Canucks History: 1994 Finals Game 6: The Courtnall Goal

by Sean Zandberg on Aug 9, 2009 3:25 AM PDT in Canucks History Comment 12 comments

Ah, that infamous Game 6 in Vancouver. Ranger fans thought it was over, but the Canucks officially rallied from a 3-1 series deficit to win Game 6 and send it to Manhattan for the 7th Game.

In the 6th game, Trevor Linden was chopped down by a Rangers player and then hit by Mark Messier as he was hobbling to the bench. "He will play" chanted Jim Robson, referring to Linden playing in Game 7 because of his intestinal fortitude. Jeff Brown scored 2 goals and revealed that he had the name of his newborn daughter written on the back of his stick.

But what sometimes gets forgotten about that game was the Geoff Courtnall goal that went undetected with about a couple of minutes left. That would have made it 4-1 Canucks to seal the deal. The ref didn't think it went in and play resumed.

After about a minute Messier scored to make it 3-2. Ah, but luck was on the side of the Canucks. As Jim Robson put it: it was the first year that the NHL had goal reviews. While the Rangers celebrated, the ref called upstairs. It was then seen clearly that Courtnall's shot went off the back crossbar and the Rangers' goal was disallowed and the score changed to 4-1. A beauty goal it was. Rangers fans were really sweating by this point!

Below is some of the footage of that 3rd period. Listen to that haywire Canucks crowd at the Pacific Coliseum!

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Seeing that makes me wanna crack up Bruce Springsteen’s “Glory Days”,
bless them Courtnall boys.

by Sneps-ish on Aug 9, 2009 8:30 AM PDT reply actions

As I sit here in YVR awaiting our long flight back to HK (with an eventual train ride back to GZ), I cannot help but comment on this post/game.

This game is, without a doubt, the best Canuck game…ever. Period. No discussion. It was a team that had to win and put it ALL on the ice to get it done. Maybe they put too much out there and didn’t have enough for game 7…but, it was a phenomenal game. Best Stanley Cup finals series…ever.

by GZ Expat on Aug 9, 2009 12:20 PM PDT reply actions

No doubt the best Nucks game/Finals series ever. So much insanity. I can still watch it over and over again, even though the ending was heartbreaking.

Nucks Misconduct

by Sean Zandberg on Aug 9, 2009 12:33 PM PDT up reply actions

Tell me you got the DVD you won…

'Nucks Misconduct - Housing Swedish Millionaires Since 2000.

by Yankee Canuck on Aug 9, 2009 1:31 PM PDT up reply actions

growing up in NYC at this time, everyone was claiming after the game that the Rangers just didn’t want to win it in Vancouver. I claimed the curse of 1940 was going to live on.

by WebBard on Aug 9, 2009 2:59 PM PDT reply actions

Well, with some bogus calls against the Canucks and shotty defensive play in Game 7 the curse was over.

Nucks Misconduct

by Sean Zandberg on Aug 9, 2009 3:30 PM PDT up reply actions

God that just sounds like so many Ranger fans I’ve heard from over the years. Darwin has a lot of catch up to do.

'Nucks Misconduct - Housing Swedish Millionaires Since 2000.

by Yankee Canuck on Aug 9, 2009 5:38 PM PDT up reply actions

Every time I watch anything from game 6 of that series I tear up.

by sfont on Aug 9, 2009 5:05 PM PDT reply actions

Personally, the image of Linden and his mates kneeling or standing dejectedly in the corner after the Rangers won the Cup really bugs me.

Nucks Misconduct

by Sean Zandberg on Aug 9, 2009 5:09 PM PDT reply actions

I will declare, to my dying day, that if there was one less day off between game 6, and game 7, The Cup would have been ours. The Rangers were an older team, and were reeling after game 6. GZ gets it right, that was truly the greatest Canuck game ever.

As an aside, watching Bure’s highlights in this clip, I daresay he was as exciting and dangerous a player as Ovechkin is now.

I've seen enough to know that I've seen too much.

by Smoboy41 on Aug 10, 2009 2:28 PM PDT reply actions