Flames vs Canucks

When I looked at the NHL schedule I didn't think it was good that Vancouver started the season vs the Calgary Flames. Back to back games vs a hated division rival? We could have easily been 0-2 to start the season. Well the opposite is true.

Game 1 - Flames @ Canucks
Whoever did the planning for the Luc Bourdon tribute should get a raise. That was the best memorial/tribute for a sports athlete. I was tearing up. It’s sad to see a young life gone so fast. He had that motorbike for 2 days?

To the actual game, there is not much good to say on the Flames side as Kipper got lit up like a Christmas tree letting in SIX goals. But on the Canucks end of things it was very encouraging. The question people keep asking is, ‘Where is the scoring going to come from?’ Well all our lines were clicking that night and Luongo was stellar getting the shut out 6-0!

Game 2 – Canucks @ Flames

After a deflating loss like that and coming home I did expect the Flames to come out with some jump and fire. They did just that scoring 3 goals in the 1^st period. I was thinking, ‘Oh no, the Flames are going to win this one with the hard hitting and hard working style as Kipper shuts the door.’ Of course I was saying that will all my confidence in the good ol’ Canucks who have never let me down before (haha). But to my surprise they came out with some jump themselves in the second period and where down 4-3 going into the 3^rd period. I like how Canucks coach Alain Vigneault commented about the game,

"It was typical Vancouver-Calgary game. It was physical, there were a lot of good scraps, it was a good hockey game. … We just stuck to what we needed to do, our guys battled hard. We wanted to win the second (period), we won the second, we wanted to win the third, we won the third, and we were able to get it done in overtime."

It was a good hard fought, never say die effort by the new look Canucks. Before we crown the Canucks the next Stanley champs we need to keep honest. That penalty by Bertuzzi on the boarding call on Ryan Johnson was a dive and a really bad call. But the worst is the non call the officials made when Burrows clearly tripped the Flames player. That non call caused the 2 on 1 break as Burrows went hard to the net and Demitra popped in the OT winner. Yes Flames fans be upset but us Canucks fans often get the shaft so we will take this one.

Other thoughts:

That fight between Mitchell and Iginla was awesome. Great left hand by Iggy when Mitchell was dominating most of the fight. And Rypien owned Prust.

Kipper was not stellar or even good. The fact that the last 2 years his stats have been declining and letting in 11 goals by him in 2 games is not encouraging. Is it time to start finding a replacement?

We can’t ask for a better start for the Canucks as they go into Washington to face the young guns led by Alexander Ovechkin last year’s league MVP. Happy Thanksgiving!!!