Month: April 2010

Well, with less than 5% of the precincts reporting, et.com is ready to project that the Kings of Los Angeles will defeat the Vancouver Canucks in six games or less in their first round playoff series for 2010.

This isn’t some divination pulled out of thin air, the evidence is really quite clear for everyone to see. The special teams for Vancouver are horrendous. For two straight games, any time that Vancouver took a penalty, it essentially meant an automatic goal for LA. The power play for Vancity is anemic and most of the shots on the PP wound up being blocked by the PK. Also, the Vancouver club pays millions of dollars to a guy named Roberto Luongo to stop pucks and to steal games for them when the rest of the team sucks (like they do now). The problem is, Bobby Lou hasn’t stole much of anything since the Olympics, other than millions of dollars in salary.

There isn’t much more to it than that. Bad special teams and very average goaltending. I’d like to say there are signs that the Vancouver club will correct these problems but there are none. The Canucks will be done before May! You heard it here first!

Is it bad that part of me wants my non-existent daughter to have the same qualities as her?

The local professional hockey team here in Vancouver is now two games into their opening round playoff series with the Kings of Los Angeles. The series is tied at one game a piece. In a previous post, I wrote that I would write more about the playoffs once Vancouver’s opponent would be known.

After two games, it’s clear to me know that the series will go at least six games with a strong likelihood that seven games could be in the cards as well. Though on paper, the Canucks would appear to have the slight edge, the reality is that the two teams are quite evenly matched. At this point, the series will really hinge on two things: if the Canucks can stay out of the penalty box and if Jonathan Quick can continue his awesome play in goal for the Kings.

It’d be foolish to predict a Vancouver series victory right now as the teams have demonstrated it could go either way. It’s too close to call!

I’ve been back from the east coast for two days now but I think I’m just now feeling the effects of the jet lag. I am so tired right now, the kind of tired where I just want to put my head down on my desk and just sleep.

I think I may dream about sleep when I fall asleep tonight.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjADkqD0NH8&hl=en_US&fs=1&]

I made the dash back from Washington, DC just in time to see Conan O’Brien perform his first of two shows in Vancouver.

The above video is from the opening minutes from last night’s show. It was an awesome show with a fantastic and appreciative crowd. If you want more video, click here. Actually, with the number of videos appearing on YouTube, you could probably string together the entire show.

I’m headed off to Washington, DC tomorrow afternoon. This trip was decided fairly last minute. I am meeting up with a buddy on the last leg of his four city tour of the east coast of the US.

I’ll try to post updates while I’m away but no promises. I don’t think there will be any official state dinners while I’m in DC but if there are, I’ll try to sneak in.

See ya in a few days!

It’s 3:30am in the morning as I type this and if you live in the Greater Vancouver area, you might also be awake right now as the wind is howling outside. I only had my patio door open a crack but the wind is so strong right now that it was able to move the floor to ceiling blinds about a half foot.

Just for fun, I slid open the patio door the entire way and was met with a wall of wind. I’m hesitant to actually step onto my balcony as it seems there might be an actual tornado next to my apartment. It’s very noisy outside right now and it sure sounds like there are some sizeable “things” being tossed around by the wind.

I’d be very surprised if there weren’t a million trees fallen over in the city right now, which pretty much means the Lions Gate Bridge is probably closed (the approach to the bridge is lined with trees).

Well, I better go to bed, I have to go to dim sum with a friend tomorrow (today?).

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaeS87nJMdg&hl=en_US&fs=1&]

In another sure sign that I’m enjoying my time off, I spent an hour watching Alan Kalter videos on YouTube. Big Red will always be a favourite here.

Every year that the local professional ice hockey team makes the playoffs, I try to make an even and balanced prediction as to how well I think they will fare in each round. The 2010 edition of the Vancouver Canucks have made the playoffs. It’s still too early for me to look into my crystal ball as the season isn’t even over yet and their first round opponent can’t even be calculated.

I do have a few concerns though. I hate to be a party-pooper but the chances of the Canucks winning the Stanley Cup this year are not good. I’ve watched hockey long enough to know what teams look like serious contenders and what teams, while good, don’t have all the necessary pieces.

Let’s just get goaltending right out of the way. A serious contender has a goalie that will steal not one but several games during a playoff run. Canucks goalie, Roberto Luongo has played inconsistent at best since the Olympic break. He’s never strung together more than two somewhat decent performances together since he won the gold medal. There’s a chance he might get his act together in the three remaining regular season games but he’s given no one any indication why that might actually happen.

The other thing that is worrisome for Canucks fans is their defense. One of the top d-men, Willie Mitchell has been in the past relied upon to shut down the best players on the other team. Mitchell has been out of the lineup with concussion problems for months now and isn’t even practicing with the team. It’s almost assured he’ll miss whatever playoffs the Canucks have. Their current number one dude on the blueline, Christian Ehrhoff, has a wonky knee now as of the last game. Canucks staff say he should be fine for the playoffs but who really knows if they’re telling the truth. In the meantime, they have players like Andrew Alberts filling in. No offense to Alberts (he makes more money in one game than I do in a year) but he’s gonna look silly out there against playoff calibre teams.

I don’t want to be all negative as the playoffs are about to begin but fans have to face reality here. I’ll never be one of those guys that every year, without fail, say they’re sure the Canucks are gonna win the Cup this time around.

It’s 4:30am in the morning as I type this and that is a sure indication I am well into my month long vacation. I’ve spent the last few days catching up on some much needed sleep. I also cleaned up my apartment a bit. I had my ironing board sitting in my living room since the Olympics started. I finally put that away.

I really should go to bed. I’m supposed to have lunch with a friend tomorrow and noon isn’t that far off now. It doesn’t take very long for my sleep schedule to get screwed up.