Was 1992/93 The Best Canuck Team Ever?

[Chubros]

How about the 91-92 Canucks?

42-26-12 for 96 pts in an 80 game season

Vancouver were the Smythe Champs in the same division as Wayne Gretzky pretty much in his prime, an Oilers team one year removed from a cup, one of the strongest teams Winnipeg has ever had, and a Calgary team only 2 years removed from their cup.

The forwards were:

Courtnall - Ronning - Linden
Bure - Larionov - Adams
Sandlak - Nedved - Momesso
Valk - Walter - Odjick

And the defence:

Lidster - Lumme
Diduck - Babych
Murzyn - Dirk
and Dr. Randy Gregg

McLean
Gamble

(My apologies if I got the bottom two lines and defensive pairings wrong)

Gino Odjick managed to amass a whopping 348 PIMs in a mere 65 games that season!

Plus we had the professor, a doctor (really), and the rocket.

That line-up was one of the toughest yet most skilled this city has ever had. It was comparable to the 1994 lineup, but the team faced much stiffer competition in the playoffs.

 

[bossram]

There is no contest the 2010/11 team is the best in Canuck history. They were the most statistically dominant Canucks ever. One of the best seasons by any team in modern NHL history.

Sedins still dominant, Kesler a 40 goal Selke winner, Samuelsson still a top-six player, Malhotra and Torres great depth players, Edler/Ehrhoff/Hamhuis/Bieksa best D-core in the league, elite goaltending, ruthless powerplay.

1st in GF
1st in GA
#1 PP
#3 PK
President's trophy.

Almost put it all together. Can't get much better.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

i think in the regular season the lineup was usually:

courtnall ronning linden
adams semenov bure
ward nedved sandlak
momesso valk/kron odjick

but when adams was out ward was on the top line, and courtnall moved down to play with nedved, and momesso moved up to join the russians


d pairs:

lumme murzyn
diduck babych/plavsic
lidster dirk
with slegr sometimes dressing as 7th man/PP specialist


in the playoffs:

courtnall ronning linden
adams craven bure
momesso nedved sandlak/valk
ward semenov hunter


something like that, anyway. man, sandlak and young nedved on a line together. how can that be the best anything?


but here's to jiri slegr's untameable slapshot.

 

[Chubros]

...

but here's to jiri slegr's untameable slapshot.

And to Slegr dropping the gloves against Tie Domi. Jiri threw one punch and then completely turtled.

 

[MS]

2010-11 was the best Canuck team ever.

But 1992-93 will always be my favourite. I still don't understand how they lost to that crappy LA Kings team in the 2nd round after absolutely destroying them during the regular season. Gretzky, I guess. Grrr.

 

[TheyHave2Goaltenders]

I was comparing this team to the 2011 team with some friends and it got me to thinking, what is the best line-up the Canucks have ever put on the ice? The following year, 1994, they underachieved but caught fire for the playoffs. We all know how that ended, but I digress.

This was a very very deep team from top to bottom!!!

Courtnall 31 goals 77 pts - Ronning 29 goals 85 pts - Bure 60 goals 110 pts
Nedved 38 goals 71 pts - Linden 33 goals 72 pts - Adams 25 goals 56 pts

Dixon Ward 22 goals 52 pts
Sergio Momesso 18 goals 38 pts 200 PIMS
Jim Sandlak 10 goals 28 pts 120 PIMS
Gino Odjick 4 goals 17 pts 370PIMS
Murray Craven was a late addition for the playoff run.

Great team (and great jerseys), but very different era. I think regular season-wise, the 10/11 team is the best Canucks team of all-time BY A LONG SHOT. So many great achievements, individual and team based. Then, top it off to a trip to the final and one game away from hoisting the cup. All-in-all, I can't see how any other team can come close to that.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

2010-11 was the best Canuck team ever.

But 1992-93 will always be my favourite. I still don't understand how they lost to that crappy LA Kings team in the 2nd round after absolutely destroying them during the regular season. Gretzky, I guess. Grrr.

what? aren't you the guy who passionately defended vancouver-era petr nedved on the history board?

 

[MrShift4]

I go with most improved team.

 

[MS]

what? aren't you the guy who passionately defended vancouver-era petr nedved on the history board?

Say what?

That wasn't my take at all. My take on Nedved was that he was soft-ish early in his career, and a mercenary (no doubt), but that the perception of him as a 'lazy underachiever' for the bulk of his career wasn't accurate. By his Pittsburgh and especially NY tenures, he was a pretty diligent, hard-working two-way player. I think we saw how good he could be, and it was pretty good, but in no way shape or form did he have it in him to be a superstar if he'd worked harder.

 

[Dissonance]

One of my favorite memories from that season was Petr Nedved asking Wayne Gretzky for his stick during the post-series handshake after the Kings had steamrolled us. (Nedved was a Gretzky superfan—wore the same helmet in junior, same tucked-in jersey.) Sort of embarrassing. But Nedved wasn’t that bad a player.

A bigger problem in that series was that Bure got completely thrown off his game by a rookie Alexei Zhitnik and couldn't score.

