Popular Post Rocket-68 Posted November 15 Popular Post Posted November 15 (edited) A Random Hockey Story Spoiler The Hockey Sweater by Roch Carrier The winters of my childhood were long, long seasons. We lived in three places - the school, the church, and the skating-rink, but our real life was on the skating-rink. Real battles were won on the skating-rink. Real strength appeared on the skating-rink. The real leaders showed themselves on the skating-rink. School was a sort of punishment. Parents always want to punish children and school is their most natural way of punishing us. However, school was also a quiet place where we could prepare for the next hockey game, lay out our next strategies. As for church, we found there the tranquillity of God: there we forgot school and dreamed about the next hockey game. Through our daydreams it might happen that we would recite a prayer: we would ask God to help us play as well as Maurice Richard. We all wore the same uniform as he, the red, white, and blue uniform of the Montreal Canadiens, the best hockey team in the world; we all combed our hair in the same style as Maurice Richard, and to keep it in place we used a sort of glue~a great deal of glue. We laced our skates like Maurice Richard, we taped our sticks like Maurice Richard. We cut all his pictures out of the papers. Truly, we knew everything about him. On the ice, when the referee blew his whistle the two teams would rush at the puck; we were five Maurice Richards taking it away from five other Maurice Richards; we were ten players, all of us wearing with the same blazing enthusiasm the uniform of the Montreal Canadiens. On our backs, we all wore the famous number 9. One day, my Montreal Canadiens sweater had become too small; then it got torn and had holes in it. My mother said: "If you wear that old sweater people are going to think we're poor!" Then she did what she did whenever we needed new clothes. She started to leaf through the catalogue the Eaton company sent us in the mail every year. My mother was proud. She didn't want to buy our clothes at the general store; the only things that were good enough for us were the latest styles from Eaton's catalogue. My mother didn't like the order forms included with the catalogue; they were written in English and she didn't understand a word of it. To order my hockey sweater, she did as she usually did; she took out her writing paper and wrote in her gentle schoolteacher's hand: "Cher Monsieur Eaton, Would you be kind enough to send me a Canadiens sweater for my son who is ten years old and a little too tall for his age and Docteur Robitaille thinks he's a little too thin? I'm sending you three dollars and please send me what's left if there's anything left. I hope your wrapping will be better than last time." Monsieur Eaton was quick to answer my mother's letter. Two weeks later we received the sweater. That day I had one of the greatest disappointments of my life! I would even say that on that day I experienced a very great sorrow. Instead of the red, white, and blue Montreal Canadiens sweater, Monsieur Eaton had sent us a blue and white sweater with a maple leaf on the front - the sweater of the Toronto Maple Leafs. I'd always worn the red, white, and blue Montreal Canadiens sweater; all my friends wore the red, white, and blue sweater; neverhad anyone in my village ever worn the Toronto sweater, never had we even seen a Toronto Maple Leafs sweater. Besides, the Toronto team was regularly trounced by the triumphant Canadiens. With tears in my eyes, I found the strength to say: "I'll never wear that uniform." "My boy, first you're going to try it on! If you make up your mind about things before you try, my boy, you won't go very far in this life." My mother had pulled the blue and white Toronto Maple Leafs sweater over my shoulders and already my arms were inside the sleeves. She pulled the sweater down and carefully smoothed all the creases in the abominable maple leaf on which, right in the middle of my chest, were written the words "Toronto Maple Leafs". I wept. "I'll never wear it." "Why not? This sweater fits you ... like a glove." "Maurice Richard would never put it on his back." "You aren't Maurice Richard. Anyway, it isn't what's