Best series I ever watched.

[IBatch]

Best:  1994 Calgary vs Van

 

Better but we lost so number two: Otto kicked it in! 1989

 

1994 NYR
 

Luongo vs Turco (holy crap!)

 

Non Canuck series

 

Every single time Detroit and COL matched up .... think it was 7 times.  

 

Battle of Alberta 1986 whoops! 
 

Roy vs Brodeur 2001.

 

TO vs LA 1993 - one of the few times I watched playoff hockey every day the first couple rounds  given where I was living at the time and with whom (1990 too) also impressed with Roy that year but no series was better then this one that year.  Clark gave McSorley a huge black eye...tough customers those too - and according to Gretzky he played his best game ever in game 7 - where I think he scored a hat trick...TO’s best team since expansion couldn’t handle him.  Even better we beat the same team easily in 5 the next year to go to the finals ha ha. 

 

 

 

[IBatch]

9 hours ago, Rick Blight said:

Definitely the best series I ever saw. Unbelievable intensity skating, hitting and fighting in that series.

And such an unlikely finish..

 

The Battle of Alberta was so great because Calgary went out and created a team that could almost match up with them - Smith was big tough and talented - a 4 cup member (THN ranked him 17th all-time best Oiler) but is remembered most for this gaffe..  

 

Personally I felt when EDMs great players were getting traded - and were left with a skeleton crew that held on to win one more cup in 89-90 that the power in the division was switching to Calgary and Vancouver eventually took EDMs spot in that rivalry.   Early 90’s Flames/Canucks games were fight filled nasty affairs.    WNP stepped up too once KT and Selanne were added...when Peca oblitered Selanne with an open ice hit the game ended with over 200 pims and took an extra hour to play ha ha.  Some of the most entertaining hockey in franchise history. 

Edited May 2, 2020 by IBatch

[Rick Blight]

16 minutes ago, IBatch said:

And such an unlikely finish...

Yeah, doubt anyone really thought the Flames could win game 7 in Edmonton. Flames won 3 games in Edmonton that series and I think they only allowed 2 goals or less in each of those wins against an Oilers team that led the league in scoring by a whopping 72 goals over the second highest scoring team in the league. Oilers scored 426 goals that season.......more than 5 goals per game over that 80 game season.

Edited May 2, 2020 by Rick Blight

[NewbieCanuckFan]

19 minutes ago, IBatch said:

The Battle of Alberta was so great...

nah, cause that automatically means at least one Albertan team would advance.

[IBatch]

35 minutes ago, Rick Blight said:

Yeah, doubt anyone really thought the Flames could win game 7 in Edmonton. Flames won 3 games in Edmonton that series and I think they only allowed 2 goals or less in each of those wins against an Oilers team that led the league in scoring by a whopping 72 goals over the second highest scoring team in the league. Oilers scored 426 goals that season.......more than 5 goals per game over that 80 game season.

That team was ridiculous.   It’s no surprise that the top teams over the past 100 years voted by fans has four  Oilers  Oilers teams in the top ten including number one (84 although Fuhr says 87 was their best team and I’d agree) which says a lot given the Habs teams were crazy good too (late 70’s)... Gretzky was incredible - He’s scoring 200 plus points and the second place guy is Kurri with 130ish...and really despite all the goals scored back then most teams were scoring 250 ish which shows you how dominant they were.  And Coffey is matching Orrs best years...   And they were fun to watch.   Like watching an all-star team play regular folks half the time...sent 10 players to the all-star game one year (like who’s ever done that imagine how good our team would be if we did that?)- good grief it wasn’t even fair ha ha.   As a kid I got caught up in the hype - and was glad I did turns. out it was actually really special (and not the norm) - we won’t ever see anything like it again.     Lemieux made me think that maybe Gretzky wasn’t a one off...since then Crosby, Ovi and McDavid...but we also had Stastny, Hawerchuk, Yzwerman, Dionne etc in the 80’s - even without Gretzky and Lemieux and era scoring adjustments it was an insanely talented period.   Edmonton fans must feel cursed a bit knowing that their best years came right at the start and will never again have another dynasty.  Those who watched it though also much feel pretty blessed.   Guys like Huddy and Lowe were all-stars too - but a lower tier compared to their top guys.  Coffey scored 48 goals ... that to me is a record as safe as Roy’s 10 OT wins in 93, or Gretzky 50 in 39 or 92 goal season or bazillion assists one year.   The leagues best not on EDM were maybe getting 110 points - like McDavid is now - when WG was scoring 200-215 points four years in a row.  1981 happens to be the high water mark for goals in a season...

[-DLC-]

Kind of like Van-Blues because of the sweep.  That was fun.

 

Truth be told, I just really love the playoffs.  The intensity, the anticipation of each game on sometimes sunny days.  Give me any good, hard fought match up....of course, the emotion's through the roof when it's our guys in there.  It's just a special buzz around town and is something to really look forward to.

 

But of course the Chicago dragon slay will go down as my all time favourite.  Mostly because I spent so much time at the rink that year and all my favourites were playing.  Was an incredible ride that year.

