Round 1 - Vancouver Canucks (P1) vs Nashville Predators (WC1)

[Jaimito]

25 minutes ago, Ghostsof1915 said:

 

Rather see Jets win the cup than Stars. 

[Ghostsof1915]

10 minutes ago, Jaimito said:

Rather see Jets win the cup than Stars. 

I understand his love of the Stars way less than his love of the Bruins. That's like a Quebec fan cheering for the Avalanche. Once they left Minnesota I hated the Stars.

Also why I don't cheer for the Canes, or care for the Arizona/Utah team.

The fans in Minnesota will hopefully get a great team with the Wild some day. I totally agree I'd rather see the Jets win than the Stars.

I'm wondering since the owners of the Coyotes did such a poor job, I'm wondering if its hurting hockey in Arizona to the point where it turn fans off in that market.

[Rip The Mesh]

 

[NewbieCanuckFan]

54 minutes ago, Jaimito said:

Rather see Jets win the cup than Stars. 

Nah.  If the Canucks can't win, I don't mind seeing the Star owner giving Aquaman a "Bras d'honneur" salute.

 

[-dlc-]

I hate it when dumb neighbours who don't know try to talk hockey with me.

 

"We don't stand a chance, they'll play us heavy"

 

Me: "we can respond to that, we have our own heavies"

 

"Like who?" I name them off.

 

His response: "Yeah but Myers is stupid"

 

(yes but he's OUR idiot)

 

*Deb rolls up her car window and drives away mumbling "dumbass."

 

I may be a bit of a hockey snob.

 

Also: I was the ONLY car at Ironwood with flags. We should pass a bylaw....NO DRIVING UNLESS YOU HAVE A MINIMUM OF ONE CAR FLAG

 

I do love that it starts conversations to have the vehicle pimped for the playoffs. Two different people came up to my window as I parked to talk hockey with me. 

 

GO CANUCKS GO

(is anyone else already sitting, waiting for the game like I am?)

[Nucker67]

15 minutes ago, -dlc- said:

Also: I was the ONLY car at Ironwood with flags. We should pass a bylaw....NO DRIVING UNLESS YOU HAVE A MINIMUM OF ONE CAR FLAG

 

We drove out to Abby to see the Canucks/Wranglers game last night. Didn't see one other car with flags, and there's a lot of traffic. Kind of sad, I thought the lower mainland would be going playoff crazy. Hope it picks up. 

[Rip The Mesh]

 

[AnotherCanucksFan]

7 hours ago, IBatch said:

4hrs 33 mins.   Plus security.  Plus the airport walks.    Ive flown Montreal and Ottawa to Miami direct a few times, it's close to 4 hours, and the biggest most ridiculous airport you likely will ever see (it's a hub airport, to South America, makes Pearson look like Nanaimo airport).     Toronto not much different.   At least it's the same time zone, as for that, advantage West teams.   Eastern teams play 1-3hours later then they are used to in most cases (sometimes games will be shown earlier, so Eastern TV audiences are higher).    The Metro, some of those teams can bus  (NYI - NYR).   Hop skip and a jump to NJ.     

I was starting to think of the travel time advantages of us playing LA and then looked it up - Approx 3 hours. Surprisingly not that much of an improvement.

 

I feel for the Canucks and West Coast teams having so much travel time, then meeting East Coast teams who've had much more rest. It's always going to be an advantage for the East.

[AnotherCanucksFan]

22 minutes ago, Rip The Mesh said:

 

Only stat that matters is how they play at Playoff time. Canucks played great pre All star game, and average post All star game. Who will show up at playoff team - pre or post All star team or something in between?

 

Nashville has been one of the hottest teams in the league post All star game, so not the team that the Canucks beat 3 times this year.

 

Hopefully the Canucks play smart hockey and keep to their system - press offensively and stay in position defensively.

[Dr. Crossbar]

3 hours ago, The Duke said:

Reading up on all the playoff buzz pieces and the pundits have no real pulse on what the Canucks are all about.  Kind of an afterthought, really,  

 

I kind of get it as we’re mostly untested. I think we’re favourites over the Predators but virtually unmentioned to win the conference. 
 

Given where we’ve come from, I think fans would be happy with winning a series - but there’s no way the team would be satisfied with that.

This just seems like a very playoff-built roster and if we catch some confidence and good goaltending I don’t see why not?

 

It's interesting how the same thing happens every year in the media. We're always an afterthought. And this year is especially interesting in that we're a good, been atop the league, and many are still seeing us as an afterthought. Doesn't matter if we suck or we're good.

 

We're untested, sure, that's a real issue, and that may be the real tale, but there also needs to be some acknowledgement that we are a good team. 

 

It's also interesting how this really didn't come out of nowhere. The "almost" run with Bruce showed everyone what we were capable of with the right additional pieces, mindset, and coaching.

