The Sports Corner

It’s about time for in-house hostilities

There was evidence today at Canucks practice that the team has not yet lost that edge that they were notorious for in the first two months of the season.

According to the TEAM 1040, defenseman Willie Mitchell and sophomore speedster Mason Raymond got into a scuffle at today’s skate and had to be broken up by a number of teammates as the Canucks dropped their eighth game in a row at General Motors Place by a score of 5-3 to the Nashville Predators last night.

My question is: it only took seven losses in a row before someone got pissed off enough to take a swipe at a teammate?

Ask anyone in pro sports and they’ll tell you it’s better to take out your frustrations on the opposing team, but what happens when you let that option slip away on the scoreboard as well as in the alley?

Heck, back in the earlier part of this decade, the Montreal Canadiens were 3-0 after having a fight between teammates at practice.  These in-house scuffles can, believe it or not, build chemistry or at least get the emotions going enough to get a win.

But was this bout necessary?  Could it not have all been avoided if something was done last night to their opponents by scrappers on this team?

You’re telling me that with 55 seconds remaining after Nashville salted that baby away with the empty net goal that not one player tried to go out and start something?

Well good luck doing that because the Sedin twins were out there.  If you’re head coach Alain Vigneault in a game like that, where you have coughed up a two-goal lead for the second time in as many home games, why wouldn’t you let the dogs loose and say ‘OK boys, start something.’  What’s the NHL going to do?  At the most, a fine would have been sufficient and with the money NHL coaches make these days, $5, 000 wouldn’t have meant that much.

This team is tough, but they can’t win and when they lose, they don’t fight, they don’t antagonize, they don’t show any spirit as if to say coming into G.M. Place and beating us in front of our fans will not be tolerated.

The three forwards that should’ve come out after Nashville made it 5-3 are Darcy Hordichuk, Alex Burrows and Ryan Kesler with Kevin Bieksa and Shane O’Brien behind them and 15 seconds later, there better have been a bench brawl.

Losing is part of the game, heck we know all about that right in Vancouver.  But to lose eight straight on home ice and not finally snap and take one out on the other team shows a lack of spirit and hate for their opponent.

At least they made up for those missing aspects by the dust up at practice today.  Now it would be much appreciated by the fans of this team, which are dropping off the bandwagon by the dozen it seems these days, if they took that piss and vinegar attitude to Minnesota and laid a beating down on the team they’re playing against, rather than the team they are playing for.