This Is The Year

The word that best describes the atmosphere at Rogers Arena on Friday: tension. Before the game, during the game, and even after Lapierre scored the one and only goal of the game, tension filled the air and the hearts of Canucks fans everywhere. This was not a must win game, but it sure felt like it. After what had transpired in Boston, the prospect of heading back to beantown down 3-2 seemed like a nightmare. Now all the Canucks have to do is muster up some gumption in order to win one game on enemy ice. Do that, and forty years of frustration will vanish.

The first period of game one found a familiar theme in this series, namely: the Canucks took too many penalties. It was one and a half minutes into the game when Torres got dinged for tripping. This could have been the beginning of the end. But the penalty killers stepped up and showed calm under pressure. Luongo was especially spectacular. He made numerous saves on this and the other penalties in the first period, a period where Boston amped up the pressure but came away unrewarded. Twelve shots on net, plus numerous other chances that were blocked or went wide of the net. Still, the score remained 0-0.

Vancouver came out stronger in the second period, even though Kesler got called for an interference penalty within the first five minutes of the frame. But the penalty killers had regained their mojo, and it became evident that the Bruins had fallen into their powerplay funk. After Kesler returned to the ice, the Canucks continued pressing and had the best chances of the game up to that point. They out hit the Bruins, outshot the Bruins, and were outskating the Bruins. But when Tanner Glass whiffed on a sure open net goal, it seemed for a time that it maybe wasn’t the Canucks night. They were turning the tide but the tide had not turned. One poor bounce and all fears would come true.

This is when, in other years while watching other Canucks teams, the shoe would finally drop. So many times have there been games and series where something absurd happens to extinguish Vancouver’s season. An overtime goal against us after tying the game with seconds left in regulation. A slapshot from centre ice that gets past our goalie. A brash young team lights up the scoreboard on our home ice. What would it be this time? A puck bouncing in off someone’s head? A penalty shot with seconds left? The stanchion working against us this time? How would it end?

But this is not other years or other teams. This is the 2011 Vancouver Canucks. And it was a player Boston has come to loathe that was the hero: Max Lapierre. His goal off a bounce from the end boards proved to be all Vancouver would need on this night. His celebration spoke for us all: giddy excitement, unequivocal joy, unquestionable relief. We had the lead, and somehow it seemed impossible we would give it up. Luongo had been playing too well to give up a bad goal. The defense was playing as a cohesive unit, hitting when appropriate and using active sticks to intercept or deflect passes. The forwards made smart plays to ensure the puck left the zone. The team played as a team, and the proper result followed. 1-0 the final score. But more importantly, 3-2 the series score.

The tension has been relieved, but has not disappeared. This tension will not fade away until there is one more victory to celebrate. And if Edler and Ehrhoff play like they did in game five, a victory may happen in game six. If Tanev and Alberts step up like they did in game five, the Canucks are looking good. If Lapierre and Higgins and Raymond and Hansen skate hard and play like they did in game five, then the Canucks may get that victory on Monday. If the Sedins get some chances and Kesler and Burrows do what they do, one more victory will come our way. This is all a way of saying that it takes a team to win a game, and unlike in games three and four, the entire Canucks team contributed to the game five victory. One player should not be blamed when a team loses.

It is appropriate, then, that the best Canuck in game five was Roberto Luongo. He faced 31 shots and turned aside them all. More importantly, he faced his critics that called for his head after the twin debacles in Boston. After his game five performance, his second shutout of the Finals, I’m not sure the critics have much of a leg to stand on. Luongo is one win away from accomplishing the most important thing a goalie can do: backstop his team to a championship.

Game four found the Canucks repeating a familiar trend from round one: following a blowout loss with another blowout loss. Unlike in round one, though, the Canucks actually showed up for game four of the Finals, only to have their fate sealed by both goaltenders on the ice. The game in a nutshell: Tim Thomas was brilliant; Roberto Luongo was not.

Luongo remains an enigma that baffles even the most ardent Canucks supporters. I’ve noted before his ability to follow up an excellent save with a garbage goal, and how this inconsistency time and again has remained Vancouver’s biggest hurdle to overcome. But game four displayed a different Lu. There were no goals banked in off his ass or coughed up on a poor clearing attempt along the boards. The Lu that showed up in game four simply let in two goals on two shots that never should have went in. Those were the first two goals of the game, a hole big enough to swallow the entire team.

