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You have to admit, the Doc does have a point. I imagine that the Canucks will be at the forefront of predicting who's in the Cup final next year. I don't see them falling apart like Edmonton did after reaching game 7, even though they have to resign their defense core.Originally Posted by Bogey
It's not about just being negative. The team was lucky to get past the first round. Then they beat a Cinderella team and another team that was extremely banged up.
3-6 in games where they had a chance to eliminate their opponent (and they should have lost Game 5 against the Sharks).
Minus goal differential throughout the playoffs.
Best players were awful when it counted. Again.
Outscored 23-8 in the finals.
Led for only 30+ minutes in the finals.
Before the Pens did it 2 years ago, the last time a team lost in the finals and went all the way back the next year was the '84 Oilers. It's an extremely difficult feat to accomplish.
They've proven time and time again they cannot play old-time hockey.
A lot went their way to reach as far as they did. Do you really think they can keep up these stats and do it again next year? They also have cap issues this summer. Had they won it this year, it would have been a very unlikely win.
And the Red Wings were swept in the Finals in 95 and Yzerman had like one point and was a minus 7.
I have no desire to see the Canucks win a Stanley Cup... but let's not pretend that the team that everybody picked from before the season began to win the Stanley Cup but lost in Game 7 is somehow so obviously flawed that a bunch of slack jawed socal hockey fans on a message board can cure what ails 'em.
Except the Wings of '95 were completely dominant in the first 3 rounds. Like I said, the Canucks had a lot of good fortune and struggled at times to get to the finals. They're obviously a good team, but there's a cap now. Bieksa, Ehrhoff, and Salo are all UFA's among others while Keith Ballard sits in the press box making over $4 million. Also, with the exception of the Canucks, not one other team in the west got better last summer. I don't expect that to happen again. The relationship between their fans and Luongo is souring. Who's going to take that massive contract when it's time to unload him? I'm not saying they need to completely rebuild, but they lost a golden opportunity this time when they were catching a lot of breaks. Heck, I already expect the Hawks to beat them next year. The Sedins, Luongo, and a few others have proven over the last few years that they can't raise their game when it counts.
You don't think you're doing some SLIGHT revisionist history?
Vancouver lept out to a 3-0 lead on Chicago and it was considered insanity that it took them 7 games.
After that they dispatched the Predators in 6 and the Sharks in 5. EVERYBODY was picking them to blow the Bruins away.
The history of sports is littered with players who "proved" they couldn't win the big game...
until they did.
Witness...
I'm not saying the Canucks are a lock to win the Cup in the next few years... but to completely write off their chances because they're "proven" they can't raise their game when it counts????
Luonog is 31.
Quick...... Where was Tim Thomas at age 31?!
I don't expect the Canucks to make too many changes. With what they've got, they can still make the playoffs pretty easily, considering the division they play in.
However, they've now found out that skill alone isn't enough. You need those grinding, rough-edged players that like to get their nose and hands dirty. I think they'll be shopping for a few of those players this off-season.
And like I said they were 3-6 in eliminations games. There's a reason they're known as chokers. And of course they still have a shot at winning. I'm not saying there's no chance of it happening. But to think that they don't need to make adjustments just because they made it to Game 7 of the finals is wrong.
Tim Thomas is the exception. Luongo has sucked in the playoffs since Day 1. Cloutier-esque.
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