I know that I am so late to the post, but there is not an easy way to approach the end of the Canucks season. I’ve been busy with some projects at home and having some job opportunities to explore that getting time to get The Crazy Canucks gathered and the studio pumped up to record has been a hassle.
Am I depressed? Kinda. No one wanted to see the season come to an end like that, and I doubt that anyone wants to see their team in any sport get booted out of any sort of elimination process like that. It’s the way the game is played, and you can’t forget that.
Saying that, I was prepared for the season to be over for the Canucks, but the beam of hope is something I never gave up. In fact, in the second period of that game five against Anaheim, I was was calling for a 9-1 victory for Vancouver. A bit of a stretch, but hasn’t the whole season been that way?
So here comes the excuses, and this is only because there are those out there that would call it that. I like to call it facing the truth because the fact is, we went from a painful season last year, to a clueless start to this one, and wound up with something no one in their right mind thought was possible. Sure, the dedicated ones will tell you that they always knew, but that’s just the legacy of a fan.
At the end of last summer, so many people knew that we had a good goalie. How good remained to be seen, but we all get the picture now. Alain Vignault was… well, no one had a clear picture other than what could vaguely be recalled about his previous experience as a NHL coach.
And don’t forget the new faces. So many fans we’re trying to figure out, “Why the hell did we toss down money for Mitchell?” And now we sit here saying, “Oh… right.”
There were other things that I am really lazy as to listing off, but for a season that was often viewed as a rebuilding year, we whooped all the predictions, aside from those few who called it a long time ago (good for you, now shut up and get over yourself).
The Canucks fell short? I don’t think so. I know that this season was a blast to watch, and Luongo probably had a large part to do with that. The rest of the chips fell into place, but not enough to push the team further than what all of us fans wanted to happen. Yet, I can’t say that I am disappointed at all.
When Luongo let that absentminded goal go in, I wasn’t upset or angered by his sudden drop of the guard, not that it’s excusable. But after everything he did in that game five, not to mention the entire season, I can truthfully say that I was not let down. If anything, I am more excited for next season and can care less about the rest of the playoffs.
Well… almost.
Go Sens
Well put. I’m pretty excited for next season as well. We’ve got the makings of a championship team – and now the boys all have playoff experience too.
Now it’s time to enjoy the summer months and there’s no longer a reason to stay inside every other night!
Couldn’t agree with you more. In fact some of the newcomers were our best performers come playoff time. The contributions of Mitchell, Smolinski and everyone’s favourite brabarian Jeff Cowan just go to prove that you never can tell who’s going to step up in the second season.
(go sens go)
Honestly, Smolinski left me a little miffed towards the end there. Either the tank ran out of gas for him or there was some “injury” plaguing him. Seemed like an entirely different guy in that game four and five.
I think we wouldn’t be having this conversation if the Sedins weren’t sick/had stepped up more.
I am excited about next year because odds are the stomach virus won’t hit those guys, and they will be a force in the playoffs. We know that they have the ability to be playoff monsters. They have done it before.
The real story now is what the hell Nonis is going to do to put a more-effensive team together and still stay under the cap! Should be quite interesting.
John, what should we do with Bulis?