Still grinning from ear to ear, still breaking out into spontaneous, incredulous laughter after replaying Kesler’s 13.4-seconds-left-brilliant-game-tying-goal over and over in my mind, still giddy at the thought that our beloved Canucks are going to the Stanley Cup final, this time as favorites, and I just have to write about it.

Have to write about how much of a drag it was that Salo was hurt, again, early on, but that kept Bieksa around to thrive and score the biggest goal of his life, “ugly” as it was (his word, not mine). Have to share in everyone’s collective amazement and respect for Superman, otherwise known as Ryan Kesler, who clearly will play on one leg if he has to (again, his words not mine). Have to reflect in wonderment at Henrik’s no-look, between the legs, behind his back, blindfolded, one-armed ability to thread the needle in the haystack in thick fog. Have to revel in my I told you so’s to any naysayer who had the audacity to utter the words choke and twins in the same sentence last series. The words utter domination, or maybe Ornskoldsvik Globetrotters, seem now more appropriate. And Luongo, who finally stole that game all the media types were saying he had to steal, just once, during the playoffs. Definitely have to write about Luongo.

Why on Earth should I write about any of this stuff on a mediation blog? Ah, there is a tie – a tenuous tie, but a tie nonetheless. It’s common experience. Last night, over the course of this run, and for forty years the Canucks have bound this city. They’ve given us “where were you when” moments we’ll collectively never forget. We wear their colours proudly, and talk affectionately to one another of Kes, and Lou and Dan and Hank, using nicknames for people we’ve never met but love like old friends. We all know exactly what they mean when a stranger says to us “how ’bout that game last night!”

We’ve also known collective disappointment, but that’s some negativity that’s definitely not welcome in this space.

Point is, we’ve known it all together. We can all relate. Heavy machinery operators can relate to CEO’s, teenagers to teachers, 40-something female mediators to mechanics (I had to take my car in this morning and participated in some great post-game analysis…). We all speak the same language, understand the same references, share the same goals and values. When it comes to the Canucks, after last night we’re all just one big, happy Canuck-lovin’ family.

So, right, this is a mediation blog. In mediation, as in life, we all have differences – different opinions, perspectives, goals – and we tend to focus on those when in dispute. Actually, disputes are, almost by definition, differences of opinion. While we remain focused on those differences, we’re unlikely to come together to resolve the thing. But if we can find those nuggets of commonality, those things that we share, that might actually join us in common purposes, we start to see how resolution may be achieved. What do we share? What do we both want? Those are key questions that can help save time, effort, money and heartache.

I can tell you this big, diverse population of ours here in B.C. has some easy answers to those questions right now. We all share a love of this game and this team. And thousands of us chanted the second answer loud and proud last night – We Want the Cup!

Go Canucks Go.