Too Much Depth? Sorting the Logjam

Defenceman Mike Komisarek, outside of his natural habitat for the upcoming season, known as 'the press box.'

After today's cuts, the Toronto Maple Leafs are left with 29 players in training camp. With a week remaining, six more cuts will have to be made; roughly one goaltender, two blueliners, and three forwards.

Forwards

Up front, the Leafs top six is pretty much set in stone, with the Lupul-Connolly-Kessel and Kulemin-Grabovski-Macarthur lines making up the Leafs top two lines. Where the competition ensues, however, will be in the bottom six. As James Mirtle notes, improving the offensive depth on these two lines will be where the playoffs are won or lost:

While Toronto’s top four forwards in Phil Kessel, Nikolai Kulemin, Mikhail Grabovski and Clarke MacArthur contributed 112 goals – 53 per cent of the team’s total – the rest of the group had just 66 on the season.

That’s a stark contrast from last season’s playoff-bound teams. The top four forwards on the eight Eastern Conference playoff teams averaged 103 goals last season – slightly less than the Leafs – but had far more depth, getting an average of 111 goals from their other forwards.

The Leafs certainly have more to work with than they did last year. It appears more likely by the day that offseason acquisition Matt Lombardi, and the emergence of young players Nazem Kadri and Matt Frattin.

Where things get confusing, however, is who stays and who goes. With a 23-man roster, it's likely that Wilson will carry twelve forwards and keep two more in the pressbox. While Mike Brown is injured, there may be some reprieve; however, even then, you still have the likes of Kadri, Frattin, Lombardi, Colby Armstrong, Tyler Bozak, Phillippe Dupuis, Darryl Boyce, Joey Crabb, Colton Orr and Jay Rosehill. Of these ten players, only six will get opening day spots, while one will be sent to the pressbox, and three more will be cut.

In a perfect world, it should be Colton Orr who is sent to the pressbox. He is an enforcer whose skill set doesn't extend beyond beating the crap out of other teams' enforcers. That said, (1) he's good for about 5 points a season, if that; (2) he is a weak skater who is terrible in his own zone; (3) the Leafs have Rosehill, who can take on the enforcer role and is better at #2 than Orr. He could be kept as a 13th forward a la enforcers like Brian McGrattan, Matt Carkner and Deryk Engelland, but should not be a mainstay on the roster.

With a recovery from concussion, it's speculated Lombardi will be pencilled in as a 4C to work his way up in minutes, and Armstrong will be on the third line. Since Crabb has contributed next to nothing in camp, he'll be an easy cut to make. As for Frattin, he's shown some serious skill, but could benefit from a year in the AHL. How it should play out (though with Burke and Wilson's man love for Orr, I doubt it will):

Kadri-Bozak-Armstrong

Dupuis-Lombardi-Boyce/Frattin

EX: Orr

Eventually, I think Lombardi and Bozak will switch lines at centre when he is healthier. Also, I'd put Frattin at the top of the list for injury callups when the inevitable occurs. That said, he could be a solid contributor to some much needed offence on the 4th line when called up.

In any event, the goal should be to produce a fourth line similar to the mold of the Boston Bruins Thornton-Campbell-Paille line, that checks well, produces energy and can generate some offence. Enforcers like Orr and Rosehill are nice on occasion, but drastically deprive the Leafs of offensive depth that will be key to making the playoffs.

Defence

Also at question is what will happen on defence. There are spots for six blueliners and one extra, leaving two more players to be cut. Guaranteed locks for the roster are Dion Phaneuf, Luke Schenn, John-Michael Liles and Cody Franson. Beyond that, however, there are more questions than answers.

Also competing for spots are young players from last year's roster, such as Carl Gunnarsson, Keith Aulie, and Matt Lashoff. Questions also circulate around veteran Mike Komisarek, who has had anything but a successful two seasons in Toronto, and young Jake Gardiner, who has impressed the Leafs brass at camp.

