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Whitecaps recap

Galaxy get off scot-free

By Eric Wilkins,
Staff Writer

he Vancouver

Whitecaps finished
their season last week
with a 2-1 loss in the
first round of the play-
offs to the LA Galaxy.
Thank god, because I'd
honestly be sick if such
a squad managed to get
anywhere. They didn’t
deserve to advance,
and they didn’t really
deserve to be in the
playoffs. Everybody
can brag about how the
real victory was just
making the playoffs, but
after watching this team
limp through the final
third of the season, I
don’t think there’s much
reason to celebrate.

The Whitecaps
were never really in the
LA game. They were
outclassed. In every way.
Even the early goal from
Darren Mattocks was
against the flow of play.

And, if anyone noticed,
the goal did nothing
to change the way the
game was taking shape.
LA had all the posses-
sion before the goal,
and after it was scored,
they just kept on. No
surge from Vancouver.
No burst of energy. No
momentum change. If
you started watching
after the fourth minute,
you would have thought
that LA was already up
in the game, or, at the
very least, it was still
a tie. The defense was
off like bad cheese for
Vancouver. No pressure
whatsoever. Galaxy play-
ers came and went with
the ball as they pleased.
The penalty that
Landon Donovan drew
was a legit call. People
can whine all they want
about how he dove, but
Martin Bonjour impeded
Donovan’s progress with-
out being in possession
of the ball. Did Donovan
embellish the call? Of
course. Every player

does. But he was held
up, and it was a penalty.
Regardless of that call,
the result of the game
was never in any doubt.
But let’s face it: the
Whitecaps’ season was
over months ago. The
saying goes that, “it’s
not how you start, it’s
how you finish.” And
the squad finished hor-
ribly. The first 24 regular
season games yielded
37 points. The final 10
games? A grand total of
six points. We'll come
back to this shortly.
Martin Rennie made
two marquee signings
this year: Barry Robson
and Kenny Miller.
Robson was supposed
to be the engine in the
midfield that would help
bring this team together,
and Miller was signed
with the intention of
providing a consistent
striking threat up front.
It’s safe to say that, after
taking in Thursday’s
game, neither panned out
as hoped. Robson’s effort

was constantly lacking
for most of the season
and didn’t change in the
playoff match. Miller was
similarly ineffective dur-
ing the season and stayed
consistent with that in his
substitute appearance.
And this comes
back to the stats listed
earlier. Guess when both
Robson and Miller found
themselves established
in the lineup? The final
10 games. Coincidental?
I think not. There have
been rumours swirling
about the club that egos
were destroying the
team, and this matches
up nicely. The Scotsmen
were fresh off of seasons
in glorious (and infinitely
better) English football.
Robson didn’t seem to
be horribly disruptive by
himself, but once Miller
arrived, the two appear
to have paraded around
with the attitude that
they were better than
everyone else. It showed
on the pitch. The chem-
istry that had existed

Sports

previously disappeared—
and along with the chem-
istry went the results.
Rennie played favou-
rites, consistently finding
a way to insert his coun-
trymen into the lineup
despite their poor form,
and the club suffered for
it. The “benching” every-
one keeps talking about
in the final regular season
game wasn’t benching.
He was resting his “star”
players. If the Whitecaps
want to put together any
sort of season next year,
changes will need to be
made. And if you want
an example of what could
happen to the Caps, look
no further than the prime
example of how not to
do it: Toronto. Julian de
Guzman (the Canadian
Quitter) and Dwayne
De Rosario sure didn’t
help TFC’s struggles.
Rennie has to wake up
and stop coddling his
underperforming Scots.
If he doesn’t, don’t be
surprised if Vancouver is
a cellar dweller in 2013.

Idle ice: The storylines we ll miss because of the NHL lockout

By Elliot Chan,
Contributor

lot was planned for

the 2012-2013 NHL
season and patient hockey
fans might not see any of
it. The damage is done and
as soon as the millionaires
finish bickering over
dollars, we can get the
game back on the ice and
answer the questions we’ve
been asking since early
summer.

Canucks fanatics
entertain each other with
goaltending discussions.
Well, I guess they can still
blame Roberto Luongo for
the storm clouds, but the
main query is how much
longer they’ll have their
favorite scapegoat for.
Trade speculations have
been boiling ever since

backup Cory Schneider
took over in net late in last
season’s first-round playoff
series. Rumors circulated
about Luongo returning
back to Florida or heading
to Toronto, but here in
Vancouver he remains
blocking out the sun with
no net to defend.

Yes, change is bound
to happen, but one change
Vancouver doesn’t want
is their position on top of
the NHL standings. For the
second consecutive year,
the Canucks have won the
Presidents’ Trophy. It’s
not the Stanley Cup, but
it’s still something to be
proud of. But they have
been playing in a docile
Division, the Northwest.
While Calgary and
Colorado fight just to make
the playoffs, Edmonton
and Minnesota linger at the

bottom of the standings,
collecting high draft picks.
Vancouver has dominated
in the past, but their time
on the throne is ticking and
experts believe this might
be the last year the Canucks
have before players in rival
teams fully develop.
Elsewhere, the
lockout halted many more
entertaining scenarios.
Blockbuster trades during
the off-season created
spectacles early on, but for
now we can only imagine
how game breakers fit
into new teams. New
York Rangers superstar
Rick Nash is expected to
be the last missing piece
in the Rangers’ playoff
success. In Carolina, the
Hurricane’s captain Eric
Staal welcomed his brother
Jordan to play alongside
him. What impact will their

sibling connection have on
the team’s chemistry?

There are new players
and then there are old
players. Detroit Red Wings
fans are wondering how
big Nicklas Lidstrém’s
retirement will play in the
grand scheme of things.
While New Jersey Devils’
organization hopes that the
last playoff run was not
Martin Brodeur’s final gasp
for glory.

The lockout is also
holding back the return of
many great players that
have suffered injuries.
Sidney Crosby, the
captain of the Pittsburgh
Penguins, has been ready
for competition for months
now. As for a player like
Chris Pronger, future hall
of famer and captain of
Philadelphia Flyers, the
question on returning

still hangs in the air.
After suffering from post-
concussion symptoms at
the ripe age of 38, is there
anything left for him to
return to?

If there are uncertain
expectations for some, then
there are high expectations
for others. Players like
Shea Webber, Alexander
Ovechkin, Ilya Bryzgalov,
and Erik Karlsson are
expected to meet and
exceed expectations after
receiving new contracts
or suffering from a subpar
year.

The loss of a hockey
season does not simply
mean the absence of
numbers on a scoresheet.
Storylines leave a
permanent mark and that
is what makes watching
sports the ultimate reality
television show.

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