News of arena deal is Suuuuuuuuuuper!

By Kshell

The city council  has come to an agreement with the Chris Hansen ownership group to build a new arena. That means our Seattle Supersonics are finally coming home.  Not only will the NBA return to Seattle but with this new arena for the  first time in Seattle history we should be getting a new NHL team. The news couldn't have came at a better time given that the Seahawks opened the season with a loss, Huskies were embarrassed in a big game once again the Seattle Mariners are headed towards their third straight last place finish. A piece of my childhood is returning when the Sonics are here. I wrote last year in April of 2011 how much I missed the Sonics as they were the first ever sporting event I ever attended. There is one man who should drink for free for the rest of his life in Seattle and that is Chris Hansen who made this all happen.

Chris Hansen is doing his civic duty much like Paul Allen did with the Seahawks back in 1996. Hansen is a rich guy who gets it. He is a fan and although the city of Seattle put him through the ringer he never gave up. Hansen should be a legend in this city if not already. The joy he is going to bring to so many in this community cannot be measured. I wish there would be more rich people in this world like Mr. Hansen is willing to risk millions of his own dollars so his childhood team that he loves can finally return home. The NBA did the original Sonics wrong but never once has Hansen been negative in his campaign to bring the team back. That is what I like most about Hansen he seems to connect with the fans which is the opposite of how the Mariners ownership is.

During this whole ordeal the fans of Seattle have shown over and over again our love for the Sonics. During game two of the NBA Finals there was a rally held to bring the Sonics back. The rally was clean too there was no name calling of Oklahoma City it was all pro Sonics which is what I enjoyed the most. Sonics fans like myself have moved on from the terrible thing that happened in 2008 as we realized dwelling on the past won't do any good. This movement which was started by the Sonicsgate guys when they made this this wonderful movie documenting the Sonics leaving. For many of us the Sonics were the only consistent thing in our lives sports wise. They have the most tradition among our pro teams. For my dad(born in 1961) he remembers the Sonics going to the Finals his junior year in 1978 and then winning the title in 1979. For me(born in 1985) I remember growing up in the 1990's when the Sonics were winning 55+ games six years in a row.

Growing up in the 1990's it was so great watching the talents of Gary Payton throwing lobs to Shawn Kemp as he threw them down. Watching George Karl win four Pacific Division titles in a four year span was something special as well. Watching the three point shooting of Detlef Schrempf, Hersey Hawkins and Sam Perkins was a joy as well. I used to always wear Sonics stuff to school and like I said the first game I ever went to was a Sonics game in the Tacoma Dome.

Watching Wally Walker destroy this team was one of the saddest things to watch. Then seeing this team flea town was a horrific experience that I hope to never experience again far as sports go. I'm glad in this whole process these former players from those teams were so active in this. Payton, Kemp and Schrempf have been big fixtures in this community the past decade in post retirement. When the NBA finally returns to Seattle look for #20 and #40 to be retired together in a ceremony in a game which will sell out quickly. For now it doesn't matter how good our team will be as we'll have a team once again. The next generation of kids can find their new NBA heroes like my dad always references "Downtown" Freddy Brown, Dennis Johnson or Jack Sikma. How I bring up Payton, Kemp and Schrempf these kids will have their own guys to idolize growing up.

Just like my father I also get to experience a new sport in this city as the NHL will most likely come to Seattle as well. The city of Seattle will have NFL, MLB, D-1 college sports, NBA, NHL, MLS and WNBA meaning they will officially become a major sports city in the United States. This is a huge day for the city of Seattle as they'll experience a huge economic boom in the SODO market as that area will finally get cleaned up with some big time restaurants and hotels. This is a beautiful day for those in Seattle who haven't had much to cheer about in the last couple of years. The Sonics are coming back and so today everyone wear your green and gold. I know today I'll be feeling pretty suuuuuuuuper as my childhood is returning as the Sonics will be coming back!

