Game 7 Canucks-Rangers in 94-What Were Your Thoughts/Keys Going Into The Game?

[Jim MacDonald]

Hey everyone!

I hope you all are continuing to stay safe and healthy during these out-of-the-ordinary times.

I have Rangers-Canucks game 7 on pause on YouTube right now. I was curious to get thoughts from Rangers fans, Canucks fans and neutral observers who simply love the game. More specifically:

1. What did you think the Rangers would need to do/have to happen to win?
2. What did you think the Canucks would need to do/have to happen to win?
3. What players from either team did you maybe think "They need to have a kick-ass game tonight/play well for the Rangers/Canucks to have a chance."

Look forward to your feedback. Thanks!-Jim

Click to read more...

 

[GMR]

Along with Detroit/San Jose that same year, game 7 of the 1994 Finals was my earliest memory as a hockey fan. So I can't get too much into particular players. I knew the names of the top players on both teams (Bure, Messier, Leetch) but not much else.

I thought the Rangers would win. They were at home and seemed like the favored team. I wanted Vancouver to win because the media here was slobbering all over the Rangers. I was also a Bure fan.

In hindsight, scoring the first goal is of course the key in game 7 in the Finals. We've seen it many times since 1994 as well. You score first in that game, you win.

 

[Doctor No]

Canucks fan (at the time) living just across the border, and I was scared to death for Game Seven. Rightly so as it turned out.

We really missed an opportunity with Games Three and Four because we were exceptionally fortunate on the road - McLean stealing Game One with 52 saves, and that third period in Game Five was bonkers and I couldn't be happier just to get out of there in one piece.

Seriously, watch highlights of Game Five's third period with a Canucks fan and monitor our blood pressure while doing so.

 

[Cyclones21]

As a Rangers fan, I was wondering what June 15, would feel like (the day after). Vancouver was really good but much bigger and physical than I imagined. Doctor No has a good Canucks fan perspective. Greg Adams' OT winner in game 1 was right after Leetch hit the post.
Game 2 - sigh of relief
Games 3 and 4 were surreal.
Game 5 was way too comfortable. Canucks and Rangers fans will probably remember how that one game had emotional swings. Tikkanen actually scores but is called off-sides. John Davidson was the color guy for MSG and said that was a bad call. If Tikkanen's goal counts, does that change? I think there was a scrum and Beukeboom left the game. Canucks go up 3-0, then the Rangers tie it on 3 shots with the 3rd tying goal being the Messier wrist shot from the circle. As a Ranger fan, you now think you have the momentum but then the Canucks immediately score....that night was gut wrenching as a Rangers fan.

Game 6 the Rangers get blown out so going into Game 7 (especially with the Canucks coming back 3 games to 1 twice before, I think). I wasn't very confident.

 

[CharlestownChiefsESC]

As a Rangers fan, I was wondering what June 15, would feel like (the day after). Vancouver was really good but much bigger and physical than I imagined. Doctor No has a good Canucks fan perspective. Greg Adams' OT winner in game 1 was right after Leetch hit the post.
Game 2 - sigh of relief
Games 3 and 4 were surreal.
Game 5 was way too comfortable. Canucks and Rangers fans will probably remember how that one game had emotional swings. Tikkanen actually scores but is called off-sides. John Davidson was the color guy for MSG and said that was a bad call. If Tikkanen's goal counts, does that change? I think there was a scrum and Beukeboom left the game. Canucks go up 3-0, then the Rangers tie it on 3 shots with the 3rd tying goal being the Messier wrist shot from the circle. As a Ranger fan, you now think you have the momentum but then the Canucks immediately score....that night was gut wrenching as a Rangers fan.

Game 6 the Rangers get blown out so going into Game 7 (especially with the Canucks coming back 3 games to 1 twice before, I think). I wasn't very confident.

Makes me think had the Tikkanen goal counted that series could be over in 5. The no goal call took the wind out of the Rangers sails and the Canucks jumped all over it.

 

[Jim MacDonald]

I gotta give this Game 5 a watch/whirl.....was the Tikkanen no-goal a bad miss by the officials? Or was it a really close play?

 

[The Panther]

That series very easily could have been over in four-straight for NYR. Of the first four, the only game they lost was game one, in which:
-- they were on home-ice
-- they had a 1-0 lead
-- they put 54 shots on net
-- their best player hit the post in overtime

The hockey Gods (and Kirk McLean playing the game of his life) sort-of conspired to give Vancouver game one, and thus a seven-game series was born.

(This series reminded me of the very first NHL Finals I watched in full -- the 1987 Edmonton-Philly Finals.)

Anyway, about game seven: I missed it! I was 18 then, and on an early-summer car trip to the Kananaskis Mountains and Calgary's 11th avenue with my friend, in search of wine, women, and song. We found none.

 

[Jim MacDonald]

That series very easily could have been over in four-straight for NYR. Of the first four, the only game they lost was game one, in which:
-- they were on home-ice
-- they had a 1-0 lead
-- they put 54 shots on net
-- their best player hit the post in overtime

The hockey Gods (and Kirk McLean playing the game of his life) sort-of conspired to give Vancouver game one, and thus a seven-game series was born.

