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Today's Big Story

Canucks Win First Round

Just like we probably shouldn't have said they would.

Steve Burgess 24 Apr 2007TheTyee.ca

Steve Burgess writes for The Tyee about the Canucks when not about films, media and whatever else.

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Doubters! Infidels!

Oh ye Tyee readers of little faith. Did we not tell you it would come to pass? Did you really think you would wake up in the middle of the night screaming "Turco makes the save!" for the next week?

OK. Maybe we considered the possibility ourselves. Maybe there was a little sheepishness here about predicting victory so blithely when the series was at 3-1. Since this is an online publication there is simply no reason to believe Dallas would have taped a laptop to the locker room wall with the offending item displayed. Still, we at the Tyee were sweating and beginning to point fingers (chiefly at editor Dave Beers for his triumphalist headlines and foolish, blind devotion to Taylor Pyatt).

But all's well. There is no Tyee jinx. Rather, there is a burgeoning Messier-like reputation for The Tyee, the magazine that boldly predicts victory and makes it stick. Canucks win game seven 4-1, and the series 4-3.

Would round one have been too soon for a riot? We won't know this year, anyway. As it was there were some weird scenes around town, even before the post-game hijinks began. At the Vancouver Trade and Convention Centre Monday night, they were handing out awards at the BC Restaurant Association Hall of Fame Gala. Scheduled long before game seven, of course, so what to do? Simple -- big screens were placed around the room and awards alternated with game-watching. "There were about 500 people in formal wear," reports CTV's Coleen Christie, "standing up and waving white dinner napkins."

Meanwhile at GM Place, another battle was taking place -- the titanic struggle between Harry Neale and a certain Canuck defenceman's name. By the third period Neale had settled on "Biek-ska." Perhaps the most touching thing about this whole playoff journey will be Neale's continuing, courageous fight -- one man against three syllables.

The Tyee will make no predictions for round two. Our official position: The Anaheim Ducks are a great bunch of athletes. They're gonna give 'er out there, every game. The Canucks are also going to have to give 'er, and continue to give 'er until there is nothing left to give 'er. Then we shall see who has truly given and who has received.

We will go out on a limb on one issue, however. At some point during the Canucks-Ducks series, Harry Neale will begin referring to a certain defenceman as "Big Number 3."  [Tyee]

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