Thunderbirds Win Late Over Swift Current

By Korz206

The Seattle Thunderbirds (11-12-0-1) defeat the Swift Current Broncos (11-15-2-1) by the score of 4-2. Late game heroics were the story of this game in the Sho tonight! An amazing game put on by the Thunderbirds, who needed this win to end a 2 game losing streak. Swift Current got on the board in the 1st period with a goal from their Captain Vause (16). In the 2nd period the Tbirds get even on the power play by Aschim, his 6th of the season. Swift Current takes back the lead later in the 2nd period by Gordon (12). However, it was Tbirds there on out... Tying the game with about 3 minutes left in the 3rd period was Shea Theodore his 2nd of the season. Followed by another Tbird goal to take the lead by Lund his 8th of the season, giving everyone chills who were in attendance or listening at home. To ice off the Broncos Gallimore had a break away open net goal with 0.4 seconds left on the clock that displays the words "ShoWare Center, 4-2."

Swift current is top in WHL for power play offense, that meant nothing to the Tbirds as they are 3 for 3 in killing off the Broncos man advantage. Shea Theodore was the player of the game (1st star), and a player to watch in the future. This 16 year old can play the game, his ice presence is high for a kid of his age and his puck skills are also above average. But, he needs to work on his zone defense during the PP, but he has been solid. Another solid stat is the Tbirds on PP were 2-2, which won them the game for them. Another good sign is that Swift Current out shot the Tbirds 43-34, but Picks was big again tonight. Which still has me wondering how he did not make the Canadian Junior National Team?

Next Game: Friday (12/2/11) vs the Tri-City Americans (19-6-0-0) at the ShoWare Center.

Fun Fact: Some may argue that the Thunderbirds win vs the Americans, 2 weeks ago, was the best win since the team moved into the ShoWare Center in 2008.

Thunderbirds Streak Over in Loss to Prince George.

By Korz206

The Seattle Thunderbirds (10-11-0-1) lose in shootout to the Prince George Cougars (7-17-0-2) by a score of 3-2. Crowd in the ShoWare Center hit the mark of 4,500+. Only goal of the first period was by Fraser (7) of Prince George, 55 seconds into the game. After that, both teams were scoreless until the second period, when Jacob Doty gets his 1st of the season to knot things up at 1-1. Assisted by Troock, who again had a good game, not on the scoring sheet, but he won his 1 on 1 battles that are crucial. Marcel Nobles gave the Tbirds the lead with his 9th of the season assisted by Theodore. At this time everyone was quite pleased because it was Marcel Noebles bobble head night! Quite fitting for the winning goal, as we thought. But with 38 seconds left, the Cougars, with the 6-5 man advantage tied the game, when Inglish (8) redirected shot into the back of the net. Overtime gave both teams chances to win, neither capitalized. Thunderbirds, being the home team, chose to shoot first in the shootout. However, none of the 3 Tbird shooters could get the goal horn to blare that beautiful noise. And all it took was 1 goal for Prince George to get the win.

These are games the Tbirds need to grind out and win. This loss, ends a 3 game winning streak for the Tbirds and ends a 6 game losing streak for the Cougars. It is tough to lose to such a mediocre team when the Tbirds have been beating quality teams convincingly. Hard to judge where this team is at right now. You want to see them beat the good teams but you need to know they will bury the bottom dwellers, and that was not the case tonight. Another detail I saw was Noebels not getting his teammates involved to the point it was obvious. Maybe trying to make big plays on his bobble head night? Who knows... But we know this for certain, the Thunderbirds need a crucial bounce back win tomorrow night.

Next Game: Saturday night @ the Kamloops Blazers (15-7-1-0) at 7:00.

Fun Fact: The Kamloops Blazers have won more Memorial Cups than any team in the WHL, with 5.

Thunderbirds Fly Past Regina

By Korz206

The Seattle Thunderbirds (10-11-0-0) take down the Regina Pats (12-10-1-1) by a score of 5-2, in front of a crowd that tallied up to 3,074. Regina scored the first two goals of the game, coming out physical and fast. Wanting to bounce back from a loss to Portland the night before. However, the Tbirds answered, and the answer er was Troock. Branden Troock brought the Tbirds back into this game single handily. In the first period he split the deficit in half by scoring his 4th of the season assisted by Alos. Then 6:28 into the 2nd period his name was called upon again. With a dazzling pass by Nobles, Troock scored his 5th of the season but more importantly tied the game. That's all Pickard would need. His dominating performance started again in the 2nd period. With a not so strong 1st period, he came out quick and agile when the Tbirds needing him to.

