[Article] Top 10 Individual Offensive Playoff Runs in Canuck History

[-AJ-]

Hey all! I was bored (definitely not while at work) and wrote up an article I've been thinking about. Since it's specifically Canuck-related, I figured I'd share it with you fine folks. You can read it on my site with pretty formatting here: https://hookedonhockeyhistory.wordpress.com/2021/11/09/top-10-individual-offensive-playoff-runs-in-canuck-history/

 

I've also pasted it down below if you can't be bothered to follow the link. Enjoy!

 

Quote

Top 10 Individual Offensive Playoff Runs in Canuck History

NOVEMBER 9, 2021 / ANDREW SCHROEDER

When you’re a Canuck fan, especially once you’ve been one for a while, you learn to appreciate the good times when they roll around. Many Canuck fans were created during the great runs of 1982, 1994 and 2011, though there were a few other solid runs along the way. This list will focus solely on offensive production and not take into account things like player position or the “clutch” factor of any goals/points. Seeing as NHL.com counts the play-in games of the 2020 playoffs as playoff games, I will do the same for this list as well. Let’s get to the list!

 

Honorable Mention: Henrik and Daniel Sedin – 2010

Although they are some who tend to remember the Sedins as those who underperformed in the playoffs, that’s not wholly true. Both twins scored 14 points in 12 games during the 2010 playoffs with Daniel scoring 5 goals and 9 assists and Henrik scoring 3 goals and 11 assists.

 

Honourable Mention: Markus Naslund – 2003

Although the 2003 playoffs ended in disappointment, it’s hard to place too much blame on Naslund. He scored 14 points in 14 games along the way to a game 7 loss in the second round. 2004 was a shorter run, but Naslund scored at an even higher rate with 9 points in 7 games.

 

10. Thomas Gradin – 1982

Though Stan Smyl is perhaps the best known forward of the 1982 Canucks, it was Thomas Gradin who led the way offensively, leading the Canucks with 19 points in 17 games on their journey to the finals. Gradin had a particularly admirable performance in game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals with two goals and an assist in their OT loss to the New York Islanders.

 

9. Quinn Hughes – 2020

It’s a testament to Hughes’ immense offensive skill that he gets on this list, despite no advantage being given to defensemen. Not only is he an elite offensive defenseman, but he continues to perform in pressure situations, like he did in the 2020 playoffs. Hughes had 16 points in 17 games during that run including three assists on August 6 against the Minnesota Wild to help take a 2-1 series lead.

 

8. Ryan Kesler – 2011

Ryan Kesler is known for a lot more than just offensive skill, but in his prime, he was both a great setup man and a sniper. This was put on display in the 2011 playoffs when he scored 19 points in 25 games, but especially in the second round against he Nashville Predators, where he carried the offense of the Canucks, scoring five goals and six assists for 11 points in 6 games.

 

7. Mikael Samuelsson – 2010

The only player from the 2010 run officially on this list, Samuelsson exploded in the 2010 playoffs for the Canucks, especially in the first round against the Los Angeles Kings. In the six-game series, Samuelsson scored 7 goals and 4 assists for 11 points. He ended the playoffs with 15 points in just 12 games, leading the Canucks.

 

6. Daniel Sedin – 2011

Daniel Sedin tied for the lead of all Canucks with 9 goals in the 2011 playoffs and added 11 assists for 20 points in 25 games. Although the twins both struggled at points during the playoffs, they both came alive in the conference finals against the San Jose Sharks. Daniel had 2 goals and 4 assists for 6 points in the short five-game series. Daniel also had a strong game in game two of round one against the Chicago Blackhawks with two goals and an assist to help them take a 2-0 series lead.

 

5. Henrik Sedin – 2011

Precisely no one will be surprised to see Henrik’s name following Daniel’s here, though it’s noteworthy that his production did exceed Daniel’s by two in the 2011 playoffs. Henrik scored just three goals, but led the entire league in assists with 19 to lead the Canucks with 22 points in 25 games. In the high-offense game four of the conference finals, Henrik had an impressive four assists. He finished that series with 1 goal and an astonishing 11 assists for 12 points in just five games.

 

4. J.T. Miller – 2020

(Photo by Rich Lam/Getty Images)

J.T. Miller had a breakout year with the Canucks in 2019-20 and that continued into the 2020 playoffs. Miller was an emotional leader for the team, famously hyping them up with an incredible lineup naming performance in the locker room in the playoffs. Miller also performed on the ice with 6 goals and 12 assists for 18 points in 17 games, tying for the team lead. Miller really led the way in the second round against the Vegas Golden Knights with a team-leading eight points (1 goal, 7 assists) in the seven-game series.

 

3. Elias Pettersson – 2020

Making this list has helped me realize just how great a run the 2020 playoffs were for the Canucks. Pettersson tied Miller for the lead in points with 18 points in 17 games, scoring 7 goals, behind only Horvat in that category. Pettersson tore through the St. Louis Blues, scoring 9 points in 6 games and also had a strong game two versus the Vegas Golden Knights with a goal and two assists to help the team to a win that tied the series.

