Nux Drub Cup Holders, Proving Anything's Possible
The NHL's 1970 expansion teams have yet to distinguish themselves by winning a Stanley Cup.
Buffalo's Sabres got close in 1990, but they were done in by league officials conveniently putting their controversial skate-in-the-crease rule on double-secret probation.
The Vancouver Canucks have made the Stanley Cup Finals thrice and were turned away on each occasion:
- They were run over by the New York Islanders in mid-dynasty in 1982,
- They were the post-script to Mark Messier's famous guarantee in 1994:
- And they didn't let their loss to the Boston Bruins in 2011 stop them from lighting the town up:
Vancouver had won the Presidents' Trophy that year and again in 2012, when the Los Angeles Kings dumped them in the quarters and went on to claim their first Cup.
After that, the Nux skulked back into the hockey wilderness that once saw them post losing records for a major-sports leading 15 straight seasons.
They've tried everything except a sincere, ground-up rebuild.
With the Sedin twins firmly committed to having one-team careers, they'll remain a front office work-around for at least this season.
However, there are signs the kids are taking over and having a few moments. Like Brock Boeser's hatter against the Pittsburgh Penguins:
Boeser's 20 and has developed chemistry with linemates Bo Horvat (22) and Sven Bärtschi (25).
Dudes are not only Vancouver's scoring leaders, they're getting first-line ice time. In fact, in this 4-2 victory over Pittsburgh, they logged more minutes than the Sedins, who seem to be fine with it.
What's more, the Canucks are holding their own in the early going. The challenge is coming, though; Vancouver's got a mind-numbing 14-game stretch where 10 of them are on the road.
The jury on their season's fortunes will be out until the BBB line -- or whatever they're gonna be called -- shows how they handle it.