94 & 2011 SCF Run

[spook007]

1 hour ago, Kevin Biestra said:

There was a magical feeling to 82 and 94.  2011 was great and a lot of fun, but it was missing something that the other two runs had.

Fair enough. +1

[spook007]

1 hour ago, Rob_Zepp said:

Anyone would rather not have had a run than have a run with a Game 7 loss is, to me, is the type of person who doesn't date because the relationship might end or who doesn't own a dog as it might die before they do.    Heartbreaks are part of life and sports - the highs mean nothing without the lows to provide the baseline.   I cannot say much about 1994 but the 2011 playoffs, including the Canuck run, are great memories that did include disappointment for Canuck fans but to not have experienced that just to avoid the disappointment?   No way.

 

Some will differ, but I would never trade life's chances at its greatest goals just to avoid the heartache of not quite getting there.   Whole concept seems odd to me.   

 

 

Spot on for so many reasons....

 

The disappointment of not winning will always be there, but I'd chose losing a 7 games series in the SC finals over not being in the finals or even the play offs any day of the year.

Would think anyone would feel like that after the last 4-5 years....

 

PS. Don't know, which would be the better final series, but I loved the time of the 2011 finals. 

[-DLC-]

4 hours ago, Where'd Luongo? said:

2011 has to be the most pathetic game 7 of all time. 

If that's all you got out of it, that's your deal.  It's like going to a great party that ends in a kitchen fire.....sure, you remember that part but there was much more to it.  Life is what you make of it and I saw some GREAT hockey that year and had a blast.   Didn't end well, but that's the result and not the only part of the story.  The dragon slaying will go down as one of my best ever hockey memories....so there's a big picture here that I tend to reflect on.   We did some great and not so great things....

 

 

 

1 hour ago, Kevin Biestra said:

There was a magical feeling to 82 and 94.  2011 was great and a lot of fun, but it was missing something that the other two runs had.

Yes and no.   I agree with others that the "expectation to win" was there and set us up for disappointment.  Set the tone and the build up was all about exploding in a cup win.  We didn't even consider anything less (really).

Our little team that could in '94 was a bit of an underdog that just kept going.   '82 I was more focused on my bf and was the only girl invited to watch with the guys.  Hockey hadn't totally taken me over yet.  Focus wasn't quite there.....

 

We were on top of the league and it was just a matter of going through the motions to get our cup,   Problem was, the team bought into that too and forgot to play it out.  Goaltending is HUGE and, unfortunately, that position can run hot or cold at a moment's notice.  Just wasn't to be, that's all.

That run was super magical for me though.....that year, I saw more games in person than ever.  Right down at ice level and behind the scenes.  So, despite the heartbreak, I only have fond memories when scratching beyond the surface of it all.

Different times in our lives....different environments, etc. will cast a light on things and create an atmosphere along with the actual event.  The riot really served to put a huge black mark on a heartbreaking loss and made it evil and ugly(ier).     It was a pit of the stomach churning exclamation mark on things as our city unraveled.  But hockey that year was an absolute treat for me so I refuse to erase that part to just FF to "the ending".

[Baggins]

1 hour ago, Kevin Biestra said:

There was a magical feeling to 82 and 94.  2011 was great and a lot of fun, but it was missing something that the other two runs had.

Expectations. The 2011 team wasn't only expected to make the finals they were expected to win it. The '82 and '94 teams weren't expected to be there at all. Largely ignored, the '82 team had their path to the finals cleared for them. They didn't play a higher ranked team until the finals. LA took out the number 1 seed and Chicago took out seeds 2 and 3. The '82 team only had to take out seeds 5, 8 and then 6. With seeds 1 and 2 upsert in the first round the door was suddenly wide open for a cup run. The '94 team went into the playoffs underrated because of their seed. But the compensation package they got from St Louis (for signing RFA Nedved) mid way through the season really changed the make up of the team. Those runs were exciting because they simply weren't expected to get there. The 2011 edition had much higher expectations on them. What was missing was the excitement of surprise at them making it to the finals.

 

What was missing in '82 and '94 was expectations. What was missing in '11 was surprise of getting there.

