The Heartbreak of Hockey

The best days around this blog are when our wonderful, hockey-loving friends offer to guest post. Thanks to @lisapy74 (Canucks Superfan Extraordinaire)  for the post below -- amazing, as always! We love posts from Lisa and would love posts from other hockey fans. Hint, hint!!

The Heartbreak of Hockey

I understand that hockey is a sport, and that players are basically a commodity, who can be bought and sold at will.  But really, where is a player's incentive to try harder, to push himself, to prove himself, if he can be traded away at any given moment?

Perfect example - the Vancouver Canucks.  They've been knocked out of the first round of the playoffs for two years straight.  This year, they got swept, didn't even win a single game.  Although Game 4 did look promising for a minute.  But honestly, I don't blame the players.  I blame the Canucks' organization - the GM and the Coach, first and foremost. (Note: Lisa wrote & sent this to use before the BIG changes in Vancouver!!)

Every team in the league who under-performed or didn't meet their fans' expectations this year can fall back on the same excuses:  the lockout, a shortened season, player injuries, and not a lot of options at the trade deadline to improve their team.

So, why did some teams do so much better than others? Vancouver has heart, and grit, and will.  They have the determination and the strength.  The guys have really tried to develop the team chemistry it takes to win.  Why didn't they? Maybe I'm just a bitter fan at the moment, disillusioned by the prospect that my team is about to be blown to bits, and have it called a 're-organization, or a reset', as Mike Gillis loves to say. 

Let's see.  Yes, players were injured (God bless Ryan Kesler for playing seven, yes seven, games with a broken foot), but that wasn't the real problem.  The coaching and the management are the real problem.  Team skates seemed to be optional more often than not.  I think the Canucks rarely, if ever, practice the shoot-out even though it played a major factor this season when every single point was important.  I still don't understand why the Sedins only seldom kill penalties, and why they don't participate in the shoot-out.  Players with their skill level (and salary) should not have that option.  They are part of the team, right? Don't get me wrong, I'm not blaming the Sedins, I'm just saying, where is their fire? If I thought it would help my team win a championship, damn right I'd take a turn at the shoot-out, kill penalties, and get fired up and fight back when other teams repeatedly pushed me too far.  But they don't, and it's sad.  It's sad, because I have a sick feeling my team is going to get blown up in the near future, all in the name of a rebuild.

Don't make a guy who's a natural center play a winger position.  Don't put a right-handed defenseman on the left-hand side and out of his comfort zone.  Quit switching your D-pairings and your forward line combinations so much it makes my head spin.  If you call someone up from the AHL, let him play for more than one or two games.  Otherwise, what's the point? How do you even know what the guy can do in two games? With all of this, plus injuries, and the so-called goalie controversy, how can a team manage to build lasting chemistry? Hey, let's put a rookie on the top line with the Sedins.  Let's make Kesler play on the wing, and Burrows play center, while we're at it.  Hamhuis and Bieksa, let's split them up, screw their great chemistry and how they always know where the other one is going to be on the ice. 

God forbid we practice the power play, because that's not important at all, right? And Vancouver may be guilty of occasional diving or embellishment, but they also don't get a lot of breaks when it comes to penalty calls either.  I've seen Alex Burrows (in person) get whacked across the back of the legs repeatedly by an opponent, while the refs seem not to notice, until he snaps, and retaliates - and then he gets called for a penalty! How is that fair?

Let's put poor Schneider in cold for playoff games, when he hasn't played in two weeks, after battling a groin injury.  Let's yo-yo Luongo - you're our number one, no number two, no let's trade you, no let's keep you.  Make a decision and stick it with it AV.  At least act like you care about your players and about the game.  It matters to these guys and it matters to the fans.  And your job should be on the line after this season.  Yours, and the GM's.  Not the players' jobs.

My real problem with the Canucks' early exit is that a player like Mason Raymond is still getting grief from the fans.  He can't score a goal in the playoffs (but he did).  He's not fast enough (but he's one of the quickest skaters).  He falls down all the time (give me a break).  Not to mention, he was willing to play center, not his natural position, when called upon.  I remember one of the analysts said not that long ago, and I'm paraphrasing here, 'I shudder to think where this Vancouver team would be without Mason Raymond right now.'  And now he's one of the first to face the threat of the chopping block.  After all he's overcome, and how much he's improved, he still can't do enough for this team.  He wants to stay in Vancouver - that's where he started his career and his family.  I want him to stay in Vancouver.  Don't penalize a player for a team's shitty season, and blame it on the salary cap.  It infuriates me that every time something goes wrong, Raymond is always one of the first to be thrown under the bus.  He's given his all to this team, after what could have been a career ending injury, and he refused to give up.

