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OK, so that was one sign down, but in a moment that truly shows what positive teamwork can do, Lorenzo was given another “Melnyk Out” sign and resumed his post.

Until we learned he had been kicked out of the arena for the second infraction.

They kicked us out and they were pointing at you on the way up, watch out — Lorenzo Bonetti (@LorenzoBonetti) March 3, 2018

The guys who put a #MelnkyOut sign up by the penalty box in Vancouver just got ejected. pic.twitter.com/xo2QQHehNE — ryan wants #melnykout (@ryanclassic) March 3, 2018

Lorenzo’s warning appeared to be spot on, as Ryan, sign guy No. 2, would only moments later have his sign confiscated as well.

Lorenzo said he was told “the NHL doesn’t want that opinion voiced here.” From Lorenzo himself: “Not being disorderly or drunk or anything, just had a sign, they took it away, buddy across the way saw and gave us another one. Put it up after that scuffle and they kicked us out. I should also mention we looked up the sign policy and showed security on the way in, got the OK and everything. We think it was only a problem cause we had the TV coverage.” If you ignore security’s request a second time, you’re obviously playing with fire. The Canucks themselves stated they asked politely several times for Lorenzo to stop, and it was indeed only when the second sign was brought out that he was asked to leave. It looks like Ottawa might need to enrol in Vancouver’s course of positivity, is what I take away from this. Positive Takeaway: Nobody has raised over $10,000 for billboards to fire the owners in Vancouver like they have in Ottawa.

BEST HEADS UP IF YOU WERE INJURED BY A PEN TONIGHT

first time in all my years doing this job, just dropped a pen from the press box to the seats below. Whoops. Hope it didn't hit anyone. Keep it if you find it! I think it was from a hotel in Minnesota! — Jeff Paterson (@patersonjeff) March 3, 2018

Positive Takeaway: You might be entitled to some money if you were hurt by a rogue pen tonight.

BEST FASHION WARS

I challenged Biech to be as fashionable as Dimitri Filipovic was when he blew the world away with his turtleneck-based fashion.

Ryan was up to the task.

I commend him for not trying to match Dim in the shock-and-awe department of fashion, but instead going with a subtle floral undertone.

Positive Takeaway: I didn’t mention Dan Murphy’s bizarre pocket square and tie colour combo because it’s positive night.

BEST POSITIVE DUO

With the world in trouble from negativity, the Justice League of Positive Hockey was formed when Vancouver needed it most.

Enter Jason “Positford” Botchford and Jeff “Pen Tosser” Paterson, two men who have been on a positive mission of late, trying to be leaders in helping Vancouver become a more positive place.

id actually put this in the trade tanev brochure. only played 38 games and is second on team in goals from a defenceman. more offensive than you think — Jason Botchford (@botchford) March 2, 2018

Now that is the positive spin I like to see!

Due to this positive approach, we had more people jump in to help raise the value of other players and increase the Canucks’ odds of winning the Stanley Cup:

While we're at it - MDZ leading the team in goals from a defenceman in his first season while also leading the team in hits. Imagine the return we could get at the draft. #nothingbutpositivethoughts — Mathew Tavendale (@NzVanFan) March 2, 2018

Positive Takeaway: People working together to complete a common goal is very rewarding.

BEST THE DRAFT PICK WAR CONTINUES

As the Draft Pick War appeared to be in a lull after a week of intense fighting, General iMac took that moment to lead a surprise attack.

Surely Team Draft Pick would be caught unawares by a charge straight down the middle on what looked to be a day of rest for all involved.

Digging back through deadline-week trades: 19 of 217 2018 draft picks were moved, 9 teams had a net gain of total picks, 6 teams had a net-gain for 2018 draft. — Iain MacIntyre (@imacSportsnet) March 2, 2018

It was a bold strategy to attack down the middle like that.

The city was still in shock over the newest “Negative vs. Positive” war; surely nobody would have the strength to rally against this claim that implies the Canucks weren’t crazy for not targeting draft picks.

However, one plucky lieutenant colonel from Team Draft Pick, he saw this attack coming.

Jason Hamilton saw it, and he signalled his stats, and they rose from the ground like demons from your worst nightmare.

And they attacked.

And attacked.

And attacked.

7 of 15 non-playoff teams had net gain. Essentially 50% of teams on the outside looking in not only targeted draft picks, but successfully acquired them. — Jason (@JHamilton_87) March 2, 2018

10/13 trades involved draft picks, more than 50% of the trades made involved non-playoff teams adding draft picks.



The Canucks, a bottom 5 team 3yrs running, made 2 of those 13 trades. So excluding Van, 7 of 11 trades involved non-playoff teams adding picks. — Jason (@JHamilton_87) March 2, 2018

This war is far from over.

But you’ll never forget the day the Hamilton Manoeuvre was used to mercilessly take down Team No Draft Pick.

Positive Takeaway: It’s great how we’re able to discuss competing ideologies in a public forum, one that even lets us use emojis to make counter points.

BEST ENDORSEMENT

You sure do your homework 🤓👍🏻 — FIN (@CanucksFIN) March 2, 2018

Positive Takeaway: Even team mascots appreciate the hard work our city’s writers do!

BEST WARNING

Rumors are the Grizzlies actually folded because Grizz threw all his support behind the fast ferries.

