Cheers and Jeers – Oct 7

The Good and the Bad of this past week.

It’s Friday. So we close out the "Week That Was" with our latest volume of Cheers and Jeers.

We start a huge jeers to everyone’s favourite hockey fashionista whose "mutterings are kind of akin to that of an old uncle that nobody takes seriously anymore." (quote from Stu Grimson)

JEERS to Don Cherry for officially and finally jumping the shark. He has become a sad caricature now, and that was cemented last night during his Coach’s Corner segment with his comments regarding heashots and enforcers. I am not a Cherry fan, but I know that many hockey fans love the guy. After last night, I just don’t see how you can appreciate him anymore. He had the audacity to suggest that the game is going to suffer because we won’t see hits like Scott Stevens’ crushing blows to both Eric Lindros and Paul Kariya. Yes, Don, having those types of hits out of the game *IS* the whole point. Some of us hockey fans actually like to see our favourite stars play, and not turned into bed-ridden vegetables with serious brain trauma.

CHEERS to Elliotte Friedman for his interview with our own Thom Drance earlier this week. If Friedge isn’t the best analyst in hockey right now, I just don’t know who is. Plus, his wife just had a baby and he STILL did the interview. He’s a class act and an awesome dude and we at Canucks Army and the Nation Network have to thank him again.

JEERS to the NHL schedule makers. It’s a minor gripe but it’s just bizarre that the Canucks play on opening night of the NHL regular season, and don’t play again for 4 days (next game is @ CBJ on Monday Oct 10), and then play 3 games in four nights. This might not bode well for a good start for the Canucks.

CHEERS to Ryan Kesler for being photographed naked and giving EVERY ONE EVERYWHERE something to talk about FOREVER. Here are a couple of great posts from our blogging boyfriends at Pass It To Bulis that set this up perfectly. Go HERE and HERE. And CHEERS to Kevin Bieksa for hitting his stride in raking his teammate over the coals. But the BEST CHEERS on this? As was mentioned by Scott Oake during last night’s Canucks telecast, apparently the Canucks have two computers set up in the dressing room, and the wallpaper on both is now set to Kesler’s naked photo. AWESOME.

JEERS to Canucks fans for giving Luongo the gears last night after making his first save following Matt Cooke’s second goal of the night (SHG that made it 3-1 Penguins). First of all, both goalies let in one bad goal. Both did. Second, Cooke’s shorthanded goal was a great play, and Luongo was COMPLETELY screened by Bieksa. Third, the worst Canucks player last night was Kevin Bieksa. So boo HIM instead. Or boo Marco Sturm who almost as equally terrible. Canucks fans, you’ve got a whole season and hopefully another long playoff run, and you’re jeering your starting goaltender after ONE GAME?! SHUT UP. This is why the hockey world hates people. For stupid crap like that.

CHEERS to Ben Wickham (@beninvictoria) for his new blog, Franchise Power-Forward. It’s a great, detailed look at your favourite NHL forwards. The inaugural post looks at Teemu Selanne and his long and storied career. It, of course, includes a link to one of the greatest goal celebrations of all-time.