Series Talk: WCQF: Vancouver Canucks vs Nashville Predators (VAN Leads 3-2)

[CRDragon]

Canucks are 5-4-1 in their last 10...

Should be a good matchup then

It was in response to his comment for "The preds are the best team in the NHL the past 17 games."

 

[canuckster19]

Predators have less to lose.

Barely anyone picked Vancouver to even make the playoffs and most of our fans realize we are playing with house money at this point, pretty much the same for Nashville, how does one have more to lose than the other?

 

[strattonius]

Barely anyone picked Vancouver to even make the playoffs and most of our fans realize we are playing with house money at this point, pretty much the same for Nashville, how does one have more to lose than the other?

I don't think he's wrong.

Canucks won the division and will be the favourite. On top of that the Canadian media will add all sorts of extra drama and pressure on the team - it will be up to Tocchet to snuff out the noise.

 

[John Mandalorian]

Barely anyone picked Vancouver to even make the playoffs and most of our fans realize we are playing with house money at this point, pretty much the same for Nashville, how does one have more to lose than the other?

Vancouver had more of a magic carpet ride of a season early on. The expectations were more elevated for them over the bulk of the season.

Remember the whole PDO thing early on when Vancouver was thriving? They didn’t maintain their trajectory but they also didn’t have a severe crash as a mean regression.

 

[Three On Zero]

EA has spoken

 

[Osprey]

Just to clarify, when you say "major adjustment period," do you mean at the start of the season or post-TDL?

During the offseason, the Preds got a new coach and new GM and replaced most of their top 6 (Duchene, Johansen, Granlund and Niederreiter out; Nyquist and O'Reilly in). It took at least the first half of the season for them to learn the new system and build chemistry.

 

[Javaman]

During the offseason, the Preds got a new coach and new GM and replaced most of their top 6 (Duchene, Johansen, Granlund and Niederreiter out; Nyquist and O'Reilly in). It took at least the first half of the season for them to learn the new system and build chemistry.

I ask because the Canucks roster has undergone significant changes this year as well. Nearly half the players the Canucks will roll out against Nashville are new to the team this season. It's particularly noticeable on defense: only Hughes and Myers remain on D from last season*.

*I'm counting Hronek as new to the roster this season.

 

[Armourboy]

I ask because the Canucks roster has undergone significant changes this year as well. Nearly half the players the Canucks will roll out against Nashville are new to the team this season. It's particularly noticeable on defense: only Hughes and Myers remain on D from last season*.

*I'm counting Hronek as new to the roster this season.

TBH for us its less about the player changes, although obviously it has an impact but more of the style of hockey being played. Its a complete 180 from what Hynes was trying to do. Schenn for instance struggled hard, and Hal Gill talked about it was because Brunette's system wants Dmen to play with certain foot work and he wasn't used to it.

On top of that I think it just took the guys that long to be able to play the system for 60 minutes. Its a full on attack and I think in the first few weeks of the season they just couldn't keep their legs under them. Once they did you could see it where there were some teams that would just flat run out of gas and get beat in the 3rd.

The point streak obviously requires a bit of luck, but their play during that stretch was relentless. I've never seen so many teams night in and night out just be frustrated and basically give up. It was interesting to watch once it clicked.

 

[roccerfeller]

You're exaggerating. There's always going to be extreme opinions of sweep or whatever this isn't Canuck fan exclusive.

Agreed going to be a good series. Hughes vs. Josi; Demko vs Saros are both compelling storylines.

Not exaggerating about the chest thumping from the fans I am interacting with or have recently interacted with.

I don’t think it’s generalized to the ENTIRE fan base, obviously, but it is occurring and I haven’t interacted with one fan here in the area that is giving the preds any respect. I’m not interacting with “every” fan but I haven’t spoken with one who is saying “we are in for a tough series”. I’m seeing blind confidence and claims of meeting the oilers in the second round or a clear “easy” path to the final. That’s not exaggeration that is a polite way of putting what I have heard from small groups of fans, out of their mouths…a variation of that train of thought occurred as most recently as 10 mins ago during a work side conversation

All I’m saying is those fans will be in for a rude awakening, in my opinion. Preds are legit and I think they have a very good shot at winning the series and I expect them to upset and win the series

(Maybe I’m wrong and canucks sweep the preds and the goading can continue)

 

[Javaman]

TBH for us its less about the player changes, although obviously it has an impact but more of the style of hockey being played. Its a complete 180 from what Hynes was trying to do. Schenn for instance struggled hard, and Hal Gill talked about it was because Brunette's system wants Dmen to play with certain foot work and he wasn't used to it.

