Throughout this hockey season I’ve been nearly silent about the local professional hockey team, the Canucks of Vancouver. To be honest, at the beginning of October, I believed the Canucks would fall short of making the playoffs. I wasn’t alone it seems since a local poll run by one of the newspapers showed a majority of respondents thought they wouldn’t make it either.
Fast forward to several months later and it turns out I was wrong. The team won their division based on the heroics of their new goaltender, Bobby Lou himself, Roberto Luongo. Yes, there many other players with a great showing but if you averaged it out, Luongo was the difference this season.
On Wednesday, the playoffs begin with the Canucks hosting Dallas. On paper, Vancouver is the third seed while Dallas is the sixth. In reality, the Stars finished the season with two more points (and one more win) than Vancouver and their year was just as good, if not better. Dallas played in the super competitive Pacific Division, while the Canucks were able to capitalize on a bad year for Edmonton and Colorado.
To say the Canucks have an advantage would be folly. Indeed, I am going on record here to state that Dallas will win the series in six games. The Stars are a powerful team and the Canucks will undoubtedly try to go to the well one too many times. Bobby Lou is only human and he can’t rescue an entire team all the time.
It will be a good series but Dallas in six.
Erwin, you never stray from the classic pessimism of a Vancouver sports fan. Canucks in six. Actually, just play the games — anything to quiet the moaning Leaf nation here in southern Ontario.Matt
Matt:Good to hear from you. I’m surprised the Center of the Universe didn’t collapse on itself when the Leafs got knocked out.I hope you’re still gettin’ it done at U of T.