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Izzy Cheung
May 17, 2024
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A recap of the Vancouver Canucks’ second round playoff performances, as well as their respective eras that emerged from them.

Photo by Bob Frid-USA TODAY Sports - Playoff Eras and Second Rounds: A Brief History of Canucks' Second-Round Playoff PerformancesPhoto by Bob Frid-USA TODAY Sports - Playoff Eras and Second Rounds: A Brief History of Canucks' Second-Round Playoff Performances

Generally, the postseason has not been good for the Canucks. We don’t need to go into the events that occurred in 1982, 1994, or 2011, nor do we have to talk about the many first-round exits that Vancouver has encountered (though there’s another Canadian team that’s much more famous for their lack of second-round visits in recent history). Now that the Canucks are knee-deep in their ninth second-round appearance, let’s take a look at the outcomes of each series as well as what happened to get them there.

The ‘Flying Skate’ Era 

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvxxK6JkvY0[/embed]

This era of Vancouver Canucks hockey featured a cast of players closely associated with the ever-loved ‘Flying Skate’ logo. The slashes of black, white, red, and yellow on the ice conjure images of Pavel Bure flying up the ice to score against Calgary Flames goaltender Mike Vernon and echoes of Jim Robson saying: “He will play — you know he’ll play. He’ll play on crutches; he will play at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night.” It’s an era that will forever be synonymous with the 1994 Stanley Cup run.

1991-1992 Playoffs

The 1991-1992 Vancouver Canucks’s playoff run saw Geoff Courtnall lead the team in scoring with 14 points in 12 games, with Cliff Ronning posting a team-leading eight goals in 13 games. Pat Quinn directed the bench alongside Ron Wilson, Rick Ley, and Canuck-legend Stan Smyl.

In the first round, this team matched up against the Winnipeg Jets. The series went seven games, with Vancouver winning the last three games to take the series on home ice. Round two, however, would not be as kind to the Canucks. Their opponent, the Edmonton Oilers, had previously beaten the Los Angeles Kings in six games and would later be swept in the conference finals by the Chicago Blackhawks. Despite putting up two wins on home ice, Vancouver lost to the Oilers in six games — an occurrence that we all hope doesn’t repeat itself this year.

1992-1993 Playoffs

The year after being eliminated by the Oilers in the second round, Vancouver once again was ousted from the postseason in the conference semi-finals. Another repeat occurrence was their first-round matchup against the Winnipeg Jets, who they took care of in six games this season. Courtnall repeated his team-leading points performance this postseason, while Greg Adams surged to the top of the team in goals with seven in 12 games.

Once again, the Canucks lost in the second round in six games, this time to the Wayne Gretzky-led Los Angeles Kings. With each win that Vancouver had in this series (Games 1 and 4), Los Angeles would win two more after. The Kings eventually lost in the finals to the Montréal Canadiens, marking the last time that a Canadian team has won the Stanley Cup.

1994-1995 Playoffs

Coming off a trip to the Stanley Cup Finals in the 1993-1994 season, the 1994-1995 playoffs saw the Canucks win a first-round series in seven games once again. The Russian Rocket, Pavel Bure, led the team in scoring with seven goals and six assists in 11 games, followed closely by Russ Courtnall, Geoff’s brother, who notched 12 points in the same span.

The Canucks took their first-round opponent, the St. Louis Blues, to seven games, pushing them to the brink of elimination by Game 5. Their 5–3 win in Game 7 set them up to play the Chicago Blackhawks in the second round. Unfortunately, in the second round, Chicago swept Vancouver, winning three of their four victories in overtime. The Blackhawks’ only regulation win in this series concluded with a score of 2–0. 

The West Coast Express Era

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDctzI0rDMM[/embed]

The utter dominance of one single line comes to the forefront in the Canucks’ West Coast Express era. Named after the Vancouver transit staple, this line boasted the likes of Markus Näslund, Todd Bertuzzi, and Brendan Morrison. The well-loved flying skate transformed into the orca, a former iteration of the team’s current logo. Black, blue, and maroon permeated this era. Though this group of players never made the Stanley Cup Finals, their work on the ice was still a unique type of mastery that should continue to be appreciated.

2002-2003 Playoffs

Vancouver’s next trip to the conference semi-finals came in the 2002-2003 season, which saw the roster switch over from the ‘Flying Skate’ era. Captain Markus Näslund led the team in scoring with 14 points in 14 games, while Ed Jovanovski potted seven goals in the same amount of time.

