One Win Away

After a seemingly endless road to the Stanley Cup the Canucks now go into Boston just one win away from the biggest moment in Vancouver history. Yes, bigger than any moment of the Olympics. While it is a great position to be in, it's not a very comfortable position. I found it quite amusing that the ridiculously biased Boston media basically wrote off the Canucks chances with the series 2-2. Now that it's 3-2 Canucks they are not quite so arrogant. The reality is that this series still could go either way.

You really have to admire the sports fans in Boston. They truly are hardcore. They seem to have to hate their opponents, in any sport. It's pretty bad when Canuck fans in Boston are afraid to wear their Canuck jerseys. The Canucks have had a few major rivalries over the years and while I don't particularly like some of the teams, I have the utmost respect and appreciation for Iginla, Kiprusoff, Hall, Eberle, Toews and Keith. I'm a fan of hockey first and foremost. Being a fan of the Canucks is a very close second.

I want to see exciting, highly skilled hockey. I don't need to see a lot of goals, but I'd like to see a lot of chances and some great goaltending. If you like that kind of hockey, how can you not like the Canucks? Do people hate playing against Ryan Kesler? Yup. But if you want to be a contending team then you need people on your team that aren't that fun to play against. How about those Sedins? (Give me a break with the sisters comments.) Their skill level is off the charts. When they are healthy they are elite players. I think it is shameful that the refs aren't calling the games as they should be called which would allow them to show the skill that they have. It makes the NHL look extremely bad. Although a lot of things make the NHL look bad.

I can also tell you without question that there is no Canuck player even close to as dirty as Corey Perry or Chris Pronger. Those two are often seen as heros. Don't get me wrong, they are great players. But they are cheap shot artists. Aaron Rome is about as honest a player as you will get. And now he's suddenly hockey's equivalent to Charles Manson?

And Alex Burrows? Well, how dare he (allegedly) chomp down on a gloved finger when it is forced into his mouth??!! How is he not banned for life? Seriously though, I'm really not sure how the NHL could've suspended him for that. The only 2 people who could possibly know if he really did bite down are Burrows and Bergeron. Still, the whining continued.

Roberto Luongo? Wow! There's a BIG story. Saying that he would've made the save on Lapierre because he plays in the paint? And then also saying that 'THERE ARE SOME SAVES THAT THOMAS WOULD MAKE THAT I WOULDN'T.' And the Boston media thinks this is a story? How is saying that 'their goalie would make saves that I wouldn't' arrogant? It is writers like those in Boston that are responsible for all the 'they are a great team, we will just try our best' and 'we'll just take it one shift at a time' and 'our backs are to the wall' quotes that put everyone to sleep. Can we not all agree that BOTH of these goalies have been great? They both play completely different styles, but it is working for both of them. It is also extremely likely that one of them will win the Conn Smythe Trophy. I think that if Roberto comes up huge in Boston and the Canucks win, he should win it. If it goes to 7 then maybe give it to Thomas even if Boston loses that final game. As good as Thomas has been in this series, he has yet to steal a game. I wouldn't say Roberto has necessarily stolen games, but he does have 2 shutouts.

I'm expecting a great game 6. The Bruins will be fired up with the Cup on the line. They especially don't want the Canucks parading the Cup around their building. The Canucks of course know that they just need to win one more. That should be incentive enough for them to put their best game on the ice. I hope the Canucks can weather an early storm and I would be surprised to see them get any power plays. A game in Boston where the Bruins could be eliminated, which would give the Cup to a Western Canadian team? I'm thinking no power plays.

I have a good feeling. I think Roberto is going to get the job done. It would be nice (for my heart at least) if we blew the Bruins away. But that's never really been the way the Canucks do things. It's always been a difficult road. That last game we couldn't relax for a second, and I don't expect game 6 to be any different. Either way I will be holding my breath, watching through trembling fingers, with my '94 White Hot towel in hand and Champagne chilling in the fridge, just waiting to be opened. Get 'er done boys!