1999-2000: BURKE DRAFTS TWIN TERRORS
Brian Burke stole the show at the 1999 NHL Entry Draft in Boston with a complicated series of transactions. He managed to parlay the Canucks' fourth overall pick, Brian McCabe, and a future first rounder into the second and third overall picks. The picks were then used to select the highly touted Swedish twins, LW Daniel and C Henrik Sedin. Burke made another significant acquisition when he signed free-agent C Andrew Cassels from Calgary. But when the twins opted to remain in Sweden for another season and Mattias Ohlund suffered a serious eye injury in a pre-season game in Ottawa that would sideline him for the first 38 games, it seemed that fans had little reason to be optimistic about the coming season.
However, to their credit, the Canucks took advantage of a lax schedule early and won their first three games. Their 7-4-1 start marked the franchise's best October since 1993. By November 22, the Canucks were still in first place in the Northwest Division, but injuries were once again beginning to expose the team's lack of depth. A 6-3 loss in Nashville on that night would begin a skid of five wins in 32 games that would see the team plummet to 12th place in the conference.
By December 19, Brian Burke had grown weary of the goaltending woes and traded Kevin Weekes, Dave Scatchard, and Bill Muckalt to the Islanders for G Felix Potvin and a second-round draft pick. But it appeared that the team was now too far out of the hunt to make a run for a playoff spot this season. By the All-Star break, the Canucks sat 14 points out of the final playoff spot in the West. The Canucks returned to action February 9 and beat Calgary 4-3 in overtime before going 3-2 on a tough eastern road trip. On the trip, Coach Marc Crawford took the team to an outdoor rink in Ottawa for a just-for-fun scrimmage -- it seemed as though the spirits of the team were beginning to rise. They returned home February 21 and beat Boston 5-2, but that result would take a back seat to the ugly incident that occurred at the end, when Bruins' goon Marty McSorley deliberately injured Donald Brashear with a vicious slash to the right temple. McSorley was suspended for the balance of the season and was later charged with assault by the Vancouver Police. Brashear would miss 20 games with a concussion. The Canucks kept rolling, though, despite constant rumors that their captain, Mark Messier (who was playing his best hockey in years), would be traded. Messier was not traded, but on the March 14 deadline Alexander Mogilny was, to New Jersey for C Brendan Morrison and C Denis Pederson.
Some thought the loss of Mogilny would be the final blow to the Canucks' playoff hopes, but they won their next three games to set up a game in San Jose on March 22 where the Canucks could tie the eighth-place Sharks with a win. Amazingly, the Canucks had made up 12 points in 21 games. They failed to gain points in only four of those games, despite a stretch where they were required to play division leaders in four straight games (1-1-2-1). And it looked like they would do it again, as a 2-0 first period Sharks lead was erased and the Canucks led 3-2 headed for the final frame. Unfortunately, the Canucks had not had much experience protecting a lead and the Sharks struck twice to win 4-3. Undaunted, the troops returned home to pummel Anaheim 8-1 and then won 3-2 in Edmonton to come within a single point of the eighth and final playoff spot. By the time of the Canucks final home game on April 7, they trailed the eighth-place Oilers by three points and needed a win to keep their playoff hopes alive. Things looked promising as the Canucks built up a 3-1 lead after 40 minutes, but the Canucks inability to protect a lead would haunt them again as the Oilers scored three straight goals to put the Canucks' season in jeopardy. Dramatically, Andrew Cassels tied the game with 10.7 seconds left to force overtime. But, needing a victory, Crawford pulled Potvin and a turnover lead to an empty-net goal by Rem Murray. Two nights later the Canucks ended their season, winning 5-2 in San Jose. Though they had missed the playoffs, the team far exceeded pre-season expectations. Individually, Todd Bertuzzi was showing signs of becoming one of the league's premier power forwards as he managed 25 goals and 50 points. As well, after returning from his eye-injury, Mattias Ohlund was a workhorse on the blueline, earning the team's best defenseman award in only 44 games and showing signs of becoming one of the league's elite blueliners. As a whole, the team won 30 games for the first time in three years and improved an amazing 25 points in the standings.
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