1990-1991: "LIFE LINE" KEEPS CANUCKS ALIVE
Though the previous season was one of great disappointment on ice, the renewed interest in the team around the city and province was noticeable. It showed when a record crowd turned out at BC Place to watch the NHL Entry Draft. It turned out to be one of the most successful drafts in club history. C Petr Nedved was chosen second overall, followed by LW Shawn Antoski (28th), D Jiri Slegr (23rd), and LW Gino Odjick (86th). There was some worry prior to the draft that last year's fourth-round pick, RW Pavel Bure from the Soviet Union, would be eligible to be re-drafted after the league ruled the pick invalid. However, the Canucks managed to get an injunction to prevent this. The legal battle to follow would carry on for more than a year. A major change was made when Stan Smyl, no longer an everyday player, relinquished the captaincy that he'd held for eight years to the triumvirate of Doug Lidster, Trevor Linden, and Dan Quinn. Players began working out in August, and many became worried when Vladimir Krutov was nowhere to be found, and Igor Larionov had not heard from him at all. When training camp began, "The Tank" was horribly out of shape (even more so than the previous season). Management, incensed by his lack of preparation, accused Krutov of breaching his contract and cut him at the end of pre-season. When asked if there was any chance of Krutov playing for the Canucks again, Brian Burke answered with a firm, "None." Krutov filed suit against the Canucks, and the team had another nasty legal battle on its hands. All of this was going on while they were trying to get Nedved signed prior to the start of the season.
The Nedved deal was finally done just before midnight on the night before the opening game of the season. Once the season started, the same old problems surfaced the biggest being a lack of offence. Petri Skriko scored an early season OT goal and then didn't score another for the team. He played sparingly for the next few months before being traded to Boston for a second-round pick in 1992 (C Mike Peca). Dan Quinn was a disappointment as well, and many fans questioned his work ethic. Nedved had trouble adjusting to the rugged NHL style and only scored 16 points in 61 games. Only Linden seemed to live up to, and in fact, exceed expectations, as he was working his way to a 70-point season. But the Canucks were stuck in their familiar spot in the Smythe Division -- fifth place -- and Bob McCammon's job seemed in jeopardy. On January 31 he had Jack McIlhargey work beside him on the bench, while Mike Murphy worked in the press box (it was usually the other way around). In a rare burst of offence, the Canucks shelled Rangers' goalie Mike Richter with a club-record 63 shots. Only three went in, and the game ended in a tie. After the game, Pat Quinn relieved McCammon of his duties. Making his debut behind the Canucks bench, the Canucks lost 9-1 in Los Angeles. Things looked grim indeed in Canuckland. The goaltending situation, which had seemed strong earlier in the season, was now becoming a worry. Kirk McLean was having an off season, and in February suffered a hand injury that sidelined him for two months. Troy Gamble was having a fine rookie campaign and looked poised to steal the number one job in goal until a scary and bizarre series of concussions had him in and out of the lineup for the remainder of the season. Bob Mason was recalled from Milwaukee of the IHL to fill the void. On March 5, Quinn made a move that changed the entire outlook of the team. Dan Quinn and Garth Butcher were sent to St. Louis for LW Geoff Courtnall, LW Sergio Momesso, C Cliff Ronning, and D Robert Dirk. As well, D Dana Murzyn was acquired from Calgary for Ronnie Stern and D Kevan Guy. In their first game after the deals, in Pittsburgh, the Canucks lost 4-1. However, Trevor Linden set up Courtnall for the Canuck goal, and that would be a sign of things to come. With Ronning centering, the Canucks now had an offensive line. From that point on, the "Life Line" would produce almost all of Vancouver's offense. With three games remaining in the season, the Canucks trailed Winnipeg by two points for the final playoff spot in the Smythe. Fortunately, two of the remaining games would be at home against Winnipeg. In the first of those meetings, the Canucks and Jets would play two scoreless periods, thanks to solid netminding from both Mason and Bob Essensa. Momesso would break things open in the third, scoring twice. The rest was up to Mason. Though his shutout was broken late in the game, he earned first star honors in a 3-1 win. After a 7-2 loss in Calgary, the Canucks hosted the Jets again a week later on March 31, tied with 63 points each. The Canucks had won more games and held the tiebreaker, but the Jets had a game in hand. A win by either team would clinch that team a playoff spot, while a tie would mean that both team's fate would be decided when the Jets met Edmonton in their final game. A jubilant sell-out crowd came to the Coliseum to cheer on the home team, but they were silenced as the Jets took a 2-0 lead into the third period. But, early in the third, the "Life Line" lived up to its billing as Linden and Ronning scored in the first nine minutes of the third to tie the score. The game remained deadlocked until late in the third, when Winnipeg's Phil Sykes was ejected from the game with a high-sticking major. Still on the power-play in overtime, Courtnall deflected Linden's shot past Essensa and the Canucks were in the playoffs.
Few gave the Canucks a chance to win more than a game against the Kings, who had finished 39 points ahead of them in the regular season standings. But, as we found out two years ago, strange things happen in the playoffs. A strange thing happened in the third period of Game 1. The Kings looked to be in the driver's seat, leading 5-3, until Geoff Courtnall scored twice early in the period to complete his hat-trick and tie the score. At approximately the midway point of the period, Cliff Ronning unleashed a perfect wrist shot that eluded Kelly Hrudey low to the glove side and the Canucks took a 6-5 lead, which they managed to hang on to in a frantic final few minutes. The momentum continued into Game 2, as the Canucks took a 2-0 lead into the third period. Could they take a 2-0 series lead back to Vancouver? Doing their best to prevent that from happening, the Kings offense came alive in the third and struck twice to tie the score. The assault continued into overtime, but Troy Gamble played like a man possessed, stopping everything. Finally, at 11:03 of the extra frame, Wayne Gretzky lifted a shot over Gamble and into the roof of the net, tying the series at a game each. The third game saw Ronning open the scoring in the second period and his goal held up until Gretzky tied the score with barely eight minutes to play. In overtime, Linden set up Ronning, who made a nifty move on a defenseman and picked a high corner of the net to give the Canucks the win and regain the lead in the series. The image of Ronning riding his stick out to center ice while pumping his right fist is burned into the minds of many Canucks fans. The Kings had now figured that the Canucks were a one line team and by shutting down the "Life Line", they could probably shut down the Canucks. Though Ronning managed another goal in Game Four, it was the line of Gretzky, Tomas Sandstrom, and Tony Granato that put on the real show, leading the Kings to a convincing 6-1 victory. Game 5 was more of the same, as Gretzky and Co. struck often en route to a 7-4 win and the first lead of the series for the Kings. The Kings were on a roll and could now close out the series in Vancouver. The Canucks managed to curtail the Kings' offensive onslaught in Game 6, which was a tight-checking affair, tied 1-1 with overtime looming. However, miscommunication around the Vancouver goal with just over seven minutes to play provided Dave Taylor with an easy tap in to give the Kings a 2-1 lead. Mike Donnelly added two empty-net goals to wrap up the game and series. The team had fallen short, but the fans gave the Canucks a standing ovation as they left the ice. The team seemed to be coming together. Surely a breakthrough season could not be far away.
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