Greatest 1/2 season in Canucks history

[vadim sharifijanov]

in honour of luongo's retirement, let's take a look back at the craziest most delirious stretches of elite play in our history:


Pavel Bure, January 5 to June 14, 1994

RS:

end of year:
1st in goals
5th in points
1st team all-star RW

playoffs: 24 games, 16 goals (1st), 31 points (2nd)
game 7 of SCF

iconic moment:




Bertuzzi and Naslund, January 3 to April 27, 2002

RS:

end of year:
5th in goals (MN)
2nd and 3rd in points (MN, TB)
1st team all-star LW (MN)
(should have been) 2nd team all-star RW (TB)

playoffs:




Roberto Luongo, January 2 to May 3, 2007

RS:

end of year:
2nd in wins (all time, now 3rd)
6th in GAA
4th in SV%
2nd in minutes (4th all time, now 6th)
2nd team all-star goalie
2nd in vezina voting
2nd in hart voting

playoffs:

lost in five in the 2nd round to eventual champs (3 OT games, two OTL)
1.77 GAA (2nd), .952 SV% (2nd)

iconic moment:




Henrik and Daniel Sedin, November 26, 2009 to May 11, 2010

RS:

end of year:
art ross (HS)
1st in assists (HS)
1st team all-star center (HS)
2nd team all-star LW (DS)
hart trophy (HS)

playoffs:

lost in six in the 2nd round to the eventual champs

Click to read more...

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

. . .

iconic moment:

 

[Jyrki21]

These were all amazing stretches. I honestly can't decide. I think it will be the least popular option because it has faded from memory or predates a lot of the younger posters, but I'm actually leaning toward the Näslund/Bertuzzi show in 2002... mostly because it came out of seemingly nowhere (well, it began in the 1st half) and not only salvaged that season, but restoked interest in the Canucks hard. Like, either player would have run away with the Art Ross if there wasn't a leadup period first (where Bertuzzi got suspended for 10 games for leaving the bench). It was difficult to appreciate even at the time how shocking it was to see them blow up the league like that.

 

[vancityluongo]

Too young to remember the Bertuzzi/Naslund run, but either way voted for the Sedins. That was 6 months of magic every game. "The Goal" is probably the greatest highlight in franchise history because it was the cap to that run, while epitomizing each Sedin in one play.

Not only that, but they won the awards (well, Henrik did that year). Luongo, Bertuzzi and Naslund didn't.

 

[SillyRabbit]

Going with the Bertuzzi/Näslund run.

They took over the league, finishing 2nd and 3rd in scoring, emulating superstars like Kariya and Selanne before them as a dynamic 1-2 punch.

The Canucks went on a tear and snuck into that final playoff spot, finishing 13-2-1 over their final 16 games.

Won the first two games on the road against the most stacked Red Wings team ever with 10 Hall of Famers.

Honestly looked like the red hot Canucks could unseat the loaded Red Wings, only needing to win 2 out of the next 5 games.

But then Cloutier happened...

 

[Melvin]

A lot of this will have to do with how old you were and how connected you were to the team at the time.

For me, Todd Bertuzzi in the calendar year of 2002 was just the most ridiculous thing, and I had more fun in that red wings series than probably any other playoff series that the canucks lost. With the breakout of Bertuzzi and Naslund and the Sedins as prospects, I thought a dynasty was coming (I was 16.)

Love the Sedins but wasn't as connected with what was going on in 2010 due to life,and didn't really jump on the bandwagon in 94 until the playoffs started

And I just don't care about goalies. Sorry, I know. Blasphemy.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

The Canucks went on a tear and snuck into that final playoff spot, finishing 13-2-1 over their final 16 games.

this is a good point. for context:

1994: 22-21-3, 14th in the league in that span, limped into the playoffs, 15-9 in the playoffs

2002: 26-8-3-3, 1st in the league over that span, 2-4 in the playoffs

2007: 29-8-6, 2nd in the league over that span, 5-7 in the playoffs

2010: 43-12-6, 1st in the league over that span (by eleven points), 6-6 in the playoffs

 

[Star Ocean]

Petterssons 1st half had 1.3 ppg for a rookie.

