The difference between the Canucks and Stanley Cup winners

[whcanuck]

Since we all have a lot of free time with the NHL season being suspended, I’ve been watching a lot of old NHL highlights.

 

The 2009-2015 Chicago Blackhawks really fascinate me. Sure I, like I’m sure most of you, loathed them at the time since they tore the hearts out of the Canucks collective chests more than once, but still, their resolve and mettle during these years was absolutely incredible. Whenever they needed a huge play, a goal, a save, anything, they got it 99 times out of 100. 
 

I don’t think their teams in 2009 or 2010 were any better than ours, but they always got that extra something, EXACTLY when they needed it. In 2011 when the Canucks had those opportunities, they failed to make them count. 
 

Chicago was absolutely incredible at finding ways to win, even in the most impossible circumstances. They were down 4-3 in game 5 of their Nashville series in 2010 and short handed on a 5 minute major. They score the tying goal with 13 seconds left, short handed! Then the guy who took the penalty, Marian Hossa, scores the winner in OT!! How in the world is that possible???

 

The Canucks more often than not, find a way to give up that crucial goal, or can’t get that critical save. It’s all about timing, confidence and belief. I really think the Canucks would have at least one Stanley Cup title by now if we had that mental strength that champions have. Even in 2011, I don’t think they truly believed they’d win the Stanley Cup. It’s likely because we haven’t had that excellent coach basically since Pat Quinn. Some pretty good ones, but not one who could get these guys to believe in themselves enough to get that Cup.

 

Sorry about the novel, what do you guys think?

[Alflives]

Difference is we’ve never had a true number one D man.  Now we have Hughes.  We will win three cups this decade, if we get a proper coach.  

[whcanuck]

Just now, Alflives said:

Difference is we’ve never had a true number one D man.  Now we have Hughes.  We will win three cups this decade, if we get a proper coach.  

So true, that and we haven’t had good team defense in like 25 years

[Chris12345]

Game changers....I can only think of one. And I mean real game changers.

 

Like : "boys we aren't $%&$ing losing" game changers and I'm good enough to make it happen.

 

Some players have shown it from time to time. Kes, Hank, Danny, Trevor.

 

 

[Shift-4]

The difference

 

[coastal.view]

20 minutes ago, whcanuck said:

Since we all have a lot of free time with the NHL season being suspended, I’ve been watching a lot of old NHL highlights.

 

The 2009-2015 Chicago Blackhawks really fascinate me. Sure I, like I’m sure most of you, loathed them at the time since they tore the hearts out of the Canucks collective chests more than once, but still, their resolve and mettle during these years was absolutely incredible. Whenever they needed a huge play, a goal, a save, anything, they got it 99 times out of 100. 
 

I don’t think their teams in 2009 or 2010 were any better than ours, but they always got that extra something, EXACTLY when they needed it. In 2011 when the Canucks had those opportunities, they failed to make them count. 
 

Chicago was absolutely incredible at finding ways to win, even in the most impossible circumstances. They were down 4-3 in game 5 of their Nashville series in 2010 and short handed on a 5 minute major. They score the tying goal with 13 seconds left, short handed! Then the guy who took the penalty, Marian Hossa, scores the winner in OT!! How in the world is that possible???

 

The Canucks more often than not, find a way to give up that crucial goal, or can’t get that critical save. It’s all about timing, confidence and belief. I really think the Canucks would have at least one Stanley Cup title by now if we had that mental strength that champions have. Even in 2011, I don’t think they truly believed they’d win the Stanley Cup. It’s likely because we haven’t had that excellent coach basically since Pat Quinn. Some pretty good ones, but not one who could get these guys to believe in themselves enough to get that Cup.

 

Sorry about the novel, what do you guys think?

the nucks in 2011

had a lot of breaks go their way

 

they got to slay the dragon

 

kesler carried them against nashville

 

that bieksa goal against the sharks

 

even against boston, luongo got a couple of shut outs at home

 

maybe they did not get every break that might have helped

but they got a few

and getting past the hawks was extremely fortunate

Edited March 15, 2020 by coastal.view

[Dats hockey]

16 minutes ago, whcanuck said:

So true, that and we haven’t had good team defense in like 25 years

Hmmm 2011 we had the best PK no? Our D was great that year

[goalie13]

I still think that the Canucks had all they ingredients they needed to win in 2011, if not for key injuries to Manny and Hamhuis.

[whcanuck]

5 minutes ago, Dats hockey said:

Hmmm 2011 we had the best PK no? Our D was great that year

In the regular season yeah, but I remember numerous breakdowns in the Chicago series, and getting absolutely annihilated in 4 of the 7 games against Boston 

[Dats hockey]

Just now, whcanuck said:

In the regular season yeah, but I remember numerous breakdowns in the Chicago series, and getting absolutely annihilated in 4 of the 7 games against Boston 

$&!# happens, no denying that was a great year for our defense

[whcanuck]

4 minutes ago, Dats hockey said:

$&!# happens, no denying that was a great year for our defense

You’re absolutely right, but a good defensive team doesn’t completely implode and meltdown when the games matter most. Maybe it says more about the team’s psychology than anything else 

[nux4lyfe]

AV was a great coach.