Still, that 1992-93 team was a fun one to watch—it's hard to overstate how dominant Bure looked in the first half of the year.

 

[Hammer79]

White #25
Ellington #33
Messier #145
Kablukov #146
Matson #176
Gendur #206

0 combined NHL games from the 2007 draft picks.
48 combined AHL games, 20 from Gendur, 7 from Matson, 21 from Ellington.

How in the right mind did Ellington + white become Ehrhoff, Lukowich. Thanks Salary cap.

SJ got a compensatory 2nd round pick for not re-signing White. Ellington ran into injury problems that cost him a year of development.

Back on topic:

No, 92-93 wasn't close to the 10-11 team. If the Red Wings didn't suffer a massive upset to the Sharks in '94, I don't even think the Canucks make the cup final.

 

[Shareefruck]

Let's reminisce about what that 2011 team could have been without injuries:

Sedin - Sedin - Burrows (in their prime-- arguably the best line in the league)
Raymond - Kesler - Samuelsson (in their prime-- Kesler arguably the best two-way player in the league)
Higgins - Malhotra - Hansen (Malhotra playing at a Selke level-- arguably the best shutdown line in the league)
Torres - Lapierre - Glass/Tambellini (Lapierre playing out of his mind-- could have been among the best 4th lines in the league)

Edler - Ehrhoff (running like a perfectly oiled component of our offense)
Hamhuis - Bieksa (arguably the best shutdown tandem in the league)
Ballard/Tanev - Salo

Luongo (coming off a Vezina contending season)
Schneider (playing like the best backup in the league)

F Spares: Glass/Tambellini, Hodgson, Volpatti, Oreskovich
D Spares: Ballard/Tanev, Rome, Alberts, Sweatt

Makes you really pessimistic about the team's chances moving forward. Definitely better than the 92 team.

 

[Royal Canuck]

2010-11 is the best team we've iced. period.

91-95 we're great years for Vancouver hockey, don't get me wrong, but the 2011 squad had all the tools and no team surpassed them in any shape or form, where as the early 90's Canucks we're the underdogs for the most part, then caught fire in the playoffs. I'm kinda wishing for a season like that this year.

 

[Diamonddog01]

And that was one of the best seasons ever by any NHL team.

Which is why not winning the cup that year could only happen in Vancouver.

 

[Wetcoaster]

Which is why not winning the cup that year could only happen in Vancouver.

Actually not. Go back 40 years for an even more stunning upset.

The 1970-71 Bruins were considered a lock to take the Cup and to steamroller the Habs in the first round. The Bruins had racked up 121 points to the Habs 97.

The Bruins scored 399 goals to lead the nearest team the Habs by 108 goals and had 7 of the top ten scorers (and the first 4 - Esposito, Orr were 1-2 and shattered scoring records) that season and finished second in goals against.

Late in the season the Habs had called up a rookie goalie who had not faced the Bruins before but Ken Dryden would make miracle save after miracle save to win the series. In Game 2 the Bruins blew a 5–1 lead and lost 7–5 -n fact the Bruins leading 5–2 heading into the third period when the Habs fired in 5 goals. And in Game 7 the Habs prevailed 4-2 to win the series and then went on to win the Cup after knocking off Minnesota and then Chicago.

And to really rub salt in the wound Dryden had been drafted by the Bruins but was traded for two guys who would never play an NHL game.

Well what many people don't know is that Boston actually drafted the 6'4" 225lb "octopus" of a goalie in 1964, 14th overall. Days later he was traded to Montreal with Alex Campbell for Guy Allen and Paul Reid. The trade wasn't even an after thought at the time. The other three never appeared in the NHL, and no one really expected Dryden to, either.​

http://habslegends.blogspot.ca/2006/06/ken-dryden.html

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

One of my favorite memories from that season was Petr Nedved asking Wayne Gretzky for his stick during the post-series handshake after the Kings had steamrolled us. (Nedved was a Gretzky superfan—wore the same helmet in junior, same tucked-in jersey.) Sort of embarrassing. But Nedved wasn’t that bad a player.

A bigger problem in that series was that Bure got completely thrown off his game by a rookie Alexei Zhitnik and couldn't score.

Still, that 1992-93 team was a fun one to watch—it's hard to overstate how dominant Bure looked in the first half of the year.

a frustrating series to watch. but remember that one bure goal where either zhitnik wasn't on the ice or bure shook him, and he goes in on hrudey with a defenseman (jay wells?) hanging off him and as he hits the crease does a spinorama, letting the d-man bowl over hrudey, and backhands it into an empty net? it's been a long time, but wasn't that his only goal of the series? either way, a very memorable one.

Say what?

That wasn't my take at all. My take on Nedved was that he was soft-ish early in his career, and a mercenary (no doubt), but that the perception of him as a 'lazy underachiever' for the bulk of his career wasn't accurate. By his Pittsburgh and especially NY tenures, he was a pretty diligent, hard-working two-way player. I think we saw how good he could be, and it was pretty good, but in no way shape or form did he have it in him to be a superstar if he'd worked harder.

my mistake. but anyway, the reason we lost: rob blake was only the third best d-man on that team, that's how we lost. zhitnik and mcsorley were never better than that spring, and that was game.

