Ryan? You Are Not The Starter….The Willie Show

So today I fell asleep thinking about the one and only Vancouver Canucks and as I slowly drifted into the world where anything is real The Maury Show was mumbling softly in the distance. Well I think I may have had a life changing experience while I was in never, never land because there was this extremely disturbing dream that I wish I could show you but I gotta say @StuartLucky got as close as I think anyone could come to it. I have to add he did this photo within an hour of me tweeting about this forever scarring dream. You all probably have a good idea where this is going I think so without further ado “Ryan? You Are Not The Starter” begins. on Maury’s I mean Willie’s set…..

LOUD APPLAUSE… “Today we have a story from Vancouver, B.C. that involves 2 goaltenders vying for the starting spot and we’ll start with Ryan Miller the $6 million dollar man. Hello Ryan how are you?” SCATTERED APPLAUSE “I could be better Willie, I kind have a problem, see I got signed as the starter in Vancouver but no one likes me.” BOOS “And why might that be Ryan?” “Well Willie I do cost $6 million a year and I got off to a real good start but the social media all says I’m not good enough.” MORE BOOS “Do you think you are doing good enough?” “We are in the playoff race Willie I mean really they all just bash me and I don’t know why.” “Could Eddie Lack be the problem? I hear they call him the Stork.” LAUGHS “Ya whatever, more like a dork.” BOOS “The problem they say I have is that I let in the first shot on goal all the time, that’s the offences problem I can’t do everything for them.” BOOS “Ryan let’s be real here, it’s pretty hard to get any sort of momentum going when you’re down the first goal all of the time.” CHEERS “Why can’t they score a couple for me once in a while, Willie?” BOOS “We will come back to this and introduce you to the goalie who feels he should be the starter after the break, the man they call the Stork, Eddie Lack” SUPER LOUD APPLAUSE fade to parade of commercials involving habit and addiction forming products and services and back to show. APPLAUSE “So as I said we would get to meet the Stork here he is Eddie Lack.” STANDING OVATION and as Eddie enters he comes in running straight at Miller, pointing his finger and screaming “You stole my spot, you stole my spot, Miller.” Ryan flips Eddie the bird “I didn’t steal nothin ya twerp, they gave me your spot I didn’t even ask for it.” “Ya sure that’s what all you vets say, why’d ya wanna come here for anyway.” BOOS and CHEERS Then Willie steps in and says “If you guys want to be on my stage you’ll have to settle down a bit.” Eddie flips Ryan the finger back, meanwhile a guy comes and hands Willie a yellow envelope that looks important and the CROWD GOES CRAZY “Well here it is everyone Management’s decision on our goalie controversy but before I announce it I’d like to talk to Eddie for a moment.” CHEERS “Eddie, what makes you think you deserve the starting spot?” “I was here before him and come on, listen to that crowd and social media, it’s obvious they all like me better” OVATION “Well, it seems you have a point there Eddie, I guess I won’t waste anymore time then and get to it.” CROWD BACK ON FEET “When it comes to the goalie controversy in Vancouver, Ryan, you are NOT the starter.” THE CROWD GOES ABSOLUTELY NUTS Ryan Miller’s head falls into his hands on his lap and Eddie does the Jiggy Stork around Miller’s chair a few times all the while screaming I told you it was my spot, I told it was that was my spot, try and take that shit from me? I told you…..

     

It was at this time I woke up and man I gotta tell you I was seriously messed up for a few minutes. Then I started laughing and tried to find Maury on the TV so I could compare images. I have to iterate that this article in no way resembles or duplicates any event of true nature. This is all based on the images that go on in the projector of my minds attic as I nap. I did of course make up some of the “show” to fit but this honestly is based on a dream I had. I don’t know if I am a Canuck fan that has been scarred by his team or just way to much time on my hands. I would say both factors have made a serious contributions to this and did I mention @StuartLucky contributed too..

On some more positive notes that are directly linked to true events…. Some of these guys Jim Benning has picked are doing quite nice in the absence of others. Adam Clendening has taken position great. I can’t say much about Biega because I don’t know much about him but he looked great last night against the Wild in all areas. Ronalds Kenins can hit and thread the needle for next to impossible goals. Isn’t this exactly the kind of player Canucks fans have been looking for? I don’t believe this is any sort of fly by night thing. It has been a consistent behavior every minute he is on the ice. Can I ask us all a favor? Can we please not ruin him like we have ruined so many in our dark past. I feel that we have a completely competent Management this season that can handle these players just fine. So I ask, can we step back and let these guys do their jobs? Oh and by the way, what’s a goalie controversy?

