One problem with having friends from around the world is that there’s one clear thing we don’t get along on: Hockey. I’m sure any hockey loving fan knows how that goes. You’re best of friends until the NHL playoffs start, and then it’s time to poke fun at them as your team kicks their team to the curb (because of course your team will always win, right?)
This playoff season has been interesting for me, because the Vancouver Canucks have gone up against teams that some of my friends are actually fans of.
In the Western Conference Semifinal, the Canucks faced off against the Nashville Predators. Originally from Tennessee, my friend Matt currently lives in Alabama. Though admittedly we don’t talk hockey a lot, it was still fun to poke fun as the Preds lost 4-2.
Now with the Canucks up against the San Jose Sharks, it’s my friend Jeremy and I going head to head as he’s from the San Francisco area. He’d gone out of town for a week for holidays, but secretly I think it’s his way of avoiding my hockey chatter.
I do admit I’m a good sport about it, and my friends know it’s all in good fun.
For the Eastern Conference, my friend Kathy is a big Philadelphia Flyer fan. She lives, eats, breathes the Flyers. Being knocked out in Round 2 against the Boston Bruins, she’s had to focus her attention on one of her favourite former Flyers players: Simon Gagne. Such a fan is she that when Kathy comes to visit me here in Vancouver in two weeks she’s planning on wearing her Gagne jersey – despite whatever reaction she might get from Canucks fans.
Has love for opposing teams gotten between you and your friends?
Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals happens tonight here in Vancouver. Puck drops at 6 pm PDT.
Month: May 2011
The 6 Most Intense Relationship Breakups in Rock History
With papers covering the breakup and alimony drama of Nickelback frontman Chad Kroeger and his former common-law wife of seven years, Marianna Goriuk, we got to thinking about some of the more truly epic breakups and broken relationships in rock music. Sure, Marianna’s asking for $95,000 a month (and currently getting $25,000), and according to legal papers, she’s spending over $5k of that every month on “pet care,” but compared to some of the more legendary breakups of rock n roll, whether Kroeger has to pay for his ex’s limos, cocktail parties, and vet bills is small potatoes. Here are six of the most intense, protracted, ridiculous, and productive breakups in rock music history.
Cirque du Soleil Dralion to Wow Abbotsford
Cirque to Soleil is set to descend on the City of Abbotsford with a show that blends the beauty of both Eastern and Western acrobatics: Dralion.
The show is a fusion of the best of both worlds as seen in its name, derived from the blend of “Dragon” which symbolizes the East and “Lion” for the west. It focuses on the Eastern philosophy of harmony between humans and nature, and representations of the elements become the main characters: Azala for air, Gaya for earth, Oceane for water, and Yao for fire.
Set to a variety of world music, the show includes elements such as the bamboo poles, aerial hoop, hoop diving, and more.
Originally a show under Cirque du Soleil’s Grand Chapiteau, it’s now been adapted for arena performances. Dralion will be at the Abbotsford Entertainment and Sports Centre for seven shows June 2nd-5th, 2011.
Get your tickets and be awed by the acrobatic mastery that nobody does like Cirque du Soleil.
Tampa Bay Lightning tie it up against Boston Bruins
Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals made for an interesting game at St Pete Times Forum, where the Tampa Bay Lightning fought their way back against the Boston Bruin’s early 3-0 lead.
The first period saw a round of unassisted goals by the Bruins, with Patrice Bergeron neatly tucking the first goal into the left side of the net. Michael Ryder followed this up a few minutes later. Bergeron went for another as he scored while the Bruins were short handed.
During the second period the Lightning fought back, scoring three goals of their own. Despite a bit of a fumble, Teddy Purcell managed to get Tampa’s first goal with a backhand to the far side of the net. Just over a minute later he managed to do it again with a wrist shot. Sean Bergenheim tied it up, with a goal that now puts him in the lead for league playoff goals. This made it three goals for the Lightning within a span of four minutes, catching them up with the Bruins.
Simon Gagne put the Lightning ahead in the third period, and had the opportunity to score a second goal. Instead he sent the puck to Martin St Louis, who scored on an empty net after the Bruins had pulled their goalie.
The Tampa Bay Lightning won it 5-3.
The Eastern Conference Finals are now tied 2-2. Game 5 takes place tonight at Boston’s TD Garden. Puck drops at 8 pm EST.
Wicked comes to Vancouver's QE Theatre
The 17th longest running Broadway show is coming to Vancouver’s Queen Elizabeth Theatre June 1st-26th, 2010.
Based off of Gregory Maguire’s novel “Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West”, which in turn is based off of L Frank Baum’s classic work “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz”, Wicked centers around the frendship of Elphaba and Glinda. We all know about Glinda, the Good Witch of the North. The story tells the tale of how Elphaba becomes the Wicked Witch of the West before Dorothy’s arrival in The Wizard of Oz.
After doing it’s test run in San Francisco, Wicked officially opened October 30th, 2003 in New York’s Gershwin Theatre
Despite being initially panned by critics, the show went on to become a smash hit with the audience. It’s currently one of the two highest weekly grossing Broadway shows since it opened. The first North American tour, which debuted in 2005, played to capacity crowds at almost every single performance. The show has gone into productions worldwide, including an abridged 30 minute performance at Universal Studios Japan.
So popular has it been, that the song “Defying Gravity” was sung in season one of “Glee”. The show has also been featured in TV shows “The Simpsons”, “Brothers & Sisters”, “Ugly Betty”, and “The War at Home”.
The current North American tour debuted March 2009. Tickets are still available for many performances.
What has your favourite Wicked television cameo been?
Vancouver Canucks Coming Home for Game 5
Game 3 and 4 of the Western Conference Finals in San Jose this past weekend were such a stark contrast between on another.
Game 3 of the Western Conference Final game me a heart attack. I get home by the end of the first period to see that Vancouver is trailing 3-0. Second period seemed to stall for both teams, as they traded power plays. The third period was kicked up a notch as the Canucks managed to come back with three goals. Despite their surge in momentum, the Canucks lost 4-3.
Game 4 on the other hand can be be summed up in one word: penalties. When it comes to power plays, the Sharks don’t appear to know what they’re doing. In the first period they failed at scoring despite having 5 consecutive power plays. When they had penalties, they couldn’t kill them like the Canucks. In their last 13 man-advantage situations, the Sharks have only scored once.
Vancouver used that weakness to their advantage, despite being grossly out shot by the Sharks. They scored three goals in two minutes during one of their many 5 on 3 power plays (an NHL record) during the second period.
Sami Salo played a huge role in the Canucks win, finally back from rupturing his Achilles tendon over the summer (an injury that could have seen the end of his career). He did his part in killing off the five straight penalties the Canucks took in the first period, not to mention setting up Ryan Kesler’s goal, and then scoring two of his own.
The Canucks also fought back against Sharks player Jamie McGinn (who knocked out Christian Ehrhoff and Aaron Rome), when a hip check from Keith Ballard sent McGinn into a head over heels flip. Neither Ehrhoff nor Rome are expected to be back yet for Game 5.
In front of a packed HP Pavilion in San Jose, the Canucks won Game 4 with a score of 4-2.
Game 5 is set to take place tomorrow Tuesday, May 24th at 6 pm PST at Rogers Arena. Get your ticket and cheer on the home team!