After that, it's off to the finals. I can see it now: Vancouver Canucks defeat the Carolina Hurricanes in six games to kiss Lord Stanley's mug. Uhmm, let me re-phrase that...
My loyalty to the Canucks started when they were in the Western Hockey League, back in the 60's. That is not, of course, the same western Hockey League that the 'Canes and Tigers play in. That version was more at an American Hockey League level. They were one skate away from the big leagues (aka, the Original Six), a line change that most players never got to make.
One of the few success stories back then was a young bruising defenseman by the name of Quinn. Pat Quinn.
I would sit there, glued to my (ahem) radio, cheering for the Canucks as they took on powerhouses such as the Phoenix Roadrunners, the Portland Buckeroos, the Seattle Totems, and the Victoria Maple Leafs. They played in the old Vancouver Forum, a building replaced years ago by the Pacific Coliseum (present home of the Vancouver Giants). GM Place then became the new home of the Canucks.
The Canucks have an awesome responsibility at this present time, being Canada's only team left in the run for the Cup. With the Edmonton Broilers (are they chicken or what?) and the Toronto Maple Laughs (that team is a joke – really) and the Ottawa Coachkillers (four coaches in just over a year) not even able to lurch into the play-offs, it was up to the other three Canadian teams to carry the burden of winning.
Well, thanks a lot, Calgary Dames: You couldn't hit, block, fight, or score – and that was only at a team practice. Heads will roll for sure, starting with Iron Mike's. (Forget the iron, Mike: The team needs to get the lead out.) Then there is the Montreal Canadiens, also known as the Habs. Well, the Habs became the Hab-nots when Boston swept them in four games. They too will be in for a significant overhaul, likely with Bob Gainey stepping down as coach and general manager.
It's funny, in a not-so-funny way, that the coach is the first victim of a re-structuring programme. I say funny, because it's not the coach who doesn't hit, block, fight, or score. He has some input as to how the plan is delivered, but there needs to be more accountablity on the players' part – like a reduction in salary if they don't deliver. With a crazy idea like that, it's no wonder I'm not the president of the NHLPA.
So the pressure remains in the Canucks' court or - as we say in hockey parlance - at their end of the rink.
I am confident that the Canucks can take the 'Hawks. In fact, by the time you read this, that may very well be the case. Whether they get by the Red Wings, I have my doubts. Let's just pray – can I say that still? - that Hiller is a killer and Osgood is no good.
Do I really care? Well, actually not really. I was disappointed when the Islanders (once a dynasty) took them in 1982, and the Rangers (with Iron Mike as the coach) did the same in 1994. This could be the year: After all, there is no team from New York to get in the way of Vancouver's destiny.
So if any members of Canada's favourite hockey team are reading this, I have a few words of advice for you: By the end of this month, do you want to be in the clubhouse or the locker room? Or what do you want in your hand in four weeks' time, a golf club or a hockey stick?
While you are at it, maybe you could remember how to spell: You see, the word you want to memorize is "score," not "fore."
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