 

My Valentine’s Blog

I love you because you never try to change who I am

You make suggestions and let me decide for myself

you tolerate my immaturity and love me just because you do…

I love you because you are beautiful, kind and you care

you walk by my side on life’s journeys

support me high and low always remaining true….

I love you because when you smile my life has meaning

the stars glitter in in your eyes

telling me I am home on a full moon….

I love you because you help make my life happy

you hold my hand and my heart not to judge

but most of all Tammy, I love you just because you are you…

Happy Valentine’s Day Honey

THE ONLY WINNER OF EVANDER KANE TRADE WOULD BE THE JETS…

#BoycottEKane in Vancouver… At this point in time all I see in the media is Evander Kane this Evander Kane that. I have to ask what is so great about Kane and why does everyone think he has all this value? What has he done to earn any of that sort of respect, I see nothing special there at all, perhaps I am short-sighted or don’t have any vision at all, but I don’t see it. All I see is a maybe…. Don’t the Canucks have enough maybes? The Canucks are only a year or two away from some major restructuring, I think all of us can see where the true problem lies within our dear Canucks. I don’t mean any disrespect when I say this at all but all things come to an end sometime, right? That end is not far away at all which means we will be adding pieces to fill big holes left by departure. I just gotta ask is Evander Kane a player that will be capable of filling any of these holes? I mean honestly, don’t apply your criticism to the fact that he is a hometown boy lets ask ourselves realistically if the Canucks need this. He has never played a full season without injury he averages in the mid sixties for games played per season. He has broken 20 goals once in 2011-2012 with 30 and scoring 19 goals on two different occasions. Is this worth Horvat, Virtanen and a 1st round pick, really is it? I mean Horvat is starting to show some value and feels like the surer maybe. I know I am not a genius I have been wrong but boy trading for Kane couldn’t feel more wrong. I had the same deep gut feeling when the Canucks signed Messier and Sundin and when they hired Gillis and Torts. Hiring Iron Mike was the only train wreck I didn’t feel coming until it was too late oddly enough. I don’t see this being a good thing for the Canucks honestly I would rather have just kept Kesler.

A couple of positives I have noticed are Ronalds Kenins and Clendening. Kenins is a hard working young guy that works hard and seems to know how to shoot the puck I mean 2 goals in 3 games kind of makes me wonder why he is sitting over Chris Higgins. Maybe Higgins needs a rest or something but to me he has been pretty invisible the last month or so. How many goals Higgy? Sorry bud but you have been a streaky player that has always been fairly decent defensively and to me that says third line. Ryan Clendening is a d-man that has seemed to just slide into place nicely. Smooth skater good passer that could use a bit more edge, we’ll know soon if he fits or not.

I love our Canucks I really do I just find it extremely hard to believe they can be the team they were that beat the Penguins on Saturday as well as the team (with brief flashes of the Saturday team) they were against Minnesota on Monday. There was no resemblance of teams there at all despite the brief flashes. What would this fall under for jurisdiction of blame here? Obviously the preparation for the 2 games was totally different. It had to be to see such a vast body of difference between the 2 Canuck teams. Is this the coach, his staff, the trainers or just plain disinterest on the part of the players? I don’t know, I can only shake my head say #BoycottEKane, smile and wave cause the last thing we need here is to give up young talent for the center of a circus. @StuartLucky must understand what I’m talking about look at the beautiful feature image he made for me. Fantastic artwork thanks Stuart. Til next time folks don’t let some crazy nightmare ruin your buzz.