[Kevin Biestra]

32 minutes ago, Baggins said:

Expectations. The 2011 team wasn't only expected to make the finals they were expected to win it. The '82 and '94 teams weren't expected to be there at all. Largely ignored, the '82 team had their path to the finals cleared for them. They didn't play a higher ranked team until the finals. LA took out the number 1 seed and Chicago took out seeds 2 and 3. The '82 team only had to take out seeds 5, 8 and then 6. With seeds 1 and 2 upsert in the first round the door was suddenly wide open for a cup run. The '94 team went into the playoffs underrated because of their seed. But the compensation package they got from St Louis (for signing RFA Nedved) mid way through the season really changed the make up of the team. Those runs were exciting because they simply weren't expected to get there. The 2011 edition had much higher expectations on them. What was missing was the excitement of surprise at them making it to the finals.

 

What was missing in '82 and '94 was expectations. What was missing in '11 was surprise of getting there.

Well, it wasn't just expectations to me.  From game 4 of the first round onward, the run was characterized in part by unease, fear and trepidation.  No lead is ever 100% safe, but there was a sort of dread against Chicago and Boston.  The dread was cathartically alleviated by Burrows in round 1.  The dread came to be realized and validated in a rather awful game 6 and 7 of the Cup Final.

 

There's a magic to coming back from down 3-1 in the series (in Round 1 and 4 in 1994) and then ALMOST pulling it off in game 7.

 

In 2011, we nearly blew a 3-0 series lead in round 1, and then blew a 3-2 lead in the final.  There's an emotional difference between almost pulling off the comeback and blowing two opportunities to close out the series.

 

Like I said, 2011 was great and I'm glad it happened.  But there were big differences between something like 2011 and something like 1994, not just in expectations, but in the plot mechanics of how the runs played out.  1982 and 1994 the Canucks were like Rocky Balboa.  In 2011, if anything, we were Drago.

[Sweathog]

I know hindsight is 20/20, but if we had lost game 7 vs the Hawks it might have been better in the long run. We would've likely changed the core, and ended up with a more playoffs style team with the Sedins still in their prime. Perhaps we could have won in 2012 or 2013 if that had happened.

 

That core was great when they were hitting on all cylinders, but when a team found an advantage over them in the playoffs, (usually it was physicality) the Canucks were unwilling or unable to make the necessary adjustments. We saw that with Chicago, LA, and Boston.

 

The '94 run I wouldn't have traded for anything. The 2011 run I would've traded for a more rugged, playoffs style core.

[Deathbyoompa]

 

It’s not easy making the Stanley cup finals. Just making it is an accomplishment in its own right. Heartbreaking to lose in the end for sure. That history will make watching our team finally lift the cup so sweet. 

With the future looking so bright a cup maybe on the way. We have 2 major game breaking players in Petterson and Hughes.

Now it’s upto GMJB to make the right moves when our window opens!

[Kevin Biestra]

20 minutes ago, Sweathog said:

I know hindsight is 20/20, but if we had lost game 7 vs the Hawks it might have been better in the long run. We would've likely changed the core, and ended up with a more playoffs style team with the Sedins still in their prime. Perhaps we could have won in 2012 or 2013 if that had happened.

 

That core was great when they were hitting on all cylinders, but when a team found an advantage over them in the playoffs, (usually it was physicality) the Canucks were unwilling or unable to make the necessary adjustments. We saw that with Chicago, LA, and Boston.

 

The '94 run I wouldn't have traded for anything. The 2011 run I would've traded for a more rugged, playoffs style core.

I don't know.  We had a rugged enough supporting cast in Kesler, Burrows and Bieksa as the #3-5 team leaders (among skaters).  I think the Sedins would have been more likely candidates to be moved if you were to really focus on changing the core for a more physical and "playoff style" team.

[Sweathog]

5 minutes ago, Kevin Biestra said:

I don't know.  We had a rugged enough supporting cast in Kesler, Burrows and Bieksa as the #2-5 team leaders (among skaters).  I think the Sedins would have been more likely candidates to be moved if you were to really focus on changing the core for a more physical and "playoff style" team.

I agree that the three players you mentioned were quite rugged, but three players out of 20 skaters wasn't enough. After Boston gooned it up, those 3 were the only ones who really responded. Everyone else (even Torres) took a backseat.