Even though they're out of the playoffs again, I refuse to give up on this team.  Yes, I understand that players have to be traded and that they can't play hockey forever.  But don't blow up a team just because the top dogs can't perform at the level they should be.  Why can the status quo be maintained for these guys, but the players (and fans) have to pay the price? I put my heart and soul in to supporting this team, like any other hockey fan.  I've cried, I've screamed, I've cursed and I know I'll cry some more.  I'm emotionally invested, I care, probably more than I should.  So why doesn't management seem to care at all?

I still believe in the Canucks - the core group that we have.  And anyone who thinks Raymond isn't, or shouldn't, be a part of that, hasn't been paying attention.  I'd give anything to see my team still on the ice, battling it out for a chance to go for the Cup.  I'd give anything to know that my team won't be a bunch of strangers come next season.  All I can do at this point is pray to the hockey gods that some common sense prevails, and the people in charge are finally held accountable.  And that I make it through the summer.

- Thanks again to Lisa for the awesome post. Saucer feels the need to comment on a few important points after reading Lisa's awesome post:

1 - You should be following her on twitter - @lisapy74

2 - Alex Burrows is hot as fuck. Sentences which contain "Alex Burrows" and "whacked across the back of the legs repeatedly" somehow get jumbled into something with a way different meaning in Saucer's head. Does that happen to anybody else??

3 - The Sedins are hella creepy. Enough said.

4 - Saucer's Avs & Flyers struggled too, but I honestly think it's better to not make the playoffs at all than to get swept in the first round. Lisa, next year will be better. I know it.

5 - So Lisa sent this before AV was fired but after reading it I think she has a lot of good points. I think Lisa should be the next coach of the Canucks. Lisa, if that happens I'm absolutely, 100% positive we can work something out so Saucer can have a job with the team. I have a very diverse skill set...

Kisses!

~Saucer

Things I Miss About Hockey

Huge thanks to our dear friend @Lisapy74 for this amazing post. It's funny, smart, honest, and a million times better than the post/love letter Saucer was about to put on here regarding her ridiculously age-inappropriate crush on Alex Galchenyuk. Thank you Lisa for saving our dear readers from the lockout-induced creepiness Saucer has fallen into.

 

 

Things I miss about hockey - or lockout lessons....

Hockey is the greatest sport in the world. It's not just a ball being thrown down a field, dunked in a basket, or hit into center field. The players are on skates, blades so thin it's like they're nothing at all. They're chasing a puck, a little piece of rubber, with a stick, trying to score on a goalie, while they are wearing all this protective equipment and being chased by their opponent, and trying to avoid getting stripped of the puck or checked in to the boards. All of this while on a sheet of ice. Amazing. Mind boggling. What other sport has so many elements? Not to mention how fast they have to skate (forwards and backwards), and how hard they have to play during their shifts. They only get one timeout per game. And the goalie rarely gets to rest at all. And the goalies have pucks flying at their heads, sticks all around them, and players all up in their space, trying to score that perfect, dirty goal.

I'll admit - I came late to the game of hockey, but I fell in love with it like no other sport. I like baseball (but after watching a hockey game in person, it's so slow paced, it just doesn't keep my attention anymore). I grew up watching basketball and also a fierce supporter of the Duke / UNC rivalry. I never thought I'd love anything as much as Duke Blue Devils basketball, and Christian Laettner's buzzer beater against Kentucky in 1992, which still gives me heart palpitations. But hockey has so much more to offer. It's grittier, dirtier, and never ever lacks heart and passion. It's the only sport where the players are actually encouraged to fight each other. And, yes, sometimes the fights are my favorite part. It didn't take me long to develop fierce loyalties to certain teams, and a deep, abiding hatred for a few others.

With the lockout dragging on, I've felt like I've been thrown into rehab for drug addiction. Just a little bit of hockey is all I need to get my fix. I get excited when I find a college hockey game on my local sports channel, even though I know nothing about the players. I've waited and waited for the WJC and have never been so excited to see more players I know little about play the greatest game there is. There are certain NHL players I can't even think about right now, because it's too depressing. Wondering if they are slowly losing the last season they may ever play. Or if they will get traded to another team, because this is the last year of their contract. It breaks my heart to even think about. I know professional athletes are a commodity, and can be traded at will, so why do I allow myself to get so attached?

