In 2011, the Canucks surprised none by dominating the regular season with an impressive 117 point total on route to their first Presidents Trophy ever.
In the first round, the Canucks were paired with the defending Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks, the team that also knocked them out of the playoffs the last two years and had also over that two year they had became their arch Nemesis.
The Canucks were on the verge of blowing a 3-0 lead in the first round which would have been a deflating blow to not only the organization but also to the desperate fan base who have been thirsty for a Stanley Cup Parade which had then turned into a 4o year wait for some die-hard fans.
The day was April 26th, 2011. Ironically, also a Tuesday. As I recall, it was a beautiful day in Vancouver, the lower mainland and also the Fraser Valley. It was the first day back in school as the day before was Easter Monday. What seemed like the worst Nightmare ever was becoming more real by the day as I woke up at on April 26th. I had a two block day. Marketing class and Math. Also a I don't think I stopped thinking about the Canucks that day as Canucks nation was getting ready for one of two outcomes that would have polar opposite reactions that night. In fact, I'm not sure how I got through the day at school in my Senior year in High School. I was looking forward to both of my classes as both of my teachers were big hockey fans including the one was going to the game that night if my memory is correct. I had created a reputation in Grade 11 and 12 where my teachers had asked me the opinion on the latest sports topics.
I can't remember what I was asked that day except for it was all about the Canucks. I had my blue home jersey on that day. I was reluctant to wear for the first six games as I knew this was going to be a long run. I remember feeling slightly confident for game 7, but it had really come down to a coin flip.
At my Work Experience that afternoon, a kid in Kindergarten came up to me and said their Dad was wearing the same jersey as I was. It was the cutest thing in the world. I remember walking home after school, seeing so many cars have car flags on was really amazing.
After my doctors appointment that afternoon, I was just waiting for the game to start. The tension was getting overwhelming to say the least. Oh and by the way, the entire game is another blog post in itself.
Luckily for Canucks fans, they dominated and if it wasn't for Corey Crawford, the game could have easily been a 4-0 Vancouver win. The Canucks got a goal by Alex Burrows 2:43 into the game which for sure settled a few nerves around Vancouver.
The game remained 1-0 going into the third, Alex Burrows missed a Penalty shot, then Jonathan Toews scored a speechless shorthanded goal to send the game into overtime
The intermission lasts about 15 minutes, however this overtime intermission seemed like it lasted 18 hours. In the overtime, Alex Burrows took a penalty and it looked like he was going to go from hero to goat within the few hours. Fortunately, the Canucks killed the penalty off and within a few minutes of live action, it was Alex Burrows that was crowned hero again with his second goal of the night.
It was the most stressful day I have ever been through. At the end, it was the most relief I have ever felt in my life. I was literally running around in my house screaming when they won. I'm not sure what would have happened if Chicago won last night but I'm glad we didn't have to find out because on this night five years ago, the hockey god's were on the Canucks side.
two block Work Experience that I had at the local Elementary school that semester.
No comments:
Post a Comment