Throughout the playoffs, Don Cherry, from the CBC’s Coach’s Corner, has been harping on various teams to shut down the point shots from the opposition. We’ve seen clip after clip of teams that collapse towards their own net in defensive formation, leaving the opposing point men wide open to take shots.

During one segment a few weeks ago, the show’s host, Ron MacLean challenged Cherry, asking, “So you’d like to see them send 2 men out to the points?”

To which Cherry replied, “I’m not telling them what to do, I’m just showing you the problem.”

So what should the coaches do to fix this? The problem is that most of the shots Cherry has shown to illustrate his point have been during powerplays. When playing down one man, someone is always going to be open. Different teams have varying philosophies and formations on the penalty kill, but none can cover the points man-to-man. If they did, it would leave two defensemen to cover three forwards, all of whom are closer to the net and more dangerous based on this proximity.

So what does a special teams coach do when given four players to cover the opposition’s five? It doesn’t even take a hockey mind to realize that they need to be tighter on the players closer to the net, while giving a little more room to the two men furthest away. Hence, the points are open! It’s very nice of Cherry to point out this deficiency, but unless he can produce an extra man out of thin air, the problem cannot be solved by his constant yelling of, “Cover the points!”

Welcome, Mike Gillis, to the end of the season for the Vancouver Canucks. I almost feel bad for you because you had no idea the type of heartbreak you were in for when you agreed to this job. I am writing this at 5 A.M. because I can’t sleep. I cannot shake that ridiculous third period out of my mind, and I know that wherever you are, you can’t sleep either. During Vancouver’s incredible winning streak in February, you were quoted on the Team 1040 saying, “The slowest group to come around is clearly the media because they look at everything as if it's 20 years ago and something is going to blow up and explode.”

The 2009 playoffs might just be the largest explosion in Canucks history thus far. Down by 2 goals midway through the second period, the team showed guts and determination, not only tying the game at three’s before the end of the period, but grabbing the lead quickly in the third. Adam Burish of the Hawks answered with a tying goal 2 minutes later, but once again the boys in blue showed how much they wanted it. Daniel Sedin scored what should have been the game winning goal with 7:45 left on the clock.

On a night when three scoring lines produced for the Canucks, the team’s best players were their best players with the Sedins scoring 3 points between them and Mats Sundin having a 2 point performance, the Canucks most important player and captain Roberto Luongo had a stinker. For all the goals allowed that could be blamed on others, there was one, Patrick Kane’s game-tying wraparound with seven minutes remaining, that no goalie should ever let in. And that was when we knew that this shootout wasn’t going to go our way.

In Vancouver, the season never just ends for our Canucks. No, they bring our hopes up higher every year and then they inevitably kick us in the teeth. Here’s a quick recap of the recent memories. In 2002, the eighth-seeded Vancouver Canucks roared into the playoffs as the hottest team in the NHL and stole two games from the Red Wings in Detroit. Finally, we thought, the Canucks were ready to take the next step after being swept from the playoffs in 2001 by the Colorado Avalanche, and boy were we excited. Midway through game three of the series with the Wings, Nik Lidstrom scored from centre ice on Dan Cloutier, and we watched as the Canucks disintegrated before our eyes, losing four games straight. And we sat there wondering, “What just happened?” In 2003 the seas parted for the Canucks as they drew the sixth seeded Minnesota Wild in the second round. Up 3-1 in the series, they realized that if they beat the Wild, they would face the seventh seeded Anaheim Ducks in the Conference finals. The bandwagon was hopping that year, but a 3-1 series lead was not too much for the Canucks to destroy, and destroy it they did. In game 7 of the series, the team held a 2-0 lead in the second period, only to lose the game and the series in the third. We, the fans, were stunned, again thinking, “What just happened?” Of course there is game seven of the Calgary Flames series in 2004, where Matt Cooke tied up the game with four seconds remaining on the clock to send the game to overtime. Alas, it was only to bring our hopes up and crush them once again in overtime, leaving us once again in disbelief, “Seriously, did that just happen?”

This year, the Vancouver Canucks may have had their best shot in their 39 year history. Scoring lines three deep, the most solid group of six defensemen in the NHL, and the goalie with god-gifted talent had been assembled and engineered for one thing: playoff success. They managed, yet again, to bring Vancouver fans’ hopes up, which is not easy considering what we’ve been through. We know better, we’re a weary bunch of pessimists, but they had us captivated. I must admit, I was wrong when I predicted that goalie Roberto Luongo would be dialed in. He seemed anything but, and considering he is the Canucks best player, hardest worker, and has had so many clutch performances, allowing 7 goals in a playoff game is a stunner.

Welcome to Vancouver, Mike. Beware of explosions.

Open the papers today and you’ll see comments about how the Vancouver Canucks have not hit their stride yet:

“We haven’t seen the Canucks play their A game in this series.” – Vancouver Sun Sports Section.

Others offer criticism of certain players by stating that the Sedins or Alex Burrows have been invisible.