EVEN SANTA HAS TO WORK HARD SOMETIMES…

It all started with an eastern road trip that began very well, 3 – 0 – 1 to be exact and all fans on deck were filling up the bandwagon faster than a Lamborghini can change lanes and and end up in the bush. Once things started going a bit south for our boys in blue and green said bandwagon started emptying faster than an emergency response to said Lamborghini. It truly is amusing and funny how quick the panic set in after the slump started. This player is useless or that player demanded a trade and it starts our usual merry pick apart of the team. The slump was bound to happen but the most important thing is the team’s response to the slump which was not give up. It has honestly been a long time since I have seen the work ethic of our team as strong as it is now a long, long time. I think we may even have to go as far back as 1994 to find the work ethic we are seeing right now. It is especially gratifying because it makes the loss that much easier to take. There is nothing worse than watching your team lose a game all the while watching them all mope and pout in the same game. They are taking ownership for who they all are in relation to the team. it is exciting and most of all refreshing. Now I know the argument will come my way as to what about the team that went to the final? What about their work ethic and all I have to say to that is game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final was 4 – 0 and we all knew from the first Bruins goal that night how the game was going to go. They moped, sulked and pouted their way around the ice praying the score wouldn’t be ridiculous. They never really had to work the wins were just coming. The first time they did have to dig down deep they didn’t get there and they have not been there since, until this season that is. Don’t get me wrong I love our 2011 edition of the Canucks there was a lot of skill there with one of the best goalies in the league as well as circumstance that stole us a lot of points that we did not necessarily deserve. Not to mention a great coach who took the New York Rangers to the Cup Final the season he was let go from the Canucks. It is good to see them all playing with a purpose this year as compared to not having a clue what was going on most of last year.

The slump has spurred a lot of rumors one of them being being that Burrows had demanded a trade. Does this make sense to anyone? A third line player that, for the most part, got first line minutes and second line salary demanded a trade? First off what gives him any right to demand anything? Does him scoring 2 goals while playing on the fourth line last night versus Arizona give him some clout. Second why would he want to go anywhere? He is included in the description of the teams “core”, he gets respect from fans and other players on the team. It does not make sense to me which is why I will discard this rumor for what it is… Fishing. Now I said some similar things before the Kesler trade so really it shows you how much I know.

Speaking of Kesler it sure has gone quiet on that front. Mr Bonino I suggest you pick your game up a little bit or you will be the media and Canuck nay-sayers next target. On that note I bid you all a very Merry Christmas and our friend @StuartLucky has sent me a few gifts to share with you. Thanks Stuart!!

Video: Canucks’ Desjardins delivers the news to Horvat

In Memory Of Pat Quinn, 1943 – 2014, RIP

If you have been a long time fan of the Vancouver Canucks then you will be feeling this loss as well. So many great things being said about Quinn by players he used to coach. He had a way of making every player he coached believe they were great players. Greg Adams is one of these players I remember. I wonder how far Adams might have made it without Quinn as a mentor? Momesso, Sandlak and Geoff Courtnall the list could go on. Essentially average hockey players having the best brought out of them by a coach that believed in them and he made them believe in themselves. I would be lying if I told you a tear hasn’t fallen from my eye today. I also sort of wonder if Quinn wasn’t waiting to see Hansen finally get his first ever hat trick.

          

Pat Quinn was an aggressive defense-man in his playing days as it showed in his coaching style. He commanded so much respect from his players while at the same time returning respect earned. So much class in one man. So much knowledge of the game it is hard to say good-bye but fond memories will stay with us forever. There are so many fond memories in Vancouver, Toronto and on the international level it would be hard to tell you near all of them without turning this into a blog that has chapters. I know my fondest memory of Vancouver (I am sure many agree) is the 1994 playoff run that turned some light on the Vancouver Canucks that hasn’t gone completely dark for quite some time now. The fact they went seven games with the Mark Messier led New York Rangers was an accomplishment worthy of legend status in my mind alone and remember (I know you do) it was only one crossbar away from being more.  Pat Quinn coached 5 NHL teams LA, Philadelphia, Vancouver, Toronto and Edmonton getting to the Stanley Cup final twice, once in 1980 with the Philadelphia Flyers and again with the Vancouver Canucks in 1994. His overall record as coach in regular season play is 684 wins, 526 losses, 124 ties while in the playoffs his record is 94 wins and 89 losses as he led teams to 15 playoff appearances but the Cherished Silver Cup eluded him. On every International level Pat Quinn has won Gold coaching Team Canada during the Winter Olympics at Salt Lake City in 2002, the World Cup in 2004, IIHF U18 in 2008 and IIHF U20 in 2009. I always thought Gold was better than Silver anyway.