 

2. Trevor Linden – 1994

Trevor Linden is more known for his leadership and all-around game than his offensive skill, but he also knew how to elevate his game during big moments, including the 1994 playoffs. Linden was second on the team in goals (12) and assists (13) and points (25) while playing 24 games during the legendary run. Linden had four two-point games in the playoffs, perhaps the most famous one being his two-goal effort in game seven of the Stanley Cup finals against the New York Rangers. Linden scored the only two goals of the Canucks that game, seemingly single-handedly giving the team a chance.

 

1. Pavel Bure – 1994

If you’re surprised by Bure’s ranking on this list, it might be a good idea to freshen up on your Canucks history. Not only did Bure perform incredibly well in the 1994 playoffs, but he did it for the entire 24-game run. Bure’s 16 goals led the NHL and his 31 points led the Canucks. Bure famously scored the double overtime winning goal in game seven against the Calgary Flames in round one, an effort that also included two other points for a three-point effort. That three-point effort was one of three different three-point games for Bure, each of them including two goals and an assist.

 

[iceman64]

This year will be 11th, can hardly wait to see this team in a month after making up for lost time, and Podz starting to rocket .

[PetterssonOrPeterson]

Samuelsson I think is one of those forgotten guys (because of his short tenure with this team), but he was actually a really solid player for us especially in the playoffs. 

 

Worked well with the Sedins too. 

[Guest]

Those 2020 playoffs will always have a bit of an asterisk for me in terms of stats. The play-in round shouldn't really count for individual stats, but on the flip side getting to the 7th game of the 2nd round was much harder then usual because of having to win the series against Minny first. 

[Guest]

Just now, PetterssonOrPeterson said:

Samuelsson I think is one of those forgotten guys (because of his short tenure with this team), but he was actually a really solid player for us especially in the playoffs. 

 

Worked well with the Sedins too. 

I'll never forget when he told Team Sweden to go F themselves 

[CaptKirk888]

17 minutes ago, PetterssonOrPeterson said:

Samuelsson I think is one of those forgotten guys (because of his short tenure with this team), but he was actually a really solid player for us especially in the playoffs. 

 

Worked well with the Sedins too. 

He was amazing in the 2010 playoffs. The cup run in 2011, he was injured in the first round. Who knows what might have been had he played the whole series?

[Rindiculous]

I find it interesting how both Burrows in 2011 and Horvat in 2020 aren't on here because honestly I'd rank both of them in the top 5 ahead of any other Canucks in 2020 because they both threw the team on their backs at points throughout their respective runs.

 

It's kinda funny how 2020 is the franchise's fourth longest playoff run of all time spanning 3 playoff rounds yet it sorta came out of nowhere and I feel like it's a little underappreciated because of the whole Covid thing.  There were so many standout performances that year from Pettersson, Hughes, and Miller, to Horvat, Demko, Markstrom, and Motte (like damn he had two unbelievable goals against St. Louis).  Even Tanev scored the OT series clincher against the Wild (the craziest I've gone for a hockey moment since Burrows scoring on Boston in OT in 2011).  I hope we can build on it with many more deep playoff runs, but the bubble was such a great experience.

[Kevin Biestra]

Smyl 82 doesn't even get an honorable mention...

[-AJ-]

15 minutes ago, Rindiculous said:

I find it interesting how both Burrows in 2011 and Horvat in 2020 aren't on here because honestly I'd rank both of them in the top 5 ahead of any other Canucks in 2020 because they both threw the team on their backs at points throughout their respective runs.

 

It's kinda funny how 2020 is the franchise's fourth longest playoff run of all time spanning 3 playoff rounds yet it sorta came out of nowhere and I feel like it's a little underappreciated because of the whole Covid thing.  There were so many standout performances that year from Pettersson, Hughes, and Miller, to Horvat, Demko, Markstrom, and Motte (like damn he had two unbelievable goals against St. Louis).  Even Tanev scored the OT series clincher against the Wild (the craziest I've gone for a hockey moment since Burrows scoring on Boston in OT in 2011).  I hope we can build on it with many more deep playoff runs, but the bubble was such a great experience.

Looking back, I definitely think 2020 was underappreciated. Horvat and Burrows both were super clutch, but "clutchness" wasn't a factor for me on this list. Horvat did score 10 goals, but only had 2 assists and I didn't weigh goals more than assists. Burrows performed well, but Kesler, Hank, and Dank all out-scored him. Obviously the timing of the goals of Burrows was big and there's more to overall performance than offensive point totals, but this list was never really meant to be an overall ranking, just a list to highlight the top point producers (with some adjustments made for the eras).

[Rindiculous]

13 minutes ago, -AJ- said:

Looking back, I definitely think 2020 was underappreciated. Horvat and Burrows both were super clutch, but "clutchness" wasn't a factor for me on this list. Horvat did score 10 goals, but only had 2 assists and I didn't weigh goals more than assists. Burrows performed well, but Kesler, Hank, and Dank all out-scored him. Obviously the timing of the goals of Burrows was big and there's more to overall performance than offensive point totals, but this list was never really meant to be an overall ranking, just a list to highlight the top point producers (with some adjustments made for the eras).