Again, speculating what will happen is a lost cause, so the best I can do is tell you what I think should happen. Gardiner is a tough decision to make, but I believe getting top pair minutes with the Marlies is best for his career. Jumping from NCAA hockey to a rigorous, physically demanding 82-game schedule cannot be understated and time in the AHL could facilitate a smooth transition. That said, Gardiner should be kept as the top injury callup, and if he's solid enough with the Marlies, I could see such a callup being permanent.

Beyond that, Lashoff has had a very weak camp, leaving no justification to keep him with the big club. The reason that he was a fixture on the Leafs last season (i.e. that he wasn't Brett Lebda) is no longer valid. And Komisarek, despite whatever assets he may have as a locker room leader, just lacks the skill to be a regular roster player. If the Leafs are to ice the best blueline possible, there is no way Komisarek should be on it.

As for who will be around, I'm among the many who believe Carl Gunnarsson is greatly underrated and ready for bigger minutes. I also think Keith Aulie, while looking decent with Phaneuf, could benefit from a more sheltered role. Moreover, if Gardiner was to likely take anyone's job, my money's on Aulie.

Gunnarsson-Phaneuf

Liles-Schenn

Aulie-Franson

EX: Komisarek

Goaltending

The easiest decision to make has been saved for last. There's no question that James Reimer will be the starting job, and, 4-0 loss to the Flyers aside, he looked on par with Ryan Miller in a game against Buffalo where he posted a 2.00 GAA and .939 SV%. The major question in net has been between Jonas Gustavsson and Ben Scrivens for the backup position. Gustavsson had a terrible season last year, and Scrivens has looked good in what time he has seen in the preseason.

While some may look for Scrivens to steal the backup job, cap realities (such as Gustavsson having to go on waivers), make it very likely that the Monster will be given every chance to redeem himself. While I am still doubtful as to whether he can do this, he's been decent enough this preseason to warrant another chance. At a bare minimum, if Gustavsson proves to be abyssmal again this season, there should be enough faith in Scrivens to make the switch; but, in the meantime, Scrivens could benefit from more starts with the Marlies.

Reimer

Gustavsson

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Toronto Maple Leafs: My Predictions for the 2011-12 Season

Insert your joke about Carlton scoring more than any other Leafs player here.

With the 2011-12 preseason coming today, and the regular season, not far behind, it's time to take a look at what the future will hold for Leafs Nation. And why bother predicting things in terms of wins and losses, when you take a look at the happenings of this next season? And so, here is my detailed prediction of the Leafs 2011-12 season.

OCTOBER 6: The Leafs open their 2011-12 NHL season with a game at home against the rival Montreal Canadiens.

OCTOBER 7: After a lengthy pre-game ceremony, set of player introductions, and sounding the ACC buzzer enough times to ensure every member of both teams is awake, the game actually begins.

OCTOBER 11: The Leafs take to the ice at the ACC for a game, only to be surprised to see no opposing team out there with them. When asked about this, coach Ron Wilson said, "I thought the NHL was joking when they said they gave us a week off two games into the season. I mean, when has their scheduling ever been that ridiculous?"

OCTOBER 15: The Calgary Flames visit the Leafs. A scheme put together by Burke is successful as Mike Komisarek is sent into the Flames dressing room on a fake errand and comes out with a 9-year contract from Jay Feaster.

OCTOBER 20: The Leafs visit the Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins. Brad Marchand's attempts to rile up opposing players strangely ends in a deja vu of the Cup Finals, only Marchand is punching himself in the face without any retaliation while being encouraged by Dion Phaneuf to "stop hitting himself" for some reason.

NOVEMBER 2-3: The Leafs go on a two-game road trip, playing New Jersey and Columbus. Hockey viewership that week in Ontario is as high as it was the week in October that there was no hockey.

