2009 or 2019

[HisIceness]

Which of these playoff runs do you embrace as a fan more of? Both were similar in that the Canes pulled off two upsets in the first two rounds before bowing out unceremoniously in the Conference Finals.

2009:
-Still kind of fresh off the Cup win
-The entire NJ series and the dramatic wins in games 4 and 7
-Defeating the "Big bad Bruins" in 7 in the second round
-Scott Walkers OT goal in game 7 leading to a silent Boston crowd and an upset Jack Edwards
-The run down the stretch in March to clinch that spot, 9 game winning streak and thrilling game after thrilling game followed by epic beatdown of Islanders (9-0 win)

2019:
-Finally ending the drought
-Drawing a first-time opponent and old SE Divisional rival in round 1
-Game 3 of the Washington series
-Forcing game 7
-Brock McGinn saving the season late in the 3rd and then dethroning the champs in game double-OT
-Sweeping the Islanders
-Hamilton the Pig
-The re-energized fanbase and the 'Bunch of Jerks'.

I have to say, 2009 for me personally was more fun. I was in college then and got a lot of my friends and classmates interested and that was a great run to get people hooked onto the game of Hockey and the team. That and beating Boston was a big deal for me since I couldn't stand that cities sports teams and fans (still don't but back then they were a special kind of obnoxious), it also put some closure on the 1999 playoffs and Steve Chiasson (RIP). Also, I know last year was loud but games 3 and 4 of the Boston series, I don't think I've ever heard the Arena that loud before or since.

Don't get me wrong last year was awesome too, but following my favorite sports team in a deep playoff run at age 20 and having the run they did and the way they knocked off NJ and Boston, was just magical.

Click to read more...

 

[Anton Dubinchuk]

Let’s put it this way - if 2009 didn’t happen, I might not still be a long-distance fan in 2019.

If 2019 didn’t happen, I’d still be completely hooked on this dumbass team.

 

[Surrounded By Ahos]

2009 I think, which isn’t to say last year wasn’t special.

09 just had too many moments/storylines that set it over the top.

The emergence of Jokinen, the shock at the rock, taking a very good Bruins team to seven games where Scott Walker scores his first career playoff goal when all of Boston already wanted him dead for punching Aaron Wards lights out.

They also lost to the eventual cup champs unlike last year, which makes the sweep sting just a little bit less.

Man I miss Walker, we haven’t had a player like him since he left, excepting the first 30 games from Ferland last season.

 

[Surrounded By Ahos]

upset Jack Edwards

Honestly I kinda love Jack Edwards. The guy has an almost unparalleled passion for the sport of hockey. The guy knows his stuff. He was actually very complementary of the canes during the broadcast and knew immediately when his partner brought it up that Walker had never scored in the playoffs.

 

[HisIceness]

Fair enough @Surrounded By Ahos , I've actually never seen that clip before. I am aware of the "The villian breaks Bostons heart!" but the video I've seen cuts out to Gord Miller and Forslunds call.

 

[Roboturner913]

2009 was without a doubt, hands down, unquestionably, the best year of my life. Everything was going just right. My future wife and I had been together 6ish months and had just moved in together, I had a great job, a cool house, a new car, had a great group of friends coming around all the time, I was in good shape, a good 5 years before I started having all kinds of health problems. I was 31-32 years old. It simply doesn't get any better than that. I was high on life. So it's hard to separate that time watching those games from the overall environment.

And yet, still, it's very hard to pick. That's how good last season was. So basically, IDK, flip a coin, I'm happy either way.

 

[Brock Anton]

2009, simply for the Bruins series.

 

[AD Skinner]

I'm going to go against the grain and say 19, though its definitely close. In 09 there was still a decent bit of the cup winning team around and they had been in playoff position until the very last day of the season the year before. It didn't have quite the same shock the world type value, at to me. That coupled with the storm surge and the bunch of jerks and brindamour as coach/Williams as captain, this whole reinvention of the team identity, just seemed really special to me. That game 3 beatdown of washington was just transcendent.

 

[MrazeksVengeance]

Wasn’t around in 2009, so... KINDA OBVIOUS.

 

[CandyCanes]

Going to go 09, tho 19 is right there in being just as special.

Jussi’s .02 seconds left winner and Shock At The Rock are two of my all time favorite memorable games. Then Scotty Walker’s game winner against the Bruins. 09 had some freaking spectacular games.

 

[geehaad]

2002, hands down

These other years, including 2006, paled in comparison.

 

[A Star is Burns]

Between these two, I will easily take 19. That's not to say 09 wasn't great and didn't have great moments, because it was flat out awesome. But as mentioned, last year with Brindy, missing for 9 years, the great run from January on (only overshadowed because of St. Louis), the Storm Surge, Bunch of Jerks, so many people being proven wrong (including here) about how our franchise was run, and so on. For the playoffs, McGinn against Washington was every bit as good as Walker to me. We had every bit as much hatred of Washington in that series as any 09 series. Sweep against Isles is good enough for me even if the .2 and game 7 against the Devils was great.

I'll admit that at this point, I love most of the players from last year, but I certainly soured on some of the guys from the 09 team during the bad years so that I'm a bit more conflicted in my feelings for them. That probably plays a part as well.

 

[AD Skinner]

It's definitely noticeable watching E Staal in the 06 and 09 highlights and easy to wish he could have stayed at that level.

 

[Lucky Lindy]

Since I started following the team around 2011, 2019 is my choice.

 

[Roboturner913]

It's definitely noticeable watching E Staal in the 06 and 09 highlights and easy to wish he could have stayed at that level.

He was a f***ing monster in 09. Carried that team around on his back. He was a much better player in 09 than he was in 06, the point totals maybe don't reflect it as much but he was everything for that 09 squad. He was every bit as good as a Lecavalier or Thornton, or anybody else at that time you would hold up as being a prototype 1C. Then.....IDK.

He'll always be a "what if" kinda guy to me; either he wasn't willing or wasn't able to keep up that level of play over the long run, but what if he had.

 

[AD Skinner]

Oh absolutely agree. If I remember correctly he was the only reason they were so close in 08 also when every other good forward was hurt. Like on the one hand I get that it would be really difficult to keep yourself as engaged as you watch talent drain away around you. But on the other hand like... oh well. Over now.

 

[djboos22]

For me they are both phenomenal runs with amazing moments.

19 will be more memorable to me because we just made the playoffs for the first time in 10 years and to make the ECF was insane. I was happy to just make the playoffs.

But with Ovi punching out Svech and then coming back to win that series. The announcers only talking about how amazing Ovi is while Aho and Turbo were absolute magic on the ice.

Not to mention what a great foundation to build on for our core.