Playing Catch up

Welcome to the inaugural edition of Shot Blogger.

Why bother with a blog? Well a friend of mine suggested I start my own so here goes.

Vancouver Canucks playoff run 09

Canucks VS Blues

Heading into the series pundits extolled the virtues of the young, speedy, well coached Blues squad backstopped by a streaky goalie in the midst of the streak of his career.

What the talking heads failed to take into account was the decimated St. Louis blueline. The Blues popgun offence and suddenly mediocre netminding were definitely contributors to their struggles but it was the sluggish and/or undersized rearguards that made the Canucks forwards seem like the '91 Penguins.

It's no coincidence that the Canucks saved players as the series wound down. Although they would never admit it, the 'Nucks brass knew they had the Blues well in hand after game 2. Looking to make a long playoff run the Canucks brain-trust took a cautious approach and sat both Sundin and Salo. These injuries may have been serious enough to warrant sitting out but none the less the confidence to allow the players to attempt to heal was rooted in the knowledge that the Blues posed no threat to the Canucks playoff hopes.