 

[shortshorts]

Raymond Kesler Samuelsson was a fantastic second line.

 

[monster_bertuzzi]

Raymond Kesler Samuelsson was a fantastic second line.

33.333% of a fantastic second line, anyway.

 

[PG Canuck]

2011 team is easily the best team IMO. First overall in quite a few key categories, and top five in plenty more. Won Presidents Trophy and was one game away from winning the Cup.

 

[Tobi Wan Kenobi]

2010/2011 ainec

 

[Biggest Canuck Fan]

Let's reminisce about what that 2011 team could have been without injuries:

Sedin - Sedin - Burrows (in their prime-- arguably the best line in the league)
Raymond - Kesler - Samuelsson (in their prime-- Kesler arguably the best two-way player in the league)
Higgins - Malhotra - Hansen (Malhotra playing at a Selke level-- arguably the best shutdown line in the league)
Torres - Lapierre - Glass/Tambellini (Lapierre playing out of his mind-- could have been among the best 4th lines in the league)

Edler - Ehrhoff (running like a perfectly oiled component of our offense)
Hamhuis - Bieksa (arguably the best shutdown tandem in the league)
Ballard/Tanev - Salo

Luongo (coming off a Vezina contending season)
Schneider (playing like the best backup in the league)

F Spares: Glass/Tambellini, Hodgson, Volpatti, Oreskovich
D Spares: Ballard/Tanev, Rome, Alberts, Sweatt

Makes you really pessimistic about the team's chances moving forward. Definitely better than the 92 team.

Just for Emphasis

It's not even close. The 2010/11 team was so good only injuries stupid coaching decisions and biased officiating prevented what should have been a cup in Vancouver.

 

[Diamonddog01]

Actually not. Go back 40 years for an even more stunning upset.

The 1970-71 Bruins were considered a lock to take the Cup and to steamroller the Habs in the first round. The Bruins had racked up 121 points to the Habs 97.

The Bruins scored 399 goals to lead the nearest team the Habs by 108 goals and had 7 of the top ten scorers (and the first 4 - Esposito, Orr were 1-2 and shattered scoring records) that season and finished second in goals against.

Late in the season the Habs had called up a rookie goalie who had not faced the Bruins before but Ken Dryden would make miracle save after miracle save to win the series. In Game 2 the Bruins blew a 5–1 lead and lost 7–5 -n fact the Bruins leading 5–2 heading into the third period when the Habs fired in 5 goals. And in Game 7 the Habs prevailed 4-2 to win the series and then went on to win the Cup after knocking off Minnesota and then Chicago.

And to really rub salt in the wound Dryden had been drafted by the Bruins but was traded for two guys who would never play an NHL game.

Well what many people don't know is that Boston actually drafted the 6'4" 225lb "octopus" of a goalie in 1964, 14th overall. Days later he was traded to Montreal with Alex Campbell for Guy Allen and Paul Reid. The trade wasn't even an after thought at the time. The other three never appeared in the NHL, and no one really expected Dryden to, either.​

http://habslegends.blogspot.ca/2006/06/ken-dryden.html

Ok - so one other top NHL team of all time didn't win the Cup. Still what happened seems a lot more congruent Canuck luck than Bruins luck.

Welcome back btw.

 

[Bougieman]

The only negative thing I can say about the 2010/2011 team is that it spoiled a generation of fans.

Was thinking the very same thing. These younger fans can look at the stats, but nothing really makes the decades of mediocrity settle in like watching all the games.

 

[Dissonance]

a frustrating series to watch. but remember that one bure goal where either zhitnik wasn't on the ice or bure shook him, and he goes in on hrudey with a defenseman (jay wells?) hanging off him and as he hits the crease does a spinorama, letting the d-man bowl over hrudey, and backhands it into an empty net? it's been a long time, but wasn't that his only goal of the series? either way, a very memorable one.

I completely forgot that goal was in this series. The defenseman was Mark Hardy. Sadly, Gretzky ended up scoring about 10 minutes later and clinching the game.

-----

On the original question, the 2010-11 team, no question. Not a hole in that line-up when healthy.

Only real flaw is that that team could come mentally unglued at the worst times--Luongo in particular. The near-collapse against Chicago was probably the most emotionally wrenching four games of hockey I'll ever watch. (Even the implosion against Boston somehow seemed more inevitable and less stomach-churning.)

 

[Shareefruck]

33.333% of a fantastic second line, anyway.

The year before, it was 100% of a fantastic second line.

I honestly thought Raymond was the bigger reason for its success than Kesler was that year (he was always the one skating the puck into the zone and setting up, and he was driving to the net and not playing with tunnel-vision-- On a technical level definitely not as good as Kesler, but key to our offense the same way Ehrhoff was). And that was the year Samuelsson got pissed off and looked fantastic. Also, Kesler was passing and had 75 points.