[GDT] Vancouver Canucks vs Toronto Maple Grenades, Jan 20, 4PM PST (7PM EST) Rogers Arena, the Make-em Wail Like Babies Game

[Rocket-68]

A Random Hockey Story ... scroll right on past if words larger than one syllable are a struggle

 

Sports fans tend to be superstitious. Maybe it's crazy, but we can't help it. So much about sports comes down to luck, a good hit, a lucky catch, a bad angle. One can't help but believe in bad luck and good luck, and that certain rituals, like not shaving during playoff time or wearing socks of a certain colour, can affect the outcome of a game. For my mother, it's the deep-rooted belief that her Toronto Maple Leafs jersey is cursed. My father bought her the jersey in 1994, as an anniversary present. At the time, the Leafs were playing in the conference finals and she couldn't wait to wear her jersey as she watched her beloved Maple Leafs on television.

The first game she was able to watch, the Leafs lost and then the next. Suddenly, the Leafs were down three games in the series and on the verge of elimination. Every time she wore the jersey, they lost. My mom decided to not wear it and instead she left it in her room, on her bed. The Leafs rallied and took the lead in the game; it began to look like all hope was not lost. I was eleven at the time and I happened to go into my parents' room. I saw the jersey there and I couldn't figure out why my mother wasn't wearing it, so I took it down to her.

 

"Mom, you forgot to put on your jersey," I said, handing it to her. My mother nervously took it and as soon as she did, the Vancouver Canucks scored. The tide of the game changed, and the Leafs were eliminated that night.

"It's the jersey," my mother declared to my father and me. "It's bad luck."

 

My father rolled his eyes at her and grumbled about how it was a wasted gift if she wouldn't wear it, but my mother was convinced and she banished the jersey to the back of a drawer. After all, it was a gift and she couldn't bear to throw it out. Besides she'd occasionally wear it in the summer when she decided that it could do no harm. The Leafs had ups and downs over the next few years, but they never made it to the Stanley Cup finals. Even if the jersey was bad luck, banishing it didn't suddenly bring good luck. But my mom still wasn't going to risk taking it out again.

Years passed and then during the 2002 playoffs I was a teenager who was just starting to get into hockey. I brought the jersey out, partly because I found that all the boys at school flirted with me when I wore it. My mother wasn't thrilled, but it had been a lot of years and she decided to let me wear it.

The first time I wore it, the Leafs lost, badly. I figured it was a coincidence, but I couldn't quite forget my mother's old conviction that the jersey was cursed. So the next time I wore it, I took it off before the game started, but the Leafs still lost. My mother forbade me from wearing the jersey again and I was spooked enough by the two losses that I did as she asked. My father thought I was as silly as my mother.

 

"It's just a piece of clothing. There's no way it can influence a hockey game over a hundred kilometres away," he'd point out. But my mother didn't care and I thought she might be onto something. I didn't wear the jersey after that, but soon it didn't look like that decision mattered.

Game Six in the second round against the Ottawa Senators, the Leafs were down three games to two. The game started off badly for the Leafs, with the Senators scoring two goals in the first five minutes. It looked like it was going to be a humiliating end to the playoffs for the Leafs and that the jersey had no part in it at all - it was just silly superstition on my mother's part. 

 

Then, I happened to notice that the jersey was sitting in a pile of laundry in the living room, right in front of the television. I knew I was being silly, but I decided to bring the jersey upstairs. As soon as I left the room, the Leafs scored a goal and the game no longer looked like a lost cause. The Leafs ended up winning that game and they won the series. They lost in the next round to the Carolina Hurricanes. But we never claimed that banishing the jersey brought good luck, just that the jersey itself was bad luck.

My father was never convinced. And every time he hears the story, my husband rolls his eyes. But my mother and I both firmly believe that her jersey, lovingly given as a present by her non-Leafs fan husband, was cursed. Neither of us has ever worn it since then.

