In theory, I actually don't have too much of a problem with the Canucks failing to get past the second round of the playoffs--certainly it would be a relief to shuck my playoff beard. The problem though is the team we may crash out to: Minnesota. If we found ourselves pushed to game seven in the second round against Dallas, Detroit or Colorado we could atleast take heart in facing elimination to an established powerhouse.
Minnesota, however, is a fruitless opponent:
- They play a game that's highly suited to playoff hockey but are fugly to watch.
- Beating the Wild amounts to merely a "normal service has resumed" state of affairs with little satisfaction for the Canucks.
- Losing to them is humiliating despite the fact they're a terribly underrated side.
Philie got bounced out by the Senators and it's hard to say the Flyers could have realistically been expected to win the series. The case is not simliar for the Canucks who became favourites, on paper atleast, to represent the Western Divison in the finals now that the big guns have been taken out.
Sadly, the Minnesota series makes you second-guess the Canucks' hesitancy to dip into the rent-a-player market before the trade deadline. Brad May has made an impact in place of Langdon and you only wonder if the mere addition of another "Energy" player--I hate that term because it tends to imply the player compensates for a lack of skill with grittieness and, yet, is sadly appropriate most of the time--to compete with the Sedins, possibly replace Letowski/Reid or even add depth (seeing as Salo is out now as well) would be very useful against the Wild.
The Prediction
Obviously I'm irked by the Wild's momentum going into a game for which neither team has had more than 22 hours worth of rest for. However, I've gone with the Canucks all season, so I see no reason to jump off the bandwagon now. Replicating the game 7 versus St. Louis and the way Bertuzzi came of his shell would be an ideal way for the Canucks to take this series tonight:
Canucks 3 - Minnesota 2
(And, ideally, Mitchell gets cranked a few times to boot!)
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