tylerdrowe

Scenarios Pt. I: Get Better

by Tyler Rowe

Good guy. Good coach. Good luck. (Image property of vancouversun.com)

It would appear that I was too optimistic about the Vancouver Canucks playoff chances for the second year in a row. In case you haven’t heard, the Canucks were unable to win one game against the San Jose Sharks, not even for the Gipper. And over the next week, I’m going to try to figure out why that happened and what needs fixing. If Vancouver is talented but unable to win a single game against a good but beatable opponent, then either something is broken in the coaching staff, or in the team’s player personnel and the culture they engender as a whole. *Spoiler Alert*: It might be both. Continue reading »

The History of the Northwest Division (Part I)

by Tyler Rowe The indomitable Brian Beitz, formerly of SmugNation (kidding!) and now a pupil at UVic Law, which he tells me was created solely to save the environment, actually managed to see though the green haze his life has become to point out something interesting the other day: Northwest Division (1999-2013) championships:

Vancouver Canucks – 7

Colorado Avalanche -5

Calgary Flames – 1

Minnesota Wild – 1

Edmonton Oilers – 0

Read past the jump for a whole lot more.  Continue reading »

Your Favourite Canucks Become Wrestlers!

by Tyler Rowe

Local man is spot-on

Here at SmugNation, we recently had a conversation about reality. And as any idiot knows, there is nothing more real than professional wrestling. Last year, the Vancouver Canucks were made super by the lovely and talented Caley Rombout (who should really be doing her own blog, lazybones). You Smuggle-bugs loved it, and asked for more. Who are we to disappoint? Well, okay… we barely posted for almost a year. But with the playoffs upon us once again, we are lucky enough to have Caley back to bring us a new set of heroes, not of the caped variety, but the kind of heroes you find surrounded by stretchy ropes and readily available folding chairs. We are talking about professional wrestlers. And the Vancouver Canucks, rounding into beast-mode-form after the sound thumping they laid on the Chicago Blackhawks last night, are looking like a team ready for a shot at the belt. Read past the jump for the most fun you’ve had since Hulk Hogan overcame adversity to crush Sergeant Slaughter and General Adnan in Wrestlemania VII (nothing quite like xenophobia to get the blood stirring). Continue reading »

Well, Here Comes The Realness

by Tyler Rowe

REALLY REAL

The Vancouver Canucks last six games have been against Nashville, Calgary, Edmonton twice, Colorado and Phoenix, and these contests have been good to their division championship ambitions. Despite some lackluster efforts in those six games, the ‘Nucks have managed a 5-1 record, posting 20 goals for and 8 against over that span including two Cory Schneider shutouts. But Nashville, Calgary, Edmonton, Colorado and Phoenix aren’t going to the playoffs and none of those sides have been very good this year. None of them are particularly real (pronounced “rahl”). Continue reading »

Under the Radar? It Would Appear So

by Tyler Rowe

What’s missin’ is the kissin’

As of Monday morning, the Vancouver Canucks are getting odds between 10/1 and 15/1 from Vegas line-makers to win the Stanley cup, which is good for sixth to seventh most likely to win it all. Its likely that these odds will shorten before the playoffs should the Blue and Green continue their (what now seems oddly) cohesive play with the additions of healthy Ryan Kesler and newcomer Derek “shut-up-and-take-my-money” Roy. Still, this is an evaluation by big sports books that says “we do not believe this team will win, but we can’t make the odds too enticing just in case the better teams get injured”. The media outside of Vancouver tends to agree. The conversation around who the bona fide contenders are includes Chicago, Pittsburgh, L.A. and Boston of course, but also less whelming teams like Montreal and Anaheim who, lets be honest, really have no chance at raising the mug this spring. Vancouver seems to be omitted from that conversation, at least as of right now. Continue reading »