by Willard King

Created on: April 24, 2009   Last Updated: April 26, 2009

Following our Canadian Teams in Action

This years playoff hopes for Canada have come in the form of three teams, one from the east and two from the strong western conference. The Montreal Canadiens getting swept out by the surging Bruins last night will have many questions to address this off season. The number of players on the unrestricted free agency list is rather high at nearly a dozen players. Price or Halak? Who should have started last night's game? Will we see a change in net for the Canadiens' next season, or will they stick with young Carey Price? The Calgary Flames have their hands full as well, 2-2 in the series, the young stacked line up of the Chicago Blackhawks have given the Flames all they can handle so far. The veterans of the Flames have answered the bell with the help of Captain Iginla. Chicago has not looked this good in years, and are capable of a rally with the goaltending of Nikolai Khabibulin. So look for this to be a long grinding series; I am routing for seven game series with a Calgary victory.

A few bone jarring glass rattling body checks, some overtime dramatics sent the St.Louis crowd home disappointed. Being swept out this early, the fans in St.Louis are hungry they haven't seen playoff hockey for a number of years, since 2001. Thanks to the Canucks they will have to wait at least another year, Roberto Loungo, one of the best goalies in the game, sporting a 1.16 goals against average, with an impressive .962 save percentage.

The fans in Vancouver will probably get to see their Canucks goaltender Loungo play in front of them, wearing a different jersey in the 2010 Olympics. For those who have followed his career since he was playing for team Canada, he does look good in the Red and White -Team Canada jersey. These playoff games are just as much a preview of what Loungo and others could do for team Canada. Making his own bid for the starting position will be Martin Brodeur, who will be looking for a goaltending position on team Canada.

Martin Brodeur has a chance to showcase his own veteran skills, he and his New Jersey Devils facing the Carolina Hurricanes. They are tied up in the series at 2 games a piece. Marty Brodeur is showing us he still can bring his best game and can compete at high skill level. Some might think he may even have a bit of an advantage, having missed a month and a half with his injury; he has been able to get on track and lead his team. Depending how far the Devils, the Flames, and the Canucks can make it respectively in the playoffs may determine the roster spots for a lot of players in 2010.

These playoffs give everyone playing in them a chance to show their skills. Competing for team Canada is always tough, as we do have many highly skilled athletes and only so many roster positions. The selection for the coaches is tough enough, as a fan it is exciting to see the players showcasing their talents; the decisions at the executive level for the team cannot be easy. So three cheers for our Canadian teams remaining in action, with the Nation's hopes riding on the Canucks and the Flames; get your chicken wings and beer readyfor the best hockey yet to come.

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