Panic At The Roger.

Coach V is choking.

I've been trying to decide how I feel after the 0-5 game 5 loss to Chicago last night (I almost wish I didn't get Versus after these last two games, because listening on the radio would probably be less painful). On one hand, I feel alright. I called the Canucks in 6, and it's shaping up to finish as such. On the other hand, I've watched my Canucks get outscored 12-2 over the last two games, put forth very little effort, and I'm starting to wonder if we're destined to see this series end with an unbelievable tragedy for the Orca (a game seven loss would be like a BC version of 9/11). Which of my two feelings am I going to give in to? Which sense about this playoff series is going to win out? That's what I'm here to explore.

It's so easy to blame Roberto Luongo after these two games. It's so easy to see Chicago score 12 goals in 120 minutes and want to implore the Canucks to start Cory Schneider in game six. But, as a rational fan, I just can't do it. I can't give in to that temptation. I'm smart enough to realize that there are plenty of problems beyond the goaltending that have led us to this point.

What happened to the physical play? I mean, the hits still seem to be there, the Canucks outhit the Hawks 40-14 last night, but the big stepping up seems to be absent (in fact, I was shocked to see the hit stats end that way after what I watched with my own eyes). What happened to the attacking? What happened to standing them up at the blue line and playing defense before they bring it into the zone? What happened to discipline, and not making dirty plays and stupid mistakes? What happened to the passion? All of that was present in games one through three, and all of that was lacking in games four and five. How does that happen?

We, obviously, have to give Chicago some credit, as they have clearly raised their game. Duncan Keith is playing like a man possessed, Marian Hossa seems to be everywhere on the ice, and even Corey Crawford looked comfortable on all 36 shots he faced last night (again, I was shocked at that stat because it felt like the 'Nucks failed to put anything on goal). The 7-2 win in game four helped the Hawks to get off the mat, and they are feeling it even more after their largest margin of victory in a playoff shutout in franchise history. Now, they're going back home to the Madhouse, and they're pumped up beyond belief. That's dangerous.

As soon as Hossa and Keith scored goals within 24 seconds of each other in he first period last night, I knew it was over. With 46:18 left in the game, I had already lost hope. It reminded me of the previous two series, when we would just collapse after getting a little bit of pressure applied. We didn't look that way when faced with pressure in the first three games, and I thought we'd grown out of it. And yet, here we are.

I'm not really sure how Jon can honestly say I'm wrong when I'm pointing out the poor winner aspect of Chicago, especially from game four. And, when you start suggesting that we somehow are a dirtier team than you guys, I almost have to chuckle. Yeah, Raffi made a leg to leg hit, and I said it was bad. Yeah, Alex Edler clearly elbowed someone in the face, and he knew what he was doing. But watch the game! The Hawks are doing the same garbage (do you close your eyes when Keith is on the ice?), talking just as much stuff (do you pay attention to Bolland at all last night?), and then rocking that "Who me?" look if they get called. It's going both ways, and I know you can admit that. I'm pretty sure when I reflect on this game, I'll remember how Brian Campbell became one of my more hated Hawks for that total bitch cross check in the first, how Bolland is a total tool for acting like a fool and breaking his stick over the wall by the bench, and how Brouwer ended up getting socked it his face for trying to step with Bieksa.

And don't even talk to me about your boy Scott talking crap on Bieksa, when he got straight fooled in his own zone by whiffing on a puck and letting Max Lapierre steal it from him and get a shot off. Again, I wouldn't even know who this guy was if Seabrook wasn't hurt, never heard of him until now. 

Anyone reading out blog lately surely wouldn't think that we were actually good friends, eh?

So, what are the Canucks going to do? For one, they need to get their ice time sorted out. Raffi Torres had more time on the ice than Daniel Sedin, and had an equal amount of time as Hank. Yeah, Henrik was only out there for 11:28, while Daniel was out there for 11:16. What are they supposed to do with that amount of time? People are giving them crap, but clearly they are being mismanaged. Second, our defense needs to start playing again. And I'm not talking about elbowing people to the face when skating behind the goal. I'm talking about actually stepping it up and challenging these guys. How many breakaways did we allow? How often were we doing the job of screening Luongo, while Chicago sent a puck through? How can I put up with the defenders letting Hossa just walk into the zone and beat Lu on the glove side while they just stand there? Embarrassing! Let's play some defense, for Fin's sake!

By the way, for everyone giving Alex Edler a hard time, he had more shots on goal than anyone on the team. The head shot aside, he was probably the best defender out there.

Now we turn our focus to downtown Chicago on Easter Sunday. Let's not let it come back to Vancouver for a decisive game seven...please.

As we've talked about throughout the entire season and now into the playoffs, the Blackhawks are a very different team than they were the last two times around. That being said, and now five games into this bad boy, I figured it'd be a great time to bring a new and updated list of my 5 most hated Hawks, as a way to end today's post.

1. Duncan Keith
2. Brian Campbell
3. Patrick Sharp
4. Patrick Kane
5. John Scott

Yeah, I'm pretty sure that list sums it up. 

And regarding #5, I'm guessing this will kind of pump Jon up:

http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/Refusing+scrap+with+Scott+brainer/4660208/story.html

Go Canucks Go.

-- Sent from my Palm Prē