On the edge of the best season in franchise history, the Canucks took such a [superlative, expletive, exclamation] detour that they put themselves at the cliff of infamy.

Most fans, the bruised and battle-weary Canucks nation, were right there with them.

As local sport psychologist Saul Miller explains, the most dedicated fans (never to be confused with the casual fan or the bandwagon fan) live the highs and lows. And we feel it, too. The anguish, grief, tenderness, rage, doubt and all kinds of shame of late are acutely felt. Is it possible to have a physical reaction to the success or failure of the Canucks? "Absolutely," says Miller. Affirmed, then: any tears you shed are not hormonal. They were a "psychosocial physical reaction."

Miller has been making the talk radio rounds, surmising the mental state of the handle-with-care, prone-to-breaking Canucks. Where Luongo doth go, the rest doth follow...

But for the mental state of fans, Miller advises holding on to a strong sense of self. When the Nucks are successful, fans feel elation, "almost as if they've had a personal sense of achievement." When they lose, logic holds, fans risk a similar plummet.

Perhaps just as fragile as the Vezina-nominated goaltender, the fans who pray, the fans who adhere to personal superstition and the fans who invest deeply in the outcome of the Canucks risk investing too much in that outcome--even the outcome of what was arguably the most important puck drop in franchise history.

Maintain perspective, Miller cautions, and enjoy the thrill. "It certainly is a consequential game--and it's a game."

The author of seven books, including his most recent, Performing Under Pressure, Miller consults professional athletes and teams (he counts the Canucks as clients). He levies this sober advice: "Winners find a way to use everything."

mstewart@vancourier.com

Twitter: @MHStewart