With the Vancouver Canucks coming off eight straight losses and tied in the third period of a tight game, a nine-game losing streak looked like a grim possibility. Then—from out of nowhere—everyone’s favourite player streaked towards the net and buried a beautiful goal. In doing so, they not only single-handedly snapped a dreadful skid, but also cemented themselves as the kind of Canuck that legends are told of.

Now, ask yourself this—are we talking about Elias Pettersson, or are we talking about Alex Burrows circa 2009?

Pettersson’s game-winning goal against the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday night certainly shares a number of similarities with Burrows’ legendary shorthanded effort against the Carolina Hurricanes on February 3, 2009. Both gave the Canucks a one-goal lead in the third period of a tough game and both ended eight-game losing skids.

But which goal should qualify as the greatest slump-buster in Canuck history? We break it down below.

Timing was a major part of Elias Pettersson’s game-winning goal against the Kings, as he deftly foresaw an impending Dion Phaneuf turnover and put himself in perfect position to intercept it and turn it into an uncontested shot on net. In the grander scheme of timing, however, Pettersson’s goal came with plenty of time remaining in both the game and the season.

Alex Burrows, on the other hand, couldn’t have timed his shorthanded tally against the Hurricanes any better. It came in February, when a lengthy losing streak could prove lethal to a team’s playoff chances. It came with 1:22 remaining on the clock in a tie game. Most importantly, however, it came in the midst of a penalty kill that seemed destined to doom the team to a ninth straight loss. This is the moment when Burrows first demonstrated his innate and awe-inspiring ability to deliver the clutchest of goals. 

The interception that Pettersson made to put himself in a position to score was remarkable for numerous reasons, but chief among them was the astounding display of hockey sense. Pettersson has an array of talents, but his mind is his greatest weapon and the anticipation he demonstrated on this play proved once again that he’s always thinking a step or two ahead of every other player on the ice—or three steps, in the case of Dion Phaneuf.

Burrows’ goal came on the penalty kill, and shorthanded goals are always impressive—especially when they involve such a clear-cut breakaway. Burrows also required a degree of anticipatory skill to jump ahead of the play, but he also needed a nice chip pass from Ryan Kesler to spring him—unlike Pettersson, who acted alone. 

Pettersson’s shot is consistently lethal, and it was probably his most underrated attribute coming into his first NHL season. His wrister against the Kings might not be as visually dazzling as some of his previous top-corner blasts, but a closer inspection reveals the genius of Pettersson—Cal Petersen is a rare right-catching goaltender, and Pettersson is taking the unusual opportunity to snipe one over a wrong-handed blocker. As always, the puck goes exactly where he wants it to.

If there’s one word that would never be used to describe Alex Burrows, it’s “fancy,” and so it’s no surprise that he kept it pretty simple as he bore down on Cam Ward. Instead of trying some sort of overly-complicated manoeuvre, Burrows went with his trademark kick-fake backhand deke—a tried and tested move that proved surprisingly effective over the course of his career. 

Pettersson’s goal came against the Los Angeles Kings, a Pacific Division rival, and it involved the mockery of Dion Phaneuf, a player who has long been despised by the Vancouver fanbase for increasingly obvious reasons.

Burrows’ goal came against the Carolina Hurricanes, a team hasn’t ever been interesting enough to inspire any sort of hatred from anyone.

A true professional goalie-killer, Pettersson merely pumped his arms once and then wiped the smile off his face immediately. He played it cool, like he’d been there before—and he certainly has. If anything, Pettersson’s teammates were more excited about the goal then he was.

Burrows’ decision to symbolically break his stick over his knee in celebration—a clever impromptu metaphor for the snapping of a losing streak—might not have worked out exactly the way he pictured it, but his frenetic energy will be burned in the memory of Canuck fans forever. Burrows’ uncontrolled outburst qualifies as one of the greatest celebrations in team history.

Dave Randorf’s “Interception. Here’s a chance. Shoots. Scores! Elias Pettersson buries it!”

Versus

John Shorthouse’s “How do you spell relief? It starts with a ‘B!’”

This one is no contest.

We’re just days away from Pettersson’s goal, so its ultimate legacy is yet to unfold. However, at this point it’s probably fair to say that the chances of it sparking a mad dash to the playoffs for the 2018/19 Vancouver Canucks are slim.

Not so for Burrows and the 2009 Canucks. The shorthanded tally is generally credited with inspiring the team’s impressive run over the last two months of the season—a run that boosted the Canucks right into the playoffs and right to the top of the Northwest Division. The Burrows goal is undoubtedly one of the most important goals in franchise history, and will almost certainly be a part of the highlight package shown when Burrows enters the Ring of Honour.

In the end, it’s Alex Burrows all the way—and it’s not even close, as they’re fond of saying on various hockey message boards. However, the fact that Elias Pettersson is even in the conversation is just one more item on the already enormous pile of reasons to be impressed with the overly-impressive rookie.