Peverley’s goal to open the scoring was an example of a goaltender committing too early to a shot. Luongo was in the butterfly position before Peverley even took his shot – the five-hole was so large a beach ball could have fit through Lu’s legs. It might have happened that Peverley scored on that breakaway no matter what, but he certainly did not need any help from the opposing goalie.

Ryder scored the second goal of the game halfway through the second period. It looked like Lu had the proper angle and was ready for the shot, yet Ryder put the puck under Lu’s arm and into the net. This goal was unacceptable, and it surely sunk the Canucks for the night. When Boston scored two minutes later, it underlined the fact that Vancouver had lost any momentum it had gained from a fabulous first period. Even though they were outscored in the first frame, the Canucks were the dominant team through twenty minutes. It seemed they would tie the game or at least score one goal. But this third Bruins goal effectively ended that scenario.

Do I believe Luongo should start game five? Absolutely. Perhaps his poor play is linked to playing in Boston somehow. His record at home in the Finals is stunning. There is no sense in making a switch, yet. But Lu should be on a short leash in the next game. Schneider showed in the third period of game four that he is still sharp and ready to go. I know what happened against Chicago. It was a goaltending nightmare that ultimately worked out for the best. The big difference here is that this series is tied, while Chicago still had to win a game six to stay alive. Vancouver really needs to keep home ice advantage in their favor. Their play in Boston was abysmal.

Of course, not all of Vancouver’s woes can be heaped solely on Luongo. Much of the rest of the team did not show up, either. The defense was especially poor. Edler, who seems too intent on making the big hit, was directly responsible for Peverley gaining a breakaway in the first place. Edler’s postseason has been spotty, but his last two games make me wonder why he has not taken a turn in the pressbox. Ballard must have bought into the hype being thrown toward him, because he looked like a player relying on past success. Ballard did not hit and looked suspect in his end most of the night. Bieksa and Salo played their worst game of the Finals. Ehrhoff looked to be Vancouver’s most sound defenseman, and even he had a below average game. When Ehrhoff is the team’s defensive player of the game, something has gone terribly wrong.

What about the forwards? They were less of a concern in general, although their inability to score contributed to this failed road trip. The Sedin line looked the most dangerous, buzzing around the net and getting the best scoring opportunities to. But they still pass when they should shoot and vice versa, which makes their play all the more frustrating to watch. Malhotra, Torres and Hansen all played solidly and are above criticism for this game.

Of great concern is how far Kesler’s game has fallen. Perhaps he is harboring some nagging injuries from previous rounds, but he seems to be less and less effective with every game. If Kesler cannot regain his form from previous rounds, the Canucks are in big trouble. He does not need to be as dominant as he was against Nashville, but he does need to dig deep and do something more than take stupid penalties. Kesler’s absence in this series is becoming the team’s second biggest concern, behind only Luongo’s foibles.

Speaking of goaltenders, Tim Thomas has played out of this world. He stopped another 38 shots in game four and appears to be in the Canucks heads. Thomas is a world-class goaltender and will likely win another Vezina for his regular season play. At times in the playoffs he has looked average, especially against Tampa, but in the Finals he has been the difference. I cannot tell if Thomas is that good or if the Canucks are making him look that good. It doesn’t matter. He is the obstacle that stands in the Canucks way. Vancouver cannot allow Thomas to steal even one more game. If he does, Boston is sitting pretty. Depending on how the last three games play out, I would say Thomas is the front-runner for the Conn Smythe, whether Boston wins or loses.

This is not to say the rest of the Bruins are chopped liver. Far from it. While Chara is not the dominant force I expect him to be, he is reliable in a way the Canucks defensemen could learn from. Johnny Boychuk has been a revelation. Here is a player who eats up big minutes on the penalty kill and who dishes out big hits in tight spaces. Boychuk is a name I think we’ll hear again and again in playoff years to come. Peverley played an excellent game, as did Krejci, Bergeron and Marchand. Boston seems to be peaking at the right time, and when one of their players excels, the rest follow.

Are the Canucks in trouble? Only if Luongo continues to let them down. Vancouver’s title hopes lay between the pipes, and if Lu cannot get the job done then Schneider must. But it’s not only up to the goalie; the skaters must also be better, especially in the offensive zone. Teams that do not score do not win. Boston has scored plenty over the course of the last two games. Vancouver must find a way to counter. The Bruins are a team that is capable of giving up four or five goals in a game. The Canucks must find a way to score even half that. An effective powerplay might help. So might playing at home. Whatever the solution the Canucks must figure it out, and quickly. Time is running out, and so are the mulligans.

