Vancouver GM Employs The Ole’ “Everyone Look At Me!” Trick

Added on Apr 26, 2011 by J Merrill in

NHL

Could the Canucks be in desperation mode? Just more then 24 hours before his team would face the Chicago Blackhawks in game 7, after being up 3 nil, Vancouver General Manager Mike Gillis pulls the oldest trick in the book. DEFLECTION!

In an obvious attempt to divert everyones attention from the fact that they were staring down the barrel of one of the biggest collapses in NHL history, Gillis addressed the media with an agenda. He was basically saying the Canucks were getting the business end of a screw job when it came to the officiating so far in the series. He pointed out ‘the obvious bias’ when it came to calls on the ice. Most of all, he reiterated something I had said here on SBW. He said the Canucks played the best hockey they played all series. He also said thats how they know they got screwed.

Gillis exclaimed, with notes in hand, “I thought we played our best game of the series last night. I felt that if it would have been a level playing field, we would have won the game. We were lucky to get into overtime the way things occurred during the game. We directed 85 pucks at their net. If we would have had any power plays whatsoever it probably could have been 100.”

Gillis continued by trying to build the confidence back up in his squad. However, his statements really sound like “don’t worry boys, its not your fault’ to me. He said “We’ve had the best team during the regular season and that was the best game they’ve played last night during the whole year. And so, for us to come away with a loss is shocking to me. That’s what happens. I’m very confident if we play the same way tomorrow evening and it’s a level playing field that we’ll win the game.”

Gillis’ facts showed what he was calling an obvious bias towards the Hawks. He basically said that the hawks had 69% more power plays then the Canucks, and that when the games were 1-2 goals apart the Hawks had 100% more. So far in the series, the Hawks have 27 power plays and Vancouver has 16. These are obviously hand picked statistics and people need to consider the source on this one. I have watched every minute of Stanley Cup Playoff hockey so far this season, and there is no officiating bias going on in any of the games. NHL officiating isn’t perfect, but I have always been impressed with the way they have handled the referees seniority and records with regards to big games.

The frustration was made even more clear, and this is when it began reeking of desperation, when he concluded his deliberate comments. Gillis said “I’m not sure how you explain that discrepancy, but we’re going to be very hard-pressed to win hockey games if throughout an entire series when the score is tight, they get 75 percent more power plays than we do. And that’s just the reality. That’s the facts that we’re facing. You look at the game last night, you guys all watched it, you don’t need me to comment about what occurred in that hockey game. But when you break down the video, there are some extraordinary plays to explain given what’s gone on.”

There is no doubt that Gillis knows of the huge momentum swing in this series. Many thought it would be over in 4 or 5 after the way the Canucks handled the Hawks in games one and two. Maybe this ploy worked, this is certainly better then the “Are The Canucks Going To Choke?” article, but I am not sure thats news to anyone. Everyone knows the real stat in this game. Only 6 other teams in NHL history have done what the Hawks have done in this series, and three of them went on to win the series in game 7. His diversionary tactics should only invigorate the Hawks into believing in themselves, and how they are capable of playing solid hockey against the number one seed.