As a Canucks fan, I felt pretty good after their 4-1 win over the Predators last night, which also gave them a spot in the top 8 in the Conference for the first time this season. But, it wasn't until I saw the following recap in the Vancouver Sun that I broke out laughing and couldn't stop:

"The Predators lost centre Jerred Smithson with a broken hand after he blocked a Salo shot in the first period"

Don't know why, but I really want to see Salo gun down many more opposing players. Is that wicked or what?

Are you a wicked Canucks fan? What wicked stuff do you like the most? Fess up.

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Here are some "Wicked Canucks Moments":

1. Brandon Prust Bobblehead Day, Courtesy of Rick Rypien

2. Never Turn Your Back on the Canucks, They Will Make You Bow

If Forsberg makes NHL comeback, Canucks will be there.

Mike Gillis said that the Canucks are committed to "bringing the best players we can any time they become available". Peter has been unquestionably one of the all time greats in NHL. If, it's a big IF, he can recover from foot and ankle injury, why not sign him? Yes, he may be past his prime and injury-prone, but the level of skill, caliber of play and the drive to win that he brings to a team are just too invaluable to pass.

The Stats

Forsberg won two Stanley Cups, two World Championships and two Olympic hockey gold medals. He is one of only three players who have won the three competitions twice. As of the end of the 2008-09 NHL season, he is the third-highest all-time Swedish point scorer in the NHL (behind Mats Sundin and Nicklas Lidström); In each of his 12 NHL seasons, Forsberg has never had a negative plus-minus rating, totaling an overall career rating of plus 242; according to Wikipedia.

The Player On-Ice

Despite his enormous talents and achievements, he wants to be regarded as "a hard-working guy who did everything for his team to win." 

Forsberg is a complete player who plays the game with passion, grit and undaunted determination. He can dangle the puck, run over or deke around the D-men, make highlight-reel pases and score amazing goals when surrounded by the opposing team's D-men. It's unbelievable how often he makes the other team's players look completely clueless and helpless. He is perhaps one of few players who can beat Nicklas Lidström one-on-one, and sometimes makes arguably the best defense man in NHL look silly.

I have a sneaking suspicion that the 2009 World Series might be an all-California event this year. The last two times that happened  were when the A's defeated the Giants in 1989 and the Angels beat the Giants in 2002. (Thanks to bobnothing and jeffro for the correction).

The AL Pennant

The LA Angels will face the Yankees in the ALCS. The Angels have a winning regular-season record against New York in the past decade or so. The two teams met twice before in the postseason, and LA won both times, in 2002 ALDS (3-1) and in 2005 ALDS (3-2). In addition, Yankee's ace Sabathia has been a postseason disappointment (2007 ALCS and 2008 NLDS), so it's likely that LA will win the AL pennant.

The NL Pennant

Phillies are leading Rockies 2-1 in the NLDS  and Cliff Lee is lined up for Game 4. In Game 1, Lee had a complete game victory against the Rockies, even though things might be different the second time around, I still think the Phillies will pull off a win somehow. However, if the series goes the distance, it might turn in the Rockies favor, as the injuries to the Phillies pitching staff are piling up.

If the Phillies survive, the problem with their pitching staff will make them ineffective against the Dodgers. If the Rockies win, the Dodgers with solid pitching and a potent lineup will still have an advantage over them. So I would pick the Dodgers to win the NL pennant

UPDATE:

The Phillies eliminated the Rockies in a thriller. They held a one-run lead till the bottom of the 8th inning, when an error by Phillies shortstop Rollins led to a three-run inning for the Rockies. Huston Street came in the top of the 9th to close the game, but gave up three runs with two outs instead. Phillies used two pitchers to close the game in the bottom of the 9th. Kudos to Manuel for trusting the right men at the right time.

The World Series

If this indeed turns out to be an all-California affair, i.e.,"the Freeway Series", there is no question which team the AN will root for. But, if history repeats itself, the Angels will win it all. As the last team who swept the Red Sox in the postseason went on to win the World Series, the 2005 White Sox.

What's your pick?

Congratulations on the 300th WIN! Congratulations for battling back from back surgery! Congratulations for pursuing your career on your own terms and never giving up!

