by Justin Orlewicz (Sports Editor)
Email: cascade.sports [at] ufv [dot] ca
The Toronto Maple Leafs have finally come down to earth and have returned to their mediocre ways of playing. In all fairness to the Maple Leafs squad, they have been in every contest until the very end, and in both games that they got shutout in, they had tons of great chances to make it a 2-2 game. The laceration to Dion Phaneuf’s right leg doesn’t help their cause either; the heavy hitting Maple Leafs Captain will be sidelined for 4-6 weeks. It was a sad sight watching Thomas Kaberle take the ceremonial face off against Buffalo Saber’s Captain Craig Rivet during the Hall of Fame Game in Toronto last Weekend. It would have been nice to see two Canadian Captains take the ceremonial face off for the first time in almost twenty years.
The Canucks, on the other hand, have finally found their stride and have become one of the hottest teams in the league. The Canucks have won their last six games, and the Sedin’s are on fire, as usual. Luongo is starting to win (as usual) and even the Canadian hating Ryan Kesler has started popping them in, after taking a lot of criticism from the Vancouver media. He now has 3 goals in his last 5 games, returning him to one of the best two-way players in the league. The Canucks are also getting healthier; Dan Hamhuis, Keith Ballard and Alexander Burrows are back from the IR, and they will only make the team better. I told you Canucks fans to hold off on slashing your wrists before the season was even 10 games old. Expect the Vancouver Canucks to finish at the top of the Western Conference this season (aren’t you guys glad they didn’t “trade Luongo”).
To finish off this week’s rant I am going to do something that I almost never do; talk about a sport other than hockey. This week in the wonderful world of Champion’s League Soccer or football, whatever, I saw one of the most disgusting things I have ever seen an athlete pull in professional sports. It just had to be done by one of the most “respectable” soccer players in the world, Ronaldo. Zinedine’s head butt was at least fierce and deliberate, it might have been dirty, but it made soccer players look tough even if it was just for a moment. After the way Ronaldo acted on a phantom shot to his neck, I don’t think I will ever be able to see soccer players in a respectable fashion. Maybe we need some Canadian kids to show the soccer world some toughness. I am not saying that hockey players don’t dive or look for phantom calls but at least they don’t lie on the ice like a wounded duck if the ref doesn’t buy it, they simply continue playing. Even Ronaldo’s teammates gave it to him for that pitiful display of sportsmanship. That’s one of the many reason I don’t like soccer or football or whatever they call it.