NOVEMBER 8: The Leafs host a struggling Florida Panthers team playing in a weak Southeast Division in what's billed as 'the easiest f@#$ing win you could ask for." So, of course, they lose 8-1.

NOVEMBER 22: The Leafs play their first game against the new-look Tampa Bay Lightning. Leaf fans fail to pay attention to the score as they spend most of the game confusedly trying to figure out which blue and white team is theirs.

DECEMBER 13: A home game against the Carolina Hurricanes- a team featuring many ex-Leafs- prompts a video tribute of highlights from the Leafs 2007-08 season. Consisting of three seconds of lewd pictures of Jiri Tlusty, it sets a record as the shortest pre-game ceremony in ACC history.

DECEMBER 19: After a game against the Leafs, a confused Kings team wonders why Drew Doughty isn't on the team plane. GM Dean Lombardi tells the team not to worry about it while, on the tarmac in his line of sight, Brian Burke is carrying an unconscious Doughty in a wheelbarrow while making the throat slash gesture in his direction.

DECEMBER 23: A confused Leafs team is late for its game against the New York Islanders after arriving at Nassau County Veterans Coliseum, only to find the doors locked and a note posted on the door with a forwarding address to some place in Brooklyn.

DECEMBER 25: Christmas Break. Either the Leafs are atop their division at this point, which will result in a long losing streak that will tumble them into a sad 9th place finish, or the Leafs are last in the East at this point, which will result in a four-month hot streak that will vault them into a sad 9th place finish.

DECEMBER 31: The Leafs ring in the New Year playing their first game in Winnipeg in fifteen years against the reborn Jets. Despite being sidetracked by the inspirational return of a small-market Canadian franchise in the first period, the Leafs finally remember they used to be the Atlanta Thrashers, and proceed to pummel them for nine goals.

JANUARY 5: On a day where the Leafs have a home date against the Jets, Torontonians are worried when what seems like an earthquake hits the city. In actuality, it was just Dustin Byfuglien and Kyle Wellwood getting off the team plane at the same time.

JANUARY 10: When the Buffalo Sabres visit Toronto, Brian Burke is angered to find out from GM Darcy Regier that no, Tim Connolly did not come with a two-year warranty, and, no, the Sabres will not send him a replacement.

JANUARY 19: The Leafs defeat the Minnesota Wild using the brilliant tactical strategy of convincing the team's leading scorer Dany Heatley that it's actually the postseason.

JANUARY 28: The annual All-Star Weekend, or as its better known in the Leafs locker room, The "So....Any Good Movies Playing?" Weekend.

FEBRUARY 4: The Leafs play the Senators, setting a Leaf franchise record for the largest home crowd turnout in history. Many pundits attribute this to the fact that the game was played in Ottawa.

FEBRUARY 14: In a game against the Calgary Flames, Luke Schenn lands in hot water after a questionable hit on former teammate Lee Stempniak. Schenn defends himself saying the contact was accidental because he didn't see Stempniak. The NHL sides with Schenn, stating that Stempniak being invisible is a common occurrence.

FEBRUARY 17: In a marquee Saturday matchup against the Vancouver Canucks, HNIC announcer Jim Hughson manages to stay relatively objective, only condemning two Leaf players to death for hits that were embellished by the Sedin Twins, and managing to blatantly celebrate Canuck goals without crying tears of joy.

FEBRUARY 25: In a game against Washington, confusion ensues when TV viewers think Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau randomly grew a beard. Further inspection, however, shows that it was actually a massive chocolate sauce stain his players neglected to tell him about.

FEBRUARY 29: The Leafs are shellacked by the Chicago Blackhawks when Jonathan Toews lights up the team for four goals. When asked about this, James Reimer said he was worried by Toews staring at him, thinking that Toews was trying to evaporate him with his mind.

MARCH 10: The Leafs manage to beat the Philadelphia Flyers by default. The team fails to show up for the game after getting stuck on Toronto Island, being sent there by Peter Laviolette after the Leafs front office convinced him it was the real 'Dry Island'.

