GDT: Canucks vs Flames; SNET P and SNET W; 6:00 pm PST

[Jovocop]

Sportsnet West panel

LOL I couldn't handle the play by play guys ... they sound like they are having a quiet conversation over a cup of tea. Being forced to watch the West feed has reminded me just how damn good Shorthouse is.

I never thought I would ever say this but ... SNET Flames needs to bring back Loubardias! wtf?

As for the panel ... if you are referring to Doug Maclean and Jeff Marek I would put those two up there as two of the most anti-canuck broadcasters in the game. Listen to Hockey Central at noon ET, then you can see how much of an idiot Doug Maclean is. I never minded Marek on HNIC until the playoffs last year. He jumped on the anti-Canuck bandwagon and forgot to get off.

BTW i LOVED the Kesler hit on Comeau. Nice work.

Are you kidding me, Mr. Miyagi?? Maclean won the Cup as the coach of the Panthers... He definitely knows more than you do...

[dbr]

The problem is, by the time the Flames do become competitive again, the Canucks probably won't be that competitive. So, the cycle goes. I just hope that in about 3 or 4 years, the Flames are like the Oilers are now.

I don't think it's a given that the Canucks are going to go through a "won't be that competitive" phase. In the last 10 complete seasons they have 8 playoff appearances and 5 division titles, having gone through two coaching staffs and three GMs and transformed from a one-line team to a tight-checking team built around the goaltender to an all-around puck possession team.

Sure they are a fairly old team and they will have a tall order trying to replace players like the Sedins but I don't think that means they have to tank or give up on playoff aspirations while they do it - they already have lots of promising young (or younger) players who will still be on top of their game in 4-5 years and they have lots of time to add more.

Furthermore, the Oilers are proof that if anything a complete rebuild is an even longer term project for most teams than this 3-4 year window. The Oilers last made the playoffs in 2006 and I think we can agree the rebuild probably started when they dealt Ryan Smyth at the deadline in 2007. Here we are four years later and while that team is obviously headed in the right direction they are several major pieces away from joining the upper echelon of this league (currently they are 10th in the Conference and falling with no games at hand on anyone). And it's going to get harder, not easier, as they stop being handed top draft picks and start having to re-sign their young stars at the going rate.

Anyway, predicting where any of these teams will stand in half a decade is.. ambitious, to say the least.

[Per]

Ok maybe they're only laughing at him then!
It's not his slow starts that get to me it's the annual April meltdowns.

His actual meltdown last season was in June.

And even then he posted two shutouts in a series of seven...

Mind you, if the eighteen skaters dressed had scored a few more goals we wouldn't be having this conversation.

[Hockey Widow]

Really find it hard to believe some of the things that were written at Bountiful last night. But it's canuck fans that lack class. Sure whatever.

It's the same old garbage. We got the benefit of penalty calls and that cost them. YA right.

We dove all night. Show me one.

We are goons and Booth is the worst.

Booth should have been taken out for his dirty play and left the ice bleeding and with another concussion is a new one only because Booth is new.

The constant crap about goons and divers is so old. I said it last night and I'll say it again. I absolutely loved Booth's play to the net. He simply does not strike me as the type of player that intentionally ran a goalie. He went hard to the net and was angled off by the defender and ran into the goaltender. When he knew he was going to collide with Kipper he did not attempt to get out of the way and was penalized appropriately for it. I love that we have a player willing to do that, go hard to the net and if that means we hit the goalie once in a while then I'm glad for that too because I am sick of Luongo getting hit every game with no reaction from the refs, mostly. Last night they called Iginla which shocked me.

But Cowpuke is so lame and immature it cycles from being funny to sad.

[dangler]

absolutely loved Booth's play to the net. He simply does not strike me as the type of player that intentionally ran a goalie. He went hard to the net and was angled off by the defender and ran into the goaltender. When he knew he was going to collide with Kipper he did not attempt to get out of the way and was penalized appropriately for it. I love that we have a player willing to do that, go hard to the net and if that means we hit the goalie once in a while then I'm glad for that too because I am sick of Luongo getting hit every game with no reaction from the refs, mostly. Last night they called Iginla which shocked me.

.

Yeah running the leagues top goaltenders has become fashionable again thanks to Lucic,TooToo and especially Shannahan.So why not take em out

[dchrist2]

The best part is no team would dare return the favour and risk taking Luongo out of the game!

[dhabums]

But Cowpuke is so lame and immature it cycles from being funny to sad.

Considering the Flames have been past round 1 ONE time since 1990, I think that most of their reactions, no matter how stupid, are explainable. They'll always have 1989.

[wienerdog]

Considering the Flames have been past round 1 ONE time since 1990, I think that most of their reactions, no matter how stupid, are explainable. They'll always have 1989.

Holy shit, is this true? Only once out of the first round in 21 years?

That is one hell of a drought.

[Uncle dans leg]

The best part is no team would dare return the favour and risk taking Luongo out of the game!

Hahaha!

[dhabums]

Considering the Flames have been past round 1 ONE time since 1990, I think that most of their reactions, no matter how stupid, are explainable. They'll always have 1989.

Holy shit, is this true? Only once out of the first round in 21 years?

That is one hell of a drought.

2004 is it, and even that should not have happened.

[wienerdog]

Considering the Flames have been past round 1 ONE time since 1990, I think that most of their reactions, no matter how stupid, are explainable. They'll always have 1989.

Holy shit, is this true? Only once out of the first round in 21 years?

That is one hell of a drought.

2004 is it, and even that should not have happened.

Amen.

That is a freaking long stinky streak.

[jackalman]

^^^Smells like a rose!!! ^^^

[BCExpat]

Well, as a Flames fan, at least I saw them win a cup within my life time, although it's becoming a distant memory these days.

[wienerdog]

Well, as a Flames fan, at least I saw them win a cup within my life time, although it's becoming a distant memory these days.

Fair enough, I'm not taking the Cup away, expat - TBH, I wasn't even trying to stir the pot.

When I saw bums put it down in writing - well, it's obviously been a real painful ride for Flames fans in the last two decades. That stat shocked me.

Just by way of comparison, if I'm counting correctly: in that same time frame, the Nucks have made it out of the 1st round nine times, with two trips to the Finals. No Cups, tho'.

For Calgary fans, there was the trip to the Finals in '04, but it has to be immensely frustrating to watch the team bow out in the 1st round time and time again. 20 out of 21 years, and no immediate improvement in sight. Ouch.

We've certainly had our ups and downs here in Van, but I know I'd have high blood-pressure if that stat were true for our team.

Maybe that explains Bountiful.


edit: (expat - you really know how to pick 'em!)

As bad as it is in Calgary, it's worse being a Yotes fan. If you include their years in Winnipeg, that franchise hasn't won a post-season series since 1987. 23 consecutive seasons.

Double ouch.

Next on that list are the Isles with 17 seasons without a win, followed by the Panthers at 14.

[dhabums]

Well, as a Flames fan, at least I saw them win a cup within my life time, although it's becoming a distant memory these days.

There is a point in life when yesterday becomes a distant memory.