No, the score is not a typo. Yes, the game was that out of hand. But it wasn’t simply a matter of the Bruins outscoring the Canucks by a touchdown. It was how the Bruins got to that number that is disturbing. Boston rattled Vancouver in a way the Canucks have not experienced since they played the Hawks.

The first period went according to plan. The Canucks were playing a sound road game even before Aaron Rome belted Nathan Horton with a late open ice body check. Vancouver killed off the five minute major with relative ease and turned up their tempo in the second half of the period, going on to nearly double Boston in shots for the period.

Just when it looked like the Canucks were going to be able to dictate the pulse of the game, the second period starts and everything falls apart. First Edler has a stick malfunction that leads to the Bruins taking the lead mere seconds into the second period. A few minutes later, the Bruins get another break when Mark Recchi’s centering pass deflects of Kesler’s stick past Luongo. 2-0 Bruins. Halfway through the frame when it looked like Vancouver would be getting back into the game, a shorthanded marker by Marchand makes it 3-0. When Krecji scored to make it 4-0, any realistic hope for a comeback fell away, and the only question going into the third was: How would the Canucks respond?

For anybody who’s watched this team during the playoffs, the answer was obvious. They were going to mix it up. Just like in game four of the Chicago series, the third period of the game quickly turned into a complete gong show. After every whistle it seemed all the players crowded around for a scrum. The hits came hard and heavy. The penalties were of the vicious kind: roughing, fighting, charging, unsportsmanlike conduct. Nine misconducts were handed out. 118 combined penalty minutes. It was a nasty, brutal affair. Unfortunately, it was not short enough. Boston added three goals in the last three minutes to inflate the damage. 8-1 final score, the most lopsided defeat in the 2011 playoffs.

But hockey is not soccer, and there is no carryover. The only number that matters is four, as in four wins for a Stanley Cup. The Canucks are up 2-1. But if they want to get to four, they need to learn from this debacle. And as these playoffs have taught us, the Canucks are great students.

Lingering thoughts from game three:

-  If Vancouver is getting blown out in a game, I want them to do what they did. Get physical, get dirty, do whatever it takes to let the other team know that you still have life. The score of one game does not make a series. Knock some heads together, even if some of the heads are your own.

-  That said, after the Canucks gooned it up in game four against Chicago, they promptly lost the next game 5-0. It will be very interesting to watch how Luongo responds in game four of the Finals. He asked Coach to leave him in for all of game three, so it is up to Lu to come out sharp on Wednesday. If he lets in a poor goal early, it could be a sign that he is indeed rattled. Again, that 5-0 loss to Chicago was mainly on Lu’s shoulders. If Lu wants to shake his critics once and for all, the next game is when to do it.

-  When a team loses by seven goals, the team is to blame, no question. But there are two Canucks who need to be absolved from this taint. The first is Sami Salo, who despite playing 32 shifts still ended the game with an even plus/minus. It’s too bad when Salo played his best game of the playoffs that most of his teammates played their worst. The second Canuck above criticism is Jannik Hansen. Not only did Hansen score Vancouver’s only goal, but he was also a key penalty killer (especially on the five minute major, when he blocked two shots) and he won a faceoff. If he can get some support up front then the Canucks are in good shape.

-  Conversely, the other Vancouver skaters played poorly. Especially noticeable was how ugly Kesler’s game was. He was a minus three on the night, plus he scored on his own net. I guess even the best players lay eggs from time to time. Here’s hoping his third period beatdown of Dennis Seidenberg will get Kesler back on track to the player he has been in these playoffs: the frontrunner for the Conn Smythe.

-  On the off day word came out that Aaron Rome will be suspended four games for his hit on Horton. This penalty seems rather excessive, given some of the hits that have not been disciplined during the playoffs. But I can see a scenario where the NHL wants to quell the madness that was the third period of game three. They do not want to showcase the rough part of the game even though it is written into the rules. And so with Horton out, Rome sits out, too. This is clearly an eye for an eye. The real shame is that when the time comes Rome will not be in uniform to hoist the Cup. I guess having his name etched in silver will have to do.

-  With Rome out, I would not be surprised if Coach removed Alberts from the lineup in favor of Ballard and Tanev. Alberts was largely ineffective in game three, while the Ballard/Tanev pairing has been dependable when called upon. Their presence could serve as a tactical maneuver as well as a reminder. The tactics are simple: two fresh defensemen are placed into a lineup that seems to need an injection of fresh blood. The reminder is this: the Canucks are now down two defensemen (Hamhuis and Rome) but keep rolling as if nothing has happened. This has been a great season, mainly because any injury can be overcome and no one player is bigger than the team. The Canucks are the deepest team in the league, now they must use their depth to prove they are undoubtedly the best.

