I’m not sure what to tell you, except that as of week 9 the Vancouver Canucks had just ended an eight-game losing streak after defeating the Ottawa Senators 5-2. Before Ottawa, the Canucks hadn’t scored more than two goals per game in the last eight games. Roberto Luongo thus far has been standing on his head in the net, and so has Eddie Lack. John Tortorella and his coaching staff have done all they could to get the offense motivated to score. Perhaps the victory over the Senators on American Thanksgiving should be a permanent wake up call.
http://youtu.be/kvGIZ3uWFqE
Outlook: November is a month the Canucks will definitely want to forget. On the hopes that the Canucks will be moving into December on a better note, starting with an afternoon date against former coach Alain Vigneault and the New York Rangers. The Canucks need to do simply do one thing: Score in bunches.
Giving Thanks
Let’s be thankful for these hockey mishaps that don’t involve Vancouver:
Thanks for Tolerating Anthem Mistakes (again and again)
Thank goodness that we take singers who butcher the national anthems in stride. Someone in the New York Islanders organization is going to have to answer for this…
http://youtu.be/UkJLq5ZbI3E
God Shed His Grace on Thee…did He really? And I really feel sad for the kid who stumped on the Russian national anthem, and then his home country’s…
http://youtu.be/q65UghW_KRo
Thanks for Changing the Canadian Landscape, Bettman
The Rogers Sportsnet/NHL deal this week came as a shock to the Canadian hockey viewing audience. At the astronomical price of $5.2 billion, Rogers took sole & full control of all NHL media rights in Canada. With this deal, this could spell the death of CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada, the once true icon of Canadian and hockey television & tradition after 61 years. The way Canadians watch NHL hockey will never be the same. But while the deal secures Rogers with NHL programming for the next 12 years, there are so many questions that need to be answered.
Could this spell the end for Ron MacLean and Don Cherry? What will the new HNIC look like? And what happens after four years when Rogers is no longer committed to the HNIC brand? Will and classic television program disappear like Canada’s Mr. Dressup, the Muppet Show, Mr. Rogers or yesterday’s Monday Night Football before commercialization took over the NFL?
And lastly, what’s the fate of TSN, the long standing Canadian channel that provides best television coverage that featured the best hockey analysts, experts and commentators in Canada? Will they have to make a mass exodus to Rogers Sportsnet and kick out their expert of goons? And that happens, what is the fate of TSN when they can’t broadcast NHL hockey for the next 12 years?
Unfortunately for them, hockey represents Canada over maple syrup, Mounties and even beer. Without putting an NHL product on your network, there’s really no point running a sports channel.
The death knell for CBC and TSN will be felt the hardest among the older demographic. The new kids don’t like Don Cherry; they don’t even know or care who he is. The hockey television landscape in Canada will change forever.
Who do we thank for this? Gary Bettman, Rogers, and Greed combined. Money talks. Always has, always will.
Happy Thanksgiving Weekend, America!