Monday’s Hot Coals: Preparing For the Worst

From Day One of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Flames fans have been aware that the potential of seeing their division rivals celebrate with the championship that many regard as the hardest to win in professional sports. One could say we’ve been preparing for the worst. With every overtime game winner that came off the stick of Alex Burrows, the least favourable outcome of this year’s post-season became more and more likely, and tonight, in what could be the last hockey game of the season, our worst fears could finally be realized like they almost were with the Oilers‘ Cup run in 2006.

We can hope for a Bruins victory to push the series to a seventh and deciding game in some sort of karmic intervention, pray to the hockey gods or whichever religious deity sparks your fancy, or perform a ritual sacrificing your hockey equipment in the backyard, but in the end, fans, opposing or not, have little to no control over the result.

With everything that’s been coming out of Vancouver since early April, it’s difficult to respect the Canucks and their fans, nevermind support them; however, there’s a balance to be struck between disliking an organization and those that represent it and embarking on a xenophobic Mike Milbury-esque crusade against them.

If the Canucks do indeed capture Lord Stanley's mug this evening, don't expect to see any congratulatory posts on our end. Maybe a nod of acknowledgement, if we're feeling generous. 

Links after the jump. 

• Preparing for what could be the last game of the season and four months of baseball and CFL football [Nucks Misconduct] [Stanley Cup of Chowder]
• Despite Feaster’s announcement that the Flames had picked up the option on JIm Playfair’s contract, the former Flames bench boss has accepted a job as an associate coach with the Phoenix Coyotes. We here at M&G wish him well in Quebec City Glendale. [Flames Nation]
• What happens when your favourite team becomes one of the most hated franchises in its league? A six-step guide to cheering for a loathed team [Puck Daddy]
• Doing what it takes to win and 30 Thoughts from Elliotte Friedman [CBC Sports]
• Penalties and perceived bias in the playoffs [Houses of the Hockey]

by Hayley Mutch