(This series reminded me of the very first NHL Finals I watched in full -- the 1987 Edmonton-Philly Finals.)

Anyway, about game seven: I missed it! I was 18 then, and on an early-summer car trip to the Kananaskis Mountains and Calgary's 11th avenue with my friend, in search of wine, women, and song. We found none.

A glorious and honest last sentence of self-deprecating humor which is awesome Panther!

 

[VanIslander]

I thought my team would win.

I thought Bure would be key and that we had solved Richter.

It turned into a Messier show, with valiant 2nd star performance by Linden.

*sigh*

I keep thinking: if Trevor could have gotten one more goal to send it into OT and anyone on the Canucks scores in OT, then Linden's hat trick would have propelled the captain into statue-worthy hero status and NO WAY does the team later acquire Messier and ship out Linden.

 

[wetcoast]

I think mike keenan sealed the deal with his comments after game 6 complaining about the officiating and the NYR get the first 2 PP in the game and then hang on.

Messier with his cheap shot on Linden (nevermind the first blindside hit at the Blueline) near the end of game 6 might not go unnoticed today but I doubt the league would ahve had the balls to do anything even under current conditions.

 

[Cyclones21]

I gotta give this Game 5 a watch/whirl.....was the Tikkanen no-goal a bad miss by the officials? Or was it a really close play?

It was close - but clearly Tikkanen was on-sides. I can still hear JD watching the replay..."there's the puck, there's the puck...that is NOT offsides".

 

[The Panther]

I think mike keenan sealed the deal with his comments after game 6 complaining about the officiating and the NYR get the first 2 PP in the game and then hang on.

That's a fairly loser-attitude to take. If an NHL team wants to win game 7, you'd better be prepared to win and not make excuses like, "They gave the other team one more power-play than us! Boo-hoo!"

I can still remember game 7, Edmonton-Philly, in 1987. Right at the start of game 7, the referee gave Philly a 5-on-3 (on a very cheap call that nobody would normally make in the playoffs, let alone in game 7), and right away Philly scored to go up 1-0. Didn't faze the Oilers who shut down Philly down the rest of the way.

Bottom line: The Canucks were fortunate (thanks only to McLean's performance in game one) not to be swept in that series. The reason they failed to win the Cup in 1994 is that... they weren't good enough to win the Cup.

Messier with his cheap shot on Linden (nevermind the first blindside hit at the Blueline) near the end of game 6 might not go unnoticed today but I doubt the league would ahve had the balls to do anything even under current conditions.

I'm not sure what's the point of posting a video clip that doesn't show the alleged incident. As there is no video in existence of it, the NHL would certainly not have been able to do anything about it... if it exists. I remain skeptical that the alleged slash was as bad as the Canucks' 20-year home radio-announcer makes out.

 

[Doctor No]

That's a fairly loser-attitude to take. If an NHL team wants to win game 7, you'd better be prepared to win and not make excuses like, "They gave the other team one more power-play than us! Boo-hoo!"

You realize that he's a poster describing what he thinks happened 26 years after the fact, and not a Vancouver Canucks player preparing to play Game Six, right?

 

[The Panther]

You realize that he's a poster describing what he thinks happened 26 years after the fact, and not a Vancouver Canucks player preparing to play Game Six, right?

You never know... he might be Gino Odjick!

 

[wetcoast]

That's a fairly loser-attitude to take. If an NHL team wants to win game 7, you'd better be prepared to win and not make excuses like, "They gave the other team one more power-play than us! Boo-hoo!"

I can still remember game 7, Edmonton-Philly, in 1987. Right at the start of game 7, the referee gave Philly a 5-on-3 (on a very cheap call that nobody would normally make in the playoffs, let alone in game 7), and right away Philly scored to go up 1-0. Didn't faze the Oilers who shut down Philly down the rest of the way.

Bottom line: The Canucks were fortunate (thanks only to McLean's performance in game one) not to be swept in that series. The reason they failed to win the Cup in 1994 is that... they weren't good enough to win the Cup.
I'm not sure what's the point of posting a video clip that doesn't show the alleged incident. As there is no video in existence of it, the NHL would certainly not have been able to do anything about it... if it exists. I remain skeptical that the alleged slash was as bad as the Canucks' 20-year home radio-announcer makes out.

2 points here.

1) I'm not complaining about Keenan, it's an observation into how his mind worked and how he made such a huge deal about it after game 6 trying to get an edge for game 7.

2) Jim Robson wasn't the typical NHL play by play guy as he was very objective comparitevely speaking and under present conditions the infraction would be plain for the NHL to see.

But like I said I doubt the NHL would have had the balls to do anything about it.

 

[JianYang]

I really had the feeling after game 6, that the Canucks were going were going to win it.

Trevor linden is one of those guys who usually found way to leave his fingerprints all over game 7s during his career, and he had another big one against the Rangers that year.

Linden had the 2 goals and wouldn't let his team go away. I remember how battered his face looked during that series, and I also wonder if Lafayette hadn't hit the post late, and the Canucks pull it out, where would have that left linden's legacy in Vancouver?