MARCH 17: In a mid-March game against the lowly Ottawa Senators, with the Leafs outside of the playoff picture, Ron Wilson decides to fuck with the now-unemployed Howard Berger by calling for an illegal stick measurement after every single play.

MARCH 20: The Leafs, in the thick of the playoff race and coming off a 7-game winning streak, play an injury-plagued, basement-dwelling Islanders team who lost their seventh goalie of the season and had to sign the starter for a GTA beer league shinny team to a one-day contract to play out of desperation. The Islanders win 6-0.

MARCH 25: After captain Dion Phaneuf misses a game with an injury, Wilson is inspired by how contemplatively quiet the locker room is, until he's reminded that this is only because no one else on the team knows how to work the volume on the stereo.

APRIL 7: In the final game of the season with major playoff implications for the opposing Montreal Canadiens, the Leafs either win and knock them out of the postseason, or the Leafs lose and they squeak into 8th. Either way, the Montreal faithful flip over roughly ten cars and set them on fire, so the result doesn't really matter.

APRIL 8: The end of the season. As the team comes to clean out its locker, Ron Wilson wonders why his key won't open his office, and why his parking spot at the ACC says "RESERVED FOR S. GORDON." Leafs fans start deciding who will be their bandwagon team this season, before ultimately settling once again on whoever plays the Canucks. And bloggers continue recycling jokes from previous seasons they've used as material in the past.

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Seventy's A Crowd

The Leafs released their training camp list today. In a surprising- and unprecedented- move, the coaching staff decided to invite their entire roster to the Leafs rookie camp. This brings the total number of training camp attendees to 70 players.

Yes, 70. Or, in other words, enough to ice three 23-man rosters. On top of six goaltenders, they have enough players to roll 14 lines, play 10 defensive pairings, and still have a couple healthy scratches left over.

Preseason plays an important role in the NHL. For established NHLers, it's a chance to get some conditioning and ice time before a long 82-game season starts. For bubble players and up-and-coming rookies, it's a chance to compete for the vacant roster spots and impress your way into the lineup on Opening Day (see: Tim Brent, 2010). For younger players in need of development, it's a good chance to share the same ice as seasoned pros and getting top-tier coaching before going to the AHL for more seasoning. And for junior-aged players, it's a chance to get a taste of the NHL before going back to their junior club.

These are all important things that occur in preseason. The problem is a 70-man roster pretty much clusterfucks every single one of them.

Let's just state the obvious here. The Leafs roster will be down to 23 on October 6. All but maybe one or two of those positions, tops, are written in stone. Ron Wilson has even all but confirmed what his top three lines will be to start the season. So, in addition to roughly 20 people who are already a lock to make the team, you have maybe 3 or 4 more competing for the remaining spots. That's less than half this roster that has any realistic chance of making this team. Even if there is one Tim Brent we have yet to discover, there's about ten more that have no hope in hell of playing in the NHL this year (if ever).

Of these also-rans, some of their presences are vital. Our prospects, whether AHL or junior-bound, can rely on this for development. But, it seems for every one of these we have, there is a number of names on this roster that will be lucky to compete for a spot on the AHL roster. Is having the likes of Kyle Neuber, Kelsey Wilson, Mike Schwindt, or Denny Urban around that worthwhile? Honestly, how many games will it be before this lower tier of players is cut? One, if that?

Every season, players who have no chance of making the NHL are given invites to training camp (Mike Liambas, anyone?). But, in a year where roughly 25 people are competing for 23 spots, and the team is trying to provide solid development to another 10-15 prospects, it seems at least half of this 70-person roster is simply wasting time and taking away resources from players legitimately fighting for a spot or trying to progress their young careers. An invite to the AHL camp in October might be permissible, but the big leagues? Please.