on your back that counts, it's what you've got inside your head." “You'll never put it in my head to wear a Toronto Maple Leafs sweater." My mother sighed in despair and explained to me: "if you don't keep this sweater which fits you perfectly I'll have to write Monsieur Eaton and explain that you don't want to wear the Toronto sweater. Monsieur Eaton's an Anglais; he'll be insulted because he likes the Maple Leafs. And if he's insulted do you think he'll be in a hurry to answer us? Spring will be here and you won't have played a single game, just because you didn't want to wear that perfectly nice blue sweater." So I was obliged to wear the Maple Leafs sweater. When I arrived on the rink, all the Maurice Richards in red, white, and blue came up, one by one, to take a look. When the referee blew his whistle I went to take my usual position. The coach came and warned me I'd be better to stay on the forward line. A few minutes later the second line was called; I jumped onto the ice. The Maple Leafs sweater weighed on my shoulders like a mountain. The coach came and told me to wait; he'd need me later, on defence. By the third period I still hadn't played; one of the defence-men was hit in the nose with a stick and it was bleeding. I jumped on the ice: my moment had come! The referee blew his whistle; he gave me a penalty. He claimed I'd jumped on the ice when there were already five players. That was too much! It was unfair! It was persecution! It was because of my blue sweater! I struck my stick against the ice so hard it broke. Relieved, I bent down to pick up the debris. As I straightened up I saw the young vicar, on skates, before me. "My child," he said, "just because you're wearing a new Toronto Maple Leafs sweater unlike the others, it doesn't mean you're going to make the laws around here. A proper young man doesn't lose his temper. Now take off your skates and go to the church and ask God to forgive you. Wearing my Maple Leafs sweater I went to the church, where I prayed to God; I asked him to send, as quickly as possible, moths that would eat up my Toronto Maple Leafs sweater. Overview <--This is OUR YEAR! Oh the salad days of the 'Hawks vs 'Nucks hammering each other in the 2008 - 2012 seasons (roughly). Hawks seemed to "just" have our number and eked us out each series. This culminated in the Slayed the Dragon series in 2011 with the much loved and well known goal by Burrows. I recall reading a story about Bieksa and Kesler on their way to the rink for Game 7 - not sure now who picked up whom but all the way it was Kesler, "They are not beating us tonight" ... Bieksa, "Nope, not tonight" ... Kesler, "They aren't winning tonight" ... Bieksa, "Nope, not tonight, tonight we kick their ass" ... and so on ... I am paraphrasing but accurate enough for a re-telling by Bieksa some time later during one of his many interviews. Yes, sad the Boyz didn't show up enough last game, turned it on in the 3rd and had the Valy Wall to contend with but that is the game. I would be okay with a loss if the effort was 60 minutes, not okay with how we lost last game nor was Tic Toc. Quote of the day: "Don't ask about individual players today, OK? No offence," Tic Toc began last games post game presser, "I apologize to the fans. We're not playing good enough at home. It's on me. Guys played light tonight. It thought we were ready to go; we weren't. It's on me. I've got to get this team to play harder in the first period!" ... YA THINK! But let's move on. You know, Tic Toc made a comment about fans spending $200, $300, $400, etc. to watch the garbage on display for the first 2 periods. He apologized for that and as a fan apology accepted. However, like I have yet to have a bad day fishing, I have yet to have a bad day watching a Canucks game and ESPECIALLY when I am in the stands - win or lose. Would I want a win, of course! Do I want a solid effort 60 minutes, of course! But as a fan, I will take the good with the bad and move on. Criticize, get mad, post 5,000 trades the Canucks should have made, will make or should make and then get behind our team - m'kay. This will be our year - PA / JR are making moves. Like ducks swimming on the pond, all quite above the water but the feet are furiously at work