On the last day of the 2002–03 regular season, the Canucks lost the Northwest Division title to the Colorado Avalanche through a defeat against the Los Angeles Kings. Näslund had also begun the night as the league's leading point – and goal-scorer, but was surpassed by Avalanche forwards Peter Forsberg and Milan Hejduk, respectively. After the game, Näslund apologized to the home fans at General Motors Place, saying the team "choked." Qualifying for the 2003 playoffs, Vancouver won its first-round matchup against the St. Louis Blues in seven games after trailing the series three games to one. Näslund scored a goal in the deciding game to help the Canucks advance. Against the Minnesota Wild in the next round, the Canucks were eliminated by relinquishing a three-to-one series lead of their own. Näslund finished the playoffs with a career-high 14 points in 14 games.