2003-04 Results

The Canucks started the 2003-04 season with a great deal of promise. The big line of Markus Naslund, Todd Bertuzzi and Brendan Morrison were back, the Sedin twins were more mature, Dan Cloutier had a new backup in Johan Hedberg and the blueline was anchored by players like Mattias Ohlund, Ed Jovanovski, Brent Sopel and Sami Salo. Thirteen games into the season, the team had a record of 9-2-2-0 and looked like solid contenders in the Northwest Division.

In February, the Canucks travelled to Denver for an important game against their division rivals, the Avalanche. The Canucks won the game, but it came at a high cost. Canuck captain, Markus Naslund suffered a concussion from what was ruled a legal hit by Steve Moore. Less than a month later, the Avalanche travelled to Vancouver for what would be one of the ugliest games in Canuck history. In the third period of a lopsided Colorado victory, Todd Bertuzzi sucker punched Steve Moore and then landed on top of him as Moore fell to the ice. Moore's injuries were severe and Bertuzzi was suspended for the remainder of the season and the playoffs.

The Canucks struggled for several games, but did put together a six game winning streak to finish the regular season one point ahead of the Avalanche in the Northwest Division. The Canucks met Calgary in the first round of the playoffs. In the second game, Dan Cloutier was injured and replaced by Johan Hedberg. After a poor game in game four, Hedberg was replaced by Alex Auld for the rest of the series. After losing game five, the Canucks staved off elimination with a triple-overtime victory in game six. In a classic game seven battle, the Canucks tied the game with six seconds to go in the third period. However, this overtime was short, with former Canuck Martin Gelinas ending the Canuck season.