[whcanuck]

1 minute ago, nux4lyfe said:

AV was a great coach.

Yeah I’d love to have him right now

[Pears]

I agree about the first two go arounds with Chicago, our teams those years were really good. Even in 2008 we won game 1 and then in game 2 took an early 2-0 but squandered it. I really think this is why this team needs an experienced veteran who’s gone all the way once or twice and knows what it takes to win. I know we just got Toffoli but someone like that would really help our young core.

[Phil_314]

I think OP's right about the timeliness for everything, yet at least we're starting to accumulate some of the needed pieces

 

Clutch goaltending (like Quick in the LA series from of old) - Marky

#1 D-man - potentially Hughes

Scoring with grit - Miller, Toffoli, Bo, Pete, Jake, Pearson

Good, cheap depth - Gaudette, Motte, MacEwen, Stecher (underrated, contributes points at times and is mobile)

 

 

IF our D-group could accumulate some safer veteran D such that we bend but not break we would be in even better shape to contend.

As well, the farm system needs to continue to churn out good prospects. 

[73 Percent]

46 minutes ago, Chris12345 said:

Game changers....I can only think of one. And I mean real game changers.

 

Like : "boys we aren't $%&$ing losing" game changers and I'm good enough to make it happen.

 

Some players have shown it from time to time. Kes, Hank, Danny, Trevor.

 

 

I dont have to tell you what all these players have in common...

[VegasCanuck]

Canucks have come a long way this season. If worst case is that the NHL winds up canceling the season, our group has a longer time to prepare this off season, for next year. 

 

The biggest question really is, what happens to the cap for next year? Are we going to wind up below 81.5 million and if so, how does that affect us and all the other teams. There may suddenly be a glut of players looking for contracts and no one can afford them.

 

This is going to be interesting.

[EdgarM]

1 hour ago, whcanuck said:

Since we all have a lot of free time with the NHL season being suspended, I’ve been watching a lot of old NHL highlights.

 

The 2009-2015 Chicago Blackhawks really fascinate me. Sure I, like I’m sure most of you, loathed them at the time since they tore the hearts out of the Canucks collective chests more than once, but still, their resolve and mettle during these years was absolutely incredible. Whenever they needed a huge play, a goal, a save, anything, they got it 99 times out of 100. 
 

I don’t think their teams in 2009 or 2010 were any better than ours, but they always got that extra something, EXACTLY when they needed it. In 2011 when the Canucks had those opportunities, they failed to make them count. 
 

Chicago was absolutely incredible at finding ways to win, even in the most impossible circumstances. They were down 4-3 in game 5 of their Nashville series in 2010 and short handed on a 5 minute major. They score the tying goal with 13 seconds left, short handed! Then the guy who took the penalty, Marian Hossa, scores the winner in OT!! How in the world is that possible???

 

The Canucks more often than not, find a way to give up that crucial goal, or can’t get that critical save. It’s all about timing, confidence and belief. I really think the Canucks would have at least one Stanley Cup title by now if we had that mental strength that champions have. Even in 2011, I don’t think they truly believed they’d win the Stanley Cup. It’s likely because we haven’t had that excellent coach basically since Pat Quinn. Some pretty good ones, but not one who could get these guys to believe in themselves enough to get that Cup.

 

Sorry about the novel, what do you guys think?

When you look at a player like Miller and even from Petey, you see players who have that extra character in their DNA which is above and beyond their natural talents. Look at who prevails when the team is not doing good but they some how can overcome that. Kesler going "Beast mode" or Linden scoring 2 goals in a game 7 when he probably should never have been playing in that game because of injury.

In 2011, that team struggled right from the get go and were almost eliminated before they even made it to the final. Some say we lost due to injury, but we totally dominated that regular season and we struggled the whole post season regardless of who was injured. It was a miracle we got past Chicago that year and it could have easily gone the other way. 

We have Miller, Petey , Hughes and Markstrom and I even like Jake and MacEwen at times. These are the types who we are going to rely heavily on to bring these clutch plays when they are most needed. 

Whats that saying "When the going gets tough, the tough get going"?

[erkayloomeh]

One thing I think most people overlook in 2011 is the  3 games we shouldn't have played  against the Hawks 

Take those three games away from that series and that's alot of time for guys to rest and heal.  

If not for those three games (our inability to go for the kill) we would have won the cup despite the superior goaltending of Tim Thomas and some questionable reffing.  

Edited March 15, 2020 by erkayloomeh

[oldnews]

1 hour ago, whcanuck said:

So true, that and we haven’t had good team defense in like 25 years

Canucks gave up the fewest goals against in the NHL in 2011 - 185.

 

And each team is different.

The 1995 Canucks were an entirely different team than the 2011 Canucks - there's really no point in trying to form generalizations accross the team's history.