I'm watching the Canucks play Phoenix right now, and I'm feeling the pace of the game. Barely 10 minutes into the game, there is chippy play, with new superstar and perennial super pest Alex Burrows actively involved in the fray.

I'm not sure what's a better roller coaster: the wooden roller coaster at Playland (at the PNE) or the Canucks over the past ten games. Yesterday, when I was brainstorming topics for today's Bag of Pucks, I could only focus on the fact that once again, it seemed as if the Canucks season was imploding. Now, after that fantastic performance last night against Nashville, I'd have to say otherwise.

Last night's game was the Canucks' biggest game of the season. They sat two points out of the playoffs and were facing off against the team occupying the last playoff spot. Then came the onslaught: the goals came from everywhere! During the four game losing streak, fans started questioning Coach Alain Vigneault's system, calling it too defensive and inherently flawed. Fortunately for him, the players played his system perfectly last night and it resulted in a great win, with goals coming from grinders to defenders. I hope to dear (insert religious deity here/Roberto Luongo) that the Canucks keep playing like that for the rest of the season.

The Vancouver Whitecaps have announced that they have signed former SFU defender and captain Luca Bellisomo to a contract for the upcoming season. Bellisomo, who was named the NAIA Region I Player of the Year this past season, was a member of a Clan defense that only let in six goals in twenty games last season. I covered the SFU Men's soccer team for The Peak last season and I can say with confidence that he is going to take the USL by storm. In other Whitecaps news, the team will face David Beckham and the LA Galaxy again... in Edmonton. Also, we could have English Premier Divison teams face off against each other in regular season action by 2011.

As I was driving home from school today, I turned on the TEAM 1040 and I listened to caller after caller berating Canucks GM Dave Nonis for not making any significant deals at the trade deadline.

I disagreed with each one of them because I believe that by abstaining from trading (and overpaying) for someone like Brad Richards, Nonis made the right decision. But more on that in a bit.

He did make a minor deal by swapping the under-acheiving Matt Cooke with the Washington Capitals for another under-acheiver in Matt Pettinger. I used to love Cooke. He played hard, he was chippy and he was good for at least five good hits per game. He even used to be a 15/20 player.

With the Canucks taking the maximum four points from their last two games (vs. Edmonton, at Minnesota), the bandwagon is rolling again! I'm not sure if they read my last post and decided to attack their problems, but the 'Nucks played inspired hockey in both games.

It might be because I drank a couple beers (lie!), but the Edmonton game was the best game I've seen in a while. I didn't want the fights to stop at the end! If the Canucks can continue to play as they have done recently, they will certainly make the playoffs. The video below is of the last 1:17 of the third period of the Edmonton game. Note how the video is over eight minutes and a half minutes long.

Well, exactly what the Canucks don't need after yet another disparaging shootout loss is a rift between the head coach and a respected veteran leader. At such a crucial time of the season, this can only be bad news.