[NexusRift]

Most all of any series I watched involved our 'Nucks. Yes. I'm a fanboy!

Round 1, 1994 vs Calgary and round 1, 2011 vs Chicago. 

I'm sure there are other series that had better hockey and such. But when one is so emotionally invested in their home team, it pretty much clouds anything else.

[Rick Blight]

30 minutes ago, IBatch said:

That team was ridiculous.   It’s no surprise that the top teams over the past 100 years voted by fans has four  Oilers  Oilers teams in the top ten including number one (84 although Fuhr says 87 was their best team and I’d agree) which says a lot given the Habs teams were crazy good too (late 70’s)... Gretzky was incredible - He’s scoring 200 plus points and the second place guy is Kurri with 130ish...and really despite all the goals scored back then most teams were scoring 250 ish which shows you how dominant they were.  And Coffey is matching Orrs best years...   And they were fun to watch.   Like watching an all-star team play regular folks half the time...sent 10 players to the all-star game one year (like who’s ever done that imagine how good our team would be if we did that?)- good grief it wasn’t even fair ha ha.   As a kid I got caught up in the hype - and was glad I did turns. out it was actually really special (and not the norm) - we won’t ever see anything like it again.     Lemieux made me think that maybe Gretzky wasn’t a one off...since then Crosby, Ovi and McDavid...but we also had Stastny, Hawerchuk, Yzwerman, Dionne etc in the 80’s - even without Gretzky and Lemieux and era scoring adjustments it was an insanely talented period.   Edmonton fans must feel cursed a bit knowing that their best years came right at the start and will never again have another dynasty.  Those who watched it though also much feel pretty blessed.   Guys like Huddy and Lowe were all-stars too - but a lower tier compared to their top guys.  Coffey scored 48 goals ... that to me is a record as safe as Roy’s 10 OT wins in 93, or Gretzky 50 in 39 or 92 goal season or bazillion assists one year.   The leagues best not on EDM were maybe getting 110 points - like McDavid is now - when WG was scoring 200-215 points four years in a row.  1981 happens to be the high water mark for goals in a season...

Personally, I would still vote the 1976/77 Habs team as the best team ever for a complete season. They lost 1 home game in October that season and then never lost another home game in regular time all season. They did lose 1 home game in overtime to the powerful New York Islanders in the playoffs that year but that was it. They finished the regular season with a 60-8-12 (132 points) record and beat the 2nd place Los Angeles Kings by 47 points. They went on to win the Stanley Cup losing only 2 games along the way, both losses being to the Islanders.

 

The Canadiens of that season scored the most goals in the league at 387 and gave up the fewest goals in the league at 171. Their goal differential for that season was an insane +216 (almost 3 goals per game better than the opposition). I can't swear by it but I believe that is an all time record.

 

 

[Pete M]

On 5/1/2020 at 7:24 PM, CaptKirk888 said:

I really enjoyed watching them destroy the Laffs in the conference final 4 - 1. Hated the Leafs then too. And how screwed up were the conferences when the VANCOUVER team beats the TORONTO team in the WESTERN CONFERENCE final?

Yeah...the chant of "Wendy" was deafening and priceless...

 

I remember going and seeing game 6 vs Calgary OT  3-2 loss, Dallas OT game 2-1 win (Momesso's goal) , the 2-0 win against Toronto, and the 3rd game of SCF 5-1 loss to New York.

 

 

1994 run was the best by a long shot.

Edited May 3, 2020 by Pete M

[IBatch]

3 hours ago, Rick Blight said:

Personally, I would still vote the 1976/77 Habs team as the best team ever for a complete season. They lost 1 home game in October that season and then never lost another home game in regular time all season. They did lose 1 home game in overtime to the powerful New York Islanders in the playoffs that year but that was it. They finished the regular season with a 60-8-12 (132 points) record and beat the 2nd place Los Angeles Kings by 47 points. They went on to win the Stanley Cup losing only 2 games along the way, both losses being to the Islanders.

 

The Canadiens of that season scored the most goals in the league at 387 and gave up the fewest goals in the league at 171. Their goal differential for that season was an insane +216 (almost 3 goals per game better than the opposition). I can't swear by it but I believe that is an all time record.

 

 

I’d agree that was the most dominant team ever - their winning percentage was ridiculous and in Drydens book he used to let one in on purpose just because he was bored etc.   They used to split that team in two at practice and he goes on to say that was the best hockey played (in practice) when they were doing their thing.  PHI had a great season too (what is it a 35 unbeaten streak?) I think in 1980 (and lost in the final too if memory serves me right in game six or maybe I’m just confused ha ha).     That season was incredible for sure - so were the other three - it’s why most have them as the NHL’s best dynasty - then EDM - then NYI - then the Habs again ... they actually had three amazing ones three decades in a row.   Even now - since 1993 - that franchise has enough bling to shame their competitors pretty good.   Walking around their arena is fun - like a history book all laid out for you right back to the beginning.   Outside the statues in bronze are some of the greatest players ever to lace them up - and their ceiling had a fire hazards worth of pendants and retired numbers.