 

If they were going to change the core, I dunno if moving the Sedins would've been the best idea. The offense has to come from somewhere, and they were very good at putting pucks in the net. It would've been nice to surround them with a  more physical, tougher team for their protection and to give them more room. Unfortunately they never had that luxury.

[Kevin Biestra]

4 minutes ago, Sweathog said:

I agree that the three players you mentioned were quite rugged, but three players out of 20 skaters wasn't enough. After Boston gooned it up, those 3 were the only ones who really responded. Everyone else (even Torres) took a backseat.

 

If they were going to change the core, I dunno if moving the Sedins would've been the best idea. The offense has to come from somewhere, and they were very good at putting pucks in the net. It would've been nice to surround them with a  more physical, tougher team for their protection and to give them more room. Unfortunately they never had that luxury.

I just don't think any other changes would really be "to the core."

[Dr. Crossbar]

'94 looking at 2011 ... yawn! 

 

[smokes]

Maybe I'm a little old but to me, it's not right to talk about the 94 and 11 SFC Run without talking about the 82 SFC Run. Sure we got murdered by the Islanders but if there was an improbable playoff run and slaying dragons and fan emotion. Gotta look back on that run. But to answer the question, I would rather the heartbreak of a finals loss than not making past first round. Cmon, teams get dismantled and head coaches get fired for things like that.

[NewbieCanuckFan]

35 minutes ago, smokes said:

Maybe I'm a little old but to me, it's not right to talk about the 94 and 11 SFC Run without talking about the 82 SFC Run. Sure we got murdered by the Islanders but if there was an improbable playoff run and slaying dragons and fan emotion. 

I have to think David was less of an underdog against Goliath.

[GreyHatnDart]

On 2018-05-19 at 6:08 PM, Baratheon said:

1994 was my original heartbreak in sports.  I was 5 and I was crushed.  2011 I was heartbroken but also very very angry.  The 2011 finals rile me up to this day if I really get in to a discussion about it.  

But I would NEVER wish those memories away.  The runs up to those game 7's were some of the best times of my life! They were reminders of why I love hockey.  The draft and off-season isn't actually supposed to be the fun part.  We have forgotten in Vancouver 

Pretty much right on the money in this post. 

[Gator]

Man I thought for sure 2011 was our year.

 

As soon as Burrows slayed the Dragon I thought we were going on a nice run. Blackhawks beat us twice in the playoffs previously and went on to win the cup, leaving us fans with a sick felling, thinking it could've been us. When we went up 3-0 against them it was great. Then it was 3-1, then 3-2, then holy $&!#, it's 3-3. ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME?!?!?! they are going to beat us again and this time it's going to be 3-0 comeback against a team coming off our first ever presidents trophy? Then I remember it being 1-0, just over a minute to go, thinking we might actually hold them off and win the series! NOPE! Toews ties it up and leaves Canucks fans stunned, nervous, and she'll shocked. Then something great happened, maybe the most iconic Canucks memory ever. Almost 5 minutes into a nail biting OT,  the Hawks try to clear. Burrows swats the puck down with his glove, skates to the middle and fires a slap shot blocker side and finally beats the Hawks! Man I still get chills in my back watching that to this day. A team we couldn't seem to beat, not only comes back from 3-0 to tie it, they tied game 7 with just over a minute to go. No Canuck fan could have seen that coming, what a clutch goal. Burrows deserves to have his # retired here just on that goal alone IMO.

 

We beat the Press, who surprisingly gave us a good run, I think we beat them in 6. The Sharks series was fairly quick, we beat them in 5, and Bieksa scored one of the most confusing goals of all time in OT of game 5 to send us to the finals! 

 

Vancouver vs Boston 

 

Game 1 was a fantastic game, I remember it being scoreless with under 30 seconds to go. Kesler has the puck by the boards, passes it to Hansen, Hansen 1 times it to Torres, and Torres puts it in the net. What a way to kick off the stanley cup finals at home! Then when Burrows netted the game 2 OT winner on his wrap around I was so happy, I literally felt like I was going to finally witness not only a Canadian team win the cup, but my Canucks were the Canadian team. Was this really happening?!?!?!?!

