My Vancouver Canucks experience

*Authors note: The following opinion was published in the Ferndale Record April 6 issue. It has seen been edited with more current information.Check out the Ferndale Record here:Ferndale Record
I am a hardcore Vancouver Canucks fan. Being born in Vancouver Canada, hockey runs through my blood as thick as maple syrup. In their 40th anniversary season in the National Hockey League, the Canucks are in the midst of their best season ever. After beating the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday night, the Canucks clinched the President’s Trophy, awarded to the best team in the league. With four games left in April before the playoffs start, I wanted to make sure I made it to one game before they embark on a memorable run for Lord Stanley’s Cup.

            In Vancouver the Canucks are kings. Saturday’s game was the 347th consecutive home sellout dating back to 2002. Every Saturday night is Hockey Night in Canada, comparable in popularity to Monday Night Football in the United States. Every game day, downtown Vancouver is a party with fans walking around wearing blue and green Canuck jerseys. Bars are packed with locals watching the game. The passion for hockey in Vancouver is second to none.

            On Saturday, my girlfriend and I made a weekend trip to Vancouver to watch the Canucks play the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Arena. It was my first trip to a game this year. The excitement of a live hockey game cannot be matched by any other sporting event. That is, as long as the home team has something to play for.

            With 113 points and home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs secured, the game was meaningless for Vancouver. Edmonton is the worst team in the league, full of young, unproven players. The Canucks lacked effort and the result was a 4-1 Oilers victory. The headline in The Province newspaper the next day said it all, “Canucks take a rare night off.”

            The Oilers snapped both an 11-game losing streak and Vancouver’s five game winning streak. From the beginning the Canucks started out slow and could not recover. Edmonton jumped out to a 3-0 lead with two power-play goals before Alex Burrows scored for Vancouver midway through the second period. When that red goal light flashed, fans erupted in celebration. Watching the finesse passing and rocket slap shot fire the puck in the back of the net is a thing of beauty. Just before the end of the second period, Oilers center Teemu Hartikainen missed wide on a penalty shot, giving Canucks fans hope of a comeback in the final period.

            It was not to be as the Oilers scored the only goal in the third period despite being outshot by the Canucks 41 to 34. The highlight of the night for Vancouver came from two physical hits by defenseman Aaron Rome. In the first period he smashed one player against the boards and later delivered a hip check to an Oilers player, flipping him over onto the ice. A good ole hockey fight broke out in the second period as Canucks forward Tanner Glass dropped the gloves with Oilers forward Jean-Franois Jacques. Fights serve a good purpose for renewing energy to the crowd and home team. While it got the fans rocking, the players could not make it happen.

            I sat next to an Oilers fan and even he was shocked by the outcome. A Canucks fan in front of me yelled that this was the worst game he has ever seen Vancouver play. The fans go to cheer for success but now and again these games will happen. It may have been disappointing for the nearly 19,000 in attendance, but in the grand scheme of things the loss means nothing.  Even though I was disappointed, it did not damper my spirit as they playoffs near.
While it may have not been the most exciting game, I was excited to find out it was 1972 Summit Series night at Rogers Arena. The Summit Series was one of the greatest moments in Canadian history when Team Canada came back to win three straight games in Russia. The hero of the series, Paul Henderson was interviewed on the ice during the intermission. Henderson scored two game-winning goals in the eight-game series, including the last goal to win the series.

            The number 1 seed Vancouver Canucks will face the defending Stanley Cup Champions the Chicago Blackhawks, who narrowly beat out the Calgary Flames for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. As Canucks fans know all too well, Chicago is the defending Stanley Cup Champions and have eliminated Vancouver from the playoffs the last two seasons.

            This Vancouver team is different and no doubt hungry for payback. In the newspaper, players say they have learned from past post season failure and the goal this season is to win the Stanley Cup. I believe that this is the year Vancouver finally wins it all. The significance of the Cup is monumental to all Canadians. A Canadian hockey team has not won the Stanley Cup since the Montreal Canadians beat the Kings in 1993. It would be icing on the cake for Vancouver if they can win the Stanley Cup just one year removed from Team Canada winning Gold over Team USA in the 2010 Winter Olympics in the very same arena.

            The Canucks roster is solid top to bottom. They lead the league in scoring and have one of the best goalies in the league in Roberto Luongo. Luongo was goalie for Team Canada when they won gold. Forwards Daniel and Henrik Sedin, twin brothers from Sweden have emerged as superstars. Last season Henrik won the MVP and this year, his brother Daniel leads the NHL with 100 points and looks to be the favorite to be MVP this year. Add Burrows, who led the team in goals last season and Ryan Kesler who is having a career year and the Canucks have serious firepower.

            Vancouver has also successfully overcome injuries to their defenseman. At one point in the season, six defensemen were out with injuries. For the first time since the start of the season, all six starters are healthy and ready for the playoffs. Like the old saying goes, “Defense wins championships.”

The city of Vancouver has a pivotal place in the series because the last game played in Canada was in Vancouver. Team Canada lost that game and the fans booed them off the ice. Team Canada captain Phil Esposito gave a memorable speech to the fans that rallied the country behind the team. Seeing Henderson at the game was awesome and it shows how far hockey has come in Vancouver.

            I am so pumped for the playoffs now underway. I got my Canucks jersey on and my Canucks flag on my car. Make sure to watch the NHL playoffs there is no better action packed game then playoff hockey.
Go Nucks GO!!