Burke Gallimore gave the Tbirds the lead with his 11th of the season. Burke is white hot right now, the past 3 games he has a total of 6 points. With Colin Jacobs injured, he has really stepped up and carried the team. When some of the Tbird players seem slow, lackadaisical, and undetermined, Gallimore will be the exact opposite. He leads by example and that is doing your job, whatever helps the team get into the win column. The American born Kyle Verdino doubled the lead by scoring his 3rd of the season assisted by Lockhart. To put the nail in the coffin Chance Lund had a special goal. It was amazing to see him perform the way he did. Absolutely dazzling. He, also like Gallimore, have been in the mindset of team first. Lund is not only a scoring threat, but in my opinion the best PP killer Seattle has. This team has the potential to be special, and every night they lace up the skates they are proving it to Thunderbird Faithful.

Next Game: Friday (11/25/11) vs the Prince George Cougars (6-17-0-2) in Kent. Puck drops at 7:35.

Fun Fact: Have a Happy Thanksgiving everyone, and through what the Tbirds fanbase has seen these last few years... Be Thankful for this teams performance so far the season!

Thunderbirds Down Rival Portland Winterhawks

By Korz206

The Seaattle Thunderbirds (9-11-0-0) defeat the Portland Winterhawks (14-8-1-1) tonight in front of a nearly sold out crowd at the ShoWare Center. The electrifying crowd witnessed a 6-3 win versus the hated I-5 rival. Scoring opened in the first period with Portland's Wells (4), but just moments later, a break away equalizer by Tbird Chance Lund, his 6th of the season. Beginning the 2nd period, the Thunderbirds had a 5-3 man advantage, capitolizing was Gallimore with his 9th goal. The Thundrbirds were electric the 2nd period, scoring 5 goals in total, from Lockhart (4), Sutter (3), Gallimore (9,10), and Theodore (1).

Thunderbirds make a real statement this weekend by taking two games from the top teams in the U.S. Division. Tbirds secure 4 points and are starting a win streak soon to grow bigger with the confidence rising of the young Tbirds. With Regina coming into town, the Tbirds have a high chance of making up some ground in the standings.

Calvin Pickard had another solid night in goal. Most of the night he was on either sides of his body or laying on the ice. Like I wrote in "Light at the End of the Tunnel", if Picks plays to his potential, the Tbirds are a playoff team. These last two home games have proved this. The Thunderbirds excuses losing to teams because they are "better teams" are over. They have proved they can play with the big boys and need to insert their dominance on the bottom dwellers and mediocre teams in the WHL.

Funny Sight- At the game tonight, as the two teams were leaving the ice, the Thunderbirds Zamboni driver got into a little skirmish with the Winterhawks assistant coaches. We almost had a fight after the game!

Next Game: Thunderbirds take on the Regina Pats (12-8-1-1) on Wednesday (11/23/11) at the Sho Ware Center in Kent.

Fun Fact: With tonight's win over Portland, the Tbirds snap a losing streak dating back to the beginning of last season vs the Winterhawks.

Thunderbirds Snap Tri-City's Winning Ways

Korz206

The Seattle Thunderbirds (8-11-0-0) defeat the Tri-City Americans (15-6-0-0) at the ShoWare Center in Kent tonight, by a score of 3-0. It was a stalemate for the first two periods of the contest but the Thunderbirds jumped out in front just a minute and 32 seconds into the 3rd period with a 5-3 PP goal by Aschim his 5th of the season. The Thunderbirds would not look back from there, 4 minutes later Lund put the puck into the back of the net for a 2-0 lead. Just under 3 minutes to play Tri-City pulls their goalie to no avail as Burke Gallimore puts his 8th goal of the season in between the pipes for the final score of 3-0.

The Tbirds snap a 5 game winning streak for Tri-City and a streak that dated back to last year when the Americans defeated the Tbirds 9 times in a row. The Americans lead the WHL in win % with .750. All in all this was a solid win for the Tbirds after being on the road for 2 weeks in the central division swing going 2-4.

