It may have been a Monday but you wouldn’t know it! People were at work yes and work was getting done but I think everyone was mostly thinking about the Vancouver Canucks and the fact that it was game day! So much excitement!! Our office was buzzing. Chatter about the game. Hands and faces being painted. Pictures being taken. We were ready to rock this game!!

We convened for a cocktail prior to heading to Rogers Arena to watch the game. So amazing that even though it was an away game they managed to sell out the place. The organization did it right. $10 for a ticket and the money went to Canucks for Kids Fund.

The environment was great not unlike home games. People just excited to see their team play! And what a great opportunity for those who can’t afford playoff tickets to at least get a sense of what the vibe is like….

Although, game 3 was not the best night for this. The Canucks got blown out 8-1. But what frustrated me the most was people filing out of the building before the game was over. Come on people!!! This is OUR team!!! We must support them through thick and thin! A loss is a loss is a loss. It doesn’t matter if it is 3-2 or 8-1! You are either supporting the team or your aren’t. So they had a bad game? It happens! Surely you didn’t think we were going to sweep them? I mean this is the Stanely Cup Final! Boston is there for a reason….because they are a good team!

Just like the players, fans need to shake the loss off and look to the next game. I look forward to seeing what they bring to the table for game 4!

Saturday was a perfect day. Seriously sunny! A rare thing here in Vancouver these days. People were out and about in full force!

I met up with my friend Simone and we walked from Kitsilano to Rogers Arena to take in some of the Party in the Plaza. Amazing how many people came out! From a DJ, to facepainting to people getting the Canucks logo shaved into their hair! The energy was electric!

We then walked up to Granville to see what the action was like there. Another sea of blue. You could sense the excitement in the air. Almost game time!

We literally had to fight our way through the crowds to get to St. Regis Bar and Grill where we were watching the game. Reservations are the key people! No waiting! No lineups!

We had a blast watching the game. There is nothing like being surrounded by friends who are all there to cheer on the Vancouver Canucks. And there is nothing better than watching your team win. But more than that, there is nothing better than watching your team go up two games in the Stanley Cup finals! We are 2 wins away from what this city has been waiting for the last 40 years.

We left the bar and poured out into the streets with the rest of the city. Granville Street was insane. High fives. Big smiles. Cheers and chants of “We want the Cup!`. This is the Olympics x100 because this is our team. This is our Vancouver Canucks and we are all in this together!

Note: I took a ton of pictures on Saturday and will update this post with those soon!

I woke up yesterday morning at 4:50am and bounced out of bed. Finally game day!!! I needed to work off some of the nervous energy so hit the gym and then got ready for work! Jersey on!!! Ready to go.

I was a pile of nerves all day. By 2:00pm I was pacing. I could barely contain my excitement. But at least I was not the only one. We have an office full of Canucks fans!

By 4pm I was settled in at Manchester Public Eatery with my friends. Luckily we had reserved seats so there was no issues with us finding seats. Note to all. Do not try and save a seat for someone if they are going to be late. It is going to hit the fan at some point! There is a story there but I won’t bore you with the details.

Finally the puck dropped!!! Game on! And what a tight game…. Luongo was incredible once again and kept us in it after a barage of penalties including a 5 on 3. There was scrappiness too and even a little finger nibbling? But really, what do you expect if some guy shoves a finger in your mouth!!

And then we waited…. waited for someone to score.  And they did. With 18 seconds to go in the third Hansen passed to Torres who drove it home! Now that is what I am talking about. If it is going to be a one goal game, that is the way I prefer it. There is none of the anxiety of holding on to the lead through any periods and then the awful 1 minute countdown with the goalie pulled to see if they can tie it up. 18 seconds. I can handle that! 

The bar went nuts!!! We went nuts!! To win the first game is huge.

Could this really happen? Could the Canucks win the Stanley Cup after waiting all these years? 3 more wins is all we need. But let’s not kid ourselves. There is still a lot of work to be done. But with last nights win, I’m more confident and was able to go to bed with a smile on my face.

All Rogers Arena photos courtesy of Canucks.com