 

[MS]

Todd Bertuzzi in the spring of 2002 was, for a brief shining moment, the best hockey player on the face of the earth.

If this was best 20-game segments, Tony Tanti in the fall of 1983 would be a contender.

 

[Mr. Canucklehead]

All of those were magic to watch...I think you could argue the Naslund/Bertuzzi surge was the most important in terms of bringing the fans back to the Canucks after a dark, dark finish to the 90s. Those two single-handedly reinvigorated interest in hockey on the West Coast.

Like most things Sedin-related, their run was just magic, though. And to cap it off with Henrik winning the Art Ross and the Hart was fantastic, too.

 

[Hollywood Burrows]

I wasn't very enamored with the 2007 team, but the other three choices were basically the three good times to watch this team. The other 46 years? yikes

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

Todd Bertuzzi in the spring of 2002 was, for a brief shining moment, the best hockey player on the face of the earth.

agree.

but rejoinder: peak bertuzzi didn’ play in a league with ovechkin and crosby

and counter-argument: couldn’t you also say that 2007 luongo was the best hockey player on the face of the earth, crosby included?

 

[Dissonance Jr]

Bure's finish to the 1993-'94 season was incredible, although incidentally, he scored at nearly a similar pace in the first half of the 1992-93 season—and was neck and neck with Mogilny for the goal-scoring lead for awhile. Too bad he slowed way down during the second half of that season. (He'd finish with 60 goals; Mogilny and Selanne finished with 76 apiece.)

Also, obviously everyone on this list looks less impressive next to Mario Lemieux.

 

[Jyrki21]

Bure's finish to the 1993-'94 season was incredible, although incidentally, he scored at nearly a similar pace in the first half of the 1992-93 season—and was neck and neck with Mogilny for the goal-scoring lead for awhile. Too bad he slowed way down during the second half of that season. (He'd finish with 60 goals; Mogilny and Selanne finished with 76 apiece.)

Also, obviously everyone on this list looks less impressive next to Mario Lemieux.

View attachment 240575

There was a precipitous league-wide drop in goals-per-game between the 1992-93 and 1993-94 seasons, though, which was why 60 was enough to win the scoring title in a year after it took 76. Which basically means Bure took a pretty huge leap in development that year.

I remember Bure's scoring that year being, obviously, very exciting, but we ironically didn't expect much from the 1993-94 Canucks down the stretch drive as compared to the prior two division-winning teams, so I don't remember it being as big a deal as it would turn out in hindsight. I mean, the 1994 Canucks (1 game over .500 and that was after a very hot start to the season) don't actually make the playoffs in a 31-team league, for some perspective.

 

[DL44]

For outright excitement... the Bure goal scoring tear for sure... it was magic.
I was living in SJ for the WCE and was following online the best I could.... I missed out on the day to day local excitement and hoopla of it all but followed it as closely as possible... since have 44 as a user name for Big Bert... Beast.
The Luongo era was just a dream sequence. Just could not believe we acquired such an elite netminder and that he was ours... that was more of relief and cloud 9 situation watching him bail us out night after night....
In terms of maximum feelings of redemption, feeling proud, feeling emotional, feeling validated... nothing felt better than watching MY SISTERS ripping up the whole fricken league in epic unstoppable fashion!!

Sedin run for me. Epic.

 

[Horse McHindu]

Todd Bertuzzi in the spring of 2002 was, for a brief shining moment, the best hockey player on the face of the earth.

If this was best 20-game segments, Tony Tanti in the fall of 1983 would be a contender.

This post 100%

 

[Horse McHindu]

I know it’s not a popular option, but I’m interested to know what Luongo’s stats were at the start of the 2009-2010 season (right before Luongo had his two month injury).

The Canucks, if I recall correctly, started to absolutely STEAMROLL before Luongo’s injury.

Luongo had a typically slow first month if I recall correctly, but then had something insane like 4 shutouts or something. Again, my memory is getting foggy here because I was in the prime of my life and partying with babes at this time, but if someone could fill me in here I’d appreciate it.

