What is the "Knuckle Sandwich"?

Being from the Eastern time zone, I don't have the luxury of watching the Vancouver Canucks play hockey and leaving enough time to write, brush my teeth, shower, say my prayers, and go to bed. I watch enough of their games in order to fit in everything I need to do before going to sleep. Otherwise, I wake up all grumpy and disorganized spouting all kinds of Canucks conspiracy theories about match fixing games for ratings and shootouts.



The Vancouver Canucks started their 2011 Stanley Cup playoff campaign with a bang defeating the defending champion Chicago Blackhawks 2-0 in the first game of their best-of-seven Western Conference quarterfinal series. The Canucks' Higgins and Hansen scored both goals in the first period, and then relied on their steady backline the rest of the way. When Hawks stars like Toews and Kane put the Vancouver defense under pressure, however, Roberto Luongo stood tall making key saves that kept the Canucks in the saddle for much of the contest. So, the Vancouver Canucks should be on their way with this winning formula, yes? Not so fast, my friends. The Canucks are a great team, but I am little concerned for their championship aspirations.

As good as the Canucks played, from the end of the first period onward, the Blackhawks didn't look like a team sitting eighth in the Western Conference. The Blackhawks looked like a defending Cup champion missing the key pieces that make up the "Knuckle Sandwich": The goal scoring touch, the presence down low in front of the net (Byfuglien), and the awareness not to be caught in odd man rushes, which happened ALL NIGHT LONG. Luongo stood tall like he always does, however coach Joel Quenneville will pick up on any weaknesses he can find, and dissect them with key matchups. Higgins deflected a shot from the point to score the Canucks' first goal, and Hansen's marker came against the run of play minutes later; give credit to them, they scored some sweet goals, but stars such as the Sedins and Kesler must step up their game for the Canucks to prevent another playoff disappointment.

A victory is never a bad start for any team, and I like the Canucks' chances. However, what will they do when they are really tested? The microscope is always on the President's Trophy winning team to do well in the playoffs, and by 'well' I mean 'WIN'. What happens to that team when the breaks are not going their way? If the Blackhawks or any team the Canucks will face in the playoffs make a big push, how will Vancouver respond? That is what separates President's Trophy winning teams from Stanley Cup winning teams: The ability to respond under pressure with character and teamwork. Of course, the Vancouver Canucks have both, but how much remains to be seen. For more on this game, check out ESPN highlights with the colourful Matthew Barnaby ^_^

Keep the dream alive: Canucks versus Canadiens for the Cup