 

Then games 3 and 4 happened, don't want to talk about it, but suddenly were heading home for game 5, the series tied up, and completely different thoughts than what I had after game 2. That was brutal. So in game 5 we have another scoreless game in the 3rd and about 5 minutes in a puck finds Lappiere's stick and he burries it in the open cage for the eventual game winner. We're just 1 win away!!!

 

Game 6 in Boston, whatever....

 

 

Ok so here we are game 7, home ice. We won all 3 home games, Bruins won all 3 of their home games. EA predicted Canucks would beat the Bruins in 7 games, with the home team winning all the games. Damn it's going to happen right? 

 

*crickets*

 

 

That's about how she went. We were so, so, so, so close. I think 2011 was a very exciting year, but it ended with extreme heartbreak, which I still feel to this day. As a Philidelphia Eagles fan (lifetime, not bandwagon) I knew what it was like to lose a shot at a championship for the first time to a Boston team in a close game (24-21). Lets hope the Canucks get the same revenge the Eagles got just a few months back. 

 

 

When I look at what went wrong that series and I see the way Benning is building this team, I really like our future. We lacked goal scoring, speed, and physicality big time. Luongo and our solid defence is really what took us that far IMO

 

 

Tough guys:

Virtanen, Tryamkin, Gudbranson, Gadjovich, Woo

 

Speedsters: (prob missing a few)

Virtanen, Horvat, Hughes

 

Snipers:

Boeser, Pettersson, Virtanen

 

Playmakers:

Pettersson, Hughes, Horvat, Dahlen, Juolevi, Goldobin

 

2 way forwards:

Horvat, Gaudette, Granlund

 

Top end Goaltending:

Demko, DiPietro

 

Bennings is building a winner. I'll bet anyone right now, when this team makes the finals, we will not be bullied into submission. If we lose we won't be looking back saying we should habe added more speed, or more this, or that. We will simply say we were just outplayed. Hahaha yeah right! If, not not if, WHEN we make it there again, we WILL WIN and we WILL DOMINATE.

 

2021-2022 we will beat the Sabers 4-1 in the finals, you heard it here first

 

 

[Gator]

On 7/23/2018 at 11:39 PM, smokes said:

Maybe I'm a little old but to me, it's not right to talk about the 94 and 11 SFC Run without talking about the 82 SFC Run. Sure we got murdered by the Islanders but if there was an improbable playoff run and slaying dragons and fan emotion. Gotta look back on that run. But to answer the question, I would rather the heartbreak of a finals loss than not making past first round. Cmon, teams get dismantled and head coaches get fired for things like that.

Exactly what happened after we lost round 1 the following year. Then Tortz came, we screwed up our solid goalie situation, and our team just fell apart. That Bruins team is still competing year in and year out and we are rebuilding. How times have changed

[EdgarM]

11 hours ago, Brock Botanen said:

Man I thought for sure 2011 was our year.

 

As soon as Burrows slayed the Dragon I thought we were going on a nice run. Blackhawks beat us twice in the playoffs previously and went on to win the cup, leaving us fans with a sick felling, thinking it could've been us. When we went up 3-0 against them it was great. Then it was 3-1, then 3-2, then holy $&!#, it's 3-3. ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME?!?!?! they are going to beat us again and this time it's going to be 3-0 comeback against a team coming off our first ever presidents trophy? Then I remember it being 1-0, just over a minute to go, thinking we might actually hold them off and win the series! NOPE! Toews ties it up and leaves Canucks fans stunned, nervous, and she'll shocked. Then something great happened, maybe the most iconic Canucks memory ever. Almost 5 minutes into a nail biting OT,  the Hawks try to clear. Burrows swats the puck down with his glove, skates to the middle and fires a slap shot blocker side and finally beats the Hawks! Man I still get chills in my back watching that to this day. A team we couldn't seem to beat, not only comes back from 3-0 to tie it, they tied game 7 with just over a minute to go. No Canuck fan could have seen that coming, what a clutch goal. Burrows deserves to have his # retired here just on that goal alone IMO.

 

We beat the Press, who surprisingly gave us a good run, I think we beat them in 6. The Sharks series was fairly quick, we beat them in 5, and Bieksa scored one of the most confusing goals of all time in OT of game 5 to send us to the finals! 