        

As well as being coach (1991-1994,1996) of the Canucks Pat Quinn began his career in Vancouver as General Manager and President (1988-1997) and was the architect to the core of a past team whose heart still beats in the head office today. He made two real high profile drafts during his tenure in Vancouver including current team President Trevor Linden (the heart still beating) whom they drafted 2nd overall in the 1988 NHL entry draft and Pavel Bure whom they picked 113 overall in the 1989 NHL entry draft. That was an interesting scenario as Pat Quinn had intended to select Bure in the 8th round but upon hearing rumors that Edmonton was planning a similar move he decide to select Bure in the 6th round. The selection was met with elevated displeasure from other team executives and found to be illegal but after an appeal the Canucks eventually got his rights on the eve of the 1990 NHL entry draft. Pat Quinn also made a few high profile trades while he was GM of  Vancouver. The most memorable were the ones leading up to 1994 Stanley Cup final run. One of them being with the New Jersey Devils in 1987 where the canucks gave the Devils F Patrick Sundstrom and a 3rd round pck in the 1988 draft in return for G Kirk Mclean and F Greg Adams. Another was in 1991 with the St Louis Blues where Vancouver gave up D Garth Butcher and F Dan Quinn for F Cliff Ronning, Geoff Courtnall, Sergio Momesso, D Robert Dirk and a 3rd round pick. Also in 1991 Quinn acquired 2nd round pick for the 1992 draft (which turned out to be Micheal Peca 40th overall) from The Boston Bruins for F Petri Skriko. On March 21st 1994 Pat Quinn gave up the rights to Craig Janney to St Louis for D Jeff Brown, Brett Hedican and F Nathan Lafayette. This last trade was probably the most significant to the Cup run in 1994.

                            Pat Quinn with all that you have accomplished in Vancouver I know we will all miss you. You gave us so much to cheer about, you gave us belief in our team the Vancouver Canucks and you’ve helped build a fan base that keeps building. You have been so much for a young player to mentor. You gave your players faith and trust and helped them believe in themselves as players. Family, friends and players of Mr. Quinn, my condolences to you and may every day you feel the loss may you celebrate the life of a man who brought greatness from those who believed him. May his spirit be with you always. I know one day the Canucks will bring the Cup home… Just for you Pat, RIP

TIME TO KISS KESS GOODBYE….

Was that Kiss or Kess? Not certain at this point but I know we, as Canuck fans, are pretty happy to boo Kess out of town. I admit I wasn’t surprised at the reaction he got from Vancouver fans but I find myself surprised that he was shocked by the welcome he got for his first game back here as a Duck. As well as he played in Vancouver for ten years he would have to expect that the people he essentially played for would be a bit irritated that he jumped ship. A professional band wagon jumper couldn’t have done it better. I understand and respect the fact that he saw no future in Vancouver as that is his choice to make just don’t tell the fans of the team you want off of that you love the city and never asked to be traded. How do you think they are going to react feeling rejcted by a player they loved for ten years? @StuartLucky a talented cyber artist had this for me this week and I ask Canuck fans.. Does this sum it all up?                                                                                                                 

Some more work from @StuartLucky tells me Kesler had other things on his mind than playing hockey and I’m sure you have all heard the rumors, you know, the same kind of rumor that followed ex Canuck Jeff Brown out of town in 94′? worst comes to worst Kess can always get a modeling job, eh? Stuart’s question was “who wears it best?” What do you think?                                               

Getting back to hockey now, the Canucks performance against Phe I mean, Arizona was the first time this season that I have seen a mirror of last season in the fact that they really didn’t seem to have much interest in playing. I questioned the edge missing from their play all game and quite honestly it did remind me of last year. It is a mute point whether Hanzal’s goal should have counted or not. The Canucks weren’t dangerous before the goal and sure it not counting may have created a different reaction from Vancouver but I think we all had an idea of how that game going to finish. It just had one of those, nothing is going right, vibes to it. Did they just take the Coyotes too lightly? That was a common occurrence last season, disinterest and under estimation. Very common indeed. The Oiler game was a perfect example of this but fortunately they finished that off with all of us Canuck fans wondering if we were watching an all star game. Back and forth all night and it was without a doubt an exciting game to watch unless you were coaching staff or management. This will not work in the playoffs against power teams it will be simply they’re back and no forth. The Canucks did manage to steal a point from the Ducks and after Getzlaf’s goal I was thinking, oh,oh here we go. I was extremely impressed by the second period response by the Boys In Blue And Green. They took the game over hard and really took it to Anaheim reminding me of the President’s trophy winning team that once played here.