Regular Season

 DATE  H/A OPPOSITION   SCORE OT GP  W  L  T OL  GF  GA PTS  AVG        HISTORICAL NOTES      
OCT  9  H  CALGARY      4-1 W     1  1  0  0  0   4   1   2 1.000 Bertuzzi opens the scoring  
OCT 11  H  EDMONTON     3-0 W     2  2  0  0  0   7   1   4 1.000 Cooke 3 pts, Hedberg shutout
OCT 13  A  COLUMBUS     2-3 L     3  2  1  0  0   9   4   4 0.667 Ohlund records two points   
OCT 16  A  DETROIT      2-3 L     4  2  2  0  0  11   7   4 0.500 Naslund, Malik score        
OCT 18  A  MINNESOTA WI 2-2 T OT  5  2  2  1  0  13   9   5 0.500 Hedberg stops penalty shot  
OCT 20  H  BUFFALO      6-1 W     6  3  2  1  0  19  10   7 0.583 Six different Canucks score 
OCT 22  H  ST. LOUIS    3-2 W     7  4  2  1  0  22  12   9 0.643 King gets the winner late   
OCT 26  H  PHOENIX      3-3 T OT  8  4  2  2  0  25  15  10 0.625 Naslund records two points  
OCT 28  H  COLUMBUS     6-3 W     9  5  2  2  0  31  18  12 0.667 Naslund, Chubarov two goals 
OCT 30  A  LOS ANGELES  3-1 W    10  6  2  2  0  34  19  14 0.700 Cloutier makes 37 saves     
OCT 31  A  PHOENIX      4-1 W    11  7  2  2  0  38  20  16 0.727 Four different Canucks score
NOV  3  H  DETROIT      5-1 W    12  8  2  2  0  43  21  18 0.750 King scores twice           
NOV  5  A  NASHVILLE    4-3 W    13  9  2  2  0  47  24  20 0.769 Naslund gets three assists  
NOV  6  A  ST. LOUIS    2-3 L    14  9  3  2  0  49  27  20 0.714 Cloutier stops penalty shot 
NOV  8  H  MINNESOTA WI 4-3 W    15 10  3  2  0  53  30  22 0.733 Canucks lead 4-0 in second  
NOV 11  A  MINNESOTA WI 0-1 L    16 10  4  2  0  53  31  22 0.688 Roloson gets shutout        
NOV 13  A  PHILADELPHIA 3-4 L OT 17 10  4  2  1  56  35  23 0.676 Bertuzzi scores late in 3rd 
NOV 15  A  BOSTON       1-2 L OT 18 10  4  2  2  57  37  24 0.667 King gets lone goal         
NOV 18  H  MONTREAL     5-4 W OT 19 11  4  2  2  62  41  26 0.684 Jovanovski 2 goals, assist  
NOV 20  H  CHICAGO      3-2 W OT 20 12  4  2  2  65  43  28 0.700 Canucks trail 2-0 after 1st 
NOV 22  H  TORONTO      3-5 L    21 12  5  2  2  68  48  28 0.667 Tied at two after two       
NOV 24  A  TORONTO      1-2 L    22 12  6  2  2  69  50  28 0.636 Morrison gets lone goal     
NOV 25  A  MONTREAL     5-2 W    23 13  6  2  2  74  52  30 0.652 Naslund 2 goals, assist     
NOV 27  A  OTTAWA       3-2 W OT 24 14  6  2  2  77  54  32 0.667 Keane opens the scoring     
NOV 29  A  CALGARY      4-4 T OT 25 14  6  3  2  81  58  33 0.660 Morrison gets the hat trick 
DEC  4  H  CALGARY      1-4 L    26 14  7  3  2  82  62  33 0.635 Linden gets lone goal       
DEC  6  H  MINNESOTA WI 1-1 T OT 27 14  7  4  2  83  63  34 0.630 Linden ties it late         
DEC  9  H  PITTSBURGH   4-3 W OT 28 15  7  4  2  87  66  36 0.643 Naslund scores all four     
DEC 11  H  COLORADO AV. 1-1 T OT 29 15  7  5  2  88  67  37 0.638 Auld's first game of 2003-04
DEC 14  H  CAROLINA     2-1 W OT 30 16  7  5  2  90  68  39 0.650 Auld makes 30 saves         
DEC 16  A  NASHVILLE    2-1 W OT 31 17  7  5  2  92  69  41 0.661 Ohlund, Morrison score      
DEC 17  A  DALLAS       1-3 L    32 17  8  5  2  93  72  41 0.641 Naslund gets lone goal      
DEC 20  A  EDMONTON     3-0 W    33 18  8  5  2  96  72  43 0.652 Cloutier makes 24 saves     
DEC 22  H  LOS ANGELES  4-4 T OT 34 18  8  6  2 100  76  44 0.647 Canucks trail 4-1 in second 
DEC 26  A  CALGARY      2-0 W    35 19  8  6  2 102  76  46 0.657 Cloutier makes 31 saves     
DEC 27  H  EDMONTON     2-6 L    36 19  9  6  2 104  82  46 0.639 May opens the scoring       
DEC 29  A  COLORADO AV. 3-2 W    37 20  9  6  2 107  84  48 0.649 Keane caps comeback in third
DEC 31  A  CHICAGO      4-3 W OT 38 21  9  6  2 111  87  50 0.658 Sopel gets goal, assist     
JAN  2  H  COLORADO AV. 2-4 L    39 21 10  6  2 113  91  50 0.641 Naslund, May score          
JAN  3  A  CALGARY      3-1 W    40 22 10  6  2 116  92  52 0.650 Auld stops penalty shot     
JAN  5  H  SAN JOSE     1-2 L    41 22 11  6  2 117  94  52 0.634 Henrik Sedin gets lone goal 
JAN  8  A  LOS ANGELES  3-1 W    42 23 11  6  2 120  95  54 0.643 Arvedson scores twice       
JAN  9  A  ANAHEIM      5-2 W    43 24 11  6  2 125  97  56 0.651 Cloutier makes 44 saves     
JAN 11  H  FLORIDA      2-2 T OT 44 24 11  7  2 127  99  57 0.648 Canucks trail 2-0 in third  
JAN 13  A  PHOENIX      4-1 W    45 25 11  7  2 131 100  59 0.656 Naslund records three points
