Canucks have worst "image" in sports

Uniforms and logos are how we indentify with our favorite teams. Sure, traditional philosophies - think of the Steelers and their aggressive defense and stubborn running philosophy, or the Lakers and Bulls with the Phil Jackson-led triangle - make up an identity, but I'm talking about what pops into our mind when we think of our team.

Think of the Steelers, and you see that Black helmet and those school bus yellow pants.Think Lakers and you see that gaudy but familiar yellow and purple. (The white home jerseys just didn't look natural. While possibly aesthetically more pleasing, the Lakers should be in deep yellow at home.)

It's this visual "image" of a team that is established in our minds. And it is what convinces me that the Vancouver Canucks have the worst uniform and logo image in pro-sports.

This is a team that came into the National Hockey League in 1970. In fourty years, the franchise has had modest success, with several deep runs in the playoffs. They have memorable, legendary players identified with their franchise: Trevor Linden, Pavel Bure, Dave Babich, Geoff Courtnall, Markus Naslund, the Sedins are on their way...

But there is no automatic image that pops into your head when you think of this team. Historically, they have had some of the worst uniforms. From the awful color choices of ordinary blue and John Deere green to the hideous mustard, red and dark brown flying V.

This team hasn't had a consistent logo. They had the skate with Canucks as the blade, the too-basic square-circular vertical hockey stick that is supposed to look like both a whale head and a "c", the total misuse of the only good color choice - dark blue, gray and red - with the awful shark head "C" made famous by the Messier potato chip commercials where he ran down the hall in his skates. No consistency whatsoever, and a 1-4 success rate on uniforms even looking decent.

I didn't mind the circle-skate logo worn during the Bure-led run to the finals against the Rangers in '94. I think a deep nave blue, a sharp forest green and grey color scheme with the circled skate logo with Canucks scripted as the blades. Okay, enough of this...

Getting back to my point. Shouldn't a team with a 40-year history that has had memorable players and a legendary 7-game final with the Rangers and Mark Messier's whole involvement with both franchises have an established "image"? It just seems like something a franchise gets as a no-brainer. What does your team visually look like? Bam! Auto-matic image should hit their fan base. Yet, here are the Canucks. And they've never gotten this concept.

Gut Reaction Playoff Prediction

There will be plenty of well-researched, statistically backed, entertainlingly written playoff previews. THN.com, NHL.com, TSN.ca, ESPN.com... All those commercial, well produced and professional outlets never let us down on witty angles and thorough detail digging.

That's not what I'm going for here. This is just how I think things will playout based on my initial reaction to seeing the pairings...

Eastern Conference....

#1. Washington vs. #8 Montreal
I'll give the Habs the nod with the goalie, but Ovechkin, Semin, Green, Backstrom vs. Plekanec... And... Um... Gomez?... Oh yeah, the good Kostitsyn!
Pick: Caps in 5


#2. Devils vs. #7 Flyers

Brodeur vs. Boucher.
Pick: Devils in 6

#3 Sabres vs. #6. Bruins
Ryan Miller's signature season can't end in the first round. That wouldn't be right.

Pick: Sabers in 6

#4 Penguins vs. #5 Senators
I'd like the Sen's chances a lot more with Kovalev in the lineup. Even with his inconsistencies, removing anyone's 2nd line center right before the playoffs start is hard to overcome.
Pick: Pens in 5

Western Conference...

#1. Sharks vs. #8. Avalanche
The clock seemed to be striking midnight for the young Avs even before Meuller got hurt. Perfect team for the Sharks to quiet any nerves.
Pick: Sharks in 4

#2. Chicago vs. #7. Nashville
The fans of Nashville deserved a better fate than this matchup. I think it will be a fun series to watch, though.
Pick: Chicago in 6

#3.Vancouver vs. #6 L.A. Kings
The Kings are fun to watch. Vancouver's the better team. Honestly. I think they will win. But I need an upset pick, and this was the my first pick. Remember, gut reaction picks!
Pick: Kings in 7

#4 Phoenix vs. #5 Detroit
Despite the seeding, public opinion will view the Red Wings as favorites. Phoenix is this good. They will fill that arena. They will be physical, close games. This may be my favorite matchup.
Pick: Coyotes in 7

Tim Thomas = Jim Carey?

