Despite a shortened season in which the Canucks showcased an offense that at times would have struggled to outscore the 2003 Minnesota Wild, the Canucks have managed to yet again secure a spot in the NHL playoffs. They did this on a night against the Red Wings in which they managed just 14 shots, and in a game in which captain Henrik Sedin mused “I thought we played our best game in a few weeks.” This led many people in Vancouver to snicker, to guffaw, and to on occasion, chortle, at the thought that the Canucks captain seemed somehow pleased with the teams efforts on the night.
Meanwhile, on the other side of town, the Toronto Maple Leafs sewed up their first playoff berth since 2004 (back when beating Patrick Lalime was a key reason for their success), on a night in which James Reimer had to stop 49 shots to backstop his team to a 4-1 win. Reimer’s view on the night was that “this is the hockey you always want to play and dream of when you’re growing up. And especially for our city, I know they’re anxious for it. It’s great to finally clinch.”
The two viewpoints showcase the different positions the two teams are in headed into the playoffs. On one hand, you have the grizzled Canucks, who just two short years ago, were involved in a game seven battle for the Stanley Cup. On the other hand you have the Maple Leafs, whose last playoff memory was a team led by Ed Belfour (yes, that lovable scamp who once allegedly offered the police one billion dollars not to arrest his drunk ass), and an assortment of players who would have kicked ass had it still been the mid 90’s. Brian Leetch, Joe Nieuwendyk, Gary Roberts, Owen Nolan, Mats Sundin, Robert Reichel, Alex Mogilny, Mikael Renberg, and Ron Francis. This honestly might be the best collection of “we used to kick ass” guys ever assembled on one team. It was like the Expendables movie franchise, except in this version Sylvester Stallone got shot five minutes into the movie.
As a result of this two differing viewpoints, you have fans and teams that react far differently to making the playoffs. On the Canucks side of thing, there are high expectations for the team to make a deep run for the Cup. Anything but a third round exit will most likely be looked upon as a horrifying failure for a team that used to eat President Trophies for breakfast. The Leafs openly talk about making the playoffs as a reward in and of itself, and how it helps bring a bit of respect to an organization that has long struggled to win. One look at the Wikipedia page of the last Leafs team to make the playoffs will tell you just how big of a burden not making the playoffs has been on its fans:
I am pretty sure this was updated .00000001 seconds after the Leafs clinched on Saturday.
With all that being said, I thought it would be interesting to take some likely playoff scenarios and see what the reactions would be from the two cities. To test the water and try and help prepare the fans of both cities of what might lie ahead. So without further ado, I present to you….. What If? (OK, that is a working title, and it’s awful.)
What if…. the team goes down 3-0 in the series?
The mood will be dejected, but people will still be happy they made the playoffs. Many will lament about the fact that had it been a full length season, the Leafs might not have even made the playoffs, so they should be happy they at least made it into the first round. The fans will chalk it up as a valuable learning experience for their young players, and it will leave the fans excited about the next season.
Then someone will mention trading for Roberto Luongo and the entire internet will get into a giant bitch fest. Damian Cox will then claim that Gillis offered Luongo, Henrik and Daniel Sedin for a Toronto 5th rounder, and Darren Dreger will follow that up to clarify that this was their first offer, and that final offer Dave Nonis turned down was Henrik Sedin, half of Daniel Sedin, Roberto Luongo, the rights to Cory Schneider’s first born, and Pavel Bure’s number retirement ceremony.
Generally the mood in Toronto will be pleasant, though.
The mood will be unpleasant. The fans will alternate between whose feet the blame should be put at, and in the middle of all of this, Alain Vigneault will be front and center.
Alain Vigneault’s replacement will be tossed about, but will settle down into Mike Babcock, a vase or jar (still to be determined) of Ryan Kesler’s lemons, or Keith Ballard’s dog George, who is a tough, but fair coach.
The phrase “back in 2011” will become quite popular, and many people will fondly remember the days of when the Canucks used to win, as opposed to crawling into a fetal position and giving up.
This will not be a good time in Vancouver.
What if….the team goes up 3-0 in the series?
The fans will be going ballistic. Expect many Toronto fans who had previously been well mannered and self deprecating to suddenly be all up in your grill. All of a sudden they will be talking about how it is their time now, and how your team is over the hill and that your window is closed. They will then pantomime a window closing and will possibly add in sound effects.
The urge to punch the formerly friendly Leafs fan will be high.
The fans will sigh at the tediousness of having to finish off a fourth game. Many will openly ponder why the team couldn’t just go straight to the Finals, as bothering with all this stuff beforehand is just really really boring.
Some fans will suggest the Canucks could have won in three games had Alain Vigneault ran the lines properly. Others will attack Mike Burnstein for not tightening Kesler’s skates hard enough, which lead him to hitting a crossbar in game two. Keith Ballard’s dog George will still be offered up as a candidate to take over coaching.
Rest assured, it will still not be pleasant in Vancouver. The desire to win a cup weighs heavily on the city.
What if…the series is tied 3-3?
Much like in Vancouver, not having won the Cup in the last 374 years changes the outlook of a fan. Many in Toronto will be pessimistic about their chances. Those who are optimistic, will happily cheer on their team regardless of the outcome, and in the end, the city will still be happy that they pushed another team to the limit. This can only bode well for next year, right?
Kerry Fraser will then blog about how he in fact DID see the high stick on Gilmour back in ’93, and will tell Toronto fans to suck it.
Toronto will take years to recover.
If you’ve ever wanted to see angry pessimism, this will be the town to watch. On one side will be the fans who have been beaten up enough the last few years, who have had enough, and who no longer want to put any faith in a team that has let them down yet again.
On the other side will be the endlessly optimistic fans who believe the Canucks can rise above any odds, and even if they are down 9-0 in the third period, THIS will be the year of the first ever 10-9 comeback game in the playoffs.
This will result in a lot of name calling, curse words, Nathan Lafayette references, and of course, Keith Ballard’s dog George will once again come up as a coaching candidate.
Two cities, two different expectations. The real fun gets started once the playoffs kick in, and I for one can’t wait to see when George takes over coaching for the Canucks. Of course, it will get super awkward when George benches Keith Ballard, but that is a story for another day.