 

Edit:  Oh and on having the most goals and allowing the least - that has rarely happened- plus add best PP and best PK a little bit rarer.   Our 2011 was almost like that - we had all those things too - with the exception of our PK which i believe was second. It’s why that team is considered the best one never to win a cup.  NHL.com recently did an article with the best Conn Smythe winners since expansion.  It’s no surprise to see Thomas as one of them. Not all Harts, Norris, Smythes are created equal - just like the Calder.  Thomas holds several records now ... his sp in the final was ridiculous- like .968 or something.   Plus faced more shots and made more saves then anyone before or since.   When this is re-hashed (2011) I often try to point out that what Thomas did was way more important to the result then what happened with the refs - or Marchand - or Rome’s hit etc.  Or that some of our key guys were out or injured etc.  If TB won instead we’d have handled them easily.  Just hockey - sometimes all you need is a hot goalie. 

Edited May 2, 2020 by IBatch

[apollo]

15 hours ago, Jam126 said:

It's actually frustrating that we didn't sweep them. If we swept them I think we would've won the cup. That first round was a complete $@#tshow and we paid the price for it physically.

No way that series goes farther than 4 or 5 games if the refs didn't start flat out fixing games. I remember being absolutely livid at the refs al series. The fact that we even won that series was a miracle considering all the strings Stan Bowman was pulling with the Old Boys Club.

 

We're lucky Gillis blasted them before game 7... he got fined but well worth it.

 

It reminded me of the movie remember the titans, when the ref was flat out fixing the game and wouldn't listen to head coach denzel washington (AV)... but then white guy (Coach Yost / Gillis) let the ref have it and the team ended up winning.

 

 

<3 Gillis

 

https://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/nhl/canucks-gm-gillis-fined-for-comments-on-officiating-1.1078777

On Monday, Mike Gillis blamed the referees for the Canucks being forced to play a Game 7 against Chicago. (Darryl Dyck/Canadian Press)

[NexusRift]

Come to think of it, our old rivals, the Jets gave us some entertaining hockey. And it goes without saying other rivals of yore, Flames and Hawks. And pretty much every team in the early 70's had an automatic rival with the Habs and Leafs.

[mikeyman109]

1.The series against the Rangers in 94 was my favorite. We really did get jobbed by the league adding the extra day so both teams could"rest" We were the younger team and were really coming on in the series. There was no need to let them rest other than to give the Rangers a chance to catch their breath. Game 1 Mclean was unreal and Gus Adams from Ronning and Bure is one of my favorite Canuck goals of all time

 

2.The 94 series against Calgary was second on my list. Coming back from a 3-1 deficit with OT wins in three straight games was legendary. Kirks save in OT in game 7 is still The best save any Canuck Goaltender has ever made. Bures goal and the pass from Brown was amazing.

 

3. Third on my list the 1982 Series against the Hawks. Roger and team, towel power, the City went nuts. King Richard, Harold, Tiger, Nills winner in OT was so exciting. That team had no right getting where they did and a lot of things went right for them but in Game 1 of the finals they probably deserved better than they got. As a teenager watching that was amazing.

 

4.in 94 we faced the leafs and it was so nice to see the team dispatch that Parade planning city from the playoffs in 5 games. Most satisfying for sure. Bure was unstoppable in that series. McLean out-dueled Potvin for sure. After the Dallas series we needed the extra rest after winning it in 5.

 

5. Probably the odd set out in  my mind is the 2011 series against Nashville. The Chicago series went longer than it should have,I still think if we had finished them off in 4 like we should have it would have been a better result at the end.  But in the Nashville Series, Kesler was unstoppable. He was the Conn Smythe winner if he hadn't gotten hurt. That Hip injury and Hamhuis going out in the first game of the Bruin series was what cost the Canucks the cup. Even the suspension and the leagues obvious bias wouldnt have stopped us if those two had stayed reasonably healthy.Against Nashville you just felt the Canucks were going to win no matter what the Preds thew at them. Luongo let in a couple stinkers in that series but was awesome  the rest of the time.He'd make 4 great saves then let in a softie.

 

Honorable mention to the Sharks series in 2011, penalties against were almost criminal and yet we still won ... Bieksas goal off the stanchion and the celebration afterwards was epic.

Edited May 3, 2020 by mikeyman109

[NexusRift]

I'm missing our Canucks for sure. However, SN and TSN, and even KING, are showing past games of all disciplines. I know it's not the same, but it's holding me over this Covid lockdown.

 

 I've PVR'd quite a bit of hockey of interest to me. I binged the whole of the 2011 round 1 Nucks/Hawks. The 2010 Olympic Gold Medal game was fun to relive.

Anyone see the movie doc, The Russian Five? That's a good watch.

 

I'd like to see the '89 round 1 Nucks/Flames. Some of those late '80s Nucks/Jets I recall being exciting. 

I recall the pundits of that '89 series implied that had the Nucks won that series, we'd have made big noise the rest of the way; to even getting to the big show and a good chance of winning. Anyone remember such??!?!?!?!??