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Video essay: How Dany Sabourin was thrust into overtime during a Canucks playoff game
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Photo credit: © John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
Clarke Corsan
Jul 5, 2025, 17:00 EDTUpdated: Jul 5, 2025, 16:34 EDT
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On May 3, 2007, the Vancouver Canucks were fighting for their playoff lives against the powerhouse Anaheim Ducks in Game 5 of the Western Conference Semifinal. The Ducks were up 3-1 in the series, with Game 5 held in Anaheim. The Canucks were clinging to hope, having just tied the game late in regulation.
And then, overtime started… Without Roberto Luongo.
In his place? Dany Sabourin, a little-known backup with only two career NHL wins.
In this dramatic and unforgettable video essay, we tell the story of the most unexpected goaltending moment in modern Canucks playoff history. Sure, this is the one with the infamous Luongo bathroom emergency. But behind the toilet jokes is the story of Sabourin’s three-and-a-half heroic minutes that nearly kept Vancouver’s season alive.
  • The 2006–07 Canucks had just traded away the last piece of the West Coast Express era and were riding a career-best season from Luongo, who had led them to 105 points, a division title, and a marathon first-round win over Dallas.
  • The Ducks series was brutal. Physical. Tight. Every game – except for one – was a one-goal battle.
  • Then came overtime in Game 5. Luongo wasn’t on the ice, nor was he on the bench.
  • Sabourin, who had gone winless in his first nine NHL starts, was thrust into the net against the likes of Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf, Chris Pronger, and Teemu Selanne.
What followed were three minutes and thirty-four seconds of the most nerve-wracking, pressure-packed goaltending you’ll ever see from a guy barely anyone remembers. He made five crucial saves, held off an Anaheim cycle, and bought enough time for Luongo to return – and for Canucks fans to finally exhale.
In this video, we also revisit:
  • The story behind how Sabourin became Luongo’s first backup
  • His career arc, from the QMJHL to the AHL to the NHL
  • Why this moment defined his entire Canucks legacy
“This is where the magic happens,” Luongo tweeted years later, alongside a photo of the Anaheim dressing room washroom.
While Vancouver would ultimately fall in double OT that night – and lose the series – Sabourin’s shift remains one of the most unforgettable “blink and you missed it” playoff moments in franchise history.
Watch our full video essay on the story below:

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