The date was March 10th, 2014, and if you’ve been a Vancouver Canucks fan for more than a decade, you must have had flashbacks on Saturday as the <a href="https://canucksarmy.com/news/stanchies-hughes-less-vancouver-canucks-collapse-stunning-loss-kraken">Seattle Kraken rudely interrupted</a> what to that point had been a rather leisurely stroll toward certain victory for the home team.
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Then one, two, three, four goals in rapid succession turned the game on its ear and left the Canucks and their fans wondering what had hit them as the Kraken escaped with a 5-4 overtime victory. It was a colossal collapse to be sure. Give the Kraken their due, but also note that Seattle wobbled into town on a five-game losing streak and had managed just six goals over that span. So the idea that the visitors were about to explode was likely as far-fetched to the Kraken themselves as it was anybody watching the hockey game.
But that brings us back to that fateful night just over a decade ago when a similar scene played out at Rogers Arena.
That night a motley group of New York Islanders came to town and watched as John Tortorella’s Canucks jumped out to 3-0 lead through the first two periods of play. To that point in the hockey game, the Isles had mustered just 15 shots on goal and like Seattle on Saturday looked ready to cut their losses and move on.
But then the third period started. Josh Bailey scored on a power play 73 seconds into the third. That was followed in short order by two goals just 22 seconds apart by Ryan Strome and Calvin de Haan. 
Three minutes later Frans Nielsen scored to put the Isles in front for the first time. Much as it was late in the game against Seattle, the silence in a full arena was deafening.
But this is where that night’s plot differed from Saturday’s saga.
In a game full of odd occurrences, perhaps it was fitting that Chris Tanev, of all people, scored a rare goal to pull the Canucks even at 4-4, wresting some of the momentum back in a contest that was threatening to getting away. It seemed, in the moment, reasonable to believe a Canucks team led by Henrik Sedin (Daniel was injured) &#8212; and with key veterans Ryan Kesler Alex Burrows, Jannik Hansen and Chris Higgins among others in uniform, &#8212; would steady itself, find a way to grind out a victory and talk afterward about the reminder of the need to play a full 60 minutes.
Alas, the Tanev goal did nothing to stem the bleeding because just 10 seconds after the Canucks pulled back onto level terms, Matt Martin scored to put the Islanders back in front. And a minute and a half after that, Anders Lee extended that lead to 6-4. 
To recap, a total of seven goals had been scored in the first 12 minutes of a zany third period – six of them by the Islanders who weren’t done yet.
Cal Clutterbuck plunged the final dagger into the Canucks with an empty net goal which made the final 7-4 New York.
The given up for dead Isles scored seven goals on 15 shots in the third and skated away with one of the most improbable victories in these parts in recent memory. Poor Eddie Lack was on the hook for the first six goals before the empty netter.
Among the craziest parts of the story is that the Canucks defence that night consisted of Tanev, Alex Edler, Dan Hamhuis and Kevin Bieksa along with Jason Garrison and Yannick Weber. And still the Isles carved them to shreds in one of the wildest periods of hockey ever seen in this city.
None of this is to make the current day Canucks or their fans feel any better about what went down on Saturday afternoon. That – like the implosion against the Islanders ten years ago – was simply inexcusable. But both games serve as harsh reminders that if anybody at any time ever thinks they’ve seen it all from the Vancouver Canucks, it’s very clear that just simply isn’t the case.
If there&#8217;s any consolation, at least this year&#8217;s team salvaged a point out of Saturday&#8217;s implosion. The team a decade ago got nothing but a place in the franchise record book for all the wrong reasons.
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The date was March 10th, 2014, and if you’ve been a Vancouver Canucks fan for more than a decade, you must have had flashbacks on Saturday as the <a href="https://canucksarmy.com/news/stanchies-hughes-less-vancouver-canucks-collapse-stunning-loss-kraken">Seattle Kraken rudely interrupted</a> what to that point had been a rather leisurely stroll toward certain victory for the home team.
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Then one, two, three, four goals in rapid succession turned the game on its ear and left the Canucks and their fans wondering what had hit them as the Kraken escaped with a 5-4 overtime victory. It was a colossal collapse to be sure. Give the Kraken their due, but also note that Seattle wobbled into town on a five-game losing streak and had managed just six goals over that span. So the idea that the visitors were about to explode was likely as far-fetched to the Kraken themselves as it was anybody watching the hockey game.

But that brings us back to that fateful night just over a decade ago when a similar scene played out at Rogers Arena.

That night a motley group of New York Islanders came to town and watched as John Tortorella’s Canucks jumped out to 3-0 lead through the first two periods of play. To that point in the hockey game, the Isles had mustered just 15 shots on goal and like Seattle on Saturday looked ready to cut their losses and move on.

But then the third period started. Josh Bailey scored on a power play 73 seconds into the third. That was followed in short order by two goals just 22 seconds apart by Ryan Strome and Calvin de Haan. 

Three minutes later Frans Nielsen scored to put the Isles in front for the first time. Much as it was late in the game against Seattle, the silence in a full arena was deafening.

But this is where that night’s plot differed from Saturday’s saga.

In a game full of odd occurrences, perhaps it was fitting that Chris Tanev, of all people, scored a rare goal to pull the Canucks even at 4-4, wresting some of the momentum back in a contest that was threatening to getting away. It seemed, in the moment, reasonable to believe a Canucks team led by Henrik Sedin (Daniel was injured) -- and with key veterans Ryan Kesler Alex Burrows, Jannik Hansen and Chris Higgins among others in uniform, -- would steady itself, find a way to grind out a victory and talk afterward about the reminder of the need to play a full 60 minutes.

Alas, the Tanev goal did nothing to stem the bleeding because just 10 seconds after the Canucks pulled back onto level terms, Matt Martin scored to put the Islanders back in front. And a minute and a half after that, Anders Lee extended that lead to 6-4. 

To recap, a total of seven goals had been scored in the first 12 minutes of a zany third period – six of them by the Islanders who weren’t done yet.

Cal Clutterbuck plunged the final dagger into the Canucks with an empty net goal which made the final 7-4 New York.

The given up for dead Isles scored seven goals on 15 shots in the third and skated away with one of the most improbable victories in these parts in recent memory. Poor Eddie Lack was on the hook for the first six goals before the empty netter.

Among the craziest parts of the story is that the Canucks defence that night consisted of Tanev, Alex Edler, Dan Hamhuis and Kevin Bieksa along with Jason Garrison and Yannick Weber. And still the Isles carved them to shreds in one of the wildest periods of hockey ever seen in this city.

None of this is to make the current day Canucks or their fans feel any better about what went down on Saturday afternoon. That – like the implosion against the Islanders ten years ago – was simply inexcusable. But both games serve as harsh reminders that if anybody at any time ever thinks they’ve seen it all from the Vancouver Canucks, it’s very clear that just simply isn’t the case.

If there's any consolation, at least this year's team salvaged a point out of Saturday's implosion. The team a decade ago got nothing but a place in the franchise record book for all the wrong reasons.

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