 

Author: Michelle McGague-Radic

---- Now for the Game Day Thread ----

 

Overview

The Canucks are setting all kinds of team records this season. Huggy will soon own all the defenseman records there are, Petey will top Hank (assuming he stick around long enough - I think he will be resigned), Miller will probably own the most consecutive 100 point seasons (hockey gods are smiling on us right now). The latest record to fall is fastest to 30 wins which now stands at 45 games besting the two President's Trophy winning teams from the 2010-2011 and 2011-2012 season where it took both iterations 49 games to achieve this feast. 

 

I predict this season, our beloved 2023-2024 Canucks will break the single season record currently held by the 2010-2011 team which is 117 points - especially if PA/JR manage to make some moves that includes a legit 2C and one of the Abby teams comes up to become Cam Neely v2 (lite). 

 

Kuzmenko will most likely be scratched, gotta feel for the dude, but hearing Tocchet talk and oh-boy, a bout in the press box is an almost certainty.

 

Quotes of the day:
“We’re coaching the hell out of him,” Tocchet explained. “Unfortunately, I just didn’t think he was skating well enough to warrant us playing him in that third period.”

 

“I think he’s trying to understand that. You have to participate. He doesn’t have to hit a guy, I don’t care about that. I think there are certain parts of his game he has to participate. You have to do it."

 

“I don’t care if he’s got guys wide open, I’d like to see him shoot the puck. Maybe that would help him.”

 

Tells us what you really mean coach, sheesh.

 

Apparently rumor has it that Petey doesn't like playing with him because he thinks Kuzy is lazy ... will try to find the source I read that on and post here.

 

Back to the game: Canucks will win 5-3 ... in overtime, yes TO will play that badly in OT.

 

Media

You know the drill, GO BUY A TICKET AND throw random objects at the opposing team - just kidding, no violence please, just your best one-liners hurled at the Laffs and Sheldon while his is still the coach, and the zebras as needed. Otherwise go to your local watering hole and support your team and swill some beer.

 

TV: Sportsnet Pacific

Radio: SportsNet 650

Streaming: lots on various Reddit threads ... like this one -> https://nhlstream.net/vancouver-canucks-live-stream/ or this one https://nhlstreams.io/ ... results can vary but when I was in Australia I managed to watch games live with great results (when I could make the time)

 

By the Numbers

 

 

 

 

Match up Info

 

Da Roster

From hearing Tocchet talk earlier, it seem very likely Kuzy will be scratched with Karlsson most likely slotting in

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Da Zebras

Now for some fun stuff

Gotta See It: All hell breaks loose between the Canucks and Maple Leafs

 

And another Canucks Leafs Broohahaha 

 

Edited January 20 by Rocket-68
Added Refs and Linesmen

[Rocket-68]

Now let's give the TO Fans a pounding and have them finish up ... yes recycled, but it is the game tomorrow.

 

Edited January 20 by Rocket-68

[Blue]

Kuzmenko scratched I am assuming. It is a good thing we uloaded Tanner Pearson before Tocchet had the chance to fall in love with the arch tweener. 

 

Edited January 20 by Blue

[Ghostsof1915]

Grenades?

Huh?

Grenades can be dangerous.

More like Leaves that go into the compost bin.

[footsteps]

Some good ol' time hockey in those clips! And a fun story. I think all non-Leafs hockey fans should send that woman more Leafs jerseys, just to keep the 'tradition' going and going and going. I mean, it doesn't really mean anything, right? 

 

 

[4petesake]

[gwarrior]

I'm gonna miss part of it. Not off till 4:30, but I should be ready for puck drop of the 2nd. Depends on how long the shower beer takes once i get home.

[Rocket-68]

36 minutes ago, Ghostsof1915 said:

Grenades?

Huh?

Grenades can be dangerous.

More like Leaves that go into the compost bin.

