Feeling the Irish BuzzKill
Well, yesterday we pointed out five lessons that the Canucks needed to learn from last year’s playoffs.
Number Three was an emphasis on Toughness & Discipline, but that sage advice was promptly ignored last night.
There was toughness indeed, but it was of the very foolish variety and the discipline was as rare as Mason Raymond steaming down the centre of the ice through Shea Weber and Ryan Suter to roof one.
This game was as frustrating an experience to sit through as any match I have seen over a couple of decades following the ‘Nucks.
A superb effort by a game Roberto Luongo was absolutely wasted in this first venture into the 2012 playoffs.
The most culpable Canuck was Byron Bitz with his 15 minutes in penalties, getting a 5 minute major and a game misconduct, but Zack Kassian and Ryan Kesler took a boneheaded penalty each.
Watching the Canucks forwards sloppily running about was akin to telling my son not to stick a fork in the outlet when he was a toddler, then proceeding to see him light up like a Christmas tree outside New York’s Rockefeller Centre over the holidays.
Alain Vigneault needs to instill self-restraint in this supposedly veteran laden team double quick for Game Two on Friday or the odds on this series will shrink rapidly.
Bitz is likely out thanks to an impending Shanaban and Andrew Ebbett would be a good candidate for energy and disciplined play next time out.
Game 1 was as frustrating an experience to sit through as any match I have seen. - (AP Photo/THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward)
Kassian could also see a demotion, but probably deserves another turn to make up for his mistake.
I can’t see Daniel Sedin ready to come back following some less than promising reports on post-practice headaches, so the team needs to focus on staying with five-on-five play in which they looked most comfortable yesterday.
The coaching staff has work to do.
As for the Canucks fans at Rogers Arena last night.
You have some work to do too! Were they giving away money to the quietest fan last night?
You were disgraceful. Your white towels are for waving and cheering with, not for wiping the soy sauce off your face from your $26 sushi or your $15 Budweiser.
I’m begging, no, I’m pleading for the BC Lions faithful and Vancouver Whitecaps Southsiders to find their way into Rogers Arena for game two! We need some passion. Make it happen!
Yes folks WE WERE LOUDER in 1994. Deal with it.
Find your voices!
Check out my other recent Canucks articles on NWSB.
- Five key playoff lessons learned from 2011 for the Vancouver Canucks
- Vancouver Canucks 2011/12 final season player grades
- Five Future Targets for Lucic’s twittering girlfriend
- Henrik Sedin and Max Lapierre cue a new Canucks drinking game
- BC boys I would love to see on the Vancouver Canucks
- Future is bright! Chris Tanev buoys the Vancouver Canucks blue line
Also, check out our Keys to the Vancouver Canucks winning round One vs. L.A. article.
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