Round 1: Canucks vs. Blues

[TheRob]

The series we'll all be watching(except maybe that wing nut TA).

Discussion and articles about this series can be posted here.

Go Canucks!

 

[zenga]

Canucks in 6 nough said!!!


GO CANUCKS GO!!!

 

[TheRob]

From St. Louis today.

Fading Blues end with a surprise
Derrick Goold Post-Dispatch
updated: 04/07/2003 07:18 AM

DENVER -- The Blues' penchant for floundering in the first period and their recent passionless play continued Sunday in the season finale, but with events falling together elsewhere, they might have ended up in the best possible situation.

The Blues spotted Colorado a 3-0 lead en route to a 5-2 loss at Pepsi Center. Fully expecting to play the Avalanche in the first round of the playoffs, the Blues kicked back to watch Vancouver play Los Angeles.

The Canucks needed just a point to win the Northwest Division title, claim the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference and lock the Avs-Blues matchup.

It didn't happen.

With two third-period goals. Los Angeles defeated Vancouver 2-0 and sent the Blues racing for a charter flight to British Columbia, scrapping the team's advance scouting and tape dissection for a series in Colorado. The Blues open the best-of-seven first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs against the Canucks.

"It was very, very surprising what we just saw happen there," Blues coach Joel Quenneville said as LA finished its victory. "I don't think anybody counted on that happening. Here we're figuring we had our hands full with (Colorado) and now we're leaving. (Vancouver) had the hammer. They had the chance. We're very surprised."

But Vancouver might be a better matchup for the Blues.

Start with goalie Chris Osgood's 12-1-4 career record in 19 games against Vancouver. Osgood is "absolutely" the Blues starter in Game 1, Quenneville said.

And, because Chicago rallied from a 2-0 deficit to defeat Detroit 4-3 in overtime, the Red Wings finished behind Dallas in the Western Conference. So if the Blues defeat Vancouver and Colorado topples Minnesota while the top two seeds win, the Blues would Texas two-step around Detroit in the second round.

The only team more fortunate than the Blues on Sunday was Colorado, which won an NHL-record ninth consecutive division title and claimed some individual honors. (The Blues would do well to to jot down Vancouver's clutch ability here: Not only did the Canucks botch the division title, they lost individual merits, too.)

Colorado's Peter Forsberg had an empty-net goal and two assists vs. the Blues to nip Vancouver's Markus Naslund for the Art Ross Trophy as the NHL's top scorer. Forsberg finished with 29 goals and 77 assists for 106 points. Naslund went pointless Sunday and finished with 103.

Also, Forsberg linemate Milan Hejduk scored his 50th goal of the season - it came with 14:22 remaining and halted the Blues' advance by giving Colorado a 4-2 lead. The Kings shut out Naslund, who had 48 goals, so Hejduk skated off with the Richard Trophy for the league's top goal-scorer.

"We had help," goalie Patrick Roy said. "I can remember - What? We were 14, 16 points behind (Vancouver)? But we're playing well at the right time."

The Blues - ahem - are not.

Winless in the final five games and 2-5-2-0 in their past nine, the Blues finished 41-24-11- 6. They've been lackadaisical in first periods, rudderless defensively and emotionally meek. Quenneville recently questioned his team's desire, as if they lost track of what they were playing for.

"We have to start better," Doug Weight said, "or we won't be around that long."

Sunday's game followed the same script as the Blues' recent trend. Adam Foote and Derek Morris added power-play goals to Joe Sakic's opening goal for a 3-0 first-period lead. In the second, Eric Boguniecki scored and newly signed rookie Peter Sejna added a power-play goal to trim the Avs' lead to one for the second intermission.

As in more than half of their games, the Blues let the other team take the lead.

"We've got to play with emotion, we've got to play with an edge and we're better when we play like that, (but Sunday) it was like we were looking for an easy game again," Quenneville said. "We got ourselves back in it, but we've played 82 games . . . and now it's time to see where we're going."

 

[Dude]

Consider when Osgood compiled that record...during the post Quinn / Pretty Boy (who was that coach we had for two seasons? Tom something???) / Keenan era. The argument that Osgood has the 'Nucks number is moot.

'Nuck in 6...and very beat up for their efforts at the end of this series.

