Tweets:james_tanner123

So the playoffs are over for the Canadiens and what was once the fashionable trade deadline pickup is now the whipping boy of the hockey world.

A narrative so stupid it makes my head hurt.

Such is the life of anyone daring to think things through in the world of sports, already not the smartest place, and further dumbed-down in the year 2014 by the sheer number of daily blogs, Tweets and amount of commentary - "instant analysis" does not mean thoughtful.

Let's look at the Canadiens first and Vanek second.

Whatever errors in coaching, strategy, play etc. made by the Canadiens should be completely ignored and not talked about incessantly. This is a team that over-achieved. A trip to the semis is a great accomplishment in itself and the Canadiens are a young team on the way up. No one wins the first time out (usually) and the franchise is, for the first time in years and years, building something special.

To blame specific players, to complain about tactics or plays is just silly. This is a team that could be going to the Cup right now without playing one second of hockey differently.

Think about it. They hit the post in game four, seconds before the Rangers won it, then they won game five. Only pure luck prevented them from being up 3-2 last night and not down 3-2. The Rangers have been awesome and saying the Canadiens got unlucky doesn't diminish anything they have accomplished. An understanding of how luck factors into daily life is of course necessary to understand this, but let's just assume deep down people know that luck is the biggest single factor in any hockey game and move on.

So, last night they lost 1-0. Lundqvist played great, but luck was certainly a factor in his shutout. The Canadiens could have done nothing differently and closed out the series last night with a 2-1 victory. With an AHL goalie and one of the NHL's best players out with an injury.

Of course it didn't go down that way, but since it easily could have, with the two teams doing absolutely (and quite literally) nothing differently, then complaining about a player or coaching decision is ridiculous. The fact is, two evenly matched teams played and one got the breaks - someone has to.

This isn't meant to placate the Canadiens fans who probably feel pretty sick today, it's meant to cast a little light across the shadow of over-reactions and blame prevalent in today's coverage.

The Canadiens, without Price, lost but should have maybe won. That's how hockey works and I am not complaining about the result, only the aftermath that says "Oh Vanek didn't show up" "Subban was off his game" etc. These things may or may not be true, but they don't matter- we shouldn't have to blame someone every time. For one, it really lessons the impact of when someone does deserve blame. Secondly, it's tiresome and takes away from what was accomplished.

The Canadiens really played a great playoffs. Their GM has done a masterful job, their roster is fun to watch and they have a bunch of kids the fans can watch grow up, and hopefully this isn't their apex, but the start of a great journey.

People oughta think more and complain less. That's what I am saying.

Stay positive - as the Hold Steady will tell you.

Now, as for Vanek, can we all take a deep breath about this guy?

So what if he didn't have the greatest playoffs? To point to an arbitrary seven game scoreless streak and say he is suddenly not the player you thought he was, is beyond ridiculous - it's really dumb.

Vanek is the same player he was a month ago, or a year ago. If his value changes because of the playoffs then that is because it will turn out that NHL gms are as reactionary and silly as most of their fans.

Look at the guy - he's a 30 year-old not quite superstar, with almost 300 career goals who has been close to a point-per-game player for nearly a decade.

He also happens to be the best pending UFA by about a mile. That means someone will overpay him and his value will not be impacted at all by his recent slump. Now, hopefully no one is dumb enough to offer him the contract the Islanders did and which he turned down, but the guy is still going to get paid and then give the team who signs him 3 decent years and some horrible value later in the contract. That's just how these things work.

Vanek isn't the best and he isn't the worst, but the fact remains that there are very few wingers as good as he is, and we just don't know why he was in a slump lately. He might have been hurt, he might have just gone cold - it happens. We will probably never know. But it doesn't matter - anyone who has done even a modicum of research can tell you that "clutch" is not something that exists. Vanek didn't go cold because "he can't handle the playoffs," he just happened to hit a cold spell at an inopportune time.

Bottom line: anyone expecting a discount on Vanek because of a poorly timed slump is crazy. There just aren't guys like him available everyday and if you want him, you gotta pay - there is literally ten years of data on him, so if you make your decision based on 7 or 10 games, that is amazingly short sighted and stupid.

Gaborik has had a great playoffs, is racking up the goals, but based on the last five years, I would pay Vanek before I would pay Gaborik (too injury prone, just as libel to disappear occasionally). The point is, basing your decision on this years playoffs is just crazy talk.

Anyways, stay positive, cut the Canadiens some slack, look at the big picture: That's the moral.

Thanks for reading.

Join the Discussion: » 113 Comments » Post New Comment

» I am Just Curious If This Works

» NHL At Least Tries to do the Right Thing

» The NHL Cannot Remain Apolitical and Must Show Leadership

» Time for a New Coach to Go Along with the New G.M

» Coyotes Eliminated Following Severe Beating