 

Vancouver vs Boston 

 

Game 1 was a fantastic game, I remember it being scoreless with under 30 seconds to go. Kesler has the puck by the boards, passes it to Hansen, Hansen 1 times it to Torres, and Torres puts it in the net. What a way to kick off the stanley cup finals at home! Then when Burrows netted the game 2 OT winner on his wrap around I was so happy, I literally felt like I was going to finally witness not only a Canadian team win the cup, but my Canucks were the Canadian team. Was this really happening?!?!?!?!

 

Then games 3 and 4 happened, don't want to talk about it, but suddenly were heading home for game 5, the series tied up, and completely different thoughts than what I had after game 2. That was brutal. So in game 5 we have another scoreless game in the 3rd and about 5 minutes in a puck finds Lappiere's stick and he burries it in the open cage for the eventual game winner. We're just 1 win away!!!

 

Game 6 in Boston, whatever....

 

 

Ok so here we are game 7, home ice. We won all 3 home games, Bruins won all 3 of their home games. EA predicted Canucks would beat the Bruins in 7 games, with the home team winning all the games. Damn it's going to happen right? 

 

*crickets*

 

 

That's about how she went. We were so, so, so, so close. I think 2011 was a very exciting year, but it ended with extreme heartbreak, which I still feel to this day. As a Philidelphia Eagles fan (lifetime, not bandwagon) I knew what it was like to lose a shot at a championship for the first time to a Boston team in a close game (24-21). Lets hope the Canucks get the same revenge the Eagles got just a few months back. 

 

 

When I look at what went wrong that series and I see the way Benning is building this team, I really like our future. We lacked goal scoring, speed, and physicality big time. Luongo and our solid defence is really what took us that far IMO

 

 

Tough guys:

Virtanen, Tryamkin, Gudbranson, Gadjovich, Woo

 

Speedsters: (prob missing a few)

Virtanen, Horvat, Hughes

 

Snipers:

Boeser, Pettersson, Virtanen

 

Playmakers:

Pettersson, Hughes, Horvat, Dahlen, Juolevi, Goldobin

 

2 way forwards:

Horvat, Gaudette, Granlund

 

Top end Goaltending:

Demko, DiPietro

 

Bennings is building a winner. I'll bet anyone right now, when this team makes the finals, we will not be bullied into submission. If we lose we won't be looking back saying we should habe added more speed, or more this, or that. We will simply say we were just outplayed. Hahaha yeah right! If, not not if, WHEN we make it there again, we WILL WIN and we WILL DOMINATE.

 

2021-2022 we will beat the Sabers 4-1 in the finals, you heard it here first

 

 

That's pretty much much how I remember it as well, except I was  confident we were going to win after game 2. Only needed to win 2 of the next 5 right? 

Really wished management had a quality player to play with Kess though. He had the desire to win but didn't have the tools. Especially since the Twins were nullified in the series.

The new core eerily reminds me of the 94 team. A little more balanced with more character players. Can't wait to see what they can do now that most of the old core is gone. 

A new era is upon us and it's going to be good again to be a Canuck fan.

[TheGuardian_]

82 was great, a huge surprise, the Oilers were dominant, the Flames getting there. Brodeur suddenly becomes a wall, LA knocks out Edmonton, pieces just fell into our laps, every team we beat we were higher than in the standings, it was just the Oil not being there. There was really no hope of beating Denis etal, Roger just got everyone to trap like crazy, anyway it was surprise.

 

In 94 they squeaked into the playoffs and then peaked, they were young and very big, they caught fire against Calgary, they ran over Dallas, destroyed TO and should have annihilated a tired beat up Ranger team, the Nucks had 4 goals disallowed, three or four blatantly bad penalties called, a goal allowed when MacLean made the save, covered the puck and then got ran over about 2 seconds after. I really loved the one disallowed where Ritcher caught the puck and his glove hit the camera in the back of the net and they disallowed it because they couldn't see the puck, even after the ref took It out of his glove, in the net up to the elbow, you  can see the puck go into the glove and the glove go into the back of the net, alot like the skate in the crease for Dallas that suddenly was re ruled at the press conference. Reruled only for that game though.

 

So sure there was upset fans.

