying which goes,"nice guys finish last!" Until this problem is addressed we will never win the cup and I will continue to wait for the other shoe to fall!