WCQF | Vancouver Canucks vs. Nashville Predators | Series Talk

[Mr. Canucklehead]

It’s official, bring on the Preds!

Preds Killers:
Quinn Hughes - 13GP, 0G, 20A, 20Pts
Elias Pettersson - 15GP, 10G, 8A, 18Pts
Brock Boeser - 16GP, 6G, 9A, 15Pts

Season Series:
October 24, 2023
Vancouver def. Nashville 3-2


October 31, 2023
Vancouver def. Nashville 5-2


December 19, 2023
Vancouver def. Nashville - 5-2


​

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[VanJack]

Very pleased we don't have to watch the Kings trot out that heinous brand of "hockey" they like to play.

Yep let Edmonton or Dallas try to break down the Kings suffocating trap....come to think of it, Vegas won't be a picnic in the first round for either team as well.

Vancouver did about as well as they could....although the travel to and from Nashville is the biggest concern.

 

[LemonSauceD]

Amazing interview.

You can tell the topic of game 7 still gets to him. Still thinks about it every time. He laid it all out on the ice in the playoffs, truly one of the greatest hard nosed two way forwards to ever play for us, and in the game for a time. He admits JT is “the better player”, and who knows, JT might be that next guy for us, but Kesler sells himself short imo. There simply wasn’t a more dominant, two way centerman between 09-12 like him. I remember saying if Kesler put up more points he would’ve won Selke’s over 09 and 10 Datsyuk. Scoring 41 goals in 2011 essentially forced voters to choose him as the #1.

I’m amazed he still follows the Canucks and his words ring true when it comes to needing hard nosed players to win playoff games and it being the difference of a good team and a cup contender. He says we have that with Miller, Garland, Myers, Zadorov (you can put Cole, Soucy, Joshua, Hoglander, and Blueger in that group).

 

[Reverend Mayhem]

Honestly I have nothing but good things to say about Ryan Kesler and his time here. He sacrificed a great deal of comfort in retirement wearing blue and green and you were always certain he gave everything he had. Might not have liked the result, but he shouldn’t ever have to ask if he could have done more.

 

[TruGr1t]

McDonagh is so frustrating to play against. His positioning is exceptionally well and he's a shot blocking machine. You can see how much Tampa missed him last post-season with all the point shots getting through. Their PK is suspect if you are able to move the puck down low and get their guys out position.

The powerplay must move around the puck well to hope to have any success. The soft wristers or telegraphed point shots will get easily blocked.

Sounds freaking weird, but the Canucks actually have somewhat of a special teams advantage in this series, especially on the PK. It should largely come down to which goalie is hotter and the 5-on-5 match-ups.

 

[Nucker101]

Kesler was my fav player from those teams so I still listen to his post-retirement interviews. What separates him from most players is that he truly did despise losing and also took pure enjoyment out of pissing off opponent's, and not just any players, he wanted to shutdown and annoy the other team's top players to win his matchup at all costs. He had the size/skating and skill to do it effectively. There just aren't too many players out there like that.

 

[SopelFanThe3rd]

Suter Miller Boeser
Hoglander Pettersson Mikheyev
Joshua Lindholm Garland
Podkolzin Blueger Lafferty

Hughes Hronek
Soucy Myers
Zadorov Cole

We match up with them evenly or better on paper line by line. It’s interesting to see how well they’ve played.

I am shocked how well they have played. Particularly with that as a second line. (The Preds)

Amazing interview.

You can tell the topic of game 7 still gets to him. Still thinks about it every time. He laid it all out on the ice in the playoffs, truly one of the greatest hard nosed two way forwards to ever play for us, and in the game for a time. He admits JT is “the better player”, and who knows, JT might be that next guy for us, but Kesler sells himself short imo. There simply wasn’t a more dominant, two way centerman between 09-12 like him. I remember saying if Kesler put up more points he would’ve won Selke’s over 09 and 10 Datsyuk. Scoring 41 goals in 2011 essentially forced voters to choose him as the #1.

I’m amazed he still follows the Canucks and his words ring true when it comes to needing hard nosed players to win playoff games and it being the difference of a good team and a cup contender. He says we have that with Miller, Garland, Myers, Zadorov (you can put Cole, Soucy, Joshua, Hoglander, and Blueger in that group).

I put Suter in there too

 

[Canuckle1970]

Something negative that keeps being mentioned in the media is our team's lack of playoff experience (other than the Bubble). True, but our "core" has had some experiences since the Bubble that I would factor in.

Following those playoffs in 2020, the team lost some valued players due to horrid management. Then the team got Covid in 2021, resulting in 5 postponed games. The playoffs started on May 15/21, while the Canucks still had 4 of those postponed "nothing" games to play. It was the lowest of times.

The horror show that lasted another 2 years is over and now - here we are.

Sure, we could lose this 1st round, but it won't be due to lack of mental toughness from this core.

 

[Billy Kvcmu]

Something negative that keeps being mentioned in the media is our team's lack of playoff experience (other than the Bubble). True, but our "core" has had some experiences since the Bubble that I would factor in.

