Is It Time To Start Cheering For The Other Guys?
Posted 2:17 PM ET | Comments 4
It's a tough pill to swallow but it seems like a good time to start
cheering for the other 29 NHL teams, or possibly just those 8 Western
teams that are ahead of Vancouver in the standings. There's so much
more to it than their recent performance just after the trade deadline
though. I've come to learn that making the playoffs is apparently good enough for team management, especially when you can tell the same excuses to their
fans over and over. And that issues aren't addressed unless they
actually miss the playoffs, which in the long term may be ideal.
It seemed to start when the Canucks turned into an entertaining team,
just after 2000, that was capable of making the playoffs and filling
GM Place with fans consistently. With Brian Burke at the helm the
Canucks fought their way into playoffs for 4 straight years but the
real issue was that it was essentially the same team every year in and
out that couldn't get anything done. Goaltending was always an issue,
as well as a defense that wasn't quite the stable of thoroughbreds it
is now. For four years they were under-achieving in the playoffs and
nothing was ever done about it, whether making a move in the
off-season or signing that one missing part to push them from good
team to elite team. That era finally did end after the lockout when
Nonis took over Burke's circus and the Canucks couldn't find a way
into the 2006 playoffs.
It was like cleaning out your basement,
finding 44 boxes that just take up too much space and no one in the
house really needs, or 39 pairs of old shoes you should of just thrown
out and replaced instead of collecting dust. The rest of the story is
well documented, Crawford out, Vigneault in, Jovo out, Mitchell in,
Bert out, Luongo in, streaky 2nd half season, Dallas Stars, lots of
overtime, lots of shut outs, a 5 game series win that took 7, Luongo
standing on his head against the Ducks with no offensive support.
With a season far above expectations but still with a sub-par finish
the team management once again essentially stands pat, the top 6
forwards remain, the top 4 defensemen remain, and just tinkering is
done with our 4th line and add a depth defenseman. That's a large
reason why we sit in the position we are now.
Knowing Nonis was somewhat a protege of Burke's it seems like Nonis runs the same wave mediocrity mentality, if you use his one successful
season as the example. He may also be under the gun to make something
happen next season since it's the last year of his contract (I
believe) and possibly with a record of playoffs made 1 for 3 while
in charge going into it. He'll have a bit of salary to throw around for the first
time and negotiating power over Naslund and Morrison who
under-performed on their current 3 year contracts. He hit a home run
his first off-season with a team that didn't make the playoffs and it
seems like it could be his last chance to mold the Canucks into his
vision. I hope he gets the opportunity to so we can close this entire
chapter of mediocrity, rather than have another off-season where nothing happens and we end up in the same position again.
Remember when Pat Quinn was in charge and anything less than a
Stanley Cup was a failure? One game away from a Stanley Cup and the
next season he brings in Alexander Mogilny and Russ Courtnall. I
still remember that day at my friend's house when i was 12, you wanted
to run to everyone's house and spread the news. And the year after
landing the biggest free agent in Mark Messier, although it didn't
work out, you can't deny the butterflies you felt when you heard that
Messier's name would be on a Canucks jersey. Gone are the days where all that mattered was the Stanley Cup at no expense and it makes you wonder when making the playoffs became "good enough" for the Canucks, because it never did
for the fans.
JC
P.S. Since this is my first post i really am looking for some feedback, I'm sure my friends were just kidding when they read the draft and called it a complete waste of time
A bit about myself
-Born and raised Canuck fan, but i'm a realist fan, not the blind faith sort
-My mom's favourite player is Trevor Linden and my dad thinks he only tries in the playoffs
-Been to Pasta Da Puck twice, if you know what that is
-Every Saturday we have dinner at my Grandma's and watch Hockey Night in Canada
-No one in my family likes Brent Sopel
-My favourite all time Canucks are Trevor Linden, Pavel Bure and Markus Naslund
-My favourite current Canucks are Ryan Kesler, Alexander Edler and Willie Mitchell
-I'm an avid pooler so I know more about hockey than everybody =)
cheering for the other 29 NHL teams, or possibly just those 8 Western
teams that are ahead of Vancouver in the standings. There's so much
more to it than their recent performance just after the trade deadline
though. I've come to learn that making the playoffs is apparently good enough for team management, especially when you can tell the same excuses to their
fans over and over. And that issues aren't addressed unless they
actually miss the playoffs, which in the long term may be ideal.