Our defense needs some work. I have said it before and I will say it again “WE NEED A NUMBER ONE D MAN” all of the last three games have proven this to me more and if we are without Hamhuis for any extended amount of time don’t be surprised to see a move happen soon. I heard Myers was being shopped by Buffalo and Winnipeg is apparently very interested in Eddie Lack. I love the Stork and I would hate to see him go but the bettering of our team would make it sting a little less. What does Winnipeg have to offer and who else may be interested in Lack? We will have to wait and see. Til next time fellow Canuckheads I leave you with this….Two games versus Vancouver and Kesler has done nothing to make the Canucks think they made a mistake. Let’s follow Linden and Benning on this one and Kiss Kess goodbye..

Cory Schneider’s report card, presented by Long Island University

We have another trade where we are trying to figure out who the winner is. Schneider gets a D? I guarantee no Canack fan will give Bo Horvat a D. C+ at worst. My gosh, did Gillis do at least one thing right?

WHO WON THE BONINO/KESLER TRADE? WHAT TRADE? THERE WAS A TRADE? WHO’S KESLER???

So here we are November 13, nearly 20 games into the season at which time the Ducks and Canucks are neck in neck for first in the Western Conference. Both players of the trade have risen up to the occasion and I would have to say at this point everyone’s a winner. Kesler is playing for a team that wants him and is performing very nicely. I watched the Kings vs Ducks game last night and when I saw Beastmode all over the ice I immediately began to miss him. I was thinking to myself if Kess played like that against us we would’ve been in big trouble. We all know how he can play, so all personal feelings of desertion aside, you have to respect his role as a second line center. He is one of, if not, the best second line center and I say that with years of watching him. There was a reason Philly gave him that offer sheet years ago that the Canucks were compelled to match. I know this is speculation but imagine how the Flyers would’ve looked had that gone differently. I don’t think it’s to far of a stretch to say Kesler probably would’ve lifted the Cup by now. He fits into the 2nd line center spot perfectly the way the Ducks were hoping and honestly as the chemistry builds there it will only get better. I hate to say it but I don’t think we saw his best in Vancouver’s 2 – 1 win over Anaheim Sunday and, I admit, that scares me a little. He is helping his team stay among the top of the Conference and lets be honest here the Kings would have walked out of Anaheim with 2 points Wednesday if Kesler wasn’t there. 2 goals, 1 assist and the shootout winner, all while matched up against Kopitar. What do you think?

          

Kesler’s (5g 9a 14pts +0) point totals for the year are fairly close to Bonino’s (7g 7a 14pts +10) but we all know that he does bring an edge of play to his game that Bonino doesn’t. This is where Anaheim’s 3rd round pick turned Derek Dorsett comes in. Dorsett has been everything I hoped he would. Before his recent injury he had energy, he played smart and it’s good to see a 4th line player in the line up that can play. I have no problems with Dorsett and this is an asset to the Canucks bottom six any day. Now we come back to Bonino who has a lot to prove yet but you can’t deny he has started off on the the right foot. Can he maintain this level of play? I don’t see why not Coach Desjardins is handing out the ice time well and chemistry looks real good with Higgins and Burrows. The guys on that 2nd line are feeding off of each other and it shows. We can say the Canucks actually have a genuine 2nd line and it will get better over time. Simply put they are fun to watch again. The reason Burrows has not been bumped up to the 1st line is so obvious that even all us armchair coaches and GM’s don’t even need to ask why. I can be excited about this this team again which is much more than I expected going into the off-season.

        

When you factor Luca Sbisa into the equation it gives the Canucks 3 players that all started the season on the roster and are capable of staying on the roster based on their play. 3 bodies for 1 and all 3 of those bodies have contributed on the score sheet, in the defensive zone and you can guess they are involved in the dressing room. I have a tough time finding how the Canucks lost this trade at all. Sure we lost a valuable 2nd line center but given the situation did we really lose him? I would do this trade again in a heartbeat. I’m sure Benning and Linden would as well. that being said I am glad you are happy Duck fans because I assure you we here in Canuckland are smiling just as big.

California Dreaming? 2 Out Of 3 Ain’t Bad..

