1985-1986: Oilers make quick
work of Canucks
Changes were the order of the day after a
disastrous 1984-85 campaign. Gone were
Vice-President, General Manager, and Head Coach
Harry Neale and Associate Coach Ron Smith.
Assistant GM Jack Gordon was promoted to GM and
Director of Hockey Operations and 1982 Jack
Adams Trophy winner Tom Watt was brought in to
coach. The team would undergo a cosmetic
change as well, altering their jerseys so that
the big "V" on the front was replaced
by the team logo, while smaller "V"s
would appear on the shoulders. In the
Entry Draft, the Canucks would take 6'3" RW
Jim Sandlak with the fourth overall pick.
He would play 23 games for the team in the
season, collecting four points.
Stan Smyl became the first Canuck to reach the
200-goal plateau on November 22 in a 6-5 loss to
New Jersey. Richard Brodeur would earn
team MVP honours, appearing in a career-high 64
games and keeping the Canucks in many games they
had no business being in. On February 28,
he registered his 100th win as a Canuck in a 3-1
win over Philadelphia. Sophomore Petri
Skriko earned career high marks in goals (38)
and points (78). His point total led the
team but he trailed Tony Tanti by one in the
goal department. Other than that, the only
thing to keep fan interest was the three-way
turtle derby between the Canucks, Jets, and
Kings for the final two playoff spots in the
Smythe. In the end, the Jets and Canucks
would finish with 59 points each while the Kings
would be out with 54.
On the basis of winning more games (26-23), the
Jets claimed third place while the Canucks drew
fourth and a first-round date with Edmonton.
It was quick and painless. Though they
managed a 2-1 lead after 20 minutes, the Canucks
would drop game one by a 7-3 score and then lose
a pair of 5-1 contests for a much-expected
three-game sweep.
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