 

[Horse McHindu]

Mikael Samuelson’s anger management issues during the 2nd half of 2010 has to rank up there!!! Lol.

After being snubbed from the Swedish Olympic team, this guy literally turned into a madman and scored a shit tonne or goals!

 

[MS]

Bure's finish to the 1993-'94 season was incredible, although incidentally, he scored at nearly a similar pace in the first half of the 1992-93 season—and was neck and neck with Mogilny for the goal-scoring lead for awhile. Too bad he slowed way down during the second half of that season. (He'd finish with 60 goals; Mogilny and Selanne finished with 76 apiece.)

Also, obviously everyone on this list looks less impressive next to Mario Lemieux.

View attachment 240575

For the first half of 1993-94, the team put Pavel's best buddy Gino on his line. And it was great for Gino, who scored at a 30 goal pace on the top line (14 goals in his first 39 games). But it was really bad for Bure, who was being dragged down by playing with a 4th liner and additionally was over-passing to try and get goals for Gino. And bad for the team, which was hugely disappointing after winning division titles the prior two years.

They finally pulled the plug on this in January and Bure (predictably) took off with better linemates and scored at nearly a goal-a-game pace down the stretch.

Bure would have scored 70-80 goals that year if he'd been with quality linemates all year. That was him at his absolute peak.

 

[Dissonance Jr]

For the first half of 1993-94, the team put Pavel's best buddy Gino on his line. And it was great for Gino, who scored at a 30 goal pace on the top line (14 goals in his first 39 games). But it was really bad for Bure, who was being dragged down by playing with a 4th liner and additionally was over-passing to try and get goals for Gino. And bad for the team, which was hugely disappointing after winning division titles the prior two years.

They finally pulled the plug on this in January and Bure (predictably) took off with better linemates and scored at nearly a goal-a-game pace down the stretch.

Bure would have scored 70-80 goals that year if he'd been with quality linemates all year. That was him at his absolute peak.

Oh, I'd completely forgotten about that. In my mind I thought it was Adams-Craven-Bure for much of the year but yeah, it does look like Odjick played on that top line a lot. A little insane in retrospect but I guess putting "bodyguards" on top scoring lines was common in the '80s/early '90s — Semenko playing with Gretzky, Probert playing with Yzerman, etc.

 

[82Ninety42011]

Bure and if you didn't see him you missed one of the most exciting players in game not just Vancouver. He was an absolute joy to watch until his knee issues. Hands speed shot he had it all and the joy he showed after scoring priceless. I still remember his first game vs Jets he didn't score but every time he touched the puck you were on edge of seat. He gave you chills and in 94 he was at his finest.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

For the first half of 1993-94, the team put Pavel's best buddy Gino on his line. And it was great for Gino, who scored at a 30 goal pace on the top line (14 goals in his first 39 games). But it was really bad for Bure, who was being dragged down by playing with a 4th liner and additionally was over-passing to try and get goals for Gino. And bad for the team, which was hugely disappointing after winning division titles the prior two years.

They finally pulled the plug on this in January and Bure (predictably) took off with better linemates and scored at nearly a goal-a-game pace down the stretch.

Bure would have scored 70-80 goals that year if he'd been with quality linemates all year. That was him at his absolute peak.

was adams the center? i have no real memory of this but there’s no way quinn put bure at center is there?

 

[Horse McHindu]

was adams the center? i have no real memory of this but there’s no way quinn put bure at center is there?

Adams would have been the LW’er. Ronning or Linden would have been the Center (my memory is starting to fade however......maybe even Murray Craven?)

 

[Jyrki21]

Adams would have been the LW’er. Ronning or Linden would have been the Center (my memory is starting to fade however......maybe even Murray Craven?)

He's talking about when Bure played half the season with Odjick and Adams. And yeah, I think Adams was the center.

 

[Horse McHindu]

He's talking about when Bure played half the season with Odjick and Adams. And yeah, I think Adams was the center.

Ah yes, my mistake. Haven’t had my coffee this morning yet. :p