Are we too spoiled or jaded as fans to just appreciate what the team did this season?

[VANcanucks92]

This franchise loses in spectacular fashion alot in the playoffs so that certainly doesnt help.

[VANcanucks92]

I'm thinking that it's you that doesn't know it. There's mediocre and then there's just downright horrible.

Taking 14 years to win a playoff game = Downright Horrible

Exactly

[D-Money]

Ottawa's key players: Karlsson (24), Stone (22), Turris (25), Ryan (28), Hoffman (25), Zibanejad (22), Ceci (21), MacArthur (30). Average: 24.6 years old.

Winnepeg's key players: Wheeler (28), Byfuglien (30), Ladd (29), Myers (25) Little (27), Scheifele (22), Perrault (27), Trouba (21). Average: 26.1 years old.

Vancouver's key players: H. Sedin (34), D. Sedin (34), Vrbata (33), Burrows (34), Edler (29), Bonino (27), Tanev (25), Hamhuis (32). Average: 31.0 years old.

...See the difference?

[Red Light Racicot]

Yeah having Ferland charging around on our boys with impunity realy hurt.

`

[TimberWolf]

We have had one elite season and one slightly ellite 2010/11 11/12 where we still didn't take home the grail

We've have more seasons of fail, few hall of fame players and a historical lame record.

We are not spoiled. The Oilers were spoiled in the 80's.

Colorado even more so getting cups so soon after getting a team.

We don't know what it feels like to be spoiled at all but I certainly still pine for the day that we do and as for other teams that have it worse? So what? Being better then the Leafs is not a finish line...

[Baggins]

I'm thinking that it's you that doesn't know it. There's mediocre and then there's just downright horrible.

Taking 14 years to win a playoff game = Downright Horrible

Well Columbus has had 5 top 5 picks since 2000 and only one first overall pick among them. Compare that to Edmonton who has had 4 top 5 picks in the last 5 years with 3 of them being 1st overall. Edmonton falls into the horrible category.

I don't consider making the playoffs mediocre. That's a successful season in my book.

[SabreFan1]

Well Columbus has had 5 top 5 picks since 2000 and only one first overall pick among them. Compare that to Edmonton who has had 4 top 5 picks in the last 5 years with 3 of them being 1st overall. Edmonton falls into the horrible category.

I don't consider making the playoffs mediocre. That's a successful season in my book.

Both Columbus and Edmonton have had a terrible time since 2000. Columbus did better this year.

Making the playoffs is a success for the CBJ, but they are still a terrible organization. They need to keep making the playoffs in order to be considered anything else.

I hold no good or bad feelings for them. Reality is what it is.

[TimberWolf]

There's mediocre and then there's just downright horrible.

Taking 14 years to win a playoff game = Downright Horrible

That sums it up pretty good

[HC20.0]

The Sens and Jets both played their hearts out in their seasons just to make it, as well as in the playoffs. The Canucks played with heart UNTIL the playoffs. People have every right to be mad. The series was VERY winnable. Hiller looked bad in every game, and games 1 and 6 should've been easy wins. Credit to Calgary for winning, but the Canucks nevered showed up. That's why fans are pissed. If we had showed up at all, we'd be fighting the Ducks right now.

[westvandude]

To me it comes down to expectations and under/over-achievement of those expectations... We as fans who have no control over the team, deserved a cup in 2011 by all standards. We finally had the best team in the league, and lost the final series because the only thing we didn't do was to goon it up, and that didn't bode well with the old school bloodthirsty fans and affected the officiating as well. And the untimely injuries didn't help either (another unlucky thing that we as fans with no control, had to endure).

Well the general rule is, when you have such of dominating team, you can count on a cup over a number of years, but that image shattered for us too right away. We had a good season, but again unfortunate with daniel's injury and running into a hottest team as #8 seed.

All that followed by 2013, and 2014 really put the nail in the coffin.

This season however it seemed that karma was paying us back for the previous years bad fortunes... only to lose like that. Not only losing the 3-0 lead in that game 6, but having the refs basically get flames back into the game with that BS penalty call on the 4th goal.

For me, the jadedness comes from feeling like karma keeps letting us down....

All that said, the Canucks keep bringing me back! Specially now that the whole management and team is so likable. It feels like a classic good vs evil story... the classy and skillful canucks vs the bloodthirsty fundamentalist original six loving evil dictator. And hopefully as is in the stories, the good will eventually prevail after many failed attempts and we will see a well deserved cup in this city.

[Puck'nAnimal]

So you admit it?! Puppy murderers, all of you!!

I prefer cats as pets. Haven't ordered a freezer full of doberman steaks yet. Still looking.

I prefer to look at this season as a turnaround. They weren't expected to make the playoffs, but they did. I didn't expect that they'd get out of the first round. Especially when they split the two opening games in Vancouver (losing the first game then trying to play catch-up) and then proceeded to squander BOTH games in Calgary. You can't win from a 3-1 deficit if the team who you're up against is hungry and they paid for it.

It's a learning experience for the young guys on the team, like Horvat and Kenins, and they'll realize that hey, come playoff time, you gotta go hard from puck drop or you get beat.

[NHTyrany]

spoiled? Not bloody likely.

We will be spoiled when the league presents consistent unbiased officiating for a string of years so teams really know how to build and play to have a chance at the cup. Until then I remain forever disenchanted with the league and my love of the Nucks will eb and flow as I watch management and players try to be better than all of those other pros--no easy feat. This year was fun but for the inconsistency by the players only stepping up for big games and the lack of a coaching answer for Hartley. Sadly, our rookie coach got schooled.

There is always another year to look forward to and the hope that things will change for the better.