 

Grenades as in they will blow up during warmup and it will down hill from there. However, if the top players on TO all bring their A game and the supporting cast plays reasonably well, Canucks will need to be firing on all cylinders to take the win ... which is why I believe Kuzmenko will be scratched and the Canucks will rise to a glorious victory avenging the earlier loss.

Edited January 20 by Rocket-68

[tas]

do you think if the canucks brutalize the leafs, cave them in, leave them sifting through their own make for whatever fragments of their literal and figurative teeth they can salvage, that they could get that juvenile delinquent sheldon keefe fired before church is out in hogtown on sunday?

 

it's important to have goals. 

[Tusk]

13 minutes ago, tas said:

do you think if the canucks brutalize the leafs, cave them in, leave them sifting through their own make for whatever fragments of their literal and figurative teeth they can salvage, that they could get that juvenile delinquent sheldon keefe fired before church is out in hogtown on sunday?

 

it's important to have goals. 

nah, he will just say "that lotto line is like in a league above the NHL like the AVs were. Nothing they could do. Those two should be in a different league than us and the oilers."

God bless the poor soul

[SV.]

Must-win, if I'm being honest.

Not literally, obviously, but need to continue making statements against the top teams.

[helmetparade]

Oh boy a 4pm game we must be playing on the road..oh wait

[mj vic]

Must win!!! I work along side (unfortunatly) some really obnoxious leaf fans, two who in fact will be at the game. Please make them cry and weep.

[RichterBelmont]

The crowd needs to be louder than the Laff fans. Run 'em up and fill 'em in boys! LFG! GCG!

[Junkyard Dog]

10 minutes ago, mj vic said:

Must win!!! I work along side (unfortunatly) some really obnoxious leaf fans, two who in fact will be at the game. Please make them cry and weep.

 

I work with dozens of Leafs fans in camp and hundreds of Albertans.

 

One guy walks around after work in a jersey that's half Oilers half Flames split down the middle. Guy better be careful.

 

There's another that has a half Leafs/Habs jersey.

 

I wouldn't want to walk around hated by both sides. 

Edited January 20 by Junkyard Dog

[Redhdlois]

39 minutes ago, SV. said:

Must-win, if I'm being honest.

Not literally, obviously, but need to continue making statements against the top teams.

We are a top team. 

Edited January 20 by Redhdlois

[Bob Long]

I'm just gonna call that late 3rd period PP for the leafs right now.

[Junkyard Dog]

Just now, Redhdlois said:

We are a top team. 

 

Playoffs will ultimately prove our mettle.

[Junkyard Dog]

1 minute ago, Bob Long said:

I'm just gonna call that late 3rd period PP for the leafs right now.

 

Hopefully, Matthews had his goals fill for the week from the Flames. 

[Bob Long]

4 minutes ago, Junkyard Dog said:

 

Hopefully, Matthews had his goals fill for the week from the Flames. 

 

Hopefully Miller puts Matthews on his arse.

[Junkyard Dog]

Karlsson called back up. After recently being sent down to AHL he scored goals in both games he played after 12 days without playing. 

 

I suspect he could be in for Kuz. 

[Rekker]

10 minutes ago, Bob Long said:

 

Hopefully Miller puts Matthews on his arse.

I suspect JT doesn't like man bag types. Lol.

[Rocket-68]

20 minutes ago, Bob Long said:

 

Hopefully Miller puts Matthews on his arse.

If Miller lays a hit on Matthews then Matthews be skating like ---> ... for rest of game

Edited January 20 by Rocket-68

[Slegr]

Last time they played, Canucks didn’t look good and Leafs held it together to beat us. We need to play hard, like we did against Coyotes. This game means more to the average fan, because we know the media storm and bragging by brainwashed Leaf’s fans who we have as acquaintances that would follow. We need to fire on all cylinders, and know that both the Leafs and the refs will be against us in this one.

[Bure10Kuzmenko96]

Really hoping Canucks come out and destroy the Leafs! I've got 2 bets going on!