JAN 15  A  SAN JOSE     1-3 L    46 25 12  7  2 132 103  59 0.641 Naslund gets lone goal      
JAN 17  H  ANAHEIM      1-2 L    47 25 13  7  2 133 105  59 0.628 Henrik Sedin scores         
JAN 19  H  DALLAS       2-3 L    48 25 14  7  2 135 108  59 0.615 Salo records two assists    
JAN 21  H  TAMPA BAY    5-4 W OT 49 26 14  7  2 140 112  61 0.622 Naslund caps comeback       
JAN 25  H  NASHVILLE    4-1 W    50 27 14  7  2 144 113  63 0.630 Sopel two goals, assist     
JAN 27  H  CHICAGO      3-2 W    51 28 14  7  2 147 115  65 0.637 Arvedson gets two goals     
JAN 29  A  ST. LOUIS    4-2 W    52 29 14  7  2 151 117  67 0.644 Arvedson gets another two   
JAN 31  A  WASHINGTON   6-1 W    53 30 14  7  2 157 118  69 0.651 Arvedson out for season     
FEB  2  A  NY RANGERS   3-4 L    54 30 15  7  2 160 122  69 0.639 Seven points for big line   
FEB  3  A  NY ISLANDERS 4-5 L OT 55 30 15  7  3 164 127  70 0.636 Grenier's first NHL goal    
FEB  5  A  NEW JERSEY   4-0 W    56 31 15  7  3 168 127  72 0.643 Cloutier makes 24 saves     
FEB 11  H  CALGARY      2-3 L    57 31 16  7  3 170 130  72 0.632 Salo, Ruutu score           
FEB 13  H  ATLANTA THR. 1-4 L    58 31 17  7  3 171 134  72 0.621 Cloutier gets tossed late   
FEB 14  H  ANAHEIM      1-2 L    59 31 18  7  3 172 136  72 0.610 Chubarov gets lone goal     
FEB 16  A  COLORADO AV. 1-0 W    60 32 18  7  3 173 136  74 0.617 Naslund injured by Moore    
FEB 19  A  MINNESOTA WI 2-6 L    61 32 19  7  3 175 142  74 0.607 Bertuzzi, Ohlund score      
FEB 21  A  EDMONTON     3-4 L OT 62 32 19  7  4 178 146  75 0.605 Canucks up 3-2 after second 
FEB 24  H  DETROIT      4-2 W    63 33 19  7  4 182 148  77 0.611 Daniel Sedin scores all four
FEB 26  H  SAN JOSE     3-2 W OT 64 34 19  7  4 185 150  79 0.617 Sopel two goals, assist     
FEB 28  H  ST. LOUIS    2-0 W    65 35 19  7  4 187 150  81 0.623 Hedberg makes 31 saves      
MAR  3  A  COLORADO AV. 5-5 T OT 66 35 19  8  4 192 155  82 0.621 Canucks trail 5-3 in third  
MAR  5  A  DETROIT      1-3 L    67 35 20  8  4 193 158  82 0.612 Keane scores lone goal      
MAR  6  A  COLUMBUS     4-0 W    68 36 20  8  4 197 158  84 0.618 Hedberg makes 32 saves      
MAR  8  H  COLORADO AV. 2-9 L    69 36 21  8  4 199 167  84 0.609 Bertuzzi attacks Moore      
MAR 10  H  MINNESOTA WI 1-1 T OT 70 36 21  9  4 200 168  85 0.607 Sanderson gets lone goal    
MAR 12  A  EDMONTON     4-3 W OT 71 37 21  9  4 204 171  87 0.613 Canucks trail 3-1 in second 
MAR 13  H  OTTAWA       1-2 L    72 37 22  9  4 205 173  87 0.604 Kavanagh gets 1st of season 
MAR 16  H  NASHVILLE    2-2 T OT 73 37 22 10  4 207 175  88 0.603 Kesler, Linden score        
MAR 18  A  DALLAS       0-3 L    74 37 23 10  4 207 178  88 0.595 Turco gets the shutout      
MAR 19  A  CHICAGO      3-4 L OT 75 37 23 10  5 210 182  89 0.593 Hawk Arnason gets hat trick 
MAR 21  H  COLUMBUS     4-5 L    76 37 24 10  5 214 187  89 0.586 Chubarov gets a pair        
MAR 24  H  LOS ANGELES  1-0 W    77 38 24 10  5 215 187  91 0.591 Cooke scores, Cloutier saves
MAR 27  H  DALLAS       3-2 W OT 78 39 24 10  5 218 189  93 0.596 Morrison gets the winner    
MAR 29  H  PHOENIX      6-1 W    79 40 24 10  5 224 190  95 0.601 Six different Canucks score 
MAR 31  A  ANAHEIM      2-1 W    80 41 24 10  5 226 191  97 0.606 Morrison in on both goals   
APR  2  A  SAN JOSE     4-1 W    81 42 24 10  5 230 192  99 0.611 Cloutier makes 33 saves     
APR  3  H  EDMONTON     5-2 W    82 43 24 10  5 235 194 101 0.616 Keane scores twice          
                  Canucks finish 3rd out of 15 teams in Western Conference   

Playoffs

 DATE  H/A OPPOSITION   SCORE OT GP  W  L  T  GF  GA PTS  AVG        HISTORICAL NOTES         
APR  7  H  CALGARY      5-3 W     1  1  0  0   5   3   2 1.000 Five different Canucks score
APR  9  H  CALGARY      1-2 L     2  1  1  0   6   5   2 0.500 Naslund gets lone goal      
APR 11  A  CALGARY      2-1 W     3  2  1  0   8   6   4 0.667 Naslund, Cooke score        
APR 13  A  CALGARY      0-4 L     4  2  2  0   8  10   4 0.500 Kiprusoff gets shutout      
APR 15  H  CALGARY      1-2 L     5  2  3  0   9  12   4 0.400 Auld gets the start         
APR 17  A  CALGARY      5-4 W OT  6  3  3  0  14  16   6 0.500 Longest game in team history
APR 19  H  CALGARY      2-3 L OT  7  3  4  0  16  19   6 0.429 Gelinas spoils comeback bid 
                   Calgary wins best of seven series four games to three