Grizz knows of what he speaks.

Positive Takeaway: The Vancouver Grizzlies got mentioned in The Provies and it wasn’t a Big Country joke.

BEST SIGN IT’S WORKING

Positive Takeaway: See? We’re not that bad.

BEST WAIT, WHAT?

The same people upset for trading away McCann and his 8 goals in 77 games as a Panther. — James Cybulski (@JamesCybulski) March 2, 2018

“Everyone” wasn’t mad about Subban being traded; the biggest noise around him was, “Why don’t they let Subban play a game?”

And not even an NHL game, this was, “Hey why not give him a pre-season game” or “OK, that’s the 173rd injury to a Canucks d-man, maybe call up Subban while the team dies a slow death in the standings to end the year?”

I don’t doubt some people might have been miffed that Subban was traded without seemingly being given much of a shot, but for this market, it was pretty tame.

As for McCann, I don’t think that’s a war that you can win quite yet, especially when you ignore the fact it wasn’t just McCann being traded away for Gudbranson, it was also a second- and fourth rounder (though they got a fifth-rounder back).

That trade is essentially knee deep in the optics that Jim Benning values certain types of d-men and doesn’t place as much value on draft picks as one would think he might.

That’s why it gets so much attention to this day.

Hell, Sam Gagner has 23 points (7 goals, 16 assists) in 56 games, and McCann has 18 points (7 goals and 11 assists) in 48 games this year.

Positive Takeaway: Both Sam Gagner and Jared McCann have scored seven goals and share a similar zest for life.

BEST HE’S GOING ALL IN!

Gudbranson has also been playing top 4 minutes since Jan 1st. — James Cybulski (@JamesCybulski) March 2, 2018

Sometimes you have a 7/2 in your hand and you see Ace, King, Queen on the flop and you just say to yourself “Eff it, let’s do this” and you shove all your chips into the middle of the table.

Positive Takeaway: James really believes in himself and won’t back down from a fight.

BEST POLL

What are you more likely to tell your grandchildren about, 30 years from now? — Gill (@vancitygill) March 2, 2018

That is tough.

The bad-ass violence of a Ballard hip check?

Or the “no effs to give” cool swag of a clapper on a breakaway?

I don’t even want to vote, it’s too hard.

You might as well be asking what’s better, a post rec hockey game beer, or balling up your sock tape and nailing the no-look, over-the-shoulder toss off your teammates head and into the trash-can shot.

Positive Takeaway: It feels really nice when you throw an object into a garbage can from far away.

BEST JERSEY SIGHTING

A salmon-coloured Esa Tikkanen jersey.

That is not a jersey I’d ever think I’d see at a Canucks game.

Well done, sir, well done.

Positive Takeaway: The gradient jersey is being given the love it deserves.

BEST RUNNER-UP

Oh my god pic.twitter.com/CcvFiL5y2U — Jocelyn Aspa (@jocelynaspa) March 3, 2018

Raffi Torres, who would normally always win a jersey-sighting contest, has to settle for second place.

Positive Takeaway: We are able to celebrate players from the past by showcasing them in The Provies, what player wouldn’t want to play here to be a part of that?

BEST PRAISE

Bob McKenzie, aka Bobby Margarita, was asked about hockey market negativity on a Montreal radio this morning.

Two things.

1) It’s amazing that the interview starts off with them debating if they are worse than Vancouver in regards to negativity.

In Canada, even negativity in hockey turns into a contest between Canadian teams.

You think you can out-negative us, Montreal??

2) Bobby Mack heaps some glorious praise upon Botch and The Provies:

“I think the Vancouver market is intense. I think the Vancouver market is really thriving. I don’t know if you guys read Jason Botchford’s game stories called The Provies, but I think it’s one of the most brilliant, comprehensive, caustic, controversial ways to cover a game and it’s the one game story I automatically … anytime the Canucks play, the first thing I read the next morning is that.”

McKenzie then goes on to say the Vancouver market is really intensive and covers the game more thoroughly than other hockey markets in Canada. He also gives a shout-out to the work Canucks Army has done here.

Which is to say, yeah, there is a giant spotlight on Vancouver, and it’s why people have so many opinions.

I don’t think there is anything magically negative about this market, it’s just there are a lot of people who want to talk about hockey, which is naturally going to lead to a lot of takes on everything.

The only thing unique about this market is there are a large volume of people analyzing everything that happens here in regards to hockey.

So when people can have what feels like a month-long debate about if the market is “too negative,” the only thing that tells me is that Vancouver’s hockey market is, as Bob McKenzie stated, thriving.

Imagine a world where Vanek takes a half clapper breakaway, and nobody cares?

Where Henrik makes a pass on an empty net and nobody cracks a joke?

Where Gudbranson does something devastatingly handsome and nobody makes a gif of it?

Where Troy Stecher makes an end-to-end rush and Richmond isn’t even mentioned once?

Where a player is drafted and within minutes there aren’t statistical breakdowns of what the chances are of the player making the NHL, and possibly what he had for breakfast that day?

I don’t want to live in that world.

Positive Takeaway: Bob McKenzie likes margaritas.

BEST FOLLOW-UP QUESTION

If you’re reading this Bob, what’s your favourite flavor of margarita? The world needs to know.