It seemed to start when the Canucks turned into an entertaining team,
just after 2000, that was capable of making the playoffs and filling
GM Place with fans consistently. With Brian Burke at the helm the
Canucks fought their way into playoffs for 4 straight years but the
real issue was that it was essentially the same team every year in and
out that couldn't get anything done. Goaltending was always an issue,
as well as a defense that wasn't quite the stable of thoroughbreds it
is now. For four years they were under-achieving in the playoffs and
nothing was ever done about it, whether making a move in the
off-season or signing that one missing part to push them from good
team to elite team. That era finally did end after the lockout when
Nonis took over Burke's circus and the Canucks couldn't find a way
into the 2006 playoffs.
It was like cleaning out your basement,
finding 44 boxes that just take up too much space and no one in the
house really needs, or 39 pairs of old shoes you should of just thrown
out and replaced instead of collecting dust. The rest of the story is
well documented, Crawford out, Vigneault in, Jovo out, Mitchell in,
Bert out, Luongo in, streaky 2nd half season, Dallas Stars, lots of
overtime, lots of shut outs, a 5 game series win that took 7, Luongo
standing on his head against the Ducks with no offensive support.
With a season far above expectations but still with a sub-par finish
the team management once again essentially stands pat, the top 6
forwards remain, the top 4 defensemen remain, and just tinkering is
done with our 4th line and add a depth defenseman. That's a large
reason why we sit in the position we are now.
Knowing Nonis was somewhat a protege of Burke's it seems like Nonis runs the same wave mediocrity mentality, if you use his one successful
season as the example. He may also be under the gun to make something
happen next season since it's the last year of his contract (I
believe) and possibly with a record of playoffs made 1 for 3 while
in charge going into it. He'll have a bit of salary to throw around for the first
time and negotiating power over Naslund and Morrison who
under-performed on their current 3 year contracts. He hit a home run
his first off-season with a team that didn't make the playoffs and it
seems like it could be his last chance to mold the Canucks into his
vision. I hope he gets the opportunity to so we can close this entire
chapter of mediocrity, rather than have another off-season where nothing happens and we end up in the same position again.
Remember when Pat Quinn was in charge and anything less than a
Stanley Cup was a failure? One game away from a Stanley Cup and the
next season he brings in Alexander Mogilny and Russ Courtnall. I
still remember that day at my friend's house when i was 12, you wanted
to run to everyone's house and spread the news. And the year after
landing the biggest free agent in Mark Messier, although it didn't
work out, you can't deny the butterflies you felt when you heard that
Messier's name would be on a Canucks jersey. Gone are the days where all that mattered was the Stanley Cup at no expense and it makes you wonder when making the playoffs became "good enough" for the Canucks, because it never did
for the fans.
JC
P.S. Since this is my first post i really am looking for some feedback, I'm sure my friends were just kidding when they read the draft and called it a complete waste of time
A bit about myself
-Born and raised Canuck fan, but i'm a realist fan, not the blind faith sort
-My mom's favourite player is Trevor Linden and my dad thinks he only tries in the playoffs
-Been to Pasta Da Puck twice, if you know what that is
-Every Saturday we have dinner at my Grandma's and watch Hockey Night in Canada
-No one in my family likes Brent Sopel
-My favourite all time Canucks are Trevor Linden, Pavel Bure and Markus Naslund
-My favourite current Canucks are Ryan Kesler, Alexander Edler and Willie Mitchell
-I'm an avid pooler so I know more about hockey than everybody =)
Good read my friend...Wonder what Quinn is up to these days???Someone should compile a short list just incase...
or start planning for the 2010 Olympics in Van. I am planning to bring my boys up for that.
WAT the.....-I'm an avid pooler so I know more about hockey than everybody =), what the hell does that mean how do u know you know more then us. Just becasue you can write a blog....what is the big WHOOP! I wrote blogs i prob. kno more. You probably just one of those guys who only kno stuff about your team and only your team.
nice handle... sushi is a godsend