When history looks back on Vancouver’s 2011 playoff run, I’m certain the word destiny will be used again and again. After Raffi Torres’ game one heroics, Alex Burrows uped the ante by scoring 0:11 seconds into overtime in game two. Not only did Burrows score mere seconds after the puck drop, but he did so in storybook fashion.

Burrows had been heavily scrutinized during the two-day break between games. Apparently people have an issue with (alleged) finger biting. But as I maintain, if a foreign finger finds its way into your mouth, what else are you going to do? Be that as it may, Burrows was dumped on by the media and by Bruins fans who took exception to Burrows not receiving any disciplinary action from the league. Their prevalent reaction boiled down to: He is bush league and is a disgrace to the game. Perfect. It seems all Burrows’ critics do not remember what makes him so great in the first place. He was undrafted and spent years in the ECHL just to get scouts to notice him, and this resiliency has led to Burrows having one of the biggest hearts in the league. He plays with a chip on his shoulder every shift, and when more haters come out of the woodwork, that chip drives him to play even harder.

Here is a legend in the making. Burrows goal to win the Chicago series had already cemented his inclusion on the “greatest playoff goals of all time” list. But here we have a player nudging his way into the conversation for “most clutch skater of his generation.” Many players would have shrunk after getting lambasted by the media. Not Burrows. Scoring the first goal of the game was nice, and setting up the tying goal was great, too. But how about the overtime winner? Not only did Burrows outhustle the Bruins best defenseman, Zdeno Chara, but he also made Vezina front-runner Tim Thomas look like a human corkscrew. Burrows wrap-around goal might just be the straw that breaks the Bruins back. How can they recover from two consecutive gut-punch losses? Torres goal was a fantastic surprise, but Burrows goal was simply sublime. We should expect nothing less from a player who has fought uphill battles his whole career. He was destined for this moment. And now he will be forever known as Big Game Burrows.

Other observations following game two:

-  Manny Malhotra made his Canucks playoff debut. It was a subdued performance, but one that emphasized his vital role on the team. In limited ice time on the fourth line Manny won six of his seven faceoffs and played a quarter of his ice time on the penalty kill. It is obvious now that Manny at 80% is good enough to compete for 100% of the Stanley Cup.

-  Oreskovich looked like a human wrecking ball in game two. Having him flank Malhotra was an inspired choice by Coach Vigneault. Just in case any of the Bruins had thoughts of getting into Manny’s grill, here comes Oreskovich, causing havoc with numerous body checks. He did more in six minutes of ice time than some of the Bruins top forwards have done all series.

-  How about the “Danish Nightmare,” Jannik Hansen? Every game he gives an A+ effort. He does not always get A+ results, but we get to enjoy watching a player who skates fast, creates chances, kills penalties, block shots and is generally one of the top skaters on the ice every shift he plays. He has been somewhat snakebitten in these playoffs, scoring a total of two goals when he has had the opportunity to score half a dozen more. Nevertheless he is living up to his nickname, as I’m sure the Bruins are well aware.

-  Considering that Tim Thomas plays an unorthodox style of goaltending, it was only a matter of time before his crazy feet got him into trouble. His diving poke-check reminded me of a stunt someone would pull in a video game. But here it is, in the Stanley Cup Finals. In some ways, Thomas reminds me of the Luongo who first arrived in Vancouver. That Luongo was also world class in his net but a gong show outside of it. We have seen flashes of that old Luongo during these playoffs (Joe Thornton’s game one goal in the Conference Finals, for instance), but for the most part when Lu stays in his net, the puck stays out. So here we have Thomas, a goalie who has had major success playing his position in a wholly unique way, costing his team a win and placing them in a huge hole. Somebody forgot to tell Thomas that real life does not have a reset button.

-  Here is where all the weird scheduling and unnecessary time off for the Canucks actually becomes an advantage. One day off between games and a cross-continent flight during that day off. For the Canucks this is old hat, seeing as how they travel excessively all season long. But for the Bruins this travel is bad news. Not only have they experienced two crushing defeats in a row but now they must juggle a hectic travel routine as well. They must try to invent a game plan that will see them win a game in this series while treading in unfamiliar territory. It is a daunting and momentous task. I cannot remember a time when the Canucks had so many advantages working in their favor. That is when I pinch myself and remind myself that we are witnessing history here. And there’s no denying that it’s been one hell of a ride.

