I just finished watching the Indianapolis Colts dismantle the Chicago Bears in the Super Bowl in Miami. I'm happy for Peyton Manning. He finally won the big game, although two weeks ago versus the New England Patriots was probably the unofficial Championship.
I sat there watching Manning being vindicated on the podium as he accepted his shiny, red Cadillac as the MVP and I contemplated the journey some teams go through to become heralded World Champions.
Sometimes the process is a lengthy one; two, three and even four years long.
I compared the Colts victory to other major league sports teams who currently hold the reigns as the best at what they do: the Carolina Hurricanes in the NHL, the St. Louis Cardinals in MLB and the Miami Heat in the NBA.
What's the common denominator for all these clubs? Or is there one?
Three of the current title holders have the best players in their respective sports: Manning, Albert Pujols and the Dwayne Wade/Shaquille O'Neal combination. I'd argue the Hurricanes roster didn't have the best player in the game, however, Cam Ward was definitely the best at a specific time during last years playoffs as the Conn Smythe trophy winner.
The Colts and Cardinals have been flirting with glory for a few years now, while the Heat were mediocre until Shaq and Wade paired up to complete one of the most dominant tandems in the NBA. These days, the Hurricanes are struggling along in eighth spot in the Eastern Conference and aren't even a lock to make the playoffs.
For the most part, the NHL seems to follow the path of the other leagues by having teams at or near the top for a few years before finally breaking through. The New Jersey Devils, Colorado Avalanche and Detroit Red Wings are all examples of this phenomenon.
You might be wondering what's my point with all this, right?
Well, I'm just wondering where the Canucks sit in the cycle of teams looking to make a run at Lord Stanley. I look at the Buffalo Sabres and I get discouraged because Vancouver used to be in their position not too long ago. Todd Bertuzzi, Markus Naslund and Brendan Morrison were driving the West Coast Express and our boys were perennial favorites to hoist the mug.
We all know how that turned out.
After 53 games, the Canucks find themselves sitting mildly comfortably in seventh spot in the West, two points out of first in their division and only six up on the last place Edmonton Oilers.
At the start of the season there was a lot of push back from fans who were used to seeing the Canucks score at will and coast into the playoffs. Now, the Canucks have reinvented themselves as a defensive minded club, beginning with Roberto Luongo, and the fans are slowly starting to buy into the program.
As fans, we seem willing to just want to crack the top eight and ride Luongo as far as he can take us in the playoffs and I'm fine with that, too. I really am. I guess I'm just thinking out loud after watching the Colts win and wondering if we have all the important pieces in place.
Is it realistic to think the Canucks can get into the playoffs and do any damage after completely turning the franchise in a completely different direction? It would be like asking a heavyweight fighter to try defending his belt while suddenly switching to southpaw, wouldn't it?
Is there any precedent for this? When was the last time you saw a team completely change their style of play and go on to win the Championship the following year.
Teams add bits and pieces to the puzzle, but rarely is a complete overhaul or change in philosophy successful immediately.
Maybe I'm sounding like a pessimist, but that's really not my intention. If there's a player in the NHL who can put a team on its back for an extended period of time, it's Luongo - I don't doubt that for one second.
I think I would feel better about the Canucks situation heading into the trade deadline if they added one more important cog we could throw onto any of the top two or three lines; like a versatile forward with a right-handed shot who can play special teams, take the occasional draw and chip in offensively.
Join the club, right.
Who knows, maybe when Rick Rypien gets better in a a week or two, we'll have what we need. I sure hope so. Once Ripper gets back to the line-up, there's going to be a log jam of players fighting to get in the line-up. Jeff Cowan, the recently re-assigned Tommi Santala, Marc Chouinard and even Josh Green will be working hard as the black aces in practice trying to impress coaches.
I'd still like to see Dave Nonis bring in at least one more guy.
There's a number of players who fit the bill I've described, but there's one guy I've liked for a few years - I wonder what the price tag for Glen Murray would be?
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