Calvin Pickard was the star of the game, however. Picks has been struggling this year with easy goals finding the back of the net. However, tonight was a different story. He was a brick wall, it seemed like nothing would get past him. When he is hot the Tbirds are a playoff caliber team, however when he is off like the previous games, they are a bottom dweller. Let's hope this is the Picks we see the rest of the way out and if it is... Watch out WHL, the Thunderbirds are coming!

Next Game: The Thunderbirds will face off with the Portland Winterhawks (13-7-1-1) at the Sho tomorrow night (11/19/11) at 7:35. Or it can be streamed online at www.710sports.com

Fun Fact: The Winterhawks are one of the most hated rivals of the Tbirds, next to the Silvertips. Look for line fights and major penalty minutes tomorrow night.

Ice Slip Past Thunderbirds

Korz206

The Seattle Thunderbirds (7-11-0) fall to the Kootenay Ice (12-4-1-2) tonight in Cranbrook, 5-1. Thunderbirds did not show up the first 2 periods, other than a flash of offense from Justin Hickman with his 5th goal of the season, in the 2nd period. The Ice struck once in the 1st period with a goal from McKanely (3). The Ice then struck for two goals by Leach (3) and Antilla (2). As the 3rd period was winding down, Montgomery scored his 3rd of the season. The 5th goal of the game was an open net goal.

Cotton (2nd string net minder for the Tbirds) had a solid game, giving Pickard the night off. Not due to injury, but a planned game off. Cotton did not have his best game, but wasn't awful. The Tbirds defense did not help at all, turnover in our zone and poor puck control all added up to the 5 Kootenay goals.

Missed opportunities were the story of the night for the Tbirds. While the time ran down in the 3rd period the Tbirds had three break away chance, all the shots beat the goalie, but the goalies best friend was there to save him. The puck clanged off the cross bar three times, this sums up the game. To be great you have to finish, and that is what the Thunderbirds are struggling with.

Next game is Saturday (11/18/11) in Kent vs. the Tri-City Americans. Puck drops at 7:35 pm.

Fun Fact: Tri-City leads the U.S. Division, Tbirds in 4th.

Thunderbirds Stomp Hitmen

By Korz206

The Seattle Thunderbirds (7-10-0) defeat the Calgary Hitmen (8-9-1) 5-4 in Calgary tonight. The Tbirds started off the scoring in the first period when Lockhart had a crisp pass to Gallimore with his 8th of the season. Calgary answered with a goal of their own, but less than a minute later Conner Sanvido put the puck in the back of the net for his 3rd of the season. Later in the second period the Hitmen struck with two quick goals to give the home side the lead 3-2. Unlike previous game when the opposing team has taken the lead, the Tbirds awnser back with two goals of their own by Hickman his 3rd of the season and by Noebels his 8th of the young season. This ended the electrifying first period with 7 goals total, the Tbirds lead 4-3.

In the second period Calagary's Gogolev tied the game up with his 5th of the season. However, with 13 seconds left in the second period Justin Hickman scored his second goal of the game and 4th of the season. This proved to be enough to take down the Calgary Hitmen.

Thunderbirds goalie Calvin Pickard stumbled a little in this game but in the end came up when the Seattle needed it. He saved 23 of 27 shots, playing all game. This was a big win for the Tbirds after losing 3 on the road bounced back with a 2 game winning streak all on the road. Thunderbirds jump up in the Standings over Everett, Prince George, and Kelowna.

Next game is tomorrow night (11/12/11) vs the Kootenay Ice to end the central division road trip.

Fun Fact: The Kootenay Ice won the WHL title last season.

