2000-2001: SURPRISING CANUCKS MAKE IT BACK TO THE POST-SEASON
After the exciting finish to the 1999-2000 season, fan optimism heading into a season was at its highest in three years. This was despite the departure of Mark Messier, who returned to the New York Rangers as an unrestricted free-agent. Also departing via free-agency was Garth Snow, who was not interested in another season as Felix Potvin's back-up and eventually signed in Pittsburgh. Bob Essensa was signed to fill in the vacancy. Also coming to terms were the Swedish Twins, Daniel and Henrik Sedin. The Canucks held camp in Sweden (in the Sedins' and Markus Naslund's hometown of Ornskoldsvik and in Stockholm) and played two exhibition games against Swedish clubs, winning both.
In ten total pre-season games, the Canucks went 7-1-2 and the strong play continued into the season with a 7-2-2-1 record in their first 12 games. On November 12, Essensa backstopped the Canucks to a 4-3 win in St. Louis. It ended a 12-game winless streak versus the Blues and gave the Canucks their second four-game winning streak of the young season. At 12-5-3-1, the Canucks were still keeping pace with the elite teams in the conference at the season's quarter point and had the league's leading offence. Markus Naslund was thriving in the captaincy role, keeping pace with the leading goal-scorers in the NHL and the Sedin twins, though definitely nowhere near all-star status yet, showed definite flashes of brilliance. On the blueline, Ed Jovanovski was having his finest season in the NHL to date and made the All-Star Game along with Naslund. If there was a worry, it was in goal, where Potvin was having a tendency to allow bad goals and "Sideshow Bob" Essensa began earning many of the tough assignments. The situation eroded to the point where, after a poor outing in a 5-2 loss to Chicago on January 28, G Dan Cloutier was acquired from Tampa Bay for Adrian Aucoin, who had fallen into Marc Crawford's dog house. A week later, Potvin was traded to Los Angeles for future considerations. On February 28 the Canucks beat Dallas 5-4 and followed it up with a 3-2 overtime win over St. Louis two nights later. They were now in fifth place in the Western Conference, 12 points ahead of ninth-place Los Angeles, with 16 games to play. On March 10, Naslund scored his 39th and 40th goals of the season in a 4-4 tie with Toronto. The game was the Canucks fourth straight without a win heading into what looked to be an ugly seven-game road trip. Sure enough, the Canucks won just once on the trip (1-2-4-0) but the worst part happened on March 16 in Buffalo. On an awkward play in the corner, Markus Naslund broke his left leg and would be lost for the season. Naslund finished with 41 goals and 34 assists for 75 points in 72 games. On the final game of the trip, a 2-2 tie in Minnesota, Andrew Cassels, who lead the club with 44 assists and was second to Naslund with 56 points, sprained his knee and would not return for the balance of the season. After scoring at will early in the season, the Canucks could no longer buy a goal.
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Kings, who were on a tear since acquiring Felix Potvin from Vancouver, were closing in. On April 2, the Canucks had won only once in their past 14 games and with three games to go lead the Kings by only two points. Despite out-shooting the Kings 33-16, only Donald Brashear could sneak one by Potvin and the Kings won 2-1 on home ice. A 12-point lead had been surrendered in the span of a month. Tied with 88 points each, the teams met again at GM Place on April 5. In a complicated scenario, the Canucks found themselves in a position to clinch a playoff spot with a win combined with a Phoenix loss in San Jose. D Brent Sopel solved Potvin just 33 seconds into the game, but by the end of the second LA lead 2-1. Early in the third, RW Harold Druken tied the game on the power-play and then scored the winner in overtime to send GM Place into euphoria. The fans remained to watch the final moments of the Sharks' win over the Coyotes on the OrcaVision screens and the Canucks were in the playoffs for the first time since 1996. They could still have finished as high as sixth place heading into their final game of the season versus Edmonton on April 7, but lost 4-2 and finished eighth.
Winners only twice in their final 17 games and minus their top two scorers, the Canucks had the unenviable task of playing the Colorado Avalanche, who sported the best record in the NHL during the regular season with 118 points. All season long, specialty teams had been a weakness of Vancouver and this was quite evident in Game 1. The awesome Colorado power-play cashed in three times out of five to give them a 4-3 lead after 40 minutes. Halfway through the third, Ed Jovanovski scored on a brilliant set-up by the Sedins to tie the score. The game appeared headed for overtime until Colorado defenseman Rob Blake (who had four points on the night) sprung Chris Drury on a breakaway with 1:07 to play. Dan Cloutier attempted a poke-check and missed, leaving Drury to backhand the winning goal into the yawning cage.
Game 2 was scoreless after a period, but the Canucks began the second on a five-on-three power-play. Brendan Morrison made good by deking Patrick Roy out of his shorts at the 35 second mark to take the lead. That held up until early in the third, when Ville Nieminen and Milan Hejduk tallied within 42 seconds of each other to give the Avs another one-goal win.
The series shifted to Vancouver for Game 3, where the fans were treated to a game that was fast, hard-hitting, and full of emotion. Tied 2-2 through two periods, the Canucks took the lead at 5:32 of the third when Henrik Sedin made an incredible, spinarama, backhand pass right on the stick of a streaking Todd Bertuzzi, who chipped the puck past Roy. The lead lasted just over four minutes, however. Adam Foote's power-play point shot hit the stick of Denis Pederson and beat Bob Essensa. In overtime, Daniel Sedin was hauled down in the slot by Stephen Reinprecht and it looked like the Canucks were headed for the power-play. However, after the whistle, Bertuzzi drove the head of Eric Messier into the ice, cutting his nose and drawing a roughing minor. On the ensuing four-on-four, Peter Forsberg fought off fought off two Canucks defensemen and put a backhander over Essensa into the roof of the net to give Colorado a commanding 3-0 series lead.
Game 4 was scoreless until late in the second when Drury again avoided a Cloutier poke-check and scored. Midway through the third, Colorado scored three times in 38 seconds to ice the series. The final was 5-1. Though it was a sweep, it was anything but ordinary. The Canucks actually held the lead for longer than the Avs in the series and neither team achieved a two-goal lead until the 9:11 mark of the series' final period. Considering their depletion, the Canucks performance versus Colorado was admirable. The fans agreed, giving their hometown heroes a five-minute standing ovation at Game 4's conclusion.
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