It Feels Like the First Time
Winnipeg has a few meaningful ties to the Vancouver-St. Louis series.
The first one is the one which invokes anger among those who think buying an eight game mini-pack in the 300 level would somehow convince the NHL to bring (and keep) its brand of ice back to our flooded banks. Yes, the Manitoba Moose are the minor league outfit of the Canucks and yes, many, many people do not enjoy that fact. They dream big league. They should have been born in the seventies. Anyway, a few of the players wearing that awful blue used to skate on Portage Ave. and like it or not people, that is a legitimate connection. More than a few people will be watching for that reason.
Most of them might work for True North, of course, but nevertheless…
The second connection between the series and Winnipeg is the master of disaster, Keith Tkachuk. The Blues veteran, once a staple of the Exchange District night patrol, is once again in the post season. If Tkachuk in the playoffs seems weird — as it always does for me — it isn’t. In his 17-year NHL career, the man has extended his winter 12 times heading into Wednesday. That’s pretty good.
What isn’t as impressive, however, is his apparent allergy to extended springs. Of those 12 previous times in the post season, Tkachuk has only made it to the second round twice and the third round once. Once a Jet always a Jet. On that note, Canucks in six games, with Greg Adams sliding the net with the puck under him for one of the goals.
UPDATE: Yeah, yeah. I know Blues coach Andy Murray is from Souris (or Gladstone), Manitoba. You can stop emailing me now. Thanks.
[...] really motor. So too can the Canucks, as long as Willie Mitchell and Mats Sundin are on the bench. As we saw in the Blues series, the Canucks quick transition can be one of the better aspects of their game. This will be a fast [...]
Looking Out Over the Water « the 4th star
April 29, 2009 at 9:05 am