cks’ woes continue

From page %4

‘The fans and the critics keep wondering why
this teain hasn't played up to its potential, Have
they ever considered that maybe it [5 playing up
to its potential; that they have been conned by
the PR, advertising and merchandising divisions
of Orca Bay Entertainment into believing the
Canucks are much better than they actually are?

" Undoubtedly, the Orca Bay people have
assembled one of the finest all-hype teams ever
put together in Vancouver. In the executive

building and nearly 20,000 seats available, an
over-sell is hardly surprising.

For the past two seasons the Canucks have
been a 500 team. Two years ago they got hot in
the playoffs and aimost won the Stanley Cup.
‘That was an aberration. It wasn’t the real thing.
But it seems to have skewed a lot of thinking
around these here parts.

So, when general manager Pat Quinn dealt
to get Alexander Mogilny, too many people
thought the Russian connection (with Pavel
Bure) would magically transform this average

Mozilny certainly has been earning his keep,
but as a team? Weill, you must remember that
while the Canucks have difficulty scoring goals,
neither do they defend too well.

Al season's start your agent predicted in ‘this
space that they would prove to be a very ordi-
nary team; that the mix was wrong, the proper
chemistry would be missing. So, far, this is how
it has turned out.

As to the future? There’s no substitute for
creative ability and the Canucks have virtually
none where it most counts: centre ice.

Just take a look at the leading teams, They

have tnily creative centre ice talent. Lemieux
and Francis in Pittsburgh, Sakic and Forsberg
in Colorado, Take your pick among Larionov,
¥zerman and Fedorov in Detrolt. Lindros in ::
Philadelphia. In Vancouver? Captain Trevor
Linden is their best. And that’s by default, He’s °
really a winger. Otherwise? Pedestrian.

In retrospect it does scem strange that when
the Canucks put together the Russian shooters, °
they didn’t get a compatible centre who could.
load their guns (i.e, another talented Russian). °

Scotty Bowman has put together a complete
Russian unit in Detroit. And it’s working Pera
because the parts fit together.

In Vancouver, nothing seems to fit. Result:
for $60 a ticket, the Canucks are serving up the
most expensive garbage in town.

offices, that is, not on the ice. What with anew —- team into some sort of super team.

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