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Top Five Ways To Tell You’re A Canucks Fan

CF Miley <amé afi) Sports Editor

Following the Canucks’ 7-game play- off loss-to the Calgary Flames, the Vancouver bandwagon cleared faster

than a platter of free cheese at a |

comic book convention. That being said, I thought Id give all you mourning ’Nucks fans out there a quick and easy way to tell if you

belong among the truly devout, or, if |

youre just another fairweather fan. Here are the top five ways to tell if youre a true Canucks fan:

1. You spent each playoff game-day embroiled in a strange ritual involv- ing candles, face paint, and duct tap- ing several of those Canucks car flags to your head.

2. Immediately following Martin |

Gelinas’ overtime goal in game 7, you shut the curtains, cracked an emer- gency bottle of fine spirits, and spent the next 24 hours watching Twin

Peaks—all 29 episodes.

3. You miraculously convinced your girlfriend to grow a playoff beard below the equator, regardless of the consequences to your love life.

4. You actually like TSN’s “Silver Cup” song. Shame on you.

5. No matter how bad it hurts, you've already begun counting the days until the puck drops for next season (God willing, with the current NHL labour strife).

For all you folks out there stretch- ing the word “fan” until it grows into “fanaticism,” I salute you. Through the drunken tears of yet another dis- appointing spring, go ’Nucks.

26 | OtherPress

CF Miley Sports Editor

Canucks Corner

May 200

I don't need to [remind many of “| you about how this season ended for the Vancouver Canucks. Martin Gelinas’ game-winning goal in the 7th and deciding game of Vancouver's first round playoff match up with the Calgary. Flames was a fitting end to a roller coaster campaign.

The season began as most seasons do—full of cheers and hope. Jason King came out on fire and looked to be the early favourite for the Calder Trophy for rookie of the year. The Sedins looked to be coming into

their own. The club finally

had a bona fide NHL-caliber o y

backup goalie in Johan) Hedberg. Todd Bertuzzi was inked to a long-term contract that secured his services in Vancouver for many years to The Canucks were unbeaten on the road for their first 11 games. Then, as quick- ly as the blue skies had come, © the clouds began to form.

King lost his offensive touch, and found himself in Manitoba playing for the Moose. The Sedins dropped off the face of the planet for long stretches. Coach Marc Crawford publicly ripped into Hedberg, only to feebly rescind the statements, but —™ never the sentiment. Then, during a March 8 game vs. Colorado, on the short end of a 9-2 butt kicking, Todd Bertuzzi assaulted Steve Moore in an attempt to exact revenge that went all wrong.

Bertuzzi found himself gone for the remainder of the year, including the playoffs, and the Canucks were left scrambling to find a new identity minus their hulking winger. Two overpaid perimeter players—Geoff Sanderson and Martin Rucinsky— were brought in at the trade deadline in an attempt to stop the bleeding.

To the amazement of many— myself included—Vancouver won their final six games and claimed

come.

their first division title in 11 years. For their efforts, the team was rewarded with a first round playoff series against the youthful Calgary Flames, a team riding the coattails of two players, Jarome Iginla on the offensive side of the ice, and goalie Mikka Kiprusoff in the defensive zone. Kiprusoff is up for the Vezina trophy for the leagues best goal- tender, while Iginla ended up in a three-way tie for the Maurice

Richard Trophy for his 42—goal cam- paign. No worries, thought most "Nucks fans, there’s no way two play- ers can defeat our whole team. For my part, I sealed my lips, supersti-

tiously refusing to allow the names of Marion Gaborik and Wes Walz to be uttered. Fans will remember how those two jokers dismantled the Canucks in last year’s second-round debacle against the Minnesota Wild.

Game 1 opened with the typical madness from the GM Place faithful. The usually anemic Vancouver pow- erplay—it was one for 22 over the last six games of the regular season— popped two goals in the first six min- utes to stake the Canucks to a two- goal lead. Both teams partook in a steady stream of penalties—16 in all—that would have marred: the

game if it weren't for Vancouver newfound prowess with the ma advantage. The Canucks tallied fou count ‘em, four, powerplay goals, an added a fifth on a delayed penalt call, to win the game 5-3.

Game 2 saw a reversal of fortune: This time, it was Calgary that got couple of early bounces, and a twc goal lead in the opening minute: Craig Conroy was allowed to bum Dan Cloutier just enough for Iginl to have a wide-open net to open th scoring three minutes in. Just 50 sec onds later, a Tony Lydman she rebounded off of Sami Salo’s che: and into the Vancouver net to pt the Flames up by a pai Markus Naslund had the lon Canuck goal, but Flame goalie Mikka Kiprusoff we the real story. The Calgar netminder stopped 23 of 2 Vancouver chances, includin

glorious opportunities b Henrik Sedin, Brenda Morrison, and Marti

Rucinsky. The series the shifted to Calgary, tied at on

Game 3 saw the ’Nuck luc continue to rear it’s ugly hea late in the first period. Goali Dan Cloutier twisted awh wardly on a Calgary rush, an was forced to leave not onl the remainder of the gam: but also the rest of the serie Backup Johan Hedberg mac 19 saves, allowing Vancouv« to skate away with a 2-1 vic tory, as well as a 2—1 series lead. Ma Cooke continued to shine on the to line, and scored a beauty of a go 1:29 into the third for the game wit ner.

Game 4 saw the Flames dominai Vancouver—especially in the secon period—en route to a 4—0 win. Tt Canucks surrendered a short-hande goal in the opening minute of tt second period. Later, Calgary score two goals in under 30 seconds to lea out to a commanding three-¢_ lead. Vancouver was unable to soi Kiprusoff again, and found then selves heading home for game 5 wit