Regardless of how much or little they play, every minute Matt Caruana is on the ice is a minute Matt Frattin isn't getting to prove whether or not he has the skillset to make the Leafs roster. Every minute Dave Cowan is out there is one that Jake Gardiner isn't to gain some valuable experience. These minutes are invested into players that will likely be cut within the first game, and they add up.

Even if it's just a minute, it's a waste. It's unfair to these lesser players, whose fate has been sealed, and to those who have a more serious shot in training camp. A big roster benefits nobody.

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Offended By the Jets Logo? Solution: Get A Life.

I am a fan of politics. I am a fan of hockey. I do, however, like as much possible to keep the two domains separate spheres in my life. I don't think politics should be brought into hockey (aside from basic, direct political decisions like arena funding and, etc.), and I certainly thinking bringing hockey into politics is absurd (though some people don't; just ask Shane Doan).

So, with this, I have to wonder why some people have their underwear in a knot over the Jets logo. The alleged accusations are of promoting militarism and government foreign policy.

Quoth Mark Chipman:

"We felt it was important to authenticate the name Jets and we believe the new logo does that through its connection to (Canada's) remarkable Air Force heritage, including the rich history and relationship that our city and province have enjoyed with the Canadian Forces."

The fact of the matter is, the Jets are hardly the first team to do this. In fact, if you're reading this, disagree with my sentiments on anti-logo types, and are a Leafs fan, you might want to find a new team to cheer for. Why? The Maple Leafs nickname was an homage to a regiment that fought in the First World War.

Too subtle for you? Why don't we take a look at the OHL's Brampton Batallion uniform which is not just overly militaristic, but also fucking ugly.

Where is the line in professional sports? Are people next going to have a problem with Luke Schenn's charity in support of the Canadian Forces for that reason? If this logo is such a problem, is there ever any end?

What people need to remember are two important things:

1) Military ≠ government policy.

2) It's a logo of a professional sports team. Get over it.

First, there is a difference between supporting the military, and supporting a government and its policies that enter the military into wars. You can be pro-military and anti-war; hell, I'd dare to argue there are circumstances where being anti-war is the most pro-military stance you could take.

From these posts, I've gleaned one thing, however controversial: the line with many anti-war people has blurred. There is a hesitance to admit to being anti-military on their part, but at the end of the day, that seems to be what it comes down to. After all, why care so much about a sports logo paying homage to Winnipeg's air force heritage (and not government policy) if you really are pro-military/neutral?

Second, there are a lot of important issues in the world right now. Poverty, famine, political unrest, unstable economies. The US, the world's largest economic power, is perpetually teetering on the brink of a major financial clusterfuck. If anyone wants to be passionate about these issues, good on them. But, if you're taking time away from these matters to focus so much energy on the logo of a professional sports team, you really do need to get a life. Please note, the world will still rotate on its axis because Mark Chipman wanted a fighter jet on his team's crest.

If there is any promotion of past Liberal and Conservative governments' policies in Afghanistan in this simple hockey logo, I don't see it. If occam's razor holds true, and all this logo amounts to is an homage to military heritage in Winnipeg, then I don't see the problem. Admittedly, if you see something offensive with honouring the military and devote more time to a silly logo than the real problems in the world, I have a hard time taking your opinion seriously.

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Boston and Burke: Why I'm 'Rooting' (Reluctantly) For the Canucks in the Finals

Regardless of who wins the Cup, this is my frontrunner choice for the Conn Smythe.

Okay; so it's no secret. I'm not about to be crowned Canucks superfan of the year.

So I'm not Jim Robson. But, I'm not Scott Burnside, either. So I'll try to break this down as objectively as possible from my own perspective.

First off, I don't believe the bunk that the Canucks are Canada's team. I'd say this with ANY Canadian team, including the Leafs. Canadians are free to cheer for who they want.

But, some Canuck fans doth protest too much regarding how fans in the 'Centre of the Universe' refuse to cheer for the Canucks. Or somehow control who is or isn't Canada's team. Or Brian Burke is tampering with national identity. Or something like that.

