The Tale of Tuesday: Alain, Don’t Worry About Tony Gallagher

Canucks fans are a little handicapped by local columnist Tony Gallagher.

Sure, Tony can write. Tony can talk. And, Tony is very, very good at riling up opinion and ridicule which, if you’ve been paying attention, is normally his ultimate goal. That’s not meant to be an insult, but it’s meant to be a truth. Or, a perceived truth, and isn’t that really the same? After all, Tony is all about perceived truths, and he gets paid by a real newspaper.

And, here’s the handicap: other media groups love to pull out Tony’s excerpts and use them to humiliate the Canucks and their fans.

For example, you know how Damien Cox is obsessed with Vancouver’s long-stated worry that there is an NHL conspiracy against Vancouver? That’s all Tony.

You know how Shawn Thornton and Boston’s broadcasters love to rip on Canucks columnists for their biased and often poison-filled critique of the Bruins? That’s all Tony. They even ambushed Tony in January.

You know everything that people say sucks about Canucks fans? Bro, all Tony.

That’s why Mr. Gallagher’s column today about the potential – and his supported – firing of Canucks’ head coach Alain Vigneault should be taken with a grain of salt.

Of course, that is just Tony’s opinion, so don’t worry about it. Mike Gillis doesn’t care about Tony’s opinion, and here’s betting that nobody in Vancouver sweaters cares about it, either.

Tony also makes a good argument, that Vigneault has – we’re paraphrasing here – fostered a culture of mediocrity and losing. In Tony’s words, Vigneault’s Canucks teams aren’t closers.

Well, that’s true. After all, Vigneault’s teams have never won a Stanley Cup, or any playoff series that they should have, when push has come to shove. I mean, is Vigneault more Lindy Ruff than we’d like to admit?

So, you know what, Tony Gallagher thinks Alain Vigneault should be fired. Whatever. A lot of people think Tony Gallagher should be fired. A lot of people.

This isn’t like Marc Crawford’s tenure in Vancouver, where Crow’s teams not only underachieved but appeared to be content with their string of successive losses.

This is Alain Vigneautl’s Canucks, where Vancouver has turned itself into a world class club with championship overtones. And, if they lose in the first round despite winning the President’s Trophy? Well, then they’re no worse than the 2006 Detroit Red Wings, who won the Stanley Cup two seasons later.

Don’t worry about Tony, Vancouver. He’s no Tiger.