Six Of The Seven Canadian Teams Miss This Year's Playoffs

[centrehice]

With 4 teams finishing dead last, in order, in the Western Conference thus far. I don't think I have ever seen a year with a full complement of Canadian teams that overall has done so poorly in the regular season.

A stumble by the Habs at some point in this past year could have had all the Canadian teams on the outside looking in.

[87sluggo]

Well.............we're Single A ball champions here in Vancouver for three years running so pbbbbbbbbbbft to you?

That's all I got, really. Management and lack of preparedness for injuries in Vancouver destroyed us. Management is even worse in Edmonton. Calgary waited too long to rebuild. Winnipeg is still just grateful to have hockey back, the honeymoon is probably over now though. Ottawa was decimated by injuries and the whole Alfredsson mess, and the Leafs...........are the Leafs.

Go Habs go!!!

[centrehice]

The thing that bothers me about this, is the American non-Hockey media will take a shot at Canada again, in their infinite ignorance. Morons like Tony Kornholer will once again take the opportunity to put down Canada because of this result, and put down Hockey in general.

Idiotic statements that Canada used to be good at Hockey will be made, and other ridiculous comments will come forward.

Just watch the News/Sports, it will be a short matter of time before somebody in the US media is all over this.

[87sluggo]

Canada is still good at hockey, we just export our guys to the States :D



Meh, I don't really care what anyone down south thinks and I would hope that the six Canadian owners & GMs don't care either and instead spend their time and $$$ trying to put together some teams with some chemistry and intestinal fortitude. The salary cap has created a strange two-level echelon in the league, you're either really good or just plain bad now and there's not a lot of points separating the two. I think the GM makes all the difference now, the good ones find the right players.

[centrehice]

I've never cared because I have the IQ to be able to separate a Canadian drafted Hockey player playing on a US based team, rather than the team being bad because of their location that just so happens to be in Canada.

The average American does not have that capability to connect the dots. It just brings the game down and into disrepute for no reason.

[cygnusx1]

Ottawa was decimated by injuries

Sadly, not true. That was last year. This year they actually had the fewest man games lost out of the whole league.

Their problems for the majority of the year were poor defence (VERY poor defence), and a lack of consistency. All of the defencemen had poor years defensively, and I'm sure Bobby Ryan playing hurt for the majority of the year didn't help. Worst thing is that they seem to have gotten it together a bit after acquiring Hemsky (who has been a GREAT fit with Spezza) but it's a little too late.

Oh well, personally I thought that the people who were saying Ottawa was a contender at the start of the year were out to lunch. They're a very inexperienced team at this point, but there certainly have been positives.

[RGM81]

All you need is Habs...

[centrehice]

If that was our actual flag, I would have to burn one. That is heinous. Heh, heh.

[canucksfan007]

No Canucks in the playoffs ..... usually means I win the playoff pool =)

[Cunnuc]

It's business in Canada. That's what it seems like anyways. Win or lose, games still sell out. We need some passion behind the management that filters down to the rest of the organizations. Give the fans what they really want. We deserve it. At this pace you could have riots everywhere, not just Vancouver :P

Bringing in Linden and Shanahan is hopefully the best thing they could do for 2 of our 7 teams. But is this false hope? Linden is so loved in Vancouver that it would be an absolute shame for him to not succeed.

I just want one winning Toronto team. Business as usual though :(