Now that the Canucks run to the Stanley Cup, ahem, is over, I guess we can turn our eyes to the provincial election campaign.
Oh, wait a minute, it’s nearly over already.
Oh well, I guess I’ll catch the next one.
No, really, I’ve been paying attention but certainly not as much as if the playoffs weren’t on at the same time, and they’re late this year due to the earlier lockout so it’s even more of a distraction than it would have been if there weren’t four games on every night.
Anyway the post-mortem on the Canucks season has begun in earnest and I’m not above throwing in my assessment for what it’s worth. Not much, I realize, but I need to vent so here goes nothing.
The goaltending controversy continues and Roberto Luongo has most assuredly played his last game as a Canuck but there’s something else bothering me about the scenario.
No. 1 goalie Cory Schneider is a good goalie who many believe will one day be great but he looked suspect in Game 3 and 4. One could argue his meltdown in the third period in Game 3 was a huge factor in that loss and he didn’t look very good on the tying or winning goal in Game 4.
I would argue if Luongo was in net with a similar performance there would have been a huge uproar about how they should have got rid of him months ago, and how washed up he is and……
However, maybe it’s all for the best. Louie played well in the first two games, so he can leave on a high note, and the new guy got some valuable experience that he can build on – of course that’s putting an ultra positive spin on things but, hey, I’m a Canucks fan, it’s necessary.
Anyway, the coach who put in Schneider after an injury layoff that might have affected his performance may not leave town on such a high note.
Not that I think coach Alain Vigneault should be fired, he’s a good coach, but somebody likely has to take the fall for losing 10 of the last 11 playoff games and being the first team out of 16 to be eliminated this year.
Injuries, some bad calls, and a few bad bounces can cost you in a series, especially when two games go to overtime, but that’s the beauty (and agony) of sports, the margin between victory and defeat can be small, and huge, at the same time.
Anyway, getting to my original point, the provincial election campaign took a hit, if only people could care as much about who forms government as they do about their hockey team (maybe a Cup of some kind should go to the winner).
I’m pretty sure you can’t blame the Canucks’ early exit on Christy Clark and the Liberals, although some might try of course especially in the final frantic days of the campaign, but it doesn’t help us feel good about ourselves, or the economy for that matter.
So it might be a small factor somehow but, again, I’m not sure how electing an NDP government would help the Canucks either.
And if you really haven’t been paying attention to the campaign due to the Canucks (or Leafs, or Habs, or Sens or even a non-Canadian team), apparently it’s a lot closer game than when it originally started.
So that means your vote on Tuesday will definitely count (actually it always does just so you know) and there’s still time to make an informed and educated decision.
Read the paper, talk it over with your friends and family, debate the issues and even consult with the candidates if you can.
It’s important and it’s up to you.
And unlike in sports, where it’s almost always wait ‘til next year if your team doesn’t win (heavy sigh), in politics the next contest is a long four years away.
So get out there and vote.