Light at the End of the Tunnel

By Korz206


The Seattle Thunderbirds are currently in 4th in the U.S Division and 7th in the Western conference. The Tbirds have been bit by the injury bug to start out the year. Colin Jacobs (Drafted by the Buffalo Sabres) has been out all season not due back until sometime in December. This has been a big blow to the Tbirds because he is a threat on the ice, a game changer. His skating is unbelievable, puck work nothing to laugh at, and the way he can finish off a play is outstanding. Jacobs had 44 points last year, one of the leaders for goals and assists on the Tbirds last season. However, as Tbirds fans we cannot all blame the lack of wins all on injuries. Poor performances have plagued the Thunderbirds for the last three seasons. With a new coach at the helm in Steve Konowalchuk and newly acquired players on the roster, there has to be time to gel. That is with any team and every team. It seems every Tirds game is the same as the last. Strong first period, lackadaisical second period, and horrific third periods, which have led to scores of 6-1 or 7-2 and so on. For a team who has traded numerous Bantam draft picks for strong defensemen to control the Tbirds half of the ice, this should be "their year". And quite frankly, they have been playing not to their potential. So this, Thunderbirds fans, is why I see light at the end of the tunnel:

1) Calvin Pickard (Drafted by the Colorado Avalanche) is playing the best he has and is a top 3 goalie in the WHL.
2) When Colin Jacobs returns to the ice that will give the Tbirds a much needed shot in the arm, sparking games where the Tbirds will score 4,5, or even 6 goals.
3) With all these new faces in the locker room, they need time to get to know each other playing styles.
4) New coaching means knew schemes and plays. Every game the Tbirds are applying more and more pressure to the puck, which is exactly what Coach Konowalchuk wants.
5) And finally, this roster is just too talented for another underachieving year, I see this team making it to the playoffs, and as my favorite quote states, "Anything can happen, that's why they play the game".

So Seattle Thunderbirds fans, I leave you with this... There is light at the end of the tunnel! Hockey has long seasons for a reason. Look for a quick bounce back and for our boys to start climbing up in the standings.

GO TBIRDS!

Missed opportunities

By Kshell

The Vancouver Canucks lost game seven of the stanley cup finals 4-0 to the Boston Bruins. While the nation celebrates the Bruins winning their first stanley cup in 39 years the people of Vancouver who haven't ever won a title in 40 years are left with nothing. Then the aftermath of the loss turned ugly as the city started to riot acting like idiots. Most of those idiots aren't true Canucks fans and knew win or lose they were going to riot. I won't judge Vancouver on the rioting because odds are the people doing the rioting aren't from Vancouver. Instead what I'll focus this blog post on is how northwest teams counting the Canucks typically don't do well when blowing a missed opportunity. While some franchises can lose in the championship rounds and come back the following year to win a title that isn't the case up here. I'm not just talking about the following year there seems to be a cloud that hangs over these franchises. All the teams whether you are a Mariners fan, Seahawks fan, Blazers fan, Sonics fan, Huskies fan or Cougars fan have blown a huge opportunity and still haven't recovered from them. The goal for the Canucks will be to end this trend next season or else Vancouver fans be prepared to have a long decade coming up.

I'll start the most recent team who lost a championship game the Seattle Seahawks. The Seahawks as we all know lost Super Bowl XL to the Pittsburgh Steelers 21-10. That is a game due to the officiating the Seahawks still haven't got over it. The Seahawks who were a 13-3 team and had homefield throughout the playoffs were easily the best team in the NFC. Yet the following year they only went 9-7. Despite a core which featured Matt Hasselbeck, Shaun Alexander, Walter Jones, Lofa Tatupu and Marcus Trufant who were all in their prime or entering their prime they would never reach the promise land again. The Seahawks would lose to the Bears 27-24 in overtime the following year in the divisional round. The Seahawks haven't advanced past the divisional round since losing the Super Bowl. The Seahawks also lost guard Steve Hutchinson in his prime and the offensive line hasn't been the same. You'll notice a big reason why our teams never get back to that mountain top is often due to bad moves. The Seahawks are still searching for their first Super Bowl win in franchise history.