Is it the city a player plays for? The fans in that city? I think what makes the difference are the team mates, the chemistry they develop, the connection that long-time teammates have with each other. And that some players have so much heart, and just refuse to quit, that you can't help but love them. Root for them. Pray to the hockey gods that they get another chance to play again. Here, in the US, with us, their fans. That's what we need and that's what we want. At this point, I don't care about contracts and money and players vs. owners. I just want to see hockey again. I want to see the magic that happens on ice. I want to see the face splitting grins, the bone crushing hugs that come with a goal celebration. I want to see guys defend their teammate, if he is injured or targeted by another player. I want to see my boys chasing that high of winning. A single game. A streak. A President's trophy. A division. A conference. A CUP...not the Spengler cup, but the Stanley Cup. That's what I need, like I need air. And I know I'm not alone.

 

- @Lisapy74

Thanks again Lisa! Saucer feels your pain and wants the NHL back but you are hopeful and positive and a breath of fresh air compared to the bitterness which has consumed Saucer.
And here's a little randomness for you. Many, many years ago Saucer followed Christian Laettner around Mall of America when she was just a wee fangirl-in-training. She was like half his height - it is still embarrassing.

Kisses!
~Saucer

Kesler the Great

Saucer would like to send a huge THANK YOU to our dear friend @Lisapy74 for the great post below on Ryan Kesler. For some reason Saucer can't string coherent sentences together when talking about Ryan Kesler so it was necessary to enlist the help of our Canucks Superfan, Lisa!

Kisses!

~Saucer

So, I've been asked by my great friend Saucer to write about Mr. Ryan Kesler.  I feel like I should be listening to "I'm Sexy and I Know It" while I write this.  What does one say about Kes? Besides the fact that he's hot? Like really hot? Unfairly hot? I've been thinking about that all week, and it's been very distracting! Don't believe me - see for yourself:

Yes, he's on one of my favorite teams, the Vancouver Canucks.  He's an all-American boy.  His hair is always interesting.  He's patented the "Kes bomb" and uses it to crack up his team mates and annoy and humor photographers and interviewers.

He's got great chemistry with his teammates (hello, Burrows and Bieksa, just to name two).  He's willing to put his body on the line and willing to go the distance for his team.  Sure, some may accuse him of being a diver, but nobody can say he lacks heart.  He gives 110% and is the kind of guy who doesn't know the meaning of the word quit.  He tweets with his fans and even posts pics from his high school reunion! And he's great with his kids - if these pictures don't melt your heart, then you're colder than Gary Bettman.

      

All these things just make me love Kes more.  And his determination to come back from surgeries and injuries is inspiring.  No wonder the man makes me (and Saucer) swoon! He's sexy when he's playing (for the USA!), when he's glaring, when he's fighting, when he's bleeding and dear God, he's heart breaking when he's crying.  Need convincing?

I really hope this stupid lockout ends soon, because I really want to see all my boys back on the ice, but especially Kes.  There's nobody else like him and he definitely has a special place in my heart.  And I'm sure (I know) I'm not the only one.  I'd love to see him play another game in person.  When I had the opportunity to see him play in a game against the 'Canes, it just reinforced my love for him! He's more intimidating, taller, and yes, sexier, in person.  But, most importantly, he's a hell of a player and I want to see him come back stronger than ever and blow everyone's expectations out of the water!

He may be the cause of some interesting twitter conversations, a hell of a chirper (just ask David Backes), and a little hot headed, but I will always love him! He speaks his mind and is not afraid to let everyone know what he thinks and how he feels.  Confidence and cockiness, they do it every time.  Thank God for Kes.

And thank you again to Lisa for her awesome post!!!

Mason Raymond - Vancouver Canucks

You are in for a treat today Sticks fans! We are so lucky to have the wonderful Lisa Pyatte, Vancouver Superfan, as our guest blogger. Saucer would have just posted the nekked Ryan Kessler photo about 20 times but Lisa wrote a kick ass post about her favorite Canuck - the always delicious Mason Raymond. Thanks Lisa for writing such a good, informative profile a million times better than anything Saucer could have pulled off.

# 21 Mason Raymond - Vancouver Canucks - Left Wing

The Past

2011 Stanley Cup Final - Mason Raymond claimed his place in my heart when he was shockingly injured and suffered a fractured vertebrae in Game 6.  Mason had to be helped off the ice by his teammates and was later taken to the hospital.  He was able to return to Rogers Arena during the final game of the series, even though he was wearing a back brace.  Even though he couldn't play in the game he obviously wanted to be there to support his team and the Vancouver fans, and to show that even a horrific injury couldn't keep him away.

