Once again, not a stellar effort by any stretch, but the Canucks found a way to win. I'm not terribly happy about the win however, and believe me, neither are the Canucks. And that's a good thing. Canucks teams in the past have been guilty of complacency, especially when it came to games against inferior opponents. Fortunately there's a different mindset with this squad, the result of bitter playoff disappointment. More after the jump...
Yesterday I said a win of less than three goals felt almost like a disappointment. And that's how I feel this morning. And while it wasn't a letdown on the scale of the abomination in Buffalo, the Canucks did shift down a gear. Granted, the team was playing their 4th game in 6 nights, and even the best conditioned athletes would be showing signs of fatigue. Tired or not, they let their foot off the Flames' throats, and while Calgary wasn't able to do anything with that wiggle room save for a goal with 11 seconds left, it's a dangerous precedent. Teams like Detroit would feast on these opportunities. Fortunately, the Canucks were rather upset with how things ended up and vowed that it would be addressed.
What the hell... is this Crow?
I don't think I can recall a more complete and total collapse than the one Team Canada pulled out of their asses last night, but to be honest that third period shouldn't have come as a shock. They put it into cruise control in the second period, and that was a disaster waiting to happen. Full marks to the Russians for a gritty comeback, but the Canadian coaching staff should have nipped that in the bud. They stopped hitting. They stopped skating. They stopped doing all the things they did in the first that had the Russians looking timid and bewildered. They stopped playing Canadian hockey... It's all well and good that people feel the need to be gracious losers and say "Oh you can't blame those Russian kids for getting drunk and getting kicked off the plane, they just won the World Juniors after all..." Yeah, except for the fact, and correct me if I am wrong, but the drinking age is 21. Imagine if one of them suffered alcohol poisoning. Or worse. Sorry, as a parent of a 17 year old, the fact they were allowed to get shitfaced before boarding an international flight shows poor judgement at best by the people in charge... Attention Tampa Bay Lightning fans: I hope you all learned a valuable lesson last night about worshipping false idols. One night after Dwayne Roloson made his Bolts debut with a shutout, he let in 3 goals and was pulled in the 1st, only to start the second and let in another 3 in a pathetic 8-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins in a game that was supposed to be a battle of two of the best in the league. It's a complete mystery how the Lightning are where they are in the standings with the goaltending they have...
WAACH 'Cast's Band Of The Day- ZIMMERS HOLE
Featuring 3 Strapping Young Lad alumni, the band's resume is stunning indeed: Gene Hoglan (Dark Angel, Death, Testament, Dethklok, Fear Factory); Byron Stroud (SYL, Fear Factory); and Jed Simon (SYL, Front Line Assembly, Tenet), and when you throw in an absolutely maniacal frontman who dresses like a demon you have one of the funniest metal bands out there. Their live show is something else, I would describe it to you, but most would find it just too damn offensive. I will however throw a couple songs your way, and should we meet, ask me about the Devil's Mouth...