OT: Playoffs Memory Lane Thread

[Canucks LB]

I was just reminiscing, Looking up old clips of canucks playoff games and players.

Man...



Michael Samuelson was absolutely nasty that series.

Click to read more...

 

[DCantheDDad]

I will always remember listening to game 1 of the 2002 Vancouver Detroit series in the car heading up to Kelowna. I dont know why it has stuck with me, just one of those weird things. That was a real disappointing series. It is always hard to watch the Canucks lose, especially after going up 2-0 in a series.

 

[vanuck]

Someone's going to post highlights from the 2011 run again, and then... feels.

 

[Intangibos]

I remember Demitra - Wellwood - Bernier actually doing very well that series. People always said we needed a tougher 3rd line, but our 3rd line was good and defensively responsible, while Kesler was very good at shutting down big lines. Malhotra was obviously huge, though, along with Higgins.

Our team sure looks different from 2010. Sedins clicking, Edler a beast, Samuelsson/Demitra/Wellwood/Bernier/Raymond/Ehrhoff/Salo. And those are just the top guys (well, Bernier shouldn't exactly be included in "top" but you I mean top 9 and top 4)

 

[KDizzle]

What are playoffs?
The season ended on Sunday for everybody and now we can all just forget about hockey and focus on other things... right?


Right?

 

[member 105785]

That time Tamby raced whoever it was on the Preds (Fisher?) and managed to beat him to the puck on a breakaway

ALSO: Tamby's magic shooty-spot

 

[Reverend Mayhem]

I remember Demitra - Wellwood - Bernier actually doing very well that series. People always said we needed a tougher 3rd line, but our 3rd line was good and defensively responsible, while Kesler was very good at shutting down big lines. Malhotra was obviously huge, though, along with Higgins.

Then proceeded to have their lunch money stolen by the Blackhawks 2nd and 3rd lines the next series.

 

[polarbearcub]

Whatever. I can't watch clips from 2011.. Just makes me depressed.

The playoffs will feel that much more sweet when they make it back there.

 

[Canucksfansince1989]

I am in the minority, but, to me, 2002 when the Canucks had a 2-0 lead on Detroit and blew the series after the Lidstrom goal was every bit the heartbreaker as 2011 and 1994, if not more so. I'm convinced that had we had a solid veteran goalie in net as opposed to Cloutier, we would've done what LA ended up doing in 2012. That team was ON FIRE going into the playoffs. It's a damn shame Burke's ego got in the way of us getting a better goalie.

2003 is less a regret, as I don't believe anybody except NJ could've beaten that red hot Anaheim team.

But, yes, it sucks thinking about how much fun it was being in the playoffs those days and how far away we are now.

 

[member 105785]

I am in the minority, but, to me, 2002 when the Canucks had a 2-0 lead on Detroit and blew the series after the Lidstrom goal was every bit the heartbreaker as 2011 and 1994, if not more so. I'm convinced that had we had a solid veteran goalie in net as opposed to Cloutier, we would've done what LA ended up doing in 2012. That team was ON FIRE going into the playoffs. It's a damn shame Burke's ego got in the way of us getting a better goalie.

2003 is less a regret, as I don't believe anybody except NJ could've beaten that red hot Anaheim team.

But, yes, it sucks thinking about how much fun it was being in the playoffs those days and how far away we are now.

Burke was actually supposed to trade for Garth Snow in the pre-season of 2002 but Wang said no because he liked him too much as a person and then Burke said he had this whole big thing about him vs Milbury because they had a deal in place.

Burke did a lot of stuff wrong, but Cloutier isn't on him alone

 

[Pure West]

The 09-12 years were a lot of fun. I don't think the 2009 and 2010 teams got enough credit for how good they were and there were a lot of fun playoff moments in those years. And Wellwood was one hell of a playoff performer even if he didn't fit that 3rd line center mold.

 

[y2kcanucks]

 

[Fat Tony]

Stan Smyl setting the tone right off the opening draw in '82.