Mason Raymond, nicknamed MayRay by his teammates, and sometimes affectionately called "Bambi" for his beautiful blue eyes, grew up in Cochrane, Alberta, Canada.  Mason was a second round draft pick by the Canucks in 2005, 51st overall.  In his junior hockey days with the Camrose Kodiaks, he was named league MVP in 2005.   He later played for the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, where he earned numerous accolades, including All-Rookie honors, first team all-star, and most valuable player.  He played two seasons with the Canucks' AHL affiliate Manitoba Moose, before joining Vancouver full-time in the 2007-2008 season. 

The Love

Mason is a fast skating, offensive minded player.  He is definitely a polarizing player of late, you either love him or you hate him.  Vancouver fans are notorious for expecting near perfection from their players, and even after his potentially career-ending injury Mason hasn't been cut much slack by the fan base.  But he made his triumphant return to the team in early December, 2011.  He scored 6 points in his first seven games back but fell in to a scoring slump after that streak.  However, I believe with a full summer to get his body back to peak condition and participating in a complete training camp, he can return to the speedy skater he's been in the past and rediscover his scoring touch and ability to make plays, all the while dazzling his opponents with his skill (which includes one of my favorite moves, the Spin-o-Raymond).  See below:

Much speculation was made over whether he would be traded by the trade deadline this past February, but the Canucks agreed to a one year contract extension for Mase.  One of the many reasons I love Mason is because of his tenacity and his refusal to quit.  After his injury, he was unsure if he would even walk again, much less play professional hockey.  Mason is a quiet player, you don't hear too much about him in the press (minus all the trade talk).  He definitely has a heart for hockey and even though he may have seemed tentative at times in the late part of the season, I believe the heart for hockey is still there and he just needs to rebuild his confidence.

And, I love his on and off the ice chemistry with Alex Burrows.

And, yes, they have their own "bromance" thing going on, according to Kevin Bieksa 

("him and Burrows have their own little thing going on, like movies together, room service…they get one king bed for the room and they just sleep on different ends…")

Also, he's such a great roommate, that he even gets breakfast for Burr so he can sleep in. Considerate, yes?

Click here for A Day in the Life: Mason Raymond

The Hate

I hate that Mason lost so much playing time due to his injury in the 2011 finals. 

I hate that he was made a healthy scratch in 2012 for the first time in 3 years.

I hate that people complain that he falls down all the time.  People may hate him because they say he's lost his offensive touch, he's not scoring goals, or willing to go to the net.  That he always goes to the corners, and sometimes stays on the periphery of the play.  The majority of press was screaming for him to be traded for a more useful player.  It seemed like everything he did last season was put under the microscope and he could rarely do anything right.  Some said his best days were behind him at 26.

I say, give the guy a break, and remind yourself that he had to recover from a serious injury, with no opportunity for any type of work-outs for basically two months.  Not to mention a total of five and a half months out of the game, with little ability to work out like hockey players need in order to maintain their game.

Let's Get Scrappy

Raymond's not much of a fighter on the ice (only 1 fight at hockeyfights.com), but he has been hit in the face by a puck, and accidentally sticked by his own teammate, Kevin Bieksa.  Luckily, not much damage to that pretty face. :)

And, he can throw a hit when he needs to:

Feed the Inner Fangirl / Fanboy

Mason is tenacious and a come-back kind of guy.  But I think he's also one of the guys who his teammates like to tease a little and also take under their wing.  His teammates give him parenting advice, too! He's a speedy winger who can skate fast and, when given the opportunity, can make some pretty dazzling moves on the ice.

And he can rock facial hair, and a cowboy hat, too:

                

I think his next season will be better, hopefully, one of his best yet.  I'm glad the Canucks re-signed him for another year and gave him an opportunity to prove himself.  He just fits so well with this team.  He may not be flashy, or a tough guy, but he is, I think, one of the most dedicated players, and an integral part of the Canucks.  When he's not there, you definitely miss him, and it's really hard not to root for the guy.  You can't help but want to see what he'll be able to do this upcoming season.  I hope there are a lot of goals and a lot of high fives for Raymond.  He deserves them.  He deserves the chance to prove himself again.

And, just a bonus, this one's for you, Saucer:

Again, a huge thanks to the wonderful @lisapy74 for writing this brilliant post! Give her a follow!