below, were we can't see. I love our team and support them - hell, buying another 8 tickets to the St Louis game in Section 110 for December 10th. Keep your eyes peeled for another poll / giveaway to join me and a few other CFF-ers here at that game. GO CANUCKS GO!!!!! Line Update: looks like Dak is back with the Angry Elf and Beluga for Line #3 Media TV: CBC HNIC, City TV, SN, SN Pacific, TVAS2, CHSN Radio: SportsNet 650 Streaming: Fuck Sportsnet+ lots on various Reddit threads, here are a few sites (results may vary) https://reddit.nhlbite.com/live https://nhlwebcast.com/ https://v2.sportsurge.to/nhlstreams https://nhlstream.net/ Matchup Info Spoiler By the Numbers Spoiler Source: https://www.statmuse.com/nhl/team/vancouver-canucks-20/stats/2025 ... click here for a full experience What the Bookies are Saying Spoiler Source: https://www.dimers.com/news/chicago-blackhawks-vs-vancouver-canucks-prediction-nhl-ac-november-16-2024 Blackhawks vs. Canucks Prediction: Who Will Win, Cover the Puck Line? Using innovative machine learning and data analysis, we have simulated the outcome of Saturday's NHL matchup between the Blackhawks and Canucks 10,000 times as part of our NHL predictions coverage. Our independent predictive model currently gives the Canucks a 69% chance of defeating the Blackhawks. According to our model, the Blackhawks (+1.5) have a 55% chance of covering the puck line, while the over/under total of 5.5 goals has a 52% chance of going over. Blackhawks vs. Canucks Player Props Who will score an anytime goal in Blackhawks vs. Canucks? According to our model, Vancouver's Elias Pettersson is most likely to score the first goal in Blackhawks vs. Canucks. Our projections give Pettersson a 7.9% chance of scoring the first goal at Rogers Arena, while the Canucks star is a 35.5% chance of netting an anytime goal. First Goal Scorer Predictions Conclusion We predict the Canucks, with a 69% win probability, will likely beat the Blackhawks on Saturday. Da Roster Spoiler Da Zebras Spoiler Now for some fun stuff Canucks vs Blackhawks Line Brawl March 29, 2009 Canucks vs Blackhawks - oh look, another brawl - those were some of the best games I had ever seen Edited November 16 by Rocket-68 Line Combos and Refs / Linesmen added 3 7 3 1
Popular Post Rocket-68 Posted November 15 Author Popular Post Posted November 15 (edited) Well, here are two tickets ... one for tonight and one for tomorrow as I am trying to instil a bit of faith into the feckle ones amongst us and some luck to our Boyz this weekend ... that and I won't be doing the Sunday GDT. Usual rules apply but posting to avoid any misunderstandings when the big one hits and everyone has their hand out: 1) Must be posting in THIS thread to be considered for a share of the prize if EITHER of the tickets hit on the big one 6/6 or 7/7 ... nothing on the smaller prizes for absolutely clarity - thank you lawyer Ron for that one .... Q: Why don't they circumcise lawyers? A: 'Cause there just is no end to those pricks! 2) I am the sole arbiter of who get what, as usual. 3) ... confused about the prize split, see #2 The two members permanently laminated to my ignore list, well, I won't forget you ... your swag bag will include: a) an industrial size jar of personal lubricant, for use when perusing the Coilers fan forum b) $30 gift certificate for a Mexican road side taco cart, must make your own way there and I will include a fly swatter (a MUST) c) a candle summarizing a personal gift from me Edited November 16 by Rocket-68 2 3 2 1
GrammaInTheTub Posted November 15 Posted November 15 Bedard has booked out an entire section (thereabouts). Gonna be lots of boohoos from those poopoos! 2
Popular Post Canucks164cup Posted November 15 Popular Post Posted November 15 I was hoping for a road game, great another home game. 2 5 1 1
Popular Post GrammaInTheTub Posted November 15 Popular Post Posted November 15 @Rocket-68 your generosity is truly remarkable and such a beautiful display of the human spirit sharing celebration when able. Thank you for the regular GDTs and all the extra fun you offer on the side. We’re so fortunate to have you as one of us 7 2
