Get Off My Lawn!!!! Well-Deserved Rest Edition

Those road warriors in Blue & Green are returning home after taking 3 of 4 on an Eastern swing (with a stop in St. Louis for some ribs and advice from The Cock). If it seems like the Canucks have been playing a lot lately, it's because they have, dumbass. The Canucks have played more games than most teams in the NHL, and over the next couple weeks, that gap is gonna get closed. And yes, it's very likely they will get knocked off of their perch atop the NHL. I would like to point out to you young whippersnappers that many thought that the Canucks might take the Western Conference, but thought it unlikely they would lead the league again. Yet here they are in mid-January, looking like they're ready to make it 2 straight Presidents' Trophy wins. Now much like all the personal accolades, this is all well and fine, but doesn't matter to me. I would like to see them win it again solely for ensuring home ice through the playoffs and nothing more. Now, it's time for you to sit down and shut up while Zandberg, Yankee and I tell you what we liked and hated this week...

Ol' Man Zandberg Liked: I think with this roadtrip, people really didn't know what to think. Many forecasted a severe beating at the hands of the Bruins, a Florida sweep and a loss in St. Louis. It's funny, because none of these games turned out like we thought, mainly due to these teams not being like we remember them. Okay, the Bruins haven't changed much, but Florida is definitely a better team than we've seen in years, and the seemingly crazy changes made by GM Dale Tallon and new coach Kevin Dineen might see the Florida Panthers playing playoff hockey for the first time in ages. And as surprisingly good as the Panthers have been this season, the Tampa bay Lightning have been shockingly bad. This team came within a game of being our opponent in the Finals last year, and this year, with nearly the same cast as last season, they're underperforming in a massive way.

So despite faltering in Florida, the Canucks came back the next night and battled through to win in the shootout against Tampa despite giving up a late goal. Then two nights later they went into St. Louis and against the hottest goalie in the NHL, took him down in OT. People complain if the Canucks struggle, especially in games that the leader board tells us they should have no trouble with. The problem with that line of thinking is that it completely discounts Gary Bettman's mantra: parity. The NHL has worked tirelessly to create it, and it really is true that nearly all these teams can beat any other team on any given night. Now this doesn't explain how bloody awful the Islanders and Blue Jackets are, but for the most part, you really can't take a night off. The game against Florida showed that. But the fact that the Canucks looked and played like a tired team over the last 7 days and came out of it with 6 of 8 points impressed the hell out of me. It shows that in spite of injuries and a tough schedule, this team is preparing for another long playoff run. The odds of them getting another shot in the finals aren't the greatest. This team is showing they care not so much about things like odds, and are finding ways to prove naysayers wrong.