From Forsberg’s point of view, is there really any risk to his ankle returning in a game against Vancouver? Can’t imagine there is. After last week’s episode of Mr. Cooke Goes to Washington, I don’t think Vancouver ‘toughness’ could injure a ham sandwich. (Outhit by Chicago 15-2 in the first 20 minutes on Sunday? Nice trade, btw…)

I hate endlessly pessimistic hockey fans and yet here I am, choking on it like a Team 1040 talk radio call-in jackass.

Fortunately, the darkness is/was only temporary. ‘Cause I just read Adrian Dater’s blog in the Denver Post today and realized I’d better quit sounding like him:

I think [Forsberg] will play tomorrow night for sure, against the Canucks. He’s getting really antsy to play, and there’s no reason to think he can’t go out there and play 10-15 minutes, especially against a soft team like Vancouver.
(Send me your emails now, Canuck-heads).
The Canucks are a fraud, and Dave Nonis was outfoxed by everyone at the deadline, only getting a stiff named Matt Pettinger. They can’t score goals, and Luongo is good, but not invincible.

Clearly, Dater and I accidentally agreed on something, and that’s just gotta stop. It’s a matter of self-respect, because that post just gets worse. At some point in there (after working through his Batman fantasies) he has a Bertuzzi flashback (because yeah, it’s like, 2004 still) and says things like “dude”, etc, while ultimately declaring the Canucks “are going to fall apart before long.” (Way to go out on a limb, Adrian.)

All in all, it might be the worst hockey blog post written by a mainstream media member in recorded history (more evidence can be seen of this here, as Wings fans laugh) but it’s got me feeling a little less pessimistic.

I mean, if Adrian thinks the Canucks are gonna be supper for Forsberg, then it must be a delusion, no?

I made the mistake of predicting the Canucks would come out on top of the Avs last week (sorry about that; won’t happen again) but I do intend to go into this game optimistically. The Canucks embarrassed themselves (and frankly, the entire sport of hockey) last Sunday, so they dare not do it again.

So, crisis over. Fortified with beer, I shall choose optimism.

Oh, and one more thing—is it a bad sign that I read this yesterday and my first thought was “I wonder if Sean Avery would consider signing in Vancouver…?”

Seriously, I’m sober.