 

Imo, it's better to be underestimated and the underdog. Don't mind that at all. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Dr. Crossbar]

5 hours ago, Jaimito said:

https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/sportsnet-nhl-insiders-2024-stanley-cup-playoffs-predictions/

 

Jeff Marek: Canucks in 6

David Amber: Canucks in 6

Christine Simpson: Canucks in 5

Caroline Cameron: Canucks in 6

Justin Bourne: Canucks in 6

Nick Kypreos: Predators in 7

Luke Fox: Canucks in 6

Mark Spector: Predators in 7

Iain MacIntyre: Canucks in 7

Sam Cosentino: Predators in 6

Jamal Mayers: Canucks in 6

Eric Engels: Canucks in 7

Jason Bukala: Canucks in 6

Ryan Dixon: Canucks in 7

Wayne Scanlan: Canucks in 6

Sonny Sachdeva: Canucks in 7

Rory Boylen: Canucks in 6

 

 

 

https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/2024-stanley-cup-playoffs-round-1-series-picks

 

 

 

So, the safe bet is 6 and 7.

 

Yesterday Ryan Kesler picked Canucks in 4 ... ballsy!

 

Good on Christine Simpson for standing out from the crowd. She may be right.

 

 

[King Heffy]

1 hour ago, NewbieCanuckFan said:

Nah.  If the Canucks can't win, I don't mind seeing the Star owner giving Aquaman a "Bras d'honneur" salute.

 

No problem with that, but I'd rather Benn and Seguin have to cry themselves to sleep while curled up in their Queen bed.  The Jets don't have anyone who is nearly as much of a disgrace to the sport as either of those dirtbags.

Edited April 20 by King Heffy

[WHL rocks]

Canucks in 7

 

Hopefully Canucks in 4 but Preds are a very good team and home ice advantage will help Canucks win the series. 

 

Lindholm Joshua and Podkolzin will have very good playoffs.  

 

Let's go Team !!!!

[Ghostsof1915]

The fact the team finally is in a non-covid playoffs shows progress. If we lose in the first round in our first time, I don't think it's the end of the world. It's a good test and experience. However winning a round would be fantastic. Despite the post all star break slowdown, the team has exceeded expectations. The thing that doesn't get mentioned is Tocc is teaching the player how to handle a tighter checking, lower scoring type of hockey for a while. So if the team sticks to the script they will be well served.

I have a feeling it's boom or bust this year. Either we lose in the first round. Or we win the whole damn thing. It won't be easy.

 

Small bites.

[Dr. Crossbar]

18 hours ago, HKSR said:

Wtf... that's gotta be a placeholder for now... right?  Right???

 

Like Emerson Etem and Linden Vey.

[Dr. Crossbar]

Like I said yesterday, with the parity among the top teams being so close, I just don't see dominant frontrunners like in years past. Any of these teams can beat each other and they can all be beat. Just looking at all the matchups in the first round, we're seeing Stanley Cup final battles of top level, high skill, high-caliber teams.

 

We've held our own this season and proved ourselves as a top team. I'm keeping an open mind. Especially if we get into the second round.

 

 

 

 

[WHL rocks]

We are one dominant top 6 forward  like Guentzel away from being a Cup favorite. 

 

A scoring forward on EP40 line would make us favorites imo. 

[Nucker67]

The playoffs are fast and punishing physically. I can see the Canucks D stepping up big time. Zadorov, Myers, Soucy, Cole and possibly Juulsen will provide the pain, and Hughes and Hronek will provide the dazzling offense and puck possession.   Home ice crowd carries the team on a wave. Canucks in 5.

[Ghostsof1915]

1 hour ago, Nucker67 said:

 

We drove out to Abby to see the Canucks/Wranglers game last night. Didn't see one other car with flags, and there's a lot of traffic. Kind of sad, I thought the lower mainland would be going playoff crazy. Hope it picks up. 

If the team wins game 1 that will change in a hurry.

[grumpyone]

I tried having a flag on my car... drove me nuts listening to that flapping, took it off after 3 days.

If the Canucks don't win the cup, then I'd be okay with Winnipeg winning... no other Canadian team or we'd NEVER hear the end of it. or Florida ( Louongo ) or Washington, yeah yeah REALLLLLL long shot there, or even Carolina teams would be okay. None of these have won very often or only once before.

     

[Rip The Mesh]

 

[LaBamba]

3 hours ago, The Arrogant Worms said:

This is just so ripe for an upset lol. 

[Ghostsof1915]

I just realized of all my Canucks jerseys 2 are Vintage Stick in Rink, 1 is modern Stick in Rink (H. Sedin when he was still an Assistant Captain), and my Orca is the Dark Blue, red, white and silver. (16 Linden), I think I have a White Naslund Orca somewhere too. Maybe I should get an Addias Orca before fanatics gets their grubby hands on the jerseys.

Edited April 20 by Ghostsof1915

[greenbean30]

6 hours ago, Bob Long said:

 

I see this a lot, Singh is the "national" guy. So what, he still sucks. 

I definitely don't disagree, and would much rather have Shorty.. but Sportsnet doesn't agree.

[Hogs and Podz]

32 minutes ago, LaBamba said:

This is just so ripe for an upset lol. 

Yah somebody's 'ripe' alright.