After a week’s rest the two remaining teams of the 2010-11 season squared of in game one of the Stanley Cup Finals. For two club’s with little shared history (this is their first playoff series, ever), game one had the potential to be a dud. But instead of the “feeling out” game that so often happens when two non-familiar teams meet, we were instead treated to an instant classic of a game.

So far in these playoffs, the Canucks have mainly gone about their duty in a very businesslike fashion. They come to the rink ready to play and have not gotten trapped into carrying one game’s storyline into the next game. The Canucks are masters of leaving what happened during the previous game in the past. The notable exception to this rule was games four and five of the Chicago series, and we all know what a disaster that was. With Nashville each game was its own singular grind, while San Jose tried to carry over momentum/strategy/hatred from one game to the next but Vancouver would not have it. By putting each game into a vacuum, the Canucks manage to suck the wind out of their opponent’s sails. It is little wonder Vancouver has not lost two games in a row in over a month.

Why is this important? Because I believe Boston will do everything in their power to turn this series into a war, instead of simply a string of individual battles. Game one showed just what the Bruins are about. By the end of the first period there was indication that the Bruins were ready to make hatred of the Canucks their primary goal. This was something the Sharks tried to do but could not. But the Sharks do not have the type of personnel to carry out such an agenda. You must have a pack mentality to go after big game, and the spirited outbursts of Marleau and Thronton could not lift their teammates to the same level. That’s why Eager’s actions were so egregious, because he seemed to be acting as a rogue agent. But with Boston, it seems they are on the same page from the start.

What type of team are the Bruins? Game one offered up a good synopsis. The Bruins are strong in many areas but lack super high-end talent at any one position. Tim Thomas is the exception to this rule, though his unorthodox style at times must give Boston fans heart palpitations. The Bruins have some strong forwards but few who would make the top line on many other teams, while their defense is a solid but lacking that one great leader. What about Chara? As a former Norris winner, surely he is elite. Look, Chara is good, but overrated. If not for his size, would anyone notice him? He has a hard shot. So did Al Iafrate. Game one showed that Chara has a big reach and is able to withstand hits in his own end. But I also witnessed Max Lapierre take down “Big Z” during a scrum, and I watched as Chara’s slowed down considerably in the final half of the third period. This is a player that should be dominating games. But he is simply better than average. If Keith or Doughty or Weber was six foot nine, you can be certain they would be (more of) a factor every shift. Too often the only reason I noticed Chara was because of his size.

Given this collection of players, it would be easy to dismiss the Bruins as a simple stepping-stone for the Canucks to traverse. Not so. Because the Bruins lack superstars is why they are dangerous. The whole team plays with a similar edge (with the exception of Kaberle, a late season addition who appears to be the wrong fit here). Several times over the course of game one there were post-whistle skirmishes that involved every Bruin on the ice. The most notable of these scrums involved the Bruins top forward, Patrice Bergeron. Bergeron was mucking it up with Burrows at the end of the first period when Burrows bit Bergeron’s hand (my opinion: stick a finger in someone’s mouth and that finger is going to get bit). The point is that this was the Bruins best forward involved in the skirmish. It was the same thing after David Krejci cross-checked Hamhuis: every Bruin on the ice was looking for Canuck blood.

The Bruins have a hive mentality. They look the same, hit the same, play the same. It has worked for them so far. They are in the Stanley Cup Final. But it should come as little surprise, then, that they are having trouble scoring on the powerplay. When one shooter on a team goes cold it is usually of little concern, since someone else will likely pick up the slack. But when a team is so dependant on the success of one relating to the success of others, lack of scoring (powerplay or otherwise) becomes an issue. Such was the story in game one.

And so Boston had to rely on Thomas to bail them out. And he did. But Luongo was better. It was a pure goaltending clinic. I thought we were headed for multiple overtimes. That’s when one of the Canucks superstars made a difference. Kesler’s ability to stay onside might not be remembered the same way as, say, Bieksa’s Conference winning goal, but it was the difference on the Torres game-winner. That’s what a superstar can do: make a play to win a tight game. And since the goalies are canceling out one another, it comes down to the Bruins finding someone to step up and shoulder the load.

