First round playoff match up - LA Kings

[clem]

Forgotten?

[ODB]

LA Kings ‏ @LAKings To everyone in Canada outside of BC, you're welcome.

http://twitter.com/#!/lakings

Pretty classy eh!

[Hammond Aigs]

And going by the comments following the Globe and Mail's story on the tweet, it looks like there's a ready audience for this kind of lowlife needling. Whatever; I like Lotus' approach - embrace the hate, and tell them so. Hitchcock had it right when he said "If you want to be loved, start losing".

[Farhan Lalji]

One of my concerns from last night, was that the Canucks fit the exact description of what the media was painting them as (i.e. a bunch of divers, whiners, etc., while the fans thought that the refs were out to get them).

Last night - the Canucks WERE a bunch of divers and whiners, and if the fans actually looked past their rosy colored glasses, they'd realize that almost all of the calls made against the Canucks were well deserved. The Canucks were being out-gritted and out-worked by a very determined LA Kings team and were taking penalties as a result.

Another cause of the Canucks' penalty troubles - they weren't playing their game. Instead of dominating with their skill, they were trying to body check people into oblivion.........almost as if to prove some kind of point that they aren't pussies? The Canucks need to focus on playing their game......and they need to find their game quick. The Canucks have been coasting for the better part of the last few months, while the Kings have been fighting tooth and nail. Like I said before - there is no "on and off" switch. Detroit discovered this back in the 2005/06 season when they were upset by Edmonton. Hopefully, the Canucks do not meet a similar fate.

[Topper]

Last night - the Canucks WERE a bunch of divers and whiners, and if the fans actually looked past their rosy colored glasses, they'd realize that almost all of the calls made against the Canucks were well deserved.

Kassian and Stoll calls were both similar and deserved.

Kesler's punkish snow shower of Quick was an "I dare you" move to the refs and they called his bluff and put an end to that nonsense.

Noncall on the stick to Luongo's chest in the scrum, suck it up cupcake, there were no sharp shooters in the building, other than maybe Richards.

As I noted in the "Switch" thread. Play your game. Forecheck, pressure the defence and impose your will.

[SonofaBure]

I'm all for trying to draw a penatly, but the Cancucks need to stop flopping around the rink and play some fucking hockey....yes that means you Kesler, you twat.

[RoyalDude]

Kesler and Burrows, the ring leaders, need to make a decision, start playing the fucking game like real men and get rid of the whiney, bitching, yapping, penalty drawing, fake injury shit, etc. It's a fucking embarrassment.

[Blob Mckenzie]

Totally agree about Kesler and Burrows. Cut the bs and stop the head snapping, the diving and yapping. Add Lapierre in there too. Play the fucking game ffs.

If I ever got speared like Stoll did by Kesler I'd break my fucking stick over him. Cheap fucking play by Kesler. More and more I would like to see that arrogant prick moved........unless he is part of a team that wins the cup.

Either way he is a guy I used to enjoy watching play. Now I think he's a douchebag.

[Farhan Lalji]

As I noted in the "Switch" thread. Play your game. Forecheck, pressure the defence and impose your will.

Bingo.

I never noticed any excessive diving, whining, or ridiculous cheap shots during the regular season, so why are the Canucks doing that now? (or atleast in the first game). What the hell are they trying to prove? That they are just as "tough" as the Boston Bruins? (i.e. quite possibly the toughest and meanest team ever assembled in NHL history).

The Canucks need to be the Canucks. Win with skill and puck possession. Trying to put people through the boards at the risk of giving up scoring chances is effin' stupid.

[Farhan Lalji]

Kesler and Burrows, the ring leaders, need to make a decision, start playing the fucking game like real men and get rid of the whiney, bitching, yapping, penalty drawing, fake injury shit, etc. It's a fucking embarrassment.

Not only that but it will end up having an adverse effect as far as the refs are concerned. Case in point - Our series' against Chicago and Boston last year.

Canucks are a Presidents' Trophy winning team......two years in a row. Why not play the exact same way as they did during the regular season?

[Blob Mckenzie]

That they are just as "tough" as the Boston Bruins? (i.e. quite possibly the toughest and meanest team ever assembled in NHL history).

1997-98 Vancouver Canucks would have bootfucked the Bruins in a brawl
Donald Brashear
Gino Odjick
Enrico Ciccone
Brad May
Jamie Huscroft
Scott Walker
Chris McallIster
Todd Bertuzzi
Bryan McCabe
Dana Murzyn
Mark Messier
Dave Scatchard
Steve Staois

[Farhan Lalji]

That they are just as "tough" as the Boston Bruins? (i.e. quite possibly the toughest and meanest team ever assembled in NHL history).

1997-98 Vancouver Canucks would have bootfucked the Bruins in a brawl
Donald Brashear
Gino Odjick
Enrico Ciccone
Brad May
Jamie Huscroft
Scott Walker
Chris McallIster
Todd Bertuzzi
Bryan McCabe
Dana Murzyn
Mark Messier
Dave Scatchard
Steve Staois

Hmmmm........good point. I guess what I meant to say was "toughest and meanest team that could actually play decent hockey in NHL history."

Bruins would beat that Canucks team like 10-0. Good lord that 1998 team sucked balls.

p.s._____________if memory serves me correctly, we also had those big oafs known as Bert Robertson and Larry Courvelle on our farm as well.

[Cornuck]

Not to mention the Broad street Bullies in their day.

[Fred]

To me I think the Canuck players genuinley believe they're getting the wrong end of the officials decissions... and they're likely right. And as much as you say keep a lid on it lets be honest most poster can't keep a lid on it when they're just posting here. It's easy to say, but tough to do when you get a few bads calls and you think the worlds against you. Especally when the officials are apprently changed after the second intermission and it's a different game in the third

[Hockey Widow]

Luongo was speared and it should have been a call. Kesler should have been called for his nut cracker on Stoll. But Kesler should not have been given a penalty for the snow shower. To me that was called for two reasons. First, LA already had two penalties and the refs wanted to even it up. They wanted to stop the after whistle scrums and took an innocuous play and decided that would be it. The second reason was Kesler embarrassed them with his head fake and knocking Quick, on a play that should have been called back for goaltender interference. So the message was being sent to Kesler. unfortunately it lead to 2 back to back 5-3 which could not have been predicted. The Kesler penalty we were on the way to killing and had we been able to the message would have been delivered, no harm done.

I have no real problem with most of the calls and non calls, it was the inconstancy I have a problem with. If the refs wanted to end the after whistle scrums then they should have nabbed the King that speared Luongo. They didn't because they had already given two penalties to LA but a warning went out to both benches. Kesler didn't head the warning but to get a penalty on that was a real bad call. He did however get away with shit that was far worse, the first on what would have resulted on a goal being called back. So no whining here. The refs did not cost us the game.

Our inability to score on the PP and LA's ability to capitalize was the difference.