Cool beans makes sense.  Completely missed it but I didn't realize at all it was your article XD .  You write articles often?

[-AJ-]

4 minutes ago, Rindiculous said:

Cool beans makes sense.  Completely missed it but I didn't realize at all it was your article XD .  You write articles often?

Haha yeah, there aren't many users who really do any sort of formal writing here (that I'm aware of). I don't have any sort of schedule, but I'd say I average maybe 10 articles a year or something. Just a hobby on the side and I sometimes share Canuck related ones here. Nothing professional, but I enjoy putting my research into a sort of polished format.

[PetterssonOrPeterson]

1 hour ago, CaptKirk888 said:

He was amazing in the 2010 playoffs. The cup run in 2011, he was injured in the first round. Who knows what might have been had he played the whole series?

Yeah. I mean I guess it doesn't really matter since we won that first round (thank goodness) but who knows, he could've been more effective if he was 100%.

Maybe he was still  dealing with an ailment and not quite 100% those entire playoffs.

[hammertime]

1 hour ago, VancouverHabitant said:

I'll never forget when he told Team Sweden to go F themselves 

Isn't that what sparked him to make this list.

[CaptKirk888]

11 hours ago, PetterssonOrPeterson said:

Yeah. I mean I guess it doesn't really matter since we won that first round (thank goodness) but who knows, he could've been more effective if he was 100%.

Maybe he was still  dealing with an ailment and not quite 100% those entire playoffs.

He was injured and did not play after game 11 of 25.

[Kevin Biestra]

14 hours ago, -AJ- said:

Looking back, I definitely think 2020 was underappreciated. Horvat and Burrows both were super clutch, but "clutchness" wasn't a factor for me on this list. Horvat did score 10 goals, but only had 2 assists and I didn't weigh goals more than assists. Burrows performed well, but Kesler, Hank, and Dank all out-scored him. Obviously the timing of the goals of Burrows was big and there's more to overall performance than offensive point totals, but this list was never really meant to be an overall ranking, just a list to highlight the top point producers (with some adjustments made for the eras).

 

If anything I would say 2020 is overappreciated if it has 3 of the 10 all time best playoff performances on any list.  30% of the list from 2020.  1982 was a run to the finals and it only gets one appearance on the list, at 10th place.  Meanwhile Stan Smyl had 9 goals and 18 points in 17 games and isn't anywhere.

 

I think 1982 is getting the Rodney Dangerfield treatment.

 

I would have had 1991 Cliff Ronning as an honorable mention myself.  Cliff in 1991 was kind of like the 2020 performances that are being hailed here.  It was putting the league on notice that the Canucks had big things ahead, and he was hands down the star of those playoffs.  Cliff had 6 goals and 9 points in 6 games in 1991.  Then 13 points in 13 games and 11 in 12 the following two years.  I personally rate all of that on par with 2020, Mikael Samuelsson's best stuff, etc.

 

Trevor and Pavel in 1994 are definitely 1 and 2.

 

After that...The Sedins in 2011 and Smyl (82) and Gradin (82) are all kind of on par for the next four spots if you ask me.

 

Kesler 2011 is a weird one.  He had one of the best series in team history against Nashville, but was 0.42 points per game for the rest of the playoffs.

 

 

Edited November 10, 2021 by Kevin Biestra

[MikeBossy]

I find 2011 the most "offensive" because the Bruins beat us for the cup followed by 1994 when the Rangers did 

[Chris12345]

If your surprised Bure is #1.....haha if you are surprised you aren't a fan.

[NewbieCanuckFan]

2 hours ago, MikeBossy said:

I find 2011 the most "offensive" because the Bruins beat us for the cup followed by 1994 when the Rangers did 

I find your username offensive for winning the Conn Smyth in 1982 Finals against us.

 

Damn you Harold, why did you have to pass it to *THE* most lethal sniper in the league (right in the slot of all places).

[N4ZZY]

On 11/9/2021 at 4:10 PM, iceman64 said:

This year will be 11th, can hardly wait to see this team in a month after making up for lost time, and Podz starting to rocket .

I'm expecting Podz to have more than the 13 min of ice time he received against Anaheim on Tuesday. 

 

The guy is getting there. 

[iceman64]

41 minutes ago, N4ZZY said:

I'm expecting Podz to have more than the 13 min of ice time he received against Anaheim on Tuesday. 

 

The guy is getting there. 

Well from what came out of TG's mouth in a interview, he said something along the lines of screwing it up by not easing him in. I sort of agree BUT the transition period is all but over, now if TG would only tell him to pin his ears back and go for it. However if he takes Horvat's route to learn to play consistent D first then that's ok too. I'm obviously a big fan of his and I don't care too much AS LONG as he makes it and stays in his trajectory, after that, it's entirely up to him. (fingers crossed)