The Vancouver Canucks defeated the Nashville Predators 4-2 in Game 1 of their first-round series.
The Vancouver Canucks defeated the Nashville Predators 4-2 in Game 1 of their first-round series.
Rogers Arena was electric as the Vancouver Canucks defeated the Nashville Predators 4-2 in Game 1. Dakota Joshua led the team with two goals and an assist, while Pius Suter and Elias Lindholm also found the back of the net. In goal, Thatcher Demko was solid, stopping 20 of 22 shots in the victory.
Despite facing one-goal deficits heading into both intermissions, the Canucks remained calm and were able to pull off a comeback in the third period. Despite this being the first playoff game in front of fans for a lot of players, the team stuck to their game plan and eventually were rewarded. Overall, it was an impressive win, and one that showed Vancouver's roster is built for hockey.
While the on-ice product was exciting, the atmosphere created by the fans was spectacular. Rogers Arena erupted every time there was a big hit and produced a deafening cheer after the Canucks scored twice in 12 seconds during the third period. It was clear the players built off the emotion of the fans and were able to reward them with the first playoff victory in Vancouver since 2015.
Quotes:
Elias Lindholm on scoring the Canucks first goal of the playoffs:
"Obviously, it doesn't matter who's scoring, but it's nice to help the team in some sort of way. I'm here for a reason. Hopefully, I have a long run here, and whoever is scoring, as long as we're winning, we're fine."
J.T. Miller on the atmosphere at Rogers Arena:
"When we came out on the ice today, it was probably one of the most special moments I've been a part of, other than the birth of my children or my wedding. It’s hard not to get choked up when you see that happening. That literally is everything. That emotion, that noise and the towels, if you can't connect with that, you have something wrong with you. That was amazing, and once the first couple of shifts subsided, It was nice to kind of settle in and play a game. I think I got a different perspective to what hockey means to these people here."
Tyler Myers on the play of Elias Lindholm:
"Well, Lindy, I don't even know what the stats are, but if you really watch him throughout a game, he does so many little things that go unnoticed and that people don't appreciate it as much as they should. He's an incredibly solid, stable player. He's really fun to be on the ice with whether he gets points or not; you know, he drives a lot of our system."
Dakota Joshua on what this win means to the fans in Vancouver:
"It means a lot. You could tell the building was rocking all night. It was nice that we could get the first one out of the way. We're going to need them on this ride and that means a lot to us to know that they have our back.
Quinn Hughes on the the Predators play in Game 1:
"They got a high compete level over there. Got some competitive guys. They're hard on pucks, and they've got skill too. Forsberg is out there with 48 goals. That line has been hot and Josi. It's good that we got the win there, bu they're a competitive group. They've done it all year."
Rick Tocchet on the back-to-back 12 seconds apart:
"It was huge because I think obviously we scored that second goal to tie, and it looked like everybody breathed a little bit, even the fans. I got to credit that next shift. We didn't rest on it. We got the puck in deep and got the goal there, so that's the sort of stuff. Playoff hockey, you build on momentum. You get the crowd going. You try to build up momentum and get that first shot on the net right after a goal. I liked that they got the puck in. Sometimes, you rest, and I didn't see us rest."
Facts and Stats
- Elias Lindholm scores the first Canucks playoff goal at Rogers Arena in 3,286 days
- Pius Suter and Dakota Joshua set the franchise playoff record for the fastest two goals at 11 seconds
- Dakota Joshua becomes the 16th different player in franchise history to score a playoff empty-net goal
- Canucks have won four of their last five playoff games against the Predators
- Rick Tocchet picks up his 10th career playoff win as a head coach
Scoring Summary
1st Period
NSH: 16:15- Jason Zucker (1st) from Roman Josi and Mark Jankowski
2nd Period
VAN: 00:47- Elias Lindholm (1st) from Dakota Joshua and Nikita Zadorov
NSH: 10:46- Ryan O'Reilly (1st) from Gustav Nyquist and Filip Forsberg (PPG)
3rd Period
VAN: 8:49- Pius Suter (1st) from Quinn Hughes and Brock Boeser
VAN: 9:11- Dakota Joshua (First Career Playoff Goal) from Conor Garland and Quinn Hughes
Van: 18:32- Dakota Joshua (2nd) from Teddy Blueger and J.T. Miller (ENG)
Game 2: Tuesday, April 23 @ 7:00 pm PT from Rogers Arena
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