Revisiting the 2019-20 Vancouver Canucks' Playoff Run – Hockey Writers – Canucks History

After COVID-19 halted the 2019-20 NHL season in March, Vancouver Canucks fans around the world wondered what would happen next. Many questions have been raised by fans about the future of the season. Those questions were put to rest when the NHL announced its return on Aug. 1, 2020. The Canucks, who were in seventh place in the Western Conference, took a break to join the postseason on the “bubble,” taking fans on a plane ride. next month.

Background of the Group

Simply put, the 2019-20 Canucks were DELICIOUS. A delicious combination of talent, grit, youth, and veterans all culminated into one of the most exciting teams in franchise history. Before the pandemic stopped the season, Vancouver was the 4th seed in the Pacific Division, only one point behind the Calgary Flames in the standings. Rookie JT Miller provided a much-needed spark for Travis Green's team, while Elias Pettersson, Brock Boeser and Bo Horvat continued to improve.

On the blue line, Chris Tanev and Quinn Hughes formed a strong pairing. Jacob Markstrom and Thatcher Demko have been some of the best goalies in the league, sometimes allowing the team to beat themselves. Going into the postseason, they weren't expected to make a deep run. Despite the players listed above, they were inexperienced when it came to the postseason, having missed it in the past four seasons. Luckily the fans would go on to have an unforgettable run.

Fitness Cycle vs. (10) Minnesota Wild

The 2020 playoffs, of course, have a different setup than most years. Out went the division matchups, and in came the classic conference seed matchups. But this time, they came with a twist. The 5-to-12 seeds will face off in a five-game series, with the winners advancing for reseeding. Vancouver will play the 10th-seeded Minnesota Wild, which the Canucks have won in four games.

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Wild goalie Alex Stalock was a wall in net in Game 1, stopping all 28 shots he faced, leading the Wild to a 3-0 victory. For Canucks fans, it felt very similar when it came to the latest disappointment in the postseason. Game 2 was important; if the Wild won, it would be the end of Vancouver. However, a win would not only tie the series, but give them momentum going into Game 3. In the return game, they came out victorious, winning 4-3.

Markstrom helped the Canucks win Game 3, shutting it down, as they won 3-0. On the brink of advancing to the next round, Vancouver just needed one win to advance. The 4th game was exciting as both teams were able to complete it in the net with 4-4 at the end of regulation. Just 11 seconds into overtime, the aforementioned Tanev sent over Vancouver advanced to the next round with this goal.

First Round vs. (4) St. Louis Blues

Coming off their first Stanley Cup win in 2019, the Blues were a dangerous team in 2020. Top players like Ryan O'Reilly, Alex Pietrangelo, and Jaden Schwartz were still there, giving Vancouver problems. They will need to start fast in Game 1 to take control of the series and not allow the defending champions to gain momentum. They did that, winning 5-2 and scoring three goals in the last half. That momentum carried over into Game 2 after Horvat won the game in overtime, a 4-3 victory.

The Blues bounced back in both Game 3 and 4, showing why they were Stanley Cup champions last year. Game 5 looked bleak for Vancouver after the Blues went up 3-1 in the second period. But in an instant, the Canucks turned the game — and ultimately the series — upside down by scoring three straight goals in the second half and holding on for a 4-3 win. With full momentum heading into Game 6, Vancouver dominated and won 6-2. Not only did they knock out the defending champions with ease, but they proved that they are the league champions.

Round Two vs. (1) Vegas Golden Knights

The 2019-20 Vegas Golden Knights were seen as a real contender to lift Lord Stanley's Cup for the first time in their short history. They had stars at every position and quality depth behind them, too. Having been to the Stanley Cup Final two years ago, they had the experience to match their talent. They showed that in Game 1 by beating the Canucks 5-0. Vancouver showed elite resilience in Game 2, however, giving Vegas a taste of its own medicine, winning 5-2. The Golden Knights came back in Game 3, with goalkeeper Robin Lehner making a shutout en route to a 3-0 win. In Game 4, they took the lead in the series, winning 5-3, but more importantly, they extended the series lead to 3-1.

The series opener was Demko in Game 5. The San Diego-born netminder stopped 42 of 43 shots, leading the Canucks to a 2-1 victory in a game where Vancouver didn't win the game, going 26. You will improve one way or another. in his Game 5 to Game 6 performance, posting 48 shutouts as the Canucks won 3-0. It was one of the greatest, jaw-dropping goals in Canucks history.

Vancouver had everything going for them heading into Game 7. They had momentum, a great scoring game, and Vegas' scoring was weak. Despite Demko's best efforts again, Vegas ended up falling short, winning 3-0 (from 'The Armies: Canucks' playoff run ended with a Game 7 loss,” Athletic, September 5, 2020). He stopped 33 of 34 shots (Vegas scored two empty-net goals), while Vancouver mustered 14 shots on net. The streak had finally come to an end but it gave Canucks fans hope for the future.

What Happens After?

So yeah, what happened after that? Surely that team full of young, talented players continued to improve, leading to continued postseason appearances for the foreseeable future, right? Fast-forward four seasons and the Canucks have only made the playoffs once — and that just came in 2024. Key pieces such as Tyler Toffoli, Troy Stecher, Tanev and Markstrom all left in free agency, along with Vancouver's second division rival the Flames. . Veterans like Antoine Roussel, Loui Eriksson, and Jay Beagle all saw their production drop the following season, and as a result, the recycling had begun to happen.

GM Jim Benning made a number of moves the following year to try to help get Vancouver back to the postseason, including trading Oliver Ekman-Larsson for Roussel and Eriksson. But in the end, he was injured and the team went forward. Since then, Jim Rutherford and Patrik Allvin have taken it upon themselves to try to repair the damage done to them by Benning. Then-head coach Travis Green was fired two years later, and Bruce Boudreau replaced him after 103 games, replaced by bench manager Rick Tocchet in 2022-23. There have been many departures from that 2019-20 team, with only six Vancouver players remaining on that team.

The 2020 Playoff run is something that sometimes feels forgotten when discussing Canucks history. The 2011 run will always be mentioned – as it should be – but the 2020 run has given fans hope for the first time in a while. The NHL's “bubble” was a strange yet exciting form of hockey that fans had never seen before, and yet it feels like it can't be remembered. Maybe it's because it's related to this epidemic, something people would like to erase from their memory. Whatever the reason, the Canucks' 2019-20 playoff run was something every fan should cherish forever.