Canucks make me nervous against Ducks.

If you read the blog, you know that my twice a day blogging habit has haulted on Wednesdays and Thursdays because I have been covering at a busier clinic than my own. Despite that, I'm going to send out this smaller than usual post on last night's Canucks game because it was so heart pounding.

Why is it that the Canucks and Ducks have to have this crazy intense game everytime they meet? I always get so happy that the games are televised for me down here, and there never seems to be an easy win. We were down, thanks to Cory Perry. Up, thanks to Kesler and Tambers. Down, thanks to Lupup, Selane, and Fowler, Even, thanks to Daniel and Kesler. And up for good, thanks to Tambellini's shootout goal being the only one.

The Canucks frustrated the heck out of me in the second period. After getting up to a 2-1 lead after the opening 20, the Ducks just seemed to have more hustle and determination than we did. Lupul scored because Bieksa decided to go pick up his stick (which he actually wasn't able to do) instead of playing defense. Selane scored due to some sloppy power play defense by the Canucks, and Cam Fowler's goal to put Anaheim up by 2 to start the 3rd made me kind of blackout from frustration.

With 12:42 gone, Daniel cut the lead to one, but hope still didn't seem there. Then, in a mad scramble with 20 seconds remaining, Ryan Kesler scored his second goal of the game in a late garbage mad dash, and forced OT. This was, of course, all with Hiller in goal because Anaheim's starter went out with an injury after taking a slapper to the dome. Great stuff. Parros also getting cracked along the boards was amazing, and I appreciated the Orca fans standing and cheering while he laid on the ice, dirty mustache and all. But, my hat is off to Tambers, the lone scorer in the shootout. I love that AV rolled out the game's goal scorers for the shootout lineup, and I love even more that the most unlikely hero won the game.

I'm sure Roberto Luongo (just 16 saves on just 20 shots) appreciated it as well.

Since we won, I can also appreciate the fact that the Ducks scored a power play goal to earn us all free Oggi's sticks. Stoked!

Now 15-8-3, the Vannies are 3 points up on Colorado in the division, 1 back of the second place Stars in the conference, and 3 back of the conference leading Red Wings. Next up is a battle with the 15-10-3 Tampa Bay Lightning. The Bolts will be coming into our house, and the way we've been playing, I don't see some near .500 Eastern Conference team coming into the Roger and stealing one from us.

Let's decharge the Bolts.

-- Sent from my Palm Prē