I would just like to take a moment today to remember our veterans, not just in World War One but in all the battles that our warriors have fought to keep our Country free. They gave their all for us. I do not support war but I do respect the people that go into battle for us. I would like to say thank you and I will never forget. Without you we would not be the strong Nation that we are. Please, have a moment of silence within yourselves at some point today and let them know you remember too. God Bless.

Well the Vancouver Canucks managed to surf through California this past weekend with 4 out 6 possible points. Whatever other numbers anyone throws at you at this particular time matter about as much an automated survey on how often you cut your fingernails. When you throw in that fact that they are 3rd overall and 2nd in the West behind the team they just beat 2 days ago you know what I mean.

The Twins were missing a healthy Vrbata and it showed. They had trouble truly setting up and getting anything going. Now I have a suggestion… Let’s get Daniel to start doing all the feeding to Vrbata and Hank. At this point Henrik (5) is ahead of Daniel (3) in goals and ironically Daniel (11) is ahead of Henrik (10) in assists. It seems that Daniel has hesitated on a few occasions that not long ago would have been in before hesitation started. He’s dishing off passes that wouldn’t normally cross his mind over the option of shooting. Daniel appears to be playing with a bit less surety in himself and I wonder if the signing of a sure trigger man has given him a different view of things. Or have teams just flat out figured them out? Henrik has a bigger sense of confidence and in reality he has sort of been “Big Brother” in the fan’s and media’s eyes. Henrik definitely needs to step up and take the reigns. I have to say Henrik is shooting more than he has in the past and that is refreshing though you are going to have to deal with no Vrbata for a bit. (Lower body injury) Time to step up? Oh, and just a little hint, Keep Hansen off that line, it has not worked in the past why would it work now? Give Jensen a shot, he looked good last year with Hank and Burrows.

The Canucks second line has been a bit of a mystery to me. Some games they are the dominant line in our line up, other games they seem to disappear completely. Obviously the Canucks are going to struggle with some of the depth teams in the league but to this point they do seem to be handling themselves very well and you can see their potential. In San Jose, while the Twins and a damaged Vrbata struggled, the second line decided to take matters into their own hands (with Miller’s help) and steal 2 points. Nick Bonino fits well if just for the fact that his shot is actually accurate. How many missed nets have we seen the past few years? How many times have we watched Mason Raymond or David Booth miss the net so completely that the opposition ended up with an out numbered rush the other way? Burrows has shown a renewed interest in the game and Higgins, well Higgins is just Higgins, we all know what he can do. I believe this line is capable and Desjardins decision to not move Burrows up with the Twins is a good one. It makes sense to leave an improving line intact and it will only get better over time.

The Canucks third line has impressed me in the LA and Anaheim games. When that line has been on the ice it appears that they have the puck pinned in the offensive zone more often than not. The only downfall here is they are not really getting many quality scoring chances. I think once Kassian is back that may change slightly. Richardson has been working his butt off and that whole line has been good at stealing the puck. They have a charge straight at you style of play and this team has been missing a line like that for awhile now. I just wish it was the fourth line not the third, although I do believe this will change over the course of the season. As Horvat improves (he’s looked good so far) he will sneak into the third line center spot and Jensen could end up on the third line with him. It truly is amazing how much different players play when their coach believes in them.

I have nothing to say about The Canucks goal-tending other than keep getting the job done. Miller has stolen a few points, Lack was fantastic against the Ducks. Desjardins plan to give Eddie a chance to win a game could not have come against a more optimal opponent. Lack’s first win of the year was also his first win ever against the Ducks. Desjardins, do you have a touch of esp? Just wondering, because you played that like you knew it was going to happen.

So all and all, 4 out of 6 points in California being a measuring stick on the Canucks didn’t really come out accurate. San Jose was not a game they deserved but, with the help of Miller and their second line, they managed to steal 2 very valuable points. In LA they got a reminder of how tough the top teams in the west are. The Kings beat them in every aspect of the game although I do think Dorsett and Kassian in the line up may have at least helped their physical look that night. Anaheim, from the second period on, was an extremely entertaining game to watch and we got a look at how the depth players would fit. The Canucks simply out worked, out shot and outplayed the Ducks and deserve full credit for the 2 points. All the new faces were once more noticeable and contributed which has been one consistency this season so far. So measuring stick or not Our city’s team showed us we have some things that were missing last year, hard work, resilience and an ability to steal from better teams. Wouldn’t that be called a backbone?