This playoff run saw both of the team’s series’ last seven games. They roared back from being down 3–1 in their first-round series against the St. Louis Blues, solidifying their place in the second round with a 4–1 victory. However, they ended up doing the opposite in their next series, leading the series with three games to one against the Minnesota Wild before being beaten in three straight games.

2006-2007 Playoffs

The 2006-2007 playoffs represent a shift in the direction of the franchise, as this would be the last playoff run embarked on by Canucks leaders Markus Näslund and Trevor Linden. This postseason’s scoring leaders were Linden and Mattias Öhlund, each with two goals and five assists in 12 games.

This postseason run was notable for more than one reason. For starters, this playoff season saw the Canucks record their longest game in franchise history, with their first game of the first round going into four different overtime periods. Facing off against the Dallas Stars, Vancouver proceeded to take Games 1, 3, 4, and 7 to win the series. Their second-round matchup against the Anaheim Ducks ended in five games. They also made it to overtime in Game 4 of their series against the Ducks, the stress of which was heightened by the mysterious disappearance of Roberto Luongo to start the extra period.

The “2011” Era 

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpYEYn6WKZM[/embed]

The 2011 postseason saw the city of Vancouver witness the highest of highs and some of the lowest of lows. This era was headlined by a variety of players, with Daniel and Henrik Sedin being among the many standouts. Who can forget Alex Burrows’ slaying of the dragon in the first round or Ryan Kesler’s complete dominance over the Nashville Predators in round two? The eruption of Rogers Arena after Kevin Bieksa’s ‘Stanchion goal’ will forever ripple across the city of Vancouver, even as another era attempts to cement its legacy within Vancouver Canucks history. As many devoted fans know, this team was special.

2008-2009 Playoffs

Twins Daniel and Henrik Sedin had twin scoring records this postseason, both leading the team with four goals and six assists in 10 games. The first series of this playoff run was a success, with the Canucks sweeping the St. Louis Blues and taking their final win of the series in overtime. They met up with a soon-to-be familiar enemy in the Chicago Blackhawks, who took them down in six games. The Blackhawks won three straight games to end the series.

2009-2010 Playoffs

This playoff run saw Mikael Samuelsson lead the team with 15 points in 12 games, followed closely by the Sedins, who each had 14. Vancouver’s first-round opponent, the Los Angeles Kings, notched wins in Games 2 and 3 but proceeded to give up the last three to the Canucks. It was after this series that Vancouver encountered their dragon yet again, the team that would eventually be slayed in the following postseason. Another six-game series against the Chicago Blackhawks resulted in a second-round exit.

The “Current” Era 

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hy21-gHj2bU[/embed]

The Vancouver Canucks’ current “era” of players has seen some slight shifts in leadership and cores. Former pillars in the organization, such as Alex Edler, Chris Tanev, and Bo Horvat, have been washed off to other teams, ushering in the new age. The core, spearheaded by new captain Quinn Hughes, Elias Pettersson, J.T. Miller, Brock Boeser, and Thatcher Demko, hope to accomplish big things in this year’s postseason. They only have one other experience in the postseason, but it was definitely a notable one.

2019-2020 Playoffs

The last time the Vancouver Canucks made the playoffs was back in the 2019-2020 season. After a long wait, Canucks fans finally had some playoff hockey to watch, though none of it could be experienced in person. The so-called “Bubble Playoffs” introduced an interesting setting to hockey fans. Players were shuttled off to their respective bubbles and lived in the same hotels as the teams they were competing against. For this run, Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller were tied for the team lead in scoring, each with 18 points in 17 games. Former Canucks captain Bo Horvat led the way with ten goals in the same span of time.

This postseason run started with a play-in series win against the Minnesota Wild that lasted five games. Taking the last three victories in a best-of-five series, their exciting 5–4 overtime win cemented their spot in the playoffs. The team followed this up with a surprising upset against the 2019 Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues, who they ended up beating in six games. After an injury to former Canucks goaltender Jacob Markström, Vancouver pushed the Vegas Golden Knights to seven games before being eliminated.

The Game 7 loss to Vegas marked the eighth time in their history that the Canucks have been eliminated in the second round of playoffs. In a postseason that sees them competing with the Edmonton Oilers for a spot in the conference finals, we all hope that we’ll have to wait a long time until witnessing the ninth.

Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.

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