I think this tweet is kinda important to repost because it embodies the attitude that turns many Leaf fans away from the Canucks. I'm a Leaf fan in BC. I've put up with irrational hatred I'd expect from a divisional rival, but not from a team we see twice a season, stupid insults, jokes that aren't funny. You name it, Canucks fans have found some way to make some stupid joke at our expense about it. When our GM and coach were accused of tampering, you'd have thought from reading Canucks columnists that the Leafs had committed some form of high treason only punishable by hanging and a 1st round draft pick.

The best reason anyone can give me for this? Well, allegedly, Leaf Nation is some sort of consortium with power as great as the illuminati, that it controls the national sports media, the number of Leaf games broadcasted on HNIC, and the number of seizures caused by the pattern on Don Cherry's jacket. And it is them, and only them, who have affected the mood of the Canucks as 'Canada's Team'.

Well, I've got news for you guys: winning the hearts and minds of Canadian hockey fans who cheer for a team that isn't yours is a privilege, and not a national birthright. Given the crap that Leafs fans seem to endlessly take from Canucks fans despite any semblance of a rivalry or even being in the same conference, why should Leaf fans be obligated to cheer for Vancouver? Ridiculing our fan base, then begging for our support is akin to someone robbing you blind then asking you for bus fare to get home with your stuff. So, no, I can't blame any Leaf fans who wish to cheer against the Canucks. Their fanbase has reaped what they sowed in that regard, and if that's a problem....well, tough stanchions.

But, while most Canuck fans in their outrage and indignation (all, like, five of them that'll actually read this thing) will stop reading here, they might wanna continue. Because now I'm about to tell you why I'm cheering for the Vancouver Canucks in the Stanley Cup Finals.

Yes, you read that right. I will be rooting for the Canucks to win the Stanley Cup, despite the fact I will never hear the end of it for about 40 years. Or until the Leafs become a Cup-winning dynasty that make the 1970s Canadiens and 1980s Oilers cower in fear, right? Right?!

It has a lot to do with the opponent: the Boston Bruins.

Everyone loves an underdog. And the Bruins may be the underdog in the Stanley Cup Finals, but the City of Boston is by no means a sports underdog. Vancouver's last major sports championship was, well.....when you're citing A-League Soccer titles as a 'major championship' on Sportsnet, you're lacking in that department. Vancouver's NBA team flew the coop, so the Canucks are the city's only hope for a major sports championship. The Vancouver Millionaires won the Cup in the 1910s, and since then....nada.

Boston, on the other hand, has done nothing but win in the last decade. Between 2002 and 2011, the Patriots have won three Super Bowls (2002, 2004, 2005), the Red Sox two World Series (2004, 2007), and the Celtics one NBA championship (2008). If the Bruins win a Stanley Cup, they'll have fulfilled the Grand Slam of major sports in the span of a decade. The emotions of winning aren't exactly new to Boston sports fans. Nor is the emotion of never shutting up about winning to the rest of the world.

But, are Toronto sports fans really allied with Boston sports fans? What Leafs fan can tolerate Bruins fans who haven't shut up about the Kessel/Seguin trade (except when Kessel was tearing it up while Seguin was a healthy scratch, of course)? What Jays fan can put up with the smug Red Sox fans the world once pitied? What fan of....well, what football fan in general can even tolerate the f@#$ing Patriots and their bandwagon fanbase?

The more important storyline as a Leaf fan is this: if Boston wins, there's no doubt we'll hear endless storylines about how Tyler Seguin is in the Stanley Cup Finals and Phil Kessel isn't and blah blah blah. If Vancouver wins the Stanley Cup, I doubt the media will touch the topic much, but someone will bring up an obvious fact:

Now-Leafs GM and Assistant GM Brian Burke and Dave Nonis made the would-be Stanley Cup Champions what they are.