For the Washington Huskies their basketball program hasn't been to a Final Four since 1953. The closest they have ever been was in 2006 when they featured the best player in college basketball who was also a guard and a senior. That is a final four recipe right there as the Huskies rode Brandon Roy to the promise land. The fifth seeded Huskies were up seven points on the Connecticut Huskies with a little over a minute to go. UCONN had stunn the Huskies back in 1998 on a Rip Hamilton buzzer beater to deny the Huskies an elite 8 trip. This game was revenge for Washington instead it was the worst loss for basketball or football since I've been a fan. Washington self destructed allowed an UCONN three pointer at the buzzer to tie the game. Then Washington lost in overtime as Brandon Roy fouled out in overtime. The Huskies would miss the NCAA tournament the next two seasons and have only advanced to the sweet 16 just once in five years since that dreadful loss. The Washington Huskies are still searching for their first Final Four since 1953 as they blew the best opportunity in the Romar era.

The Seattle Mariners in 2001 were coming off a season in which they lost the ALCS in six games to the New York Yankees in 2000. In 2001 the Mariners ran away with the division by May as they won 116 games which tied the 1906 Chicago Cubs record. The Mariners were clearly the best team in baseball and the future appear bright for the franchise. The Mariners would lose to the Yankees in five games which including a swing game in game four in which the Mariners blew a 1-0 lead in the eighth inning. The Mariners that offseason would trade for Jeff Cirillo who was a huge bust and sign James Baldwin who was also a bust. The Mariners would also win just 93 games which was a 23 win decrease and miss the playoffs. Just three years after winning 116 games the Mariners would lose 99 games and be on their third different manager in a span of four seasons. The Mariners not only have never reached a World Series they have yet to even make the playoffs. Since 2004 they have had just two winning seasons. The Mariners missed their opportunity in 2000 and especially the 2001 season. The Mariners like the previous teams have yet to recover after missing their opportunity.

The Portland Trail Blazers who had finally overcame blowing their previous missed opportunity have yet to recover from the 2000 Western Conference Finals game seven. The Blazers in 1992 NBA Finals in game six against the Chicago Bulls had a 15 point lead that they blew to the Bulls to lose the Finals. The Blazers would lose in the first round in six consecutive seasons. The Blazers finally broke through in 1999 reaching the western conference finals before getting swept by the San Antonio Spurs. Well after a busy offseason the Blazers who had trailed 3-1 in the series to the Los Angeles Lakers battled back to force a game seven. Then the Blazers took a 15 point lead into the fourth quarter. That year the best two teams were in the West so while no fair to assume this series was for the championship. The Lakers would go on a 15-0 run to tie the score up and eventually win 89-84. For the Lakers they would go on to win the first of three straight championships. For the Blazers well they have yet to win a playoff series since. In 2001 and 2002 the Lakers eliminated them in the first round. Add it all up the Blazers have lost six consecutive first round series. The Blazers also traded away promising young star Jermaine O'Neal that offseason for Dale Davis. This loss still haunts Blazers fans as that franchise hasn't seemed to recover from that missed opportunity.

The Washington State Cougars had finally made the Rose Bowl for the first time in 67 years in 1997. The Cougars took on #1 ranked Michigan Wolverines trying to win their first Rose Bowl since 1916. The Cougars trailing 21-16 and going for the shocking comeback win. The type of defining win that the Huskies had in 1978 Rose Bowl that propelled the program to greater heights is what the Cougars were going towards. All-American quarterback Ryan Leaf spiked the ball but the officials said that spike took two seconds and the game suddenly ended. Although the Cougars had a great season they were denied to get their first national win. The type of win that can turn a bottom program into a contender. The Cougars would take last place in the Pac-10 the next two seasons then have a losing season for the third straight year. Although the Cougars would recover and make the Rose Bowl in the 2002 season they were blown out. The program hasn't been the same after the 2003 season. The Cougars missed out on their best chance to win a Rose Bowl which they haven't done in 95 years.