Well Mr. MacIntyre, Mr. Average Fan, what, to you, would constitute the Canucks hitting their stride? Here’s the answer: the Canucks play their best when they’re dominating the offensive boards, forechecking hard, and containing the puck in the opposite team’s end. This type of game plays directly into the hands of the Henrik and Daniel Sedin, Alex Burrows, Ryan Kesler, and probably most of the Canucks forwards. Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to see it because the coaching staff has been so focused on their trap.

Thus far in the Canucks second round series with the Chicago Blackhaws, this has been the game plan: obtain the lead, shut down the hawks, win the game. Sending one man past Chicago’s blueline and keeping the other two high is not an up-tempo fore-checking scheme. More often than not, it will not lead to more goals for the trapping team. Pointing out that the Canucks have underperformed or not shown up only displays a lack of hockey understanding from the analyst, because in reality, the Canucks have done quite well at trapping. In fact, before game 6, the Canucks have held a lead 90% of the time in this series.

The problem? Chicago can score in bunches in a very short time period. The answer? Keep trying to score! Build up as big a lead as possible and count on an attempted comeback, because you can be sure it will come. And trust in the best goalie in the league to step up and make the key save.

I have a feeling that whatever the coaching staff says tonight, the Canucks will be too jacked-up to play shut down hockey. Roberto Luongo will be too dialed in, facing elimination, to allow anything past him. It’s going to be a good one. Get ready.

Since Mats Sundin arrived in Vancouver in early January, we’ve heard all sorts of criticism directed towards him. Such comments as:

“Sundin was invisible once again tonight.”

“His age is showing through that laboured skating stride.”

“Sundin isn’t the same dominant player he was in Toronto.”

“He’s a shadow of his former self.”

For all Mats Sundin doesn’t bring to the team with his game on the ice, he makes up for it in spades with what he brings to the Canucks’ locker room. Think of it like this: have you ever in your life said “no” to your grandfather? Isn’t there something about the wrinkles and lines on his face; the way you can see the vein on his left temple throbbing when he’s giving an order that makes you instantly stand to attention?

What if one day you witnessed old granddad drop the cane, running off to play hockey against people half his age? Seeing him taking hit after hit and skating as hard as his old legs would allow – even if his speed was a joke to you – wouldn’t you be inspired to play your hardest?

So Mats addresses his teammates in his stern accented English: “Come on guys, let’s play hard” (he is a man of few words). If you’re young Alex Burrows or Mason Raymond, you’re sitting there wide-eyed, nodding furiously, hoping he doesn’t cuff you upside the head. You go out there and you play hard, like he asked, thinking he will notice and hopefully not cuff you upside the head when you return to the bench.

To Ryan Kesler, who is lucky enough to play on the same line, he says, “Young man, I will win the faceoff. You take the puck and shoot.” This is for a defensive zone faceoff. And Kesler, being a good kid, takes the puck end-to-end and scores half the time. No wonder he’s had such an offensive boost since Sundin’s arrival. No wonder, really, that the Canucks are a better team with the addition of this plodding, grizzled old man.

According to so many NHL analysts, the Chicago Blackhawks have reached the second round of the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs on sheer “they just don’t know any better”. Apparently, when they fall back by a few goals early in a game, the young core of players does not understand that teams usually give up at this point, so instead of rolling over, they keep playing! CBC and TSN analyst groups have formed a consensus. From ex-coaches Marc Crawford and Peter Laviolette to ex-players Craig Simpson and Darren Pang the argument is trumpeted as the reason the Blackhawks have managed four comebacks of at least two goals in only eight playoff games thus far. Well, if the experts say so, then it must be true. I’ve learnt that when I become a general manager, I will assemble a team of 22 idiots and morons. My captain will be Duhh-ion Phaneuf, and his supporting cast a group of fourth line meatheads who have taken too many pops to the head over the years. The team won’t know any better, and they’ll win game after game!

I suppose if I’m going to assert that the ‘Hawks reasons for getting as far as they have is not quite so simple, I should explain the real reasons behind their success. For starters, they boast 10 players who scored 40 or more points during the regular season. In comparison, the Pittsburg Penguins had four 40 point scorers, the San Jose Sharks nine, and the Detroit Red Wings eleven. Led by 4 supremely skilled forwards in Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Patrick Sharp, and of course Martin Havlat, they are one of the most potent offensive teams in the league. Add defensemen Brian Campbell (52 points this season), Duncan Keith (44 points), and Cam Barker (40 points), and it’s clear why this team ranked fourth in goals for during the year, with 264.

Of course, no team can win through scoring alone, which is where the extremely effective third and fourth lines come into play. Ben Eager, Adam Burish, David Bolland, Sammy Pahlsson, Kris Versteeg, and Dustin Byfuglien all add grit and energy every night and they also have the ability to play with the puck on their sticks. Add a former Cup winning goalie to backstop the team, and it’s clear that the Blackhawks have a lot more going for them than sheer dumb luck. Of course, if and when this Chicago team is ousted from the playoffs, and the same analysts are doing the regular autopsy, they will undoubtedly blame the youth and inexperience of the Blackhawks for their demise. And we will be left scratching our heads.