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1982 Stanley Cup Finals

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Nucks89

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10 hours ago, Dr. Crossbar said:

The Canucks didn't have a chance whatsoever. The Islanders were so dominant. I remember watching the series knowing the Canucks had zero hope. You couldn't even delude yourself into thinking there was a slight chance.

 

As a result, I think the Nucks players and fans were able to enjoy and appreciate the experience more. There were no expectations at that point. You could celebrate their unlikely run rather than being bitter. 

 

I have to disagree a little bit.  If you think of semi-recent teams where a goalie singlehandedly willed them to the Final (Giguere, Tim Thomas, etc.), that same feeling and a little bit more was surrounding Richard Brodeur and the Canucks.  It seemed like anything was possible with that guy in that net at that time, including his fending off the Islanders enough for the Canucks to score just enough goals to win.  There was substantial talk that he would have won the Conn Smythe Trophy if the Canucks had managed a single win against the Islanders.

 

Yes, they ran into possibly the greatest team in NHL history, but I don't think there was a better example of a goalie taking the team on his back all the way to the Final and having people wondering if anything wasn't possible.

 

That aura has been largely forgotten over the years because of the sweep, but it did exist.

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I watched every game of that run in 82 as a teen, some thoughts:

Canucks Flames was a battle that was closer than the series showed games were 5-3, 2-1,3-1 and the highlight was Tigers goal in OT in game 2 and his celebrations was epic.

 

 

Canucks Kings was a surprise as no one expected the Oilers to lose to the Kings and especially with the Oilers blowing a 5 goal lead in game three and the Kings winning in OT. One thing about both Edmonton and LA in that series both teams could score. They combined for 18 goals in the first game. Dionne and Simmer were awesome

 

Canucks Blackhawks, maybe the start of the hatred. Jim Nills 2OT winner.  Gradin Fraser and Smyl had a good series and Brodeur was amazing. The series is remembered for Roger holding up the towel in surrender and the city went wild for it. I remember watching the game thinking we sure are getting a lot of penalties. I dont know if it was ref bias but it was almost as lopsided as the series in 2011 against the Sharks. The city went absolutely nuts.

 

Canucks Islanders. We didnt expect us to win the series but we deserved better than a sweep. In Game 1 we had the better of the play against NY and scored toe to toe with them. It was 4-4 going to the third and the Canucks took the lead for a couple minutes. OT we had a couple good chances as I recall but couldn't bury the puck. Snepts played his heart out all playoffs and really got unlucky. If he could have fired it up the boards we would have gone to the second OT. Might have still lost but it would not have crushed Harold so much. He wasn't the same in the series after that. There was a lot of fighting in that game also. We stood up to them well in Game 1.

We really were out classed but game 2 was tough after the game 1 loss . If we had won game 1 it would have been a different series.

After we came home we couldn't score on home ice. The Isles started to take over defensively. The 3rd game was not as entertaining as the first 2 and it was a 2-0 game until an empty netter.

Game 4 we took a couple bad penalties and we couldn't stop their power play. It was heart wrenching to see it end but the team gave the fans more than we could have expected. Great run by the boys. King Richard was awesome all playoffs. Harold and the D corps was tough as nails and played well. Gradin, Smyl Fraser and Boldirev Rota were great through out the playoffs. They had a good power play also but no where near what the Islanders possessed. Great memories.

Edited by mikeyman109
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On 5/29/2019 at 3:30 PM, Nucks89 said:

Were any posters alive during this time? Was there an expectation that the Canucks could possibly pull off the upset? Or was this a mismatch from the start? I've seen highlights of Bossy's OT winner in game 1. Don't remember seeing many highlights for the rest of the series.

My fondest memory of the 82 run was that my girlfriend couldn't give a rats a!! about hockey but by the time the Canucks beat the Hawks she was running outside screaming and hollering jumping up and down with excitement. 

Wonder if she still likes the canucks.?

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Oddly, I was an Islanders fan as a kid in Winnipeg during their heyday. Bossy and Trottier, Billy Smith hacking and whacking, Potvin`s hip checks, the Sutter brothers, Bobby Nystrom, Goring`s strange JOFA helmet lol Long time ago though, still like the Islanders as a team, but obviously not a real fan anymore. 100% Canucks fan since 2007 (when I moved here).   

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14 hours ago, Kevin Biestra said:

 

I have to disagree a little bit.  If you think of semi-recent teams where a goalie singlehandedly willed them to the Final (Giguere, Tim Thomas, etc.), that same feeling and a little bit more was surrounding Richard Brodeur and the Canucks.  It seemed like anything was possible with that guy in that net at that time, including his fending off the Islanders enough for the Canucks to score just enough goals to win.  There was substantial talk that he would have won the Conn Smythe Trophy if the Canucks had managed a single win against the Islanders.