It's been evident so far in the playoffs. 72% of the Canucks scoring has come from homegrown Vancouver players acquired by Burke and Nonis. Look at the core of their roster. The Sedin twins. Ryan Kesler. Alex Burrows. Kevin Bieksa. Roberto Luongo. All acquired or drafted by either Burke or Nonis. And without those decisions made by either of these Leafs executive, the Canucks are not where they are today. Period. Yes, Mike Gillis plugged some important depth holes in the team, but cores build champions. Burke and Nonis built the house; Gillis put in the carpets.

So, Toronto fans, I ask you this: what would you rather hear by June 15: more crap about Burke being an idiot by referencing the Kessel trade for the 1093723072th time, or hearing about how Burke built a Cup champion? Think carefully. And do you REALLY want to cheer for a team from Boston of all places? Boston?! Think even more carefully.

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Glass Houses. Stones. Mike Gillis.

The press conference then took on a more reasonable tone after Alain Vigneault burped Gillis.

Welp, here we go! Mike Gillis thinks there's a vast NHL conspiracy out to get the Canucks:

Gillis complained of the Canucks not being on a “level playing field” against the Chicago Blackhawks in their best-of-seven Western Conference quarter-final series, which is tied 3-3 with Game 7 set for Tuesday at Rogers Arena (7 p.m., CBC, Team 1040).

Reading off a piece of paper, Gillis listed that while things were pretty even through the first two games, things have changed drastically in the four games since. According to his stats, Chicago has received 69 per cent more power plays in the last four games and 100 per cent more calls when the score has been within one or two goals, not to mention the Blackhawks have been awarded a penalty shot.

I'd like to say this isn't reflective of a decent chunk of the Canucks fanbase, but I'd also like to not be lying through my asshole. So, I won't.

I swear to god, it's moments like this where I wish I recorded all the stuff I've heard from Canucks fans in my travels in BC (not counting the fine people at Nucks Misconduct, of course!). Hell, I sometimes wonder if I should make a Twitter account called "ShitCanucksFansSay."

What mainly grinds my gears is that a common refrain I've gotten in five years in BC as a Leafs fan is that we're all a bunch of whiners who blame the refs when things don't go our way (and, well, they really haven't much lately). If I had a nickel for every time I heard a Canucks fan chirp our fanbase as 'whiny,' I'm sure I could at least replenish the unfortunately empty beer supply in my fridge.

And, every time I've argued back, I've said the same thing consistently: Canucks fans do it, too. More than us. But, I stand corrected; their mothafuckin General Manager does it, too!

Pot, meet kettle.

And no, guys. Sorry. There is no vast NHL conspiracy to keep the Canucks from losing the Stanley Cup. Say what you will about the reffing, but the zebras didn't put sixteen Chicago pucks in the back of the Canucks' net in the last three games.

The Blackhawks gift-wrapped the game-winner to the Canucks on several occasions in the 3rd and in OT, and they didn't convert. The Hawks, on the other hand, capitalized on Vancouver's mistakes multiple times. Why isn't Gillis holding press conferences to tell his team to bury their chances?

The Sedins have 4 pts. in the last 3 games, while Dave Bolland (their key agitator, and, like me, a good ol' Etobicoke boy) has 6 pts. in that time. Ryan Kesler, he of 40 goals in the regular season, has zero so far, and is doing his usual offensive disappearing act against Chicago. Roberto Luongo is 3.45 GAA, .888 SV%. Why isn't Gillis holding press conferences telling them to get their asses in gear?

Right. Because it's easier to play the victim and act like everyone's all up in your bidness tampering with you. Gotcha.

More focus on winning, less focus on whining, guys. Sheesh.

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Let Your Blue And White Heart Show

For those who missed the PPP fanshot, I've tried my hand at video creation. This was the result.

Thanks especially to the creator of the 'Progress' video which gave me a good number of the clips I used! Song is 'Red Heart' by Hey Rosetta.
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