The Seattle Supersonics actually did the best job originally of recovering from a missed opportunity. In the 1978 NBA Finals they lost game seven at home only to beat the same Washington Bullets in five games for the championship in 1979. In 1994 the Sonics were the #1 seed in a year Michael Jordan wasn't in the league and they lost in the first round. The following season the Sonics again lost in the first round. Finally in 1996 the Sonics broke through and made the NBA Finals. Although the Chicago Bulls were the better team the opportunity to win a title was still there for the Sonics. Instead the Sonics lost in a respectable six games and had they won game two this could have been an interesting series. That following offseason the Sonics signed unknown center Jim McIlvaine to a lot of money. Eventually cause Shawn Kemp to demand to be traded after the following season. The year after that George Karl was fired and the Seattle Sonics never advanced past the second round after that 1996 NBA Finals. The Sonics after firing Karl had advanced past the first round just once(2005). The Sonics eventually left Seattle after the 2008 season having won just three postseason series after the NBA Finals. Safe to say the franchise never recovered from those heartbreaking playoff losses of the 1990's.

Now to the Canucks who themselves didn't recover well from their last missed opportunity. The Canucks in 1994 battled back from a 3-1 series deficit to force a game seven of the Stanley Cup Finals only to lose to the New York Rangers 3-2. The Canucks the following year were swept in the second round. Then were bounced in the first round in 1996 only to miss the playoffs four straight seasons after that. They didn't reach the western conference finals until 17 years later which was this season. Now you have to wonder how the Canucks will respond to such a devastating loss. The Canucks were by far and away the best team in the NHL by all the NHL experts. The Canucks had home ice throughout the entire playoffs and were up 2-0 in this series. The Canucks after being destroyed in Boston 12-1 combined came back home to win game five. Only to be outscored 9-2 including losing game seven at home 4-0. The Canucks in their four losses were outscored 21-3 so there was no specific game which hurt just the whole series. People in Vancouver will wonder all offseason why their team laid four eggs in this series. The Canucks are now 0-3 all-time in franchise history in games in which if they win they hoist the Stanley Cup. Hopefully history doesn't repeat itself like it always seems to do with teams in our region.

In conclusion, you can see why teams sometimes play to win for this year. Like I just pointed out even when the future seems so bright you never know if that is your one and only opportunity. So when you have those rare opportunities you have to win those games. All those teams I just mentioned are still recovering from such devastating losses and in the case of the Sonics they left town. The Mariners and Blazers are going on a decade of dissapointment after tasting a championship. The Seahawks have been nothing more than just average since the Super Bowl. While the Huskies and Cougars have tasted some success since then it was never as close as those losses. Hopefully for the fans of Vancouver the Canucks can reverse the trend. Just take a look at the team who beat the Canucks the Boston Bruins. The Bruins blew a 3-0 series lead last year then lost their first two home games this postseason only to rally to win the Stanley Cup. In sports sometimes the winner is the team who is mentally strongest and in the case of teams who lost the championship it's just about being mentally tough. Why I respect the Buffalo Bills who went to four straight super bowls so that was three straight offseasons they battled back from blowing a chance at the title. This region has had our fair share of opportunities and every time it feels like our teams let us down. Maybe the Canucks can reverse the trend of our teams falling apart after blowing a golden opportunity. For my Canucks friends hopefully for your sake they do.

Why you should root for the Vancouver Canucks

By Kshell

One of the greatest events in sports is taking place at 5 p.m. this Wednesday which will draw in the casual fan such as myself. I'm talking about game seven of the Stanley Cup. This year features the Vancouver Canucks and the Boston Bruins. Even though the Bruins have outscored the Canucks 19-8 in this series the series is tied up due to the Canucks winning all three games at home which game seven will take place in. The Canucks who have never won the stanley cup in their 40 year history will try for the third time in franchise history to bring home the cup. The Bruins are trying to win their first stanley cup since 1972 so both teams have had quite the drought. Now I'll explain in this following post why the casual fan such as myself should be rooting for the Canucks. I'll explain why an NHL fan should be rooting for the Canucks as well. I'll lay out my reasoning on why most people who read this blog should be rooting for the Canucks.

