As another year of hockey draws to a close, we at PITB thought this might be a good time to reflect on the wicked wristers, sizzling slapshots, pretty passes, and wizardous sedinerie we've seen from Canucks in the past calendar year. The 2009-10 season, the playoffs, the preseason, and the current season were all full of fabulous plays from former and current Canucks, and we'd be remiss if they were forgotten with little fanfare. Thanks to the remarkable contributions of CanucksHD, however, every one of these plays is sitting on the Youtubes, just waiting for somebody to compile them into a list.
This is that list. Over the next few days, we'll count down the 50 best goals from Canucks in 2010, from Aaron Volpatti's first NHL goal to a number one choice so obvious I'm tempted to end the list at number two. All Youtube videos are embedded so as to localize your time-wasting to this very blog. After the jump, goals 50 -31 of the best of 2010.
50 Jannik Hansen (September 21, 2010)
Jannik Hansen opens our list with the first goal of the preseason, way back in September. After buzzing around in the zone with linemate Jeff Tambellini, and being thwarted on a couple of pretty scoring plays, Hansen takes a beautiful no-look feed from Tamby and buries it short side.
49 Daniel Sedin (March 14, 2010)
The Sedins score so regularly on this exact 2-on-1 situation that it's surprising when the clip doesn't go that way. Instead, they maintain possession after a save, and after Henrik sets up behind the net, Daniel finds the puck on his stick in the slot.
48 Mario Bliznak (November 11, 2010)
Bliznak's first NHL goal was followed by little fanfare because it capped off a blowout win, but it's actually quite impressive, as he bats the puck out of mid-air to put it home.
47 Alex Burrows (November 24, 2010)
Alex Burrows caps off a Sedin scoring play off a turnover. The puck goes from Sedin to Sedin to Burrows in about half a second.
46 Mason Raymond (April 06, 2010)
Mason Raymond keeps the puck on a 2-on-1, wiring a laser of a wrist shot so hard he loses his footing getting it off.
45 Daniel Sedin (January 20, 2010)
Daniel scores an overtime game-winner with some beautiful puck movement on a 4-on-3 powerplay. You can actually pinpoint the moment the Oilers lose: it's when Henrik gets the puck along the wall.
44 Alex Burrows (January 20, 2010)
You'd be forgiven for confusing this clip with the one before it, as they're nearly identical. The Sedins' puck movement is incredible to watch.
43 Mikael Samuelsson (December 26, 2010)
Mikael Samuelsson scores on a seeing-eye feed from Raffi Torres. It's an incredible cross-ice pass, through traffic, and it lands right on Sammy's stick.
42 Manny Malhotra (November 06, 2010)
Manny Malhotra scores a shorthanded goal after some excellent blue line pressure causes Pavel Datsyuk to cough up the puck.
41 Kevin Bieksa (December 26, 2010)
In our most recent clip, Kevin Bieksa scores the game-winner in Edmonton after some excellent work from the Sedins down low. Henrik's play to hook the puck to Alex Burrows is as heady as they come.
40 Alex Burrows (January 7, 2010)
We could have done a top ten countdown of this exact play. After a Phoenix turnover behind their net, the puck is centered and fed across the crease before they know they've lost possession.
39 Alex Burrows (March 16, 2010)
Alex Burrows takes Henrik's no-look feed from behind the net and cuts across the crease with it. A lot of people say Burrows is just a tap-in artist, but this is a skilful move.
38 Mikael Samuelsson (January 25, 2010)
Samuelsson's individual effort here is beautiful, as he jukes out Henrik Tallinder with a couple head fakes before taking the puck to the backhand and shoveling it past Miller.
37 Mikael Samuelsson (April 23, 2010)
Samuelsson scores a big playoff goal as the capper on some wizardous sedinerie. He was incredible in the Los Angeles series, largely due to Henrik and Daniel getting him the puck with room to shoot.
36 Henrik Sedin (January 05, 2010)
Henrik and Daniel team up to score a pretty one on the Blue Jackets, but take a look at Alex Burrows' fantastic interference to give him room in the slot. Way to be a team player, Burr.
35 Sami Salo (January 20, 2010)
Salo is the beneficiary of some great puck movement that leaves him wide open in the slot for a game-tying goal late in the third period.
34 Pavol Demitra (April 08, 2010)
A common theme in this countdown are players finishing off incredible Sedin passing. Demitra's entry is no exception, as Henrik and Daniel do the bulk of the work off the far boards before Demitra roofs it.
33 Ryan Kesler (March 14, 2010)
Kesler scores a powerplay goal after some incredible puck control by Alex Burrows. First, he tries a backpass to the front of the net, and when it's blocked, he holds on, then cuts to the boards, drawing three defenders to him. Then it's another backpass to Kesler for the one-timer.
32 Willie Mitchell (January 16, 2010)
It's Willie Mitchell's turn to be gifted an open shot, as Henrik Sedin works the puck out from behind the net and throw him cross-ice feed. Note Alex Burrows' work screening the defender so the pass can get through.
31 Mikael Samuelsson (November 26, 2010)
Mikael Samuelsson keeps on a 2-on-1, and I love this goal because it takes major hockey smarts to pull it off. Sammy fakes a slapper, getting his defender to turn aside right at the moment Tanner Glass skates past Niemi for the screen.
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