41. Canucks towards the 1989 Stanley Cup champion Flames
Lewiston, Maine - The bar of a Mexican restaurant in Lewiston, Maine will probably appear an extended way eliminated from the center of Stanley Cup action. Yet, watching Game 7 of your Vancouver-Chicago sequence on television soon after scouting the Saint John-Lewiston junior game brought me flashbacks of Stanley Cup action from 22 decades back which were so vivid they sent chills down my spine.
Tony Parker Royal #9 Blue jersey
In 1989 I was a young member from the Calgary Flames scouting workers also, the group had just won its 2nd consecutive Presidents Trophy. Then again, playoff victory was proving to become significantly additional elusive. The staff had suffered big upsets during the former two springs and was now enjoying poorly in opposition to a scrappy, decided Vancouver staff. Heading into Game seven in Calgary, you may cut the tension using a knife.
During the intermission before Tuesday nights overtime, the consensus was the Hawks had the momentum. Still, my flashbacks have been growing to be more powerful. Such as the 89 Flames, the Canucks must endure an ordeal by fire. The get going of your overtime was disastrous for Vancouver. A penalty to Alex Burrows, who had been one of the Canucks most desirable gamers, followed by an spectacular Chicago power play plus a goalmouth pass to uncovered sniper Patrick Sharp. Vancouver then became a crew of destiny. The much-maligned Roberto Luongo constructed one among the most important saves of his occupation on Sharp, which permitted Burrows to redeem himself by scoring the winning purpose later on. The stress was broken within a wave of jubilation; the Canucks superior to your up coming spherical. My flashbacks were correct.
No one features a crystal ball. The street in front in the Canucks is extended and arduous. However, practically nothing can surpass the amount of tension that climaxed on Tuesday. The very first round in the playoffs is typically the most pressure-packed and emotional time of your NHL period. This really is specifically accurate for groups such as the 1989 Flames and then the 2011 Canucks, who equally bore the double burden of standard time accomplishment combined with past playoff failures.
The 89 playoffs had been hard for your Flames. Nevertheless, none of their subsequent playoff sequence came close to matching the drama of your primary spherical showdown with Vancouver. The truth is, none for the other series went the full seven games. The group played with a good deal further confidence after it dealt with the to begin with round pressure and prevailed to a Stanley Cup championship. I'm self-confident the 2011 Canucks will now be further daring and calm, that can allow them to play somewhat extra loose and aggressive from the coming rounds.
Michael Finley #4 Black jersey
Previous Calgary Flames and Pittsburgh Penguins coach Badger Bob Johnson was only fifty percent joking when he employed to say the true secret to winning the Stanley Cup was to win the 1st spherical. Once that emotional hurdle is triumph over, talent prevails most of the time. Now we'll see if your 2011 Canucks can duplicate the playoff efficiency from the 1989 Flames.