Hard to believe how far he's fallen. Remember Jim Carey? Not the actor, but the goalie? Weird similarity there. American goalie, won the Vezina with the Caps in 1996 at 22 years old. Gets traded to Boston and flames out. What other Vezina winner do you not remember from the years you've been watching hockey? That may be right up there with Alexander Daigle and Patrick Stefan the biggest disappointments in the NHL in our generation.

Thomas is older, but another American goaltender who wins the Vezina in his first season as undisputed goalie for his team, and carries it to the President's trophy. This year, granted they've been hit hard by injuries (but what team hasn't. Losing Kessel really hurt this team. 37 goal scorers aren't replaced easily.), but Thomas has been awful this year. He's no longer the starter, and Tuuka Raask has carried this team into the 8th spot.

How does this not end tragically for Thomas? Raask has statistically been among the best goalies in the league, and has excelled in Europe and the AHL.

$5 million is expensive for a backup, over 30 goalie. Anyone other than Philly desperate enough to trade for him at that cap hit (Briere for Thomas)? I can't see him being anything more than a waiver claim at half the hit on a recall, or him unfortunately disappearing to Providence for the remainder of his contract.

I hope I'm way off base with this. But, let's be honest. With Tuuka Raask needing starter's money (and barring injury to or collosal collapse by Raask), if Thomas makes a comeback to the elite goalie status, it won't be as a Bruin.

Penguins Good Enough To Close Igloo With A Cup Win?

I'll be honest. I have serious concers about the Penguins chances of repeating last season's championship run.

I don't doubt Sidney Crosby. The Pens captain has a drive in him that is extremely rare. When you're the best player in the game and yet you analyze the weaknesses in your game and make them strong points, even after you win a championship... Well, you don't see that very often. Crosby was known as an elite playmaker, with a pass that is better than his shot. Another weakness was faceoffs.

This season, he's among the leaders in faceoff win percentage and may end up leading the NHL in goals. No reason to worry about Sid the Kid.

He still doesn't have wingers that produce consistently. Pascal Dupuis, Billy Guerin and Chris Kunitz have spent the most time on his wings, but none have nailed down a spot. It strikes me as ridiculous that Crosby can put up 100 points, yet there isn't a winger on this team that will finish the season with 30 goals or 70 points.

This team resembles a Brian Burke creation. Crosby and Malkin lead two scoring lines, and the bottom two lines focus on shutting down opponents.

Here are my concerns. Last season, the Pens were able to get contributions from al four of their lines. This version is top heavy. Jordan Staal may be among the best defensive centers in the game, but is it just me or should a #2 overall be registering seasons of at least 30 goals and/or 70 points by now, especially when he's among the team leaders in ice time among forwards?

The third line of Staal, Matt Cooke and Tyler Kennedy are among the most effective shut down lines in the game. Cooke is a master agitator who plays on the edge. Kennedy has rare speed and a slick right-handed wrist shot that show the potential of a deadly goalscorer, yet that potential doesn't seem any closer to being reached today than it did when he broke into the league. The fact he was a healthy scratch after the Pens acquired Alexei Ponikarovski tells me coach Dan Bylsma feels the same way.

The other main concern is the lack of defensive defensemen beyond Brooks Orpik. The Pens top six defenseman - Sergei Gonchar, Orpik, Kris Letang, Alex Goligoski, Mark Eaton and Jordan Leopold - don't exactly intimidate opponents. Last season, 6-7 human oak tree Hal Gill and shot-blocker extraordinaire Rob Scuderi teamed with offensive counter parts to make goalie Marc-Andre Fleury's life a little easier. This season, we have 4 puck movers, the all-around suberb Gonchar, and the physical Orpik. Letang has some nastiness to him, but a 6-0, 200 defenseman will only be so effective against the like of a 6-3, 230 pound dynamo like Alex Ovechkin. And that has shown this season as the Pens were swept in the 4 games they played the Caps.

For the Pens to compete for the Eastern Conference crown among the likes of the Capitals, Devils and Sabres, they will need to be flawless in a collapsing, eliminate shooting lanes and create turnovers style. This will hide the shortcomings of a small, puckmoving defense corps.

Otherwise, sit back and enjoy the run and gun games, but don't expect to watch them past the second round.