On top of that I think it just took the guys that long to be able to play the system for 60 minutes. Its a full on attack and I think in the first few weeks of the season they just couldn't keep their legs under them. Once they did you could see it where there were some teams that would just flat run out of gas and get beat in the 3rd.

The point streak obviously requires a bit of luck, but their play during that stretch was relentless. I've never seen so many teams night in and night out just be frustrated and basically give up. It was interesting to watch once it clicked.

Yeah I get it. I said long ago that I thought Canucks management was expecting improvement to come from coaching and systems as much as it would come from personnel changes.

I was somewhat skeptical of the Tocchet hire at first, but I'm a believer now.

 

[Javaman]

EA has spoken

View attachment 855513

You better be right EA

Didn't EA pick the Bruins to win in 2011?

 

[Rowlet]

You better be right EA

Didn't EA pick the Bruins to win in 2011?

They picked VAN to beat BOS in the finals

 

[Javaman]

They picked VAN to beat BOS in the finals

Dammit.

Is EA sports still based in Vancouver?

 

[triggrman]

Just to clarify, when you say "major adjustment period," do you mean at the start of the season or post-TDL?

First month or so

 

[Rowlet]

Dammit.

Is EA sports still based in Vancouver?

Headquarters in California but there's an EA location in BC

 

[TheDizee]

preds in 6

 

[S E P H]

Hard series to predict because both teams will have issues; on the Predators side it will be due to a lack of depth. Sure, their star players can match the Canucks stars pound for pound, but Vancouver is at least three lines deep with Joshua playing crazy good for the majority of the season. Hard to see wave after wave of Vancouver players with Nashville trying to shut that down, that is why I have Canucks winning in six. The Canucks problem and why I do not think they will go far and why I have Predators winning two games is due to their lack of experience. You simply cannot play the regular season like the playoffs, each mistake gets magnified and exacerbated by the other team. I watched this first-hand when the Avs struggled to get past the second round and kept making these naive mistakes. That is what I suspect from the Nucks this year, mistakes and learning lessons, but should have enough talent to power through Saros and the rest of the Preds. They should bow out to a more experienced driven team.

 

[LiveeviL]

I have a feeling that the Canucks have cruised a bit since clinching. If not then they will be in big trouble. It is hard to know what they will look like in the play-offs.

 

[David71]

They picked VAN to beat BOS in the finals

reverse psychology

 

[David71]

IF the powerplay for vancouver becomes a weapon for them to take over a game they will win the series. besides goaltending and scoring from their top 6 fowards. their bottom 6 will eventually be the x factor in this series. nashville wins IF, saros stands on his head, forsberg nyqvist goes beastmode. ror shuts down miller/petey lines.

 

[Hunter368]

Nucks win this if they play their A game, but if they don’t Preds could surprise some people

 

[Coffey]

I hate the Canucks but I’m not delusional like so many people on this site.

Van in 5.

 

[Shareefruck]

My confidence in this series depends entirely on whether or not Pettersson shows up and plays with playoff intensity.

 

[byrath]

Barely anyone picked Vancouver to even make the playoffs and most of our fans realize we are playing with house money at this point, pretty much the same for Nashville, how does one have more to lose than the other?

Even if you accept the premise that there's more pressure on the Canucks, who cares? These guys have been dealing with pressure since they became teenagers if not before. A pointless, fan-invented narrative that means nothing.
edit: just to stay on topic, Canucks in 5 assuming EP and Boeser show up, 50/50 series otherwise

 

[NoelVilla]

Voted Nashville in 6 but this is the one series that could end in any scenario.