What an incredible career! What an indomitable spirit!

Because of Randy Johnson, I became an A's fan. I remember back in 2006, on Opening Day, Randy Johnson and the Yankees routed the A's 15-2, but the A's bounced right back and won the series 2-1. They showed a lot of heart in that series, and I've been rooting for the A's ever since.

The A's beat Johnson later that year. In fact, they did it twice in one week, and both times Dan Haren was the starting pitcher for the A's. Johnson's second loss was perhaps one of the lowest points of his career.  It was fun to watch for an A's fan, but also painful to see someone, who once had been so dominant, struggling so badly on the mound, giving up HR after HR and BB after BB. The commentators on YES were asking, "What's wrong with Randy Johnson?"

It was later discovered that Johnson had a herniated disc in his back. The Yankees traded him to the Dbacks in 2007 and he underwent back surgery that year. At age 44, having already had a brilliant Hall of Fame career, he could have retired. But he would not give in. He wanted to end his career on his own terms. With fire in his eyes, he kept on pitching and kept on competing.

Thank you, Randy Johnson, for being an inspiration!

Randy Johnson's Perfect Game

The Star Power

Red Wings' coach Babcock has been matching up Zetterberg and Lidstrom against Penguins' Crosby. The problem is, although the Red Wings have shut down Crosby so far, they haven't been able to keep Malkin off the score sheet in all 3 games. Malkin had 3 assists in Game 3, which the Penguins won 4-2. Are there nobody else on the Red Wings team who Babcock can trust to shutdown Malkin? Or will he try matching up Z and Lidstrom against Crosby and Malkin respectively?

The Fatigue Factor

For the second time in 3 games, Lidstrom logged the longest TOI on both teams. In Game 3, Lidstrom's TOI was 26:40 and Zetterberg 24:19, longer than all the other players. Babcock also relies on Lidstrom for the PK. Penguins' coach Bylsma commented after their Game 3 win, to the effect that, Lidstrom and Z were so tired that  they were less effective than they would normally be.

Lidstrom did seem a bit off in Game 3. He had a rare giveaway near his own net that almost caused them. He wasn't as quick to the puck as he usually is and was visibly tired late in the 3rd period. In fact, the entire Red Wings team looked exhausted in the 3rd after controlling the play in the 2nd.

The fatigue factor is a cause for concern for the Red Wings. They have already been through two tough, physical series against the Ducks and Hawks. Injuries are piling up and fatigue is setting in. Will they raise their game as a team or will they fade away? How much longer can Lidstrom and Z carry the heavy workload?

Keep Your Eyes on the Puck!

The playoff games are full of physical plays, with lots of pushing and shoveling, hits and checks. It's exciting and intense, not to mention highly entertaining for the fans.  Sometimes, however, in the heat of the moment, players get carried away with the physicality and lose track of the play, and moments like these often determine the final outcome of the game.

Filppula's Goal

In Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals, when the score was still tied 1-1, Red Wings' Filppula scored the game-winning goal on a pass from Holmstrom in the crease. Penguins' Malkin was backchecking and, instead of tracking the puck, he turned and pushed Holmstrom to the ice along with his own goalie, leaving Fippula plenty of space to make the unbelievable play from an improbable angle. By the time Malkin turned around, the puck was already in the net. No wonder he had a meltdown at the end of the game.

Lidstrom's Goal

A similar scenario occurred in Game 1 of the Ducks vs Red Wings series. Detroit's Franzen was in front of Ducks' net, looking for rebound from Lidstrom's shot. Ducks' Pronger, instead of clearing the puck, turned his back and shoveled Franzen out of the crease, giving Lidstrom the perfect opportunity to swoop in and score on his own rebound. It was a great sequence of play that Lidstrom himself started from behind Detroit's net.

"Lucky" Goals (AKA, Net Presence)

Lots of sports writers wrote about how the Red Wings got lucky in Game 1, scoring two-goals off the end board and Fleury's body parts. The truth is they created their own scoring chances and made the most of them by getting players into position around the net (Thanks to Zanstorm for bringing it up) The Penguins want to learn from the Red Wings in terms of "net presence" and scoring "dirty goals", but if that's not the way they've played all year, it's hard to execute consistently in the playoffs.