Quote:
Originally Posted by Blaster86
And MT acted as though it was something much heavier!
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I actually didn't think much of the Pettersson slash. Took me a few times to really feel it was a dangerous play. I was actually surprised that there was disciplinary action at all.
As for Tkachuk's 'dive' - two thoughts on it:
1) I think it did hurt actually. Maybe he embellished it, but that was arguably a butt-end, and if not, I am sure it still hurt.
2) Vancouver Canucks fans don't get to criticize dives. Your entire team went to the Stanley Cup finals on the backs of dives. That's really the only reason that the entire fanbase in Canada turned on the Canucks as they were making a mockery out of hockey, and everyone was afraid other teams would start copying them, and hockey would degenerate into this embarrassment of diving just like soccer has become.
Lots of fan bases got behind the Flames in '04 because they were that lunch-pail, tough as nails, hard working underdog team. Easy to like.
Lots of fans (not me) got behind Edmonton in '06 because.. Well, I don't know really aside from them being Canadian. Other than my Oiler hate (and who really liked Smyth outside of Edmonton??)... but I can't say they were a 'hated' team (yet), at least outside of Calgary and outside of die-hard fans.
Fan bases got behind Ottawa's run (outside of Toronto I think) because nobody else hates Ottawa, and they weren't a particularly disliked team in the way they played. They were fun to watch. I didn't want them to win a cup because they were Canadian, but if another Canadian team was going to win it, then Ottawa would be the team that I could (begrudgingly) accept.
That Vancouver team was so easy to hate. Their constant diving and whining. Yeah, Tkachuk isn't without his warts, and there are things that he does that I wish he wouldn't (and I don't think he has done anything terrible in the last few seasons - didn't like his elbow on Doughty and how he slew-footed a few players in his first couple of seasons).
I love you Blaster and I appreciate your commitment on this forum and I enjoy reading your posts, but no Vancouver fan should ever criticize any player for at least the next few decades for (possibly!) diving, no matter how terrible it may be, since no team in the history of the game has done more to advance diving as an acceptable strategy as your Canucks have.