 

[Canucksfansince1989]

Burke was actually supposed to trade for Garth Snow in the pre-season of 2002 but Wang said no because he liked him too much as a person and then Burke said he had this whole big thing about him vs Milbury because they had a deal in place.

Burke did a lot of stuff wrong, but Cloutier isn't on him alone

If we're talking the pre-season of 2002, then I'm not sure how Snow could've helped them in the 2002 playoffs, as that would've been afterwards. And if we're talking about 2003, I'm not sure if Snow would've been much of an upgrade either.

2002 was a weird year. Nobody had any reason to distrust Cloutier's goaltending. We knew he wasn't quite as good as Hasek or Roy, but we were just so damn happy to make the playoffs after expecting to be out of it and Cloutier had been the starter through the run.

2003 and 2004 were much more pivotal points where Cloutier should've likely been paired with veteran.

2002 and 2004 are particularly painful to me knowing how close we came to winning those series's and what those teams that defeated us went on to accomplish.

 

[ArtG]

I was just reminiscing, Looking up old clips of canucks playoff games and players.

Man...



Michael Samuelson was absolutely nasty that series.

RIP Pavol Demitra

 

[deckercky]

The 09-12 years were a lot of fun. I don't think the 2009 and 2010 teams got enough credit for how good they were and there were a lot of fun playoff moments in those years. And Wellwood was one hell of a playoff performer even if he didn't fit that 3rd line center mold.

Yeah...2009 is as big of a "what if?" to me as 2011. What if Luongo hadn't hurt his groin? Everything from the Canucks was a bit worse following that injury.

Pretty foul luck to have that, and Malhotra in close succession. Career altering injuries happen to key players, but to have two like that is rough. Both players returned, but neither was as good as before the injury.

 

[Canucksfansince1989]

This one, even though we lost the series, was one of my favourite goals. This game ended around 12:00 to 1:00 AM. I was pissed drunk at a bar, probably on my 12th or 14th drink and having a great night. Rarely will you see a nightclub erupt that late over a sporting event, but it did.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l09Sin6dsX4

 

[vanuck]

That time Tamby raced whoever it was on the Preds (Fisher?) and managed to beat him to the puck on a breakaway

ALSO: Tamby's magic shooty-spot

It was a huge backcheck on Erat when we were up by 1 against the Preds. Tambo should have played the entire playoffs instead of Glass, really. I remember I kept wanting AV to take that guy out of the lineup. 0 points in 20+ games from the 4th line...

 

[Win One Before I Die]

The best moments of this team are about losing the Stanley Cup. So depressing.

 

[givemeda411]

Canucks left-winger Geoff Courtnall knew the scouting report on Calgary Flames goaltender Mike Vernon. High, glove side. The Canucks filed into the visitors' dressing room at the Calgary Saddledome after the third period of game five of the 1994 Stanley Cup playoffs. The players knew if they didn't score a goal in overtime, their season was finished. Courtnall took a few seconds to visualize a goal his former teammate, Wayne Gretzky, had scored against Vernon during the 1988 Stanley Cup playoffs. Shorthanded, Gretzky had skated down the left wing. With Vernon high in the crease to challenge him, he had blasted a slapshot high over the goaltender's glove-hand shoulder. During the intermission, Courtnall walked out of the dressing room into the corridor where he could light a propane torch to doctor his stick. He put a massive - maybe even illegal - curve on his Easton. If he could get a shot during the overtime period, he was going to shoot high on Vernon. Eight minutes into the first overtime period, Courtnall got the opportunity he had prepared his stick for. As he hopped over the boards to replace Greg Adams on a line change, Courtnall skated opportunistically down the left wing. A Canucks defenceman broke up a play at the Canucks blueline. The puck bounced fortuitously between a Calgary defenceman's legs and onto the streaking Courtnall's stick. Courtnall cruised down towards the Calgary net and wired a slapshot from the top of the face-off circle...

- Justin Beddall

For all you younger fans, you should read "Heartstopping Stories from Canada's Most Exciting Hockey Team". I read it from time to time, its filled with a lot of behind the scenes stuff.

