The Vancouver Canucks 2002/2003.

[ParkHead]

I can certainly see the Canucks making it past St. Louis.

I hope you are right Keeper but not beating two crappy teams like Phx & LA is going to cost them dearly. Minny posed no real threat to the Canucks slump or no slump, but Stl are going to pound the crap out of our smaller forward and defense. Yes our goaltending should be better than theirs. However even if we win this series in 6 or 7 what will we have left for the big boys in the conference?


Parkheadstillhopingcanucksgoonarun

 

[Captain Shamrock]

I like the Nucks Chances, just look at Capt.'s pick in Sports betting, he allways puts money on the losers

PM me with the details of our bet. BTW, Pilon was a play on words. Thanks for the attempt to make up for your shoc-king effort in the grammar department.


Captain

 

[sensei_hanson]

There is a difference between reality and negativity. There is no way anybody can make a convincing argument which states that the Canucks just improved their playoff chances by going into a series with St. Louis as opposed to Minnesota. No way.

This is just a really bad way to end the year. This was supposed to be the season where a Canuck won a major scoring trophy, where the team broke Colorado's eight-year reign on winning the Northwest Division championship, and where we finally had a good enough regular season to avoid a really tough draw in the opening round (like facing Colorado two years ago, and Detroit last year). None of that happened. They did secure the highest point total in franchise history, but how much does that really mean? Most of us knew before the all-star break that this was probably the most talented team in Canuck history anyways. I repeat. This is a very bad way to end the regular season.

As for playing St. Louis. The big factor here is the staggering difference in playoff experience (man games played) between the Blues and the Wild. Compare McInnis (174 games), Mellanby (122), Pronger (73), Tkachuk (69), Weight (57) and Demitra (54) with Minnesota, who have Ronning (105), Dowd (36) and Zholtok (21) as the only players who have amassed double-digits in games played. There are a host of other Blues players who have extensive playoff experience including Osgood, who will obviously be a wildcard in this series.

The Canucks stand as much of a chance winning this series as the Blues do. I'd give the edge to the Canucks and would consider it an upset if they lost, with the home ice advantage and all. Another thing to consider is the increased physical nature that'll come with playing the Blues...if we limp out of the first round completely beat after a gruelling seven-gamer as opposed to a potentially "softer" series against Minny, the talk of losing the final games in the regular season will rear its ugly head, again.

Just to show that I'm not a complete 'negative nelly', I've just put down a 25% down payment on a pair of upper-balcony, round two playoff tickets that I secured through an independent deal. So there. Go Canucks Go.

 

[Hands of Stone]

Look how we have Played Head-to-Head

Originally posted by sensei_hanson
...if we limp out of the first round completely beat after a gruelling seven-gamer as opposed to a potentially "softer" series against Minny, the talk of losing the final games in the regular season will rear its ugly head, again.

Interesting to say "softer" series vs. Minny, they played us tough all year, and I bet they will give the Aves a run for their money in the first round, it won't be 4 straight.

We played well vs. St. Lou all year, and they are struggling into the play-offs just like the Nucks (record for last 20 games).

Last year Detroit struggled into the play-offs and then went down to the Nucks 2-0, but they then turned it on and went on to Win the Cup.
This is a wake-up call for a very good Canuck team, that will beat St. Lou in 6 games!

Any of the 4 series in the Western Conference could go either way, they would be called upsets, but all 8 teams are quality, I don't think you will see all top 4 teams moving on, one or more will be so-called "upset".

Captain, what do you think, a Case of Beer, and Avatar of our choice for the loser?

HOSwilltaketheNucks

 

[sensei_hanson]

fair enough...

...obviously there is no soft hockey being played in the playoffs. In terms of possible opponents though, I think St. Louis is the far more physical team as opposed to a fast-skating Minnesota team who has a lot more grinders and checkers than they do bangers and crashers. I recall the St. Louis games being far more physical than any of the Wild games. Unless you count Jovo snot-smearing Marshall into the glass and getting a game-misconduct.

But you're right, neither team would be a pushover, especially in the post-season. All the opening series will be good battles. But if we do go to six or seven against St. Louis, and Colorado takes care of Minnesota in four or five with relative ease, lots of people will be looking back to those lost points late in the season and wonder "what if..."

Go Canucks Go.
-Leaf Fan.

 

[Sandman]

Psychologically the Canucks better pick themselves up.......I know there is good chemistry on the team, but I hope their mental toughness is better. Squandering the last two games against non-playoff teams, can be easily compared to the "Lidstrom Shot" from last year. The Canucks wern't mentally tough enough to bounce back from it last year, hopefully they will be able to put the last two games aside and move forward. That is why Game #1 is HUGE............A Canucks win and we'll be fine..............A Blues win and a sweep is not out of the question.....

Saying all that there is a sliver lining to all this..........If all the 1st four teams in the West win their first round games (including the Nucks)........I'd fancy our chances against Dallas as oppossed to the Lanche or Wings..........I'd be nice to see Detroit and Colorado kick the snot out of each other.......instead of Vancouver playing either of them.


Sandman

 

[TheRob]

There is a Canucks playoff thread and poll started here.

This thread will remain open until Thursday afternoon and then it will be closed and all posting can take place in the other thread.

There are also threads and polls opened up for all the other playoff series'.

Just another service from your friendly moderator TheRob.

I hope Silver Fox approves of all this.

 

[Hands of Stone]

Great Service when you give the guy $500 bones for the TTP Hockey Pool win, usually he is a grumpy prick.

Or is it a very, very, very, very, slow day in stores.

HOS

 

[Hands of Stone]

Nucks Saved some Big Money with Loss on Sunday

I saw Burke walking behind the bench on Sunday after the game pating the players on the back for a good season.
I was thinking that he had to be a little happy with the end of the 2002/2003 season. Ya the guy wants to win, and that is what the game is all about, but it is just as inportant that the team is breaking even or making money.
Well some so money was saved at the end of the season when you take into consideration so of the HUGE Bonuses that the Club does not have to pay because our guys didn't win goal and/or point titles, and that we didn't win the Div.

I only hope that the money that is saved this year on these bonuses will be put back into the Club next year to keep the Core guys of this team together.
The farther the team goes in play-offs the better, when the team brings in 2 Million for each Play-off Home game, not to bad.

HOS