It’s been an interesting roller-coaster ride this year. The start of the season made you wonder if Luongo was going to break the NHL record for the most shutouts in a season. And then the worst of our nightmares took place on Nov 22nd when Roberto went down and couldn’t get back up on his own.
We didn’t spiral right away into a losing streak. Cory Schneider certainly looked like he was a hopeful prospect with only lacking the experience (the easiest skill-deficiency to solve). Sanford finally showed why he’s not back up goalie material, and after having screamed at the TV for two years to replace him, Mike Gillis finally got it done.
Our losing streak took place in the same month as last year. January ended with another below-500 performance, and once again, i was celebrating my birthday on the 31st mourning a long string of losses, and buried down in the standings. I blew out my birthday candles with the same wish I had last year — I wish January had never happened.
And then the wake-up call…
Canucks fans have been on a super high since February. We all thought that if Luongo and Sundin could just get into old form, we’d be fine. But as it turns out both took a lot of time to find their legs, and they both may still be trying to find them even now.
No, the heroics came from the periphery. The Sedin line finally got when they’ve been looking for all these years — a third Sedin. No one on the team protects the pucks bettter than Burrows, and his sense for getting the passing lane when killing penalties is paying off with getting in the passing lane to tip a Sedin pass into the goal. I LOVE Burrows! I’ve always loved this guy. He’s all heart and money in the bank when it comes to entertainment on ice. And now he’s got numbers to seal him into the team — both in points and dollars.
Kesler has been no short of outstanding and has been the finisher we had hoped he would turn into. And while it may seem like he leads that second line with Sundin and Demitra, no doubt there’s some incredible mentorship going on there for him.
But what I’m most excited about is what Luongo can bring to the postseason. His only two challenges have been playing the puck and winning in the shootout. Well, this year, he’s clearly worked on the puck handling, and there’s no shootouts in the playoffs! On paper, Luongo’s got everything he needs to get his job done — his team’s never been healthier, he’s known to thrive when shots on goal are high (which is great when it comes to overtime), and he’s hungry for a championship.
I couldn’t be more excited. Let’s get it done, boys.
hehe,it is amazing.
well done.
I dont think you have to miss it.
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