Canucks post-mortum

It's over...the guys cleaned out their lockers...and now the interesting part begins...

Done in by midseason indifference, late-season ineffectiveness, and an all-season injury bug, the Canucks missed the playoffs for the first time since 2000, prematurely ending a campaign that started seven months earlier with Stanley Cup aspirations.

The next step might be breaking up a core group that has only won one playoff series in seven years together.

"We all expect some changes to be made," captain Markus Naslund said as players gathered Sunday to collect equipment and have year-end meetings with the coaches and management. "It's sad, especially for this group. We've been together such a long time that you create a deep bond and friendship with the guys in here."

I had been surviving on the Canucks a couple of days late via torrent files...it was great to have them...and sad that it is ending at this time and not a month and a half from now. And today, I received my latest edition of Hockey News, which had an article about the 'Least' valuable player in the NHL.  Nominee...Todd Bertuzzi. 

As much as he has brought to the Canucks in the past years...it was painfully obvious that the whole Moore episode and the suspension effected the way he played the game.  His game became very predictable...he'd float around and then scurry off the ice when his shift was over. 

Of course, right at the end of the season, I finally discover a Canucks blog!  Some good irreverent stuff on this blog...which is the way I like it. 

It was a great run by this group of players...but they have a bunch of good young talent on the team and on the rise that can possibly take them places in the future.  They've got solid goaltending...they've got decent defensemen...it's time to go out and get a bona-fide star at center.  This was a season in which I saw Marcus Naslund take slap-shots...and Todd Bertuzzi take face-offs.  Neither should be trying those things...if they had someone to take the heat off of them in center, they wouldn't have to do that.  Morrison is a solid player...but Joe Thornton he ain't.

So...what you've been waiting for...my picks

Eastern Conference...

• Ottawa vs Tampa Bay.  Take the Sens in 6
• Carolina vs Montreal.  The Habs are tough...but the Canes are the best team nobody knows about.  Take the Canes in 5
• Rangers v Devils.  Doesn't get any better than this.  Devils have the goalie...Rangers have Jagr and the other goalie.  Rangers in 7
• Buffalo vs Philadelphia.  Sabres are young and hungry...Flyers are old and slow...Sabres in 6
  • Ottawa vs Carolina...this could be the Cup right here.  I love the Sens...but I'm going to go with the Canes in this one...in 7
  • Rangers vs Buffalo...another freeway series.  Take the young Sabres in 6
    • Conference finals pit Carolina against Buffalo...go with the Canes to make a return trip to the Cup finals.

Western Conference

• Detroit vs Edmonton.  Wings go to Target and buy brooms...SWEEP
• Dallas vs Colorado.  Avs haven't got a chance with Theodore in nets...Stars in 5
• Calgary vs Anaheim.  The Ducks were very hot down the stretch...this is the best series in the West.  I'll take Calgary in 7
• Nashville vs San Jose.  Yikes...are these hockey towns?  You bet...Nashville in 7
  • Next round would be Detroit vs Dallas...take the Wings in 6
  • Calgary vs Nashville...Nashville for the upset in 7
    • Conference finals...Detroit over Nashville in 6

For the Stanley Cup finals?  Carolina vs Detroit.  Carolina is definitely the new look NHL...and the Wings have done a good job of transitioning to the new NHL.  I gotta go with sentiment here...I would love to watch Yzerman lift the cup one last time.  Take Detroit in 7 in one of the most entertaining Cup finals since 1994.

Comments

[Stevo in Taichung]

They should try and sign Johnny Damon, he'd show the fuckers.

[GZ Expat]

Damon's a fag...he thinks hockey is something you do in your pants.