We all know the feeling. Our team, who once controlled the game, has slowly let the other team climb back into things. The other team is pumped and ready to go in for the kill. Just when it appears disaster is about to strike, our team sinks the three, scores the goal, hits the grand slam, anything to put the proverbial dagger in the other team’s heart.
The Canucks will be looking for that dagger when they swim into the Shark Tank on Saturday afternoon. Given more than their fair share of opportunities to already clinch the Northwest Division, the Canucks have allowed the Minnesota Wild to regain hope of stealing that title away at the last second. The Canucks, who needed just one positive result out of five remaining games (their own and Minnesota’s) are now down to three chances. Still not bad odds, but certainly not as promising as they were before Vancouver’s choke job against Colorado.
On fan appreciation night, a listless, uninspired Canucks team was handed their butts on a silver platter, en route to a 3-1 loss on Thursday night. Roberto Luongo looked sharp, but he was the only Canuck to show up in a game that was much worse than the score would indicate. The loss is not a devastating blow, but does mean the Canucks must win one of their remaining two road games to clinch a division title, or hope the Wild lose on Saturday against the Blues. The Canucks certainly would have accepted a playoff spot with open arms at the beginning of the season, however at this point in the season, anything short of a division title must be deemed a failure and a choke job for the ages.
In a season where almost every Canuck game has come down to the wire, it is not surprising that they were unable to clinch the division a few days early. In true Canucks fashion, the division title would just not feel right unless it was clinched Sunday against Phoenix, in a 13-round shootout. I think it’s safe to say that we can officially bestow a nickname upon our beloved team. The Cardiac Canucks.
