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The wait is finally over vancouver canucks And their fans.
time canucks face visit nashville predators Game 1 of the first round of the Western Conference playoff series will be played on Sunday, marking the first time Vancouver will host a postseason game since 2015.
Pacific Division Champion canucks They made the playoffs in 2020 but had to play in chaotic conditions in Edmonton due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Many of us in Vancouver have been waiting for this for a long time.” canucks said defenseman Tyler Myers. “Fans have been waiting a long time for the playoffs to come back, and it's just exciting for the players to get out on the ice for the first time in front of the fans and step into an atmosphere that they know is coming. ”
Vancouver, which won its first division since 2013, swept the three-game season series against Nashville, with two of those wins coming on the road. predator“Home Ice”.
In the only playoff series ever between the teams, canucks In 2011, Vancouver advanced to the Stanley Cup Final by defeating Nashville in six games in the Western Conference semifinals.
It's no exaggeration to say that Vancouver has a lot of energy.key of canucks You will use that energy in a positive way.
“I think as a group, we just have to worry about Game 1. We can't focus on the important things,” Vancouver coach Rick Tocchet said. “It's dangerous to think that way. Honestly, you should be ready for the first period against Nashville and be ready to play from the first shift. People get nervous when you think about the big picture. So I think it's just a matter of short-term goals for us. ”
of predator Thanks to a frenzied final third of the regular season, including an incredible 16-0-2 record that spanned from February 17th to March 26th, won the position. canucks It was before Christmas.
“We're a much different team (now),” Nashville forward Ryan O'Reilly said. “When we played ( canucks At the beginning of this season, our game wasn't in the same situation as it is now.
“We have something to prove. There are no easy playoff games or playoff series,” O'Reilly added. “They brought it to us this year and they played us well. It's a chance for us to fight back and respond to them.”
of predator Nashville ended its eight-year playoff streak last season, but after reshuffling its roster and hiring new coach Andrew Brunette, it has added goaltender Juice Saros and defenseman and captain Roman They have rebuilt around Josi and forward Filip Forsberg.
Forsberg scored a franchise-record 48 goals this season.
parable predator They had to settle for a wild card to advance to the postseason, but they have no intention of falling back to being one of the top teams in the West.
“It was a big goal for us to get to the playoffs and prove everyone wrong,” Nashville defenseman Jeremy Lauzon said. “I don't think anyone saw us in the playoffs this year and it's great that this group made it happen. We're a character group and a lot of people I think I can surprise you.”
—Field Level Media
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