1988-89 Results

The one benefit of finishing so low in the standings is a high draft pick. With the second overall pick, the Canucks chose future captain Trevor Linden. Also in the off-season, the Canucks were basically given Paul Reinhart and Steve Bozek by the Calgary Flames (the theory was that if the Canucks were stronger, they might be better able to defeat the Edmonton Oilers and that would benefit the Flames). Harold Snepsts was also signed as a free agent, bringing the popular blueliner back to Vancouver. The Canucks were much improved over the previous season as evidenced by the seven game winning streak in February. They made it into the playoffs and met the Calgary Flames in the first round.

The series against the Flames was a classic. The Canucks won the opener in Calgary when Reinhart scored in overtime. After losing the next two, Vancouver was led by rookie Trevor Linden who -- two days shy of his 19th birthday -- recorded four points in the victory. After losing game five, the Canucks returned home for game six and won in a thriller. In game seven (the first in franchise history), the Canucks pushed the powerful Flames to overtime, before Calgary won on a questionable goal.

Regular Season

 DATE  H/A OPPOSITION   SCORE OT GP  W  L  T  GF  GA PTS  AVG        HISTORICAL NOTES      
OCT  6  H  WINNIPEG     2-2 T OT  1  0  0  1   2   2   1 0.500 Linden, Reinhart, Bozek debut  
OCT  8  H  DETROIT      3-3 T OT  2  0  0  2   5   5   2 0.500 Skriko scores twice            
OCT 10  H  NY ISLANDERS 2-3 L     3  0  1  2   7   8   2 0.333 Nordmark assists on both goals 
OCT 12  A  EDMONTON     6-2 W     4  1  1  2  13  10   4 0.500 Adams records the hat trick    
OCT 14  A  WINNIPEG     3-4 L OT  5  1  2  2  16  14   4 0.400 Pederson, Adams, Smyl score    
OCT 16  A  NY RANGERS   2-3 L     6  1  3  2  18  17   4 0.333 Skriko scores both goals       
OCT 18  A  NY ISLANDERS 2-3 L     7  1  4  2  20  20   4 0.286 First NHL goal for Linden      
OCT 19  A  NEW JERSEY   4-0 W     8  2  4  2  24  20   6 0.375 McLean shuts out former team   
OCT 23  H  EDMONTON     6-5 W     9  3  4  2  30  25   8 0.444 Bradley records three points   
OCT 25  H  WASHINGTON   3-4 L OT 10  3  5  2  33  29   8 0.400 Tanti scores a pair of goals   
OCT 28  H  CHICAGO      5-2 W    11  4  5  2  38  31  10 0.455 Bench clearing brawl ends game 
OCT 30  H  CALGARY      2-1 W    12  5  5  2  40  32  12 0.500 Sandlak gets winner in third   
NOV  1  A  PITTSBURGH   3-5 L    13  5  6  2  43  37  12 0.462 Canucks up 2-0 in first        
NOV  3  A  PHILADELPHIA 5-2 W    14  6  6  2  48  39  14 0.500 Skriko records three points    
NOV  5  A  HARTFORD     3-2 W OT 15  7  6  2  51  41  16 0.533 Skriko gets winner in overtime 
NOV  6  A  BOSTON       2-4 L    16  7  7  2  53  45  16 0.500 Tanti hits 400 point mark      
NOV  9  H  HARTFORD     1-1 T OT 17  7  7  3  54  46  17 0.500 Weeks best goals against in NHL
NOV 11  H  MONTREAL     1-3 L    18  7  8  3  55  49  17 0.472 Nordmark scores lone goal      
NOV 13  H  PITTSBURGH   2-4 L    19  7  9  3  57  53  17 0.447 Adams, Tanti score             
NOV 15  A  LOS ANGELES  4-6 L    20  7 10  3  61  59  17 0.425 Hodgson records three points   
NOV 17  A  MINNESOTA    6-7 L    21  7 11  3  67  66  17 0.405 Linden records first hat trick 