I mean, it's hard to imagine it could get any higher, as he always has had a special connection on and off the ice with this market, but it could have been even more.

 

[CharlestownChiefsESC]

I really had the feeling after game 6, that the Canucks were going were going to win it.

Trevor linden is one of those guys who usually found way to leave his fingerprints all over game 7s during his career, and he had another big one against the Rangers that year.

Linden had the 2 goals and wouldn't let his team go away. I remember how battered his face looked during that series, and I also wonder if Lafayette hadn't hit the post late, and the Canucks pull it out, where would have that left linden's legacy in Vancouver?

I mean, it's hard to imagine it could get any higher, as he always has had a special connection on and off the ice with this market, but it could have been even more.

Funny part is had the Rangers blown that game Richter would have been reviled instead of revered. As most know in the 92 playoffs the Rangers were ahead 4-2 in Game 4 of their series with Pittsburgh, and less than 10 minutes away from going back to NY with a 3-1 series lead and a chance to clinch the series on garden ice. Ive always said if they beat Pittsburgh in that game they, win Game 5 at home and beat Boston and Chicago on the way to the 92 cup. I also think they win in 94 albeit with a different coach and roster However Ron Francis scored a goal from center ice and well the rest is history.If that shot that hit the post went in and the Canucks found a way to win Richter would have been the most hated goalie in Rangers history.

 

[Cyclones21]

.... Richter would have been the most hated goalie in Rangers history.

Charlestown - you always bring up Rangers history that is very interesting.

And I agree - Richter at his peak was unreal but he was inconsistent.
92 playoffs were a great example.

He has had some amazing games and can carry the team at times (Messier's guarantee in Game 6, Richter was amazing. Non NHL but 96 World Cup as 2 examples).

But like you said - 92 was shaky and Healy actually started a few games in 95 against the Nordiques.

 

[sr edler]

I didn't expect my favorite team to win at all. I don't know how much of it was me being a full-blooded cynic already at age 13 and how much of it was just plain observations from the first six games, noticing the Rangers had a really good and a really deep team.

I also don't think I even watched game 7 as it was in the middle of the night here where I live and I was I kid. I know I watched some of the games though, which was the first playoffs I actually followed per eyes in real time. Favorite moment was at 3-3 in game 5 when the Rangers thought momentum had switched for good, Bure took the puck up ice and found Babych for a goal. Babych and Bure always looked so happy together when scoring.

The reason I didn't expect the Canucks to win was that the only game I felt they really controlled in its entirety during the series was game 6, and that home ice advantage would switch for game 7. Guess I didn't believe that much in momentum. Because momentum swings not only in a singular direction, but back and forth.

McLean's game 1 heroics set aside, I also never trusted him 100% with that stand up style, and the Tikkanen non-goal (which I remember was actually a legitimate goal) I remember as a non-screened slapper from really far out, almost Danny Cloutier style.

 

[GMR]

This is a side note, but the day of game 7 of the 2011 Finals, I told everyone at work there's going to be a riot in Vancouver tonight. I live in KC (the most non-hockey market you can think of). People looked at me like they didn't care or even know what I was talking about. The next day, everyone thought I must be Nostradamus.

How did I know there would be a riot? Because I was thinking of what happened in 1994.

 

[Jim MacDonald]

Charlestown - you always bring up Rangers history that is very interesting.

And I agree - Richter at his peak was unreal but he was inconsistent.
92 playoffs were a great example.

He has had some amazing games and can carry the team at times (Messier's guarantee in Game 6, Richter was amazing. Non NHL but 96 World Cup as 2 examples).

But like you said - 92 was shaky and Healy actually started a few games in 95 against the Nordiques.

Drew-in the 02 Olympics Harry Neale said something in the Gold Medal game to the effect of Richter normally played waay out of his crease and like "overly" commits to cutting off an angle for a potential shooter, leaving him susceptible to like a quick cross-ice pass, so he has to stretch ALL the way back over to cover that ground. In close Rangers/Ranger fan circles was this like a known thing that maybe drove the fans (and maybe even the coaching staff) crazy?

 

[sr edler]

The reason they failed to win the Cup in 1994 is that... they weren't good enough to win the Cup.

While this is correct in a technical sense, not every Cup win is created on an equal premise. It's not like the 94 Rangers was a below average champion. Very deep team with a strong home grown core (Richter, Leetch, Zubov, Kovalev) and a bunch of old Oilers players headed by a Messier who still played with fire.

I just re-watched much of game 5 and was impressed how good the Canucks actually were. Ronning and Courtnall were everywhere, et cetera.

Also an interesting and funny thing, and this is to the "4th line players are so much better today, there are no scrubs in the league anymore" crowd, how Canucks 4th line with Tim Hunter, Shawn Antoski and John McIntyre held its own against Rangers 1st line with Messier & Graves (and Anderson?). Okay, Tim Hunter took an elbow penalty 49 seconds into the game (and Bure was out on a successful and impressive penalty kill instantly) but overall they held their own against the Messier line.

 

[ThreeLeftSkates]

I remember thinking that the 1940 chant was in danger.