Missing a shot at the Wild will hurt them in the end...

But...

GO CANUCKS GO!!!

 

[fat monkey]

Osgood is the difference

Osgood is crap. He couldn't stop a beach ball right now. He is getting beaten consistently every game for four or five goals. Put his low confidence against one of the best offensive teams in the league and I smell goal-fest.

Having said that, the Blues do possess MacInnis, Pronger, Jackman, Tkachuk, Weight, Demitra, Bogenicki, Stillman, Mellanby among others. They are a very good team. It will not be easy.

'Nucks in seven

 

[Dude]

I picked a big Bogenicki out of my nose this morning. It was not easy.

 

[sensei_hanson]

useless factoid....

The St. Louis Blues hold the current record for most consecutive appearances in the playoffs by any of the four major (NHL, NFL, NBA, MLB) professional sports leagues. They sit at 24 straight appearances from 1980-2003. The Portland Trailblazers are second with 21.

The longest streak in NHL history was 29, by Boston, who qualified from 1968-1996.

Interesting to note that despite 24 straight appearances, the Blues have never won a Stanley Cup.

 

[Dude]

Also interesting that both Boston and St. Louis are consistently mediocre.

St. Louis has been somewhat close in the last few years, but not quite good enough to beat Detroit or Colorado.

Mr. Obvious,

Dude.

 

[ParkHead]

The nucks take a pounding but win it seven!! Osgood chokes.




Parkhead

 

[Keeper]

'Nucks in six. May for MVP of the series -- Cooke is close second.

 

[Jinky]

Have the Canucks lost three in a row this season?

 

[downtown]

St Louis Sucks

Canucks in 6. They will rally back from this failure and Osgood is absolute crap ! The phone calls to taunt sports bars in St. Louis are already well under way...

 

[One Dart]

Nucks in five. They turn it around on thursday and ride the good vibes to victory.

 

[zenga]

Just saw the piece on Squires Sports, Im pumped up and wanna go smash some Blues so Im gonna turn on the old PS2 and kick the shite outta the Blues.

If anybody wants to help Downtown call heres some #'s of some St Louis Sports Bars:

Anthonys 636 240 1601
Blarney Stone 314 487 4488
Carsons 314 463 2707
Ozzies 314 434 1000
Sports Page 314 434 4115

Is it just me or can you guys smell the PLAYOFFS in the air.


GO CANUCKS GO!!!!!!!!

 

[Yoda]

Can't wait!!!

Canucks in 5.
This match has averaged over 8 goals a game between the 2 teams. A high scoring affair but St. Louis has been stinking it up lately.

Linden and the Sedin's to light it up this series.

 

[Hands of Stone]

Team Chemistry is the Key Here

Everyone is talking about the "Big" name players that St. Lou has and that they are a 60 Million pay roll vs. a 30 Million pay roll.

Who gives a shitt, look at the Rangers in New York, all the money in the Big Apple coudn't get this team into the play-offs because the players don't like each other and there is no Chemistry, they are all for themselves.

This Nucks team is a close group (did you see some of the guys allmost Cry after the L.A. loss during the jersey give away), they really care.

But half the players on St. Lou that are the leaders are just coming back for injury (Tkachuk and Pronger) so they havn't been battling in the trenches with the team, but they make 10 Million a year each, nice dough.

Canucks in 6 Baby

HOS

 

[Dude]

I think a few dozen Pizza's to the Blarney Stone are in order. Time to bust out the old Cheers episodes and review good pub pranks.

 

[downtown]

Phone calls

Zenga, great list. I already phoned the Blarney Stone twice on Sunday night.....

Other numbers:

St Louis sports radio - KFNS
1-314-969-0590

email: KFNS@KFNS.COM

Keep everyone aware of any good capers......getting stoked for Thursday night.

 

[hammerhead]

Should be a great series, much more fun to wath than one against the Wild would have been. Rough, high scoring ( due to the excellent goaltending on both teams). The difference will be secondary scoring, I think the big guns will be about even for both teams
Canucks in 6

 

[5bigtoes]

Playoff Hockey.....means more hop like beverages and some very entertaining hockey.....

good old Charlie Canucks win the series in five.....

5bthasbeenwaitingforplayoffhockeyallyear