CANUCK COLLAPSE

You think the Stars March swoon has been difficult to get through the esophagus - consider the acid reflux Canuck fans have been suffering as their beloved home team gags its way through the final few weeks of the regular season.

The team that ousted the Stars last spring may not be around this April. They blew a 2-0 lead over the Avs at G.M. Place last night to lose for the 5th time in 6 games and drop to 9th in the Western Conference playoff race.

They no longer control their own fate, needing to win their two remaining home games while hoping that Nashville stumbles. And maybe more disturbing for them is the fact that the "bigger the game, bigger the saves" goaltending of uberstopper Roberto Luongo has gone missing.

He's not the single culpable entity (Luongo's going through life change too, his wife just had their baby girl last week - in Florida). Injuries have hit the Canucks hard too. Three veteran defensemen have been shelved including their "Zubov", Mattias Ohlund. Plus, all-purpose center and Razorboy BIL Brendan Morrison will be having his ACL surgically repaired early next week.

True, everyone has injuries this time of year but you have to admit that's a wack of them.

And so when none of the healthy impact players are stepping up to absorb the loss of their incapacitated teammates you have a Canuck collapse. This falling to the occasion is reminiscent of the 2006 collapse which, following the final fateful loss on home ice in game 82 that season Canuck captain Markus Naslund gave golfer Woody Austin an interview to model - calling himself and his mates that other "C" word - "Chokers"

If they can't muster a surge into the top eight this week and "choke" again, there is strong belief in the Pacific Northwest that this capitulation will be followed with a decapitation of the Canucks core leadership.

The guillotine could include Naslund (in the final year of his $6M per deal), Morrison (an unrestricted free agent), Trevor Linden (retirement), and to some peoples shock - the trading of the Sedin Twins (In a package deal no doubt).

On many fronts everyone involved, both physically and emotionally, in the 2008 Canucks is waking up this morning with that saying: "If you don't change today, your tomorrows will be just like your yesterdays" ringing in their ears.