NOV 19  A  ST. LOUIS    3-2 W    22  8 11  3  70  68  19 0.432 Bradley scores a pair of goals 
NOV 20  A  CHICAGO      7-4 W    23  9 11  3  77  72  21 0.457 Tanti, Reinhart 3 assists each 
NOV 22  H  BUFFALO      4-2 W    24 10 11  3  81  74  23 0.479 Linden gets another hat trick  
NOV 25  H  NEW JERSEY   2-2 T OT 25 10 11  4  83  76  24 0.480 Tanti third in career points   
NOV 27  H  LOS ANGELES  5-2 W    26 11 11  4  88  78  26 0.500 Skriko, Tanti two goals each   
NOV 29  A  CALGARY      3-3 T OT 27 11 11  5  91  81  27 0.500 Canucks up 2-0 after first     
NOV 30  A  EDMONTON     2-4 L    28 11 12  5  93  85  27 0.482 Hodgson, Linden score          
DEC  2  A  WINNIPEG     3-6 L    29 11 13  5  96  91  27 0.466 Canucks trail 2-0 early        
DEC  6  H  NY RANGERS   3-5 L    30 11 14  5  99  96  27 0.450 Tanti in on all three goals    
DEC  9  H  QUEBEC       2-4 L    31 11 15  5 101 100  27 0.435 Linden, Bozek score            
DEC 11  H  WINNIPEG     8-6 W    32 12 15  5 109 106  29 0.453 Canucks score four late goals  
DEC 15  A  CALGARY      0-2 L    33 12 16  5 109 108  29 0.439 Flame Wamsley gets shutout     
DEC 16  H  CALGARY      3-5 L    34 12 17  5 112 113  29 0.426 Babe Pratt passes away at game 
DEC 19  H  MINNESOTA    5-1 W    35 13 17  5 117 114  31 0.443 Gamble's first game of season  
DEC 21  A  EDMONTON     2-1 W    36 14 17  5 119 115  33 0.458 Sutter, Sandlak score          
DEC 23  H  LOS ANGELES  2-5 L    37 14 18  5 121 120  33 0.446 Kings get two empty net goals  
DEC 26  H  CALGARY      2-3 L OT 38 14 19  5 123 123  33 0.434 Canucks two men short in OT    
DEC 29  A  LOS ANGELES  6-3 W    39 15 19  5 129 126  35 0.449 Sandlak scores a pair of goals 
JAN  1  H  MONTREAL     0-4 L    40 15 20  5 129 130  35 0.438 Sutter receives triple minor   
JAN  4  A  WINNIPEG     2-4 L    41 15 21  5 131 134  35 0.427 Jets now fourth in Smythe      
JAN  6  A  DETROIT      2-2 T OT 42 15 21  6 133 136  36 0.429 Wing fans chant Harry-Harry    
JAN  7  A  PITTSBURGH   7-5 W    43 16 21  6 140 141  38 0.442 Tanti scores three in 6:46     
JAN  9  A  TORONTO      0-3 L    44 16 22  6 140 144  38 0.432 Adams stopped on penalty shot  
JAN 13  H  WINNIPEG     1-3 L    45 16 23  6 141 147  38 0.422 Tying goal disallowed by ref   
JAN 15  H  ST. LOUIS    2-1 W    46 17 23  6 143 148  40 0.435 Canucks dominate all night     
JAN 17  H  PHILADELPHIA 5-3 W    47 18 23  6 148 151  42 0.447 Berube nearly beheads Sutter   
JAN 21  H  NY RANGERS   4-5 L OT 48 18 24  6 152 156  42 0.438 First NHL goal for Ronnie Stern
JAN 24  H  CHICAGO      2-4 L    49 18 25  6 154 160  42 0.429 Lidster, Nordmark score        
JAN 26  A  LOS ANGELES  6-2 W    50 19 25  6 160 162  44 0.440 Canucks trail 2-1 in second    
JAN 29  H  CALGARY      4-4 T OT 51 19 25  7 164 166  45 0.441 Charbonneau makes Canuck debut 
JAN 31  H  EDMONTON     6-2 W    52 20 25  7 170 168  47 0.452 Linden scores 20th of season   
FEB  1  A  EDMONTON     3-4 L    53 20 26  7 173 172  47 0.443 Skriko records 300th point     
FEB  4  A  CALGARY      2-5 L    54 20 27  7 175 177  47 0.435 Linden, Pederson score         
FEB  5  A  CALGARY      4-5 L    55 20 28  7 179 182  47 0.427 Bozek records three points     