 

And then 2011, any idiot could tell the emotional ramping would lead to problems, 30+ years of frustration bottled up win and it would not have been as bad but lose......how could the powers in play not see that coming? It could have been controlled/stopped/managed better with just a little thought. Vancouver is not the only city that reacts poorly, it was this city had just the Olympics and the mayor totally misread the people, that is what happens when someone that knows nothing about the emotion of sports. He looked like a deer in the headlights.

 

Oh well that is the past now, (I have every 1994 cup run tape).

 

1970 - 1982 - 13 years - 21 teams

1983 - 1994 - 12 years - 26 teams

1994 - 2011 - 17 years - 30 teams

 

[whcanuck]

I was already a young Canucks fan for the 1994 run, but during and after that magical run to the finals I was hooked, this was the exclamation point that this was my team. All subsequent years I followed the team as closely as I could. That '94 team was all guts, courage and skill! Just a goal post away from tying game 7 against one of the most stacked teams of all time in the '94 New York Rangers. 

 

2011 was different. My expectations were high, but I was always cautious...I never fully trusted this group's mental strength, in the end I can't say I'm all that surprised the finals went down the way they did. The Chicago series was a massive red flag. They were so good in the first 3 games, and then I remember they were absolutely blown out of the water by the Hawks in games 4 and 5. Great teams might have the odd clunker, but back to back games like that? Then it happened again in the Predators series. They laid an egg in game 5 at home and had to play another game. San Jose they didn't play so well in game 5 either and fortunately the officials missed an icing call and the Canucks took advantage by tying it in the final seconds. Of course, they caught another nice break in OT and Bieksa made it count!

 

In the finals, the first two games were very close, and we found a way. That was a good sign. Because those games could have gone either way but the team gutted them out. Then the Rome hit happened and we got absolutely demolished in games 3 and 4. Great teams just don't let that happen! Game 5 we gutted another one out, and I honestly thought we could win this now...I was fully believing that they had a good chance to take game 6 in Boston. Then they were demolished again. I suddenly had very little hope. Just the manner they were losing these games was so alarming. They looked beaten. Game 7 started so cautiously, no emotion from the home side. Then when Boston scored first, I knew it was game over. That group just didn't have what it takes.

 

But, I'm very optimistic about the team the Canucks are putting together now. I think they'll be very competitive in a couple years!!!

[EdgarM]

3 minutes ago, whcanuck said:

I was already a young Canucks fan for the 1994 run, but during and after that magical run to the finals I was hooked, this was the exclamation point that this was my team. All subsequent years I followed the team as closely as I could. That '94 team was all guts, courage and skill! Just a goal post away from tying game 7 against one of the most stacked teams of all time in the '94 New York Rangers. 

 

2011 was different. My expectations were high, but I was always cautious...I never fully trusted this group's mental strength, in the end I can't say I'm all that surprised the finals went down the way they did. The Chicago series was a massive red flag. They were so good in the first 3 games, and then I remember they were absolutely blown out of the water by the Hawks in games 4 and 5. Great teams might have the odd clunker, but back to back games like that? Then it happened again in the Predators series. They laid an egg in game 5 at home and had to play another game. San Jose they didn't play so well in game 5 either and fortunately the officials missed an icing call and the Canucks took advantage by tying it in the final seconds. Of course, they caught another nice break in OT and Bieksa made it count!

 

In the finals, the first two games were very close, and we found a way. That was a good sign. Because those games could have gone either way but the team gutted them out. Then the Rome hit happened and we got absolutely demolished in games 3 and 4. Great teams just don't let that happen! Game 5 we gutted another one out, and I honestly thought we could win this now...I was fully believing that they had a good chance to take game 6 in Boston. Then they were demolished again. I suddenly had very little hope. Just the manner they were losing these games was so alarming. They looked beaten. Game 7 started so cautiously, no emotion from the home side. Then when Boston scored first, I knew it was game over. That group just didn't have what it takes.

 

But, I'm very optimistic about the team the Canucks are putting together now. I think they'll be very competitive in a couple years!!!

Very well put together post and its pretty much how I remember those series as well. Imagine if we had a 94' Linden in the 2011 final. Oh well, I am with you and I am very hopeful in the new core and their ability to take us to that final step in which we have not witnessed yet.