I will always be a Canuck but will never like Bettman or get over the game management in the 2011 SCF, especially games 3 and 4--to me, the league sold its credibility for more games and a close finish. If the league does not change, I just hope my aging father and I are around to see the Carma swing back and the Nucks fall on the right side of that equation.

[terrible.dee]

Quick answer: Yes.

Calgary and Winnipeg have been 'better fans' this season because their teams haven't been in the playoffs for a coons age, whereas our fans are like, so what? Call us when you have the cup. lul.

That being said, the regular season is worthless and losing in the first round is hardly exciting.

If you didn't find that series exciting. then I don't understand why you watch?

The entertainment value was almost on par with a playoff series 20 years ago.

Just out of interest, what is it that you DO want to see? Or you just want them to win? If you're part of that "winning = entertainment crowd" then we will probably never see eye to eye.

[alfstonker]

these are the fans, that when we lost game 7 to the bruins, called the team a bunch of bums and said our coach was the problem...

not a thank you, or we're proud of you...most unappreciative fans in the league.

Agreed smithers joe and you know what makes losing worse for fans like you and me? Coming on here and reading the crass bilge from the whiners, wannabe GM's and "notaclue" coaches.

Most of us are just sad and think "Oh well we are in transition." while the whiners have to start ripping into our coach, the players and the GM.

[TimberWolf]

If it wasn't for so called "bad fans" what would some of you have to feel elitist about?

[two drink minimum]

Its not about being spoiled or jaded. The Canucks charge a premium for their product and therefore a premium product is expected.

I took my kid to his first Canucks game this year. I paid $360 for two tickets, $15 to park and $18 for snacks ( $4 for a 250ml bottle of water). They lost 4-0 to the Ducks so they got my money and not a whole lot in return. If a ticket cost half of what they are now then the expectation would lessen.

[BanTSN]

If you didn't find that series exciting. then I don't understand why you watch?

The entertainment value was almost on par with a playoff series 20 years ago.

Just out of interest, what is it that you DO want to see? Or you just want them to win? If you're part of that "winning = entertainment crowd" then we will probably never see eye to eye.

If you don't understand why Canucks fans watch the Canucks, then we will probably never see eye to eye.

We have no doubt seen better product than what that series was for us. Watching Ferland dominate the team and guys like Vrbata take early vacations wasn't exactly applause-worthy. What Canucks fans want to see is a team that is prepared to show up for the playoffs. If they're not prepared to do that, then they need to continue RE-TOOLING or whatever you people want.

Actually, Canucks fans would probably rather see this team win a cup. That would be fairly entertaining, wouldn't it? I mean, how can you disagree with that? Or are you content with losing?

[Riviera82]

Its not about being spoiled or jaded. The Canucks charge a premium for their product and therefore a premium product is expected.

I took my kid to his first Canucks game this year. I paid $360 for two tickets, $15 to park and $18 for snacks ( $4 for a 250ml bottle of water). They lost 4-0 to the Ducks so they got my money and not a whole lot in return. If a ticket cost half of what they are now then the expectation would lessen.

Sounds like you got royally ripped off. I've only been to 2 games (live on the island and tickets used to be hard to get) but fortunately this was in 2011 and we kicked ass, albeit against Calgary and Edmonton. I'm pretty sure though that everything associated with the game costs as much now as it did then, if not more. I remember the beers were 7 or 8 dollars each, hardly seems fair especially now.

[two drink minimum]

Sounds like you got royally ripped off. I've only been to 2 games (live on the island and tickets used to be hard to get) but fortunately this was in 2011 and we kicked ass, albeit against Calgary and Edmonton. I'm pretty sure though that everything associated with the game costs as much now as it did then, if not more. I remember the beers were 7 or 8 dollars each, hardly seems fair especially now.

The seats were great mind you, Row 14 and right at the blue line but the game was awful. Each ticket was $178 including charges. I think the price was just above face value by $10.

[peaches5]

I like how there fans in here like oh the games were entertaining.. No they ???? weren't. I was at 35 home games this year and it was some of the worst hockey you could watch win or lose it was just like wow this is a complete waste of money. When people say the Canucks were entertaining this year I am just like yea okay you are ???? clueless. I've watched the Canucks play my entire life rarely did I ever watch other teams play from start to finish and I can honestly say I would just go on Game centre and watch other teams play. At least those teams actually looked like they were trying and competing. The team is way to freaking old and its like the entire game they are trying to conserve energy. Most of the season the only player you could see on the ice was Dorsett, or Hansen, I'm sure his ice time wasnt 20 mins a game but it looked like it because each shift he got he did something.

I could go entire games and be like did this guy even play? and then like oh yea he's out there just doing frack all. The thing that is annoying is these guys could have been traded for something anything and really not impacted the team at all. This core the way it is, is not winning a Stanley Cup. I'm not interested in paying 120-200 a ticket to watch a borderline playoff team.

Drop the ticket prices and stop pretending this team is a cup contender. Trust me the building was sold out legitimately maybe 2-3 times and then the fact basically 90% of the season ticket holders walked out last year and I stuck around but this year was just awful. I saw from last year this team couldn't compete and this oh we can still win a cup we can still compete is just horsecrap.

The huge marketing scheme to bring in Trevor Linden to restore faith in this team was to just try and drive season tickets back up. MG was not the problem of this team its the owners pure and simple. When MG came in he basically had full control of the team and what happened? 2 President trophies, 1 stanley cup finals and then after that the team had a short playoff exit and the owners decided to get involved and here we are.

I only hope that Trevor Linden and JB can keep a leash on Mr. Aquilini because if he decides to start getting involved in affairs again this franchise is doomed while under his control.