In Vancouver, fingers get pointed no matter the outcome of the game. The Canucks strung together back-to-back 1-0 wins, and fans still wanted to put someone’s head on a pike because of a scoring drought. In spite of the shutouts, there is still a lingering fear and animosity towards the Canucks winning by relying on their goaltending. It is impossible to explain the energy of Vancouver to someone from a different part of Canada; Even when the Canucks win, it feels different than in any other city. This town is different, because this town has never won a Stanley Cup.
The lack of Stanley Cup banners in Rogers Arena stands out like a scar in the reflection of the rafters on the ice. It is what sets Vancouver apart from other Canadian cities such as Calgary, Edmonton, Montreal and Toronto, so called “storied” franchises. These other cities know what it tastes like to win it all, and its a taste that you hold onto as fans. This taste provides a patience for their next cup, an understanding it will come in the future that settles anxiety and prevents blood from boiling over.
Vancouver is different. Needing a cup drives the city and its urgency to win, a desire that exploded last year in the form of riots. This desire is an insatiable need for every fan who sits in front of their television with the lingering hope of this being the year. To come so close further spurns the debilitating need to hoist the Cup and turns every fan into a critic. Not because we hate our team, nor is it that we cannot appreciate every time they win a game. Vancouver hounds the Canucks more than any other city in Canada, because we absolutely and unequivocally must win a Cup.
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