Following those playoffs in 2020, the team lost some valued players due to horrid management. Then the team got Covid in 2021, resulting in 5 postponed games. The playoffs started on May 15/21, while the Canucks still had 4 of those postponed "nothing" games to play. It was the lowest of times.

The horror show that lasted another 2 years is over and now - here we are.

Sure, we could lose this 1st round, but it won't be due to lack of mental toughness from this core.

 

[StickShift]

Whelp. So much for seeing game four.

 

[I am toxic]

Since y'all are mostly making either gutless 'so and so in x games' or namby pamby* positive takes, I'll step in:

Tyler Myers is going to have a monster playoffs, and all you losers that ever badmouthed him are not only going to feel baaaaaaad, you are going to be reminded of it on these boards forever.

*yeah, it's a word you millenials. How your generation is still alive is beyond me, you can't even tie up velcro shoe closures let alone actual laces. I know, the truth stings, doesn't it?

 

[DFAC]

Amazing interview.

You can tell the topic of game 7 still gets to him. Still thinks about it every time. He laid it all out on the ice in the playoffs, truly one of the greatest hard nosed two way forwards to ever play for us, and in the game for a time. He admits JT is “the better player”, and who knows, JT might be that next guy for us, but Kesler sells himself short imo. There simply wasn’t a more dominant, two way centerman between 09-12 like him. I remember saying if Kesler put up more points he would’ve won Selke’s over 09 and 10 Datsyuk. Scoring 41 goals in 2011 essentially forced voters to choose him as the #1.

I’m amazed he still follows the Canucks and his words ring true when it comes to needing hard nosed players to win playoff games and it being the difference of a good team and a cup contender. He says we have that with Miller, Garland, Myers, Zadorov (you can put Cole, Soucy, Joshua, Hoglander, and Blueger in that group).

Love Kes - still one of my all time fav Canucks. Have his 2011 jersey with the SCF patch

 

[wonton15]

Since y'all are mostly making either gutless 'so and so in x games' or namby pamby* positive takes, I'll step in:

Tyler Myers is going to have a monster playoffs, and all you losers that ever badmouthed him are not only going to feel baaaaaaad, you are going to be reminded of it on these boards forever.

*yeah, it's a word you millenials. How your generation is still alive is beyond me, you can't even tie up velcro shoe closures let alone actual laces. I know, the truth stings, doesn't it?

I am 75% sure Myers is going to have 10 minor penalties in the first round. The return of Tyler Minors

 

[I am toxic]

I am 75% sure Myers is going to have 10 minor penalties in the first round. The return of Tyler Minors

I hope so. He will also wreck RoR's back with a crosscheck, and the refs will even up the calls anyway.

Monster.Playoffs.

You heard it here first. As usual.

 

[Grip it N RYP it]

Whelp. So much for seeing game four.

There's a ton of tickets still available on SeatGeek, stubhub, vividseats etc.

Does that include these sites? They can be purchased but I haven't checked in a couple days.

 

[biturbo19]

This was definitely the more favourable of the matchup options on paper. Hopefully that doesn't have the Canucks looking past them. They need to come in swinging and ready to play playoff hockey...because Nashville have been honed in to scrapping their way into the playoffs down the stretch, so they'll no doubt be ready to go.


I still think that if they can play disciplined, responsible hockey...the sorta "run 'n gun" style of the Predators is likely to provide them plenty of great counterattacking opportunities. Which fits right into Tocchet style hockey and what this team does best.

Even if it does open up into more of a boatrace offensively, i do still like our horses at the top and even the depth down the lineup can all score for us. Just playing more clamped down opportunistic hockey is certainly the more preferable way to attack this series though.


All that is just "on paper" though. Biggest thing is...they've just gotta show up and play the games the way they're capable of. Will be very curious to see where the focus level and intensity is for a handful of the players.

 

[Vector]

 

[FuzzyTitus]

If I'm not mistaken you need to go back to March 26 for the last time they beat a playoff team. Hopefully that means they've cooled off sufficiently.

 

[LordBacon]

Im gonna take a day off just to watch game 1.
LFG bois.

 

[Angry Little Elf]

Bought a new Canucks jersey to celebrate. Had to replace the Sundin

 

[SillyRabbit]

Wonder what the Canucks plan is for the Forsberg line.

I'd imagine Miller gets matched up head to head with them. Especially since O'Reilly's pretty strong in the faceoff dot.

Do they go with Hughes/Hronek against the big line?

 

[Billy Kvcmu]

I feel like EP is def nursing something minor

But probably not as serious as the 4 guys that sit out the WPG game

 

[SeawaterOnIce]

Whelp. So much for seeing game four.

@tantalum do you know a few thousand people in the state next to you that can spare their address and credit cards?

 

[Freakshow]

Canucks in 6 or 7, this is a gettable series, but it won’t be easy. First round is usually the best round.

 

[rea]

Whelp. So much for seeing game four.

Thats funny. I was looking up tickets yesterday on tm, and the tickets lower bowl were like 250 usd. I was trying to drum up interest on a Nashville invasion too haha, it's cheaper to goto a game there than buy a ticket here

 

[Green Blank Stare]

I'm just glad they avoided the Kings in round one.