 

Yes, they ran into possibly the greatest team in NHL history, but I don't think there was a better example of a goalie taking the team on his back all the way to the Final and having people wondering if anything wasn't possible.

 

That aura has been largely forgotten over the years because of the sweep, but it did exist.

I get where you're coming from, especially with Brodeur, I agree, and I certainly felt that leading up to the finals.

 

When I reflect back, I do remember hoping with all hope that the Nordiques would somehow upset the Islanders. I remember thinking a Nordiques miracle over the Islanders was the only legitimate shot the Canucks had at the cup.

 

I was hoping for a Nordiques/Canucks final. So my lack of hope for the Canucks over the Islanders was also informed by the Islanders sweeping the Nordiques. It just made a Canucks miracle all the more unlikely.

 

I do remember the excitement of those first two games in NY and how hard we battled over our heads. 

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The Canucks didn't play anyone who was higher than them in the standings until the finals. It was (for the most part) a playoffs where the favourites had a tough go in the first round (Edmonton losing to LA, Montreal losing to Quebec, the Islanders almost losing to the Penguins and so on).

 

Actually, if the Islanders hadn't managed to pull off an OT victory in game 5, the Canucks might have faced Quebec in the finals...... and the Canucks would have mange leur dejeuner.

 

                                          regards,  G.

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Three things I distinctly remember to this day.  Had ice-level tickets at the blue-line, Smyl was flying down the right side and as he hit the blue line I could hear everyone yelling for him to shoot, so he did and with the best seat in the house I watched in amazement as his shot from 50 feet out went over the goalies left shoulder right top corner and into the net.

 

Next - Towel Power.  What was funny was that it's not like today when the towel is of moderate size.  Back then where it all started people were bringing in all sorts of different towels of different sizes and it's one thing to waive the tiny towels like they use today, it's another when you start cranking up a bath towel and - well you had to be there.

 

And finally -  During that time there was a hit song by the Hollies called - 'He Ain't Heavy - He's My Brother'.  At one end of the arena behind the goal and half-way up there was a fan holding a sign that said "He Ain't Heavy - He's R. Brodeur".

 

As it has been repeatedly stated, we were ecstatic to be in the finals, absolutely no one thought we would win, yet I can't remember a time where I've had so much fun.

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On 5/30/2019 at 5:30 AM, Nucks89 said:

Were any posters alive during this time? Was there an expectation that the Canucks could possibly pull off the upset? Or was this a mismatch from the start? I've seen highlights of Bossy's OT winner in game 1. Don't remember seeing many highlights for the rest of the series.

I was alive but I was a one year old pooing in diapers.  

 

37 years later, things haven’t changed much on my end.

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That spring of 82 was my last in Toronto after 5 years, having come over from the UK in 77.  That improbable run to the finals made it all the easier to transition from a Leafs fan to a Canucks fan after I moved west that summer (although that next season the best result for me in a Leafs- Canucks game would be a 5 - 5 tie with my favorite on both teams getting a hattie)

 

That Williams -  Butler trade for Vaive - Derlago worked well for both teams.  Tiger was, well, a tiger in that series, and ofc Vaive went on to be a stud for the Leafs.

 

Great memories 

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I watched that whole series. I really had no illusions we would beat the Isles, but game 1 was fabulous. Those playoffs were where King Richard got his "King" nickname. I was a Canucks fan before then, but kinda casually. I had been an Isles fan also...I remember Nystrom with an overtime winner against the hated Flyers when they got their first Cup; Nystrom was my favorite player. Smyl took over that role during the '82 playoffs, and still is; I have a jersey with his name on it.

I also remember, after the season, on a team guide that was rehashing the year...the last page had a pic of Patrick Sundstrom (who would be on the team the next year) and the caption was saying something about the future. There was a lot of optimism about the team after that; as it turned out, that optimism was misplaced.

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3 hours ago, Father Ryan said:

I watched that whole series. I really had no illusions we would beat the Isles, but game 1 was fabulous. Those playoffs were where King Richard got his "King" nickname. I was a Canucks fan before then, but kinda casually. I had been an Isles fan also...I remember Nystrom with an overtime winner against the hated Flyers when they got their first Cup; Nystrom was my favorite player. Smyl took over that role during the '82 playoffs, and still is; I have a jersey with his name on it.

I also remember, after the season, on a team guide that was rehashing the year...the last page had a pic of Patrick Sundstrom (who would be on the team the next year) and the caption was saying something about the future. There was a lot of optimism about the team after that; as it turned out, that optimism was misplaced.

Sundstrom was traded to Jersey for Kirk Mclean, Greg Adams and Leif Rohlin so the optimism was just delayed.

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