Seven days between games? It’s been pretty unreal. Like most Canuck fans I was disgruntled at the notion of having to wait so long to watch our team quest for the Cup. But it is how it is. With two days still to wait, here are some quick thoughts going into game one of the Stanley Cup Final:

-  There are two key matchups I am curious to view in game one. The first pits the Sedin line against Zdeno Chara. We have seen what the Sedins do against a less than optimal defensive assignment: destroy them. Boyle and Murray are nice defensemen but they are certainly not Keith/Seabrook or Weber/Suter. The Sedins exploited this advantage to great effect in round three. What about Chara? Certainly he is a good D-man with the physical capability to shut down anyone in the league. But I personally don’t put Chara in the same class as Keith or Weber. Those two play the game cerebrally as well as physically. What I mean is that Keith and Weber are fundamentally sound when it comes to positioning, defensive schemes and without-the-puck play. Chara is fine, don’t get me wrong, but to combat the Sedins the opposition must be prepared in every aspect of the game. Combine the fact that Chara’s second banana is Dennis Seidenberg, and the Sedin line may have a field day. Seidenberg is no Seabrook or Suter, and from what I have seen Seidenberg is prone to giving the puck away in tight spots. Chara cannot contain the Sedins by himself, no matter how wide his wingspan is.

-  The other key matchup heading into game one pits Tim Thomas against Roberto Luongo. As the Nashville series taught us, a hot goalie can undermine even the best team’s ability to win. Thomas has the capability to steal games and will need to do so if the Bruins are to win this series. The same goes for Luongo. In fact, these two goalies are eerily similar: among the best at their position; great regular season success vs. tepid postseason results; can let in a soft goal just as easily as they can make the best save of a series. Heading forward I have a sneaking suspicion that the winner of this series will be the team that gets the huge stop versus the team that must make excuses for their goalie. I sincerely hope we are able to look back at this matchup as a meeting of two great netminders instead of the questioning why one of them was here in the first place.

-  Is this break for Vancouver a boon or a burden? Normally hot teams who must wait a substantially long time to continue playing are at a disadvantage when their next series starts. They lose momentum and focus. But I think the fact that Boston will also end up with four days off negates any advantage/disadvantage for the teams. If anything, the travel to a different time zone may disrupt the Bruins game-day rhythms. Boston has not played any games outside of their time zone since March 17 (@ Nashville). That’s two and a half months of (relatively) easy travel. Sure all the Finals games will start at a similar time as an Eastern team would be used to, but don’t discount the effect traveling back and forth across the continent may have on the Bruins. Since the Canucks travel more than any other team in the league, they gain a slight advantage later in the series when the toll of cross-country excursions begin to mount.

-  The time between series has also given the Canucks time to heal. Ehrhoff and Rome were both injured at the end of the San Jose series, while Kesler appeared to have a lower-body injury midway through game five. Kesler continued to play (and scored the game tying goal), but you can bet that a few extra days off are helping him get back to 100%. Ehrhoff and Rome should be back in the fold, too. Combine this with the miraculous recovery of Manny Malhotra and this squad has just become much tougher to beat.

-  Speaking of Malhotra, I am astonished that he may be ready to go by the start of game one. I was concerned that he would never play again. But here he is, with the doctor’s ok to practice with full contact. I suspect Coach Vignaeult may sit Manny for a game or two, but if Manny comes roaring back and is effective as he was in the regular season, watch out Boston. It may be a lot to expect for our top faceoff man and third best penalty killer (behind Luongo and Kesler) to pick up where he left off. But with the adrenaline of being able to play for a championship coursing through his veins, I expect Manny to be pumped up and ready to go.

-  When the news that Manny would play again broke, my thoughts jumped to a scenario played out in a largely forgotten American TV series from the early ‘90’s: Coach. Now, the circumstances are different and the ending will be, too, but there is a parallel to be drawn. In the television show, hard-luck college football coach Hayden Fox finally makes it to a big bowl game. Coach Fox finds his team pitted against a team coached by his longtime friend and mentor. Coach Fox trusts his mentor but ultimately is duped into giving away all his plays and secrets. At halftime of the bowl game Coach Fox’s team is trailing, and his old mentor tips his hat as to why: he does not care about Coach Fox and only cares about winning. This is when Coach Fox lives up to his name. When the teams take the field for the second half, Coach Fox reveals that his injured star quarterback is not injured at all, but is ready to play. Of course, Coach Fox beats his former mentor and all is right. Now, Manny’s situation is completely different and I am in no way suggesting that his injury was faked. But the emotional uplift for Coach Fox’s team and for the Canucks would be similar. When a good team gets better at the most important time of the year they must be blessed. This holds true whether in fiction or real life. The only thing remaining is for the Canucks to author their own storybook ending.