The main reason to root for the Canucks is pretty simple the area of Boston has already enjoyed way too many titles. So what that the Bruins haven't won in almost 40 years? You think you'll get any sympathy from people in the northwest? That area since January of 2002 has seen three super bowl wins, four super bowls overall, two world series wins, one NBA finals wins and two NBA Finals overall. You know what this area has to show during that span? One Super Bowl and that was a loss. So it sucks that the Bruins haven't won a stanley cup in forever but complaining about that sounds like Cubs fans complaining. Yes the Cubs haven't won in over 100 years but the Chicago Bulls and Chicago Bears sure have. Same goes for Boston complaining about the Bruins when they have 17 NBA championships, three super bowls and a baseball team with two world series while being the favorites to win this year. Plus do you guys really want to hear Bill Simmons write another column on how Boston sports is awesome? I thought so I'd rather hear him bitch and complain making excuses. The city of Boston has enjoyed way too much success just like New York fans bitching about how the Yankees had nine years inbetween World Series. Get over it guys in Seattle we haven't won a title since 1979 and Portland since 1977. While Vancouver well try never. The city deserves a title over Boston that is for sure.

If you live in the state of Washington you can drive to Vancouver B.C. in o ne day. Although they are in a different country and it's debatable if they are northwest one thing is true is that Vancouver is more like Seattle/Portland than Boston is. The Canucks are the closest NHL team that we have up here in the Northwest. The only time I was in Vancouver I felt like I was in the United States and had a great time there. If you were going to get into the NHL best adopt the Canucks since they are a good team and you could attend a game in person by simply driving. Vancouver is like a sister city to Seattle and we have more in common with their people than we do with people from Boston. Most likely the people you interact with who are NHL fans are fans of the Canucks. In my case I'm not really into the NHL but I root for the Canucks because I know how much it will mean to my friends. Don't be the douchebag who wants everyone to be miserable and root for the Bruins. Don't be that guy instead be the person who roots on the Canucks and then make sure to personally congratulate your friends who are life long Canucks fans if they do win the stanley cup.

The last reason is the Canucks have already lost a game seven of the stanley cup finals to the New York Rangers. Yes the Canucks lost to the team that never wins ever. While the rest of the nation was so happy that hte Rangers ended their curse they forgot that the Canucks also had never won a stanley cup. The Canucks that year were the 7th seed and in the first round down 3-1 rallied to win three straight overtime games to upset the 2nd seeded Calgary Flames. Then in the second round the Canucks destroyed the 4th seeded Dallas Stars in five games. Then upset the third seeded Toronto Maple Leafs in five games as well. This was basically their 1995 Mariners season where they refused to lose. Then in the Stanley Cup finals against the #1 seeded New York Rangers the Canucks stole game one in New York 3-2 in overtime. The Canucks however would lose the next three games including two out home where they were outscored 9-3. Then in game five in New York they won 6-3 then returned home to win 4-l forcing a game seven. The Canucks had momentum which quickly disappeared as they fell behind 2-0 at the end of the first period. The Canucks would battle back to pull within 3-2 but couldn't get that one last goal ultimately losing the cup four games to three. Losing that game seven has haunted the Canucks and the city of Vancouver as they were so close.

Then when you add in the fact they finally got an NBA team the Vancouver Grizzlies which lasted only five seasons which included Steve Francis refusing to go there. Then the 2010 Olympics had some weather problems and you realize the city of Vancouver like Seattle has dealt with a ton of bullshit. They got their NBA team stolen by a bunch of hicks like us and know how losing a painful championship series/game feels. Unlike 1994 the Canucks have had the best record and will host this game seven. It's time to root on the Canucks for all the reasons above.

In conclusion, hopefully first of all you watch this game seven as it's going to be a terrific atmosphere. The city of Vancouver is starving for a title and hopefully the Canucks don't play tight at home because of it. This is going to be a great game between two great goaltenders when they are on their "A" game. Hopefully the reasons I listed is enough to convince you that rooting for the Canucks is the only option. The city of Boston has tasted enough success for one decade that should last them a lifetime. While the city of Vancouver and fans of this region in general haven't had any major success in the last 30 years. Although I'm not a Canucks fan or an NHL fan I know people who are. I hope for their sake the Canucks can finally bring home the cup. I hope for the city of Vancouver sake they finally win a championship. I'd rather see a city where I can drive to in one day win a title than some east coast city win yet another championship. The choice is pretty clear guys go root for the Canucks and if they win the Stanley Cup make sure to congratulate all the long suffering Canucks fans. I know if they win there will be a few people I'll get a hold of for sure.