Slegr Posted November 15 Posted November 15 Canucks at home have the same confidence as Petey did for first 10 games. They’ve got to get a killer mind set. Play simple, hard, just get it done. Don’t even give the Hawks a sniff. 1 1 1
Rocket-68 Posted November 16 Author Posted November 16 (edited) 23 minutes ago, GrammaInTheTub said: @Rocket-68 your generosity is truly remarkable and such a beautiful display of the human spirit sharing celebration when able. Thank you for the regular GDTs and all the extra fun you offer on the side. We’re so fortunate to have you as one of us Thank you Granny, 3 CFF-ers are joining me and a few of my friends on Nov 19 ... 1 has yet to fully make up their minds to do so ... well if I said why, then would give away who it is. I how he/she want to make that game. A small token of appreciation for all they do here on the site. Perhaps @Ribs will pull the lever that pops out your number and you can make the Dec 10th game. EDIT: Spelling, LOL, doing this on my Samsung phone Edited November 16 by Rocket-68
Popular Post Blue Posted November 16 Popular Post Posted November 16 There should be a come home Connor cheer. Larchiders get on it 4 2 2 1
GrammaInTheTub Posted November 16 Posted November 16 (edited) 7 minutes ago, Rocket-68 said: Thank you Ganny, 3 CFF-ers are joining me and a few of my friends on Nov 19 ... 1 has yet to fully make up their minds to to ... well if I said why, then would give away who it is. I how he/she want to make that game. A small token of appreciation of all they do here on the site. Perhaps @Ribs will pull the lever that pops out your number and you can make the Dec 10th game. I hope to one day be able to provide these kinds of contributions. Grammas salary has gone up and down in recent years - but it will inevitably get back up again. I look forward to being able to gift and be gifted the experience of making new friends at a game. What you do is that good for the soul stuff and I look forward to it. I hope to meet you and buy you a beverage of your choice one day at the very least! Edited November 16 by GrammaInTheTub 2 1
Reg Posted November 16 Posted November 16 Please, please, please play a disciplined, tough game and win the mother. 4
Dr. Crossbar Posted November 16 Posted November 16 Suck it up! Get it done! No soft ice cream hockey! 1 1
grumpyone Posted November 16 Posted November 16 I have a strange feeling that this one could be a small blow-out... not sure which way the needle will swing though. Hopefully WE have a good bounce back.
Popular Post Dr. Crossbar Posted November 16 Popular Post Posted November 16 Crack that whip!!! 1 2 1 1
AlwaysACanuckFan Posted November 16 Posted November 16 Just now, Dr. Crossbar said: Crack that whip!!! What do we say to complacency 1 2
GrammaInTheTub Posted November 16 Posted November 16 2 minutes ago, Dr. Crossbar said: Crack that whip!!! 4
GrammaInTheTub Posted November 16 Posted November 16 26 minutes ago, Blue said: There should be a come home Connor cheer. Larchiders get on it I would love to hear this chant tonight. He knows. We know. He belongs here. 2
Nucker67 Posted November 16 Posted November 16 I think this is a turning point. Tocchet will have them ready by hammering into their skulls how to play with structure. The Canucks should win big against the Blackhawks, but if they lose? Yikes. These losses at home are becoming ridiculous. Time to turn it around.
Popular Post Harvey Specter Posted November 16 Popular Post Posted November 16 Let's get the 2010's anger and hatred of the Blackhawks alive and well with Bedard and company coming into town. Show them that this season is 82 games long and we don't just roll over. We mean business and it is our turf to defend. Let's go Gents! Show them some West Coast hospitality and treat them to a wrecking ball show featuring the Greatest Sher(wood)man. 2 2 1 1 1
Nucker67 Posted November 16 Posted November 16 I think the Canucks lines will be: Suter - Miller - Lekkerimaki Sherwood - Pettersson - DeBrusk Joshua - Blueger - Garland Hoglander - Raty - Heinen 1
Canuck You Posted November 16 Posted November 16 Hopefully we play like we're on the road and Bedard can play like he's home!
Popular Post Canuck You Posted November 16 Popular Post Posted November 16 28 minutes ago, GrammaInTheTub said: 5
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