FEB  9  A  MINNESOTA    2-3 L    56 20 29  7 181 185  47 0.420 Stanley scores first of season 
FEB 10  A  BUFFALO      5-4 W    57 21 29  7 186 189  49 0.430 Tanti records three points     
FEB 12  A  PHILADELPHIA 3-2 W    58 22 29  7 189 191  51 0.440 Bradley scores a pair, winner  
FEB 14  H  BOSTON       5-2 W    59 23 29  7 194 193  53 0.449 Bozek gets two goals           
FEB 16  H  QUEBEC       3-2 W    60 24 29  7 197 195  55 0.458 McLean makes 28 saves          
FEB 19  H  WASHINGTON   3-2 W    61 25 29  7 200 197  57 0.467 Sandlak records 100th point    
FEB 21  H  ST. LOUIS    2-0 W    62 26 29  7 202 197  59 0.476 McLean gets the shutout        
FEB 23  H  TORONTO      2-1 W OT 63 27 29  7 204 198  61 0.484 Sandlak scores in overtime     
FEB 26  A  MONTREAL     2-5 L    64 27 30  7 206 203  61 0.477 Linden scores both goals       
FEB 28  A  QUEBEC       3-2 W    65 28 30  7 209 205  63 0.485 Bridgman makes Canuck debut    
MAR  2  A  HARTFORD     1-2 L    66 28 31  7 210 207  63 0.477 Sutter scores lone goal        
MAR  4  A  BOSTON       4-6 L    67 28 32  7 214 213  63 0.470 Sutter records three points    
MAR  5  A  WASHINGTON   0-3 L    68 28 33  7 214 216  63 0.463 Capital Beaupre gets shutout   
MAR  8  H  WINNIPEG     3-0 W    69 29 33  7 217 216  65 0.471 McLean gets another shutout    
MAR 10  H  LOS ANGELES  4-2 W    70 30 33  7 221 218  67 0.479 Doug Smith scores in debut     
MAR 14  H  DETROIT      2-2 T OT 71 30 33  8 223 220  68 0.479 Sandlak ties game in third     
MAR 16  H  EDMONTON     3-0 W    72 31 33  8 226 220  70 0.486 Skriko 2 goals; McLean shutout 
MAR 18  H  NY ISLANDERS 2-1 W    73 32 33  8 228 221  72 0.493 Linden, Skriko score           
MAR 20  A  NEW JERSEY   1-3 L    74 32 34  8 229 224  72 0.486 Greg C. Adams scores the goal  
MAR 22  A  TORONTO      3-5 L    75 32 35  8 232 229  72 0.480 Smyl plays in 800th game       
MAR 24  A  BUFFALO      2-5 L    76 32 36  8 234 234  72 0.474 Canucks clinch playoff spot    
MAR 26  A  WINNIPEG     7-3 W    77 33 36  8 241 237  74 0.481 Sandlak records the hat trick  
MAR 29  H  EDMONTON     2-5 L    78 33 37  8 243 242  74 0.474 Lidster assists both goals     
APR  1  A  LOS ANGELES  4-6 L    79 33 38  8 247 248  74 0.468 Adams and Adams on same line   
APR  2  H  LOS ANGELES  4-5 L    80 33 39  8 251 253  74 0.463 Canucks trail 3-1 after two    

                            Canucks finish fourth in Smythe Division                

Playoffs

 DATE  H/A OPPOSITION   SCORE OT GP  W  L  T  GF  GA PTS  AVG        HISTORICAL NOTES       
APR  5  A  CALGARY      4-3 W OT  1  1  0  0   4   3   2 1.000 Reinhart gets overtime winner
APR  6  A  CALGARY      2-5 L     2  1  1  0   6   8   2 0.500 Adams, Bradley score           
APR  8  H  CALGARY      0-4 L     3  1  2  0   6  12   2 0.333 Flame Vernon gets shutout      
APR  9  H  CALGARY      5-3 W     4  2  2  0  11  15   4 0.500 Rookie Linden records 4 points
APR 11  A  CALGARY      0-4 L     5  2  3  0  11  19   4 0.400 Linden's birthday not happy    
APR 13  H  CALGARY      6-3 W     6  3  3  0  17  22   6 0.500 Canucks get 3 late in second   
APR 15  A  CALGARY      3-4 L OT  7  3  4  0  20  26   6 0.429 Controversial overtime goal    
                       Calgary wins best of seven series four games to three