 

[Win One Before I Die]

Canucks left-winger Geoff Courtnall knew the scouting report on Calgary Flames goaltender Mike Vernon. High, glove side. The Canucks filed into the visitors' dressing room at the Calgary Saddledome after the third period of game five of the 1994 Stanley Cup playoffs. The players knew if they didn't score a goal in overtime, their season was finished. Courtnall took a few seconds to visualize a goal his former teammate, Wayne Gretzky, had scored against Vernon during the 1988 Stanley Cup playoffs. Shorthanded, Gretzky had skated down the left wing. With Vernon high in the crease to challenge him, he had blasted a slapshot high over the goaltender's glove-hand shoulder. During the intermission, Courtnall walked out of the dressing room into the corridor where he could light a propane torch to doctor his stick. He put a massive - maybe even illegal - curve on his Easton. If he could get a shot during the overtime period, he was going to shoot high on Vernon. Eight minutes into the first overtime period, Courtnall got the opportunity he had prepared his stick for. As he hopped over the boards to replace Greg Adams on a line change, Courtnall skated opportunistically down the left wing. A Canucks defenceman broke up a play at the Canucks blueline. The puck bounced fortuitously between a Calgary defenceman's legs and onto the streaking Courtnall's stick. Courtnall cruised down towards the Calgary net and wired a slapshot from the top of the face-off circle...

- Justin Beddall

For all you younger fans, you should read "Heartstopping Stories from Canada's Most Exciting Hockey Team". I read it from time to time, its filled with a lot of behind the scenes stuff.

llegal curve? Canucks need to cheat more.

 

[Sleeper]

This one, even though we lost the series, was one of my favourite goals. This game ended around 12:00 to 1:00 AM. I was pissed drunk at a bar, probably on my 12th or 14th drink and having a great night. Rarely will you see a nightclub erupt that late over a sporting event, but it did.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l09Sin6dsX4

and then this the next game... not that anyone has forgotten it, but it will never gets its due for how amazing it is due to what happened in OT. It's honestly the most unbelievable thing I've ever witnessed in a Canucks game. With 22 seconds left, down a man, losing a face-off outside of Calgary's zone, the amount of things that had to go right for us to still score is unreal. The determination of Naslund on that play ...



I was so sure we'd win after that goal, and then Gelinas ended it so fast, it almost didn't seem real.

 

[Intangibos]

It was a huge backcheck on Erat when we were up by 1 against the Preds. Tambo should have played the entire playoffs instead of Glass, really. I remember I kept wanting AV to take that guy out of the lineup. 0 points in 20+ games from the 4th line...

I also really don't think Glass even played big. His hits were weak, he never fought and when he did he would never win. Couldn't be happier when we shipped him out, Tambo gave it 100% and should have stuck for that run.

 

[member 105785]

If we're talking the pre-season of 2002, then I'm not sure how Snow could've helped them in the 2002 playoffs, as that would've been afterwards. And if we're talking about 2003, I'm not sure if Snow would've been much of an upgrade either.

2002 was a weird year. Nobody had any reason to distrust Cloutier's goaltending. We knew he wasn't quite as good as Hasek or Roy, but we were just so damn happy to make the playoffs after expecting to be out of it and Cloutier had been the starter through the run.

2003 and 2004 were much more pivotal points where Cloutier should've likely been paired with veteran.

2002 and 2004 are particularly painful to me knowing how close we came to winning those series's and what those teams that defeated us went on to accomplish.

meant beginning of the 2001-2002 season

edit: nvm, he signed with NYI as an FA that season, i'm mistaken, got the playoffs mixed up

 

[Bougieman]

The best moments of this team are about losing the Stanley Cup. So depressing.

I know Canucks fans love to feel sorry for themselves, but lets have some perspective here. The fact is that the overwhelming majority of NHL fans have never seen their team make it to the finals in their lifetime.

Most of our fanbase has only seen it happen twice, but we've been there three times. And all three runs had some really special, memorable moments.