After a too-long summer, the Vancouver Canucks are locked on a singular goal as they prepare for training camp.

91裸聊视频淣ot making the playoffs would be a disaster for us,91裸聊视频� head coach Bruce Boudreau told reporters Wednesday.

91裸聊视频淏ut to make the playoffs we have to do better and be more consistent over 82 games, not just 56 games or whatever the number was. 91裸聊视频� I would call it a failure if we didn91裸聊视频檛 succeed in our goals this year.91裸聊视频�

The Canucks will be on the ice for training camp in Whistler Thursday before kicking off their pre-season campaign with a split-squad matchup against the Calgary Flames on Sunday.

The team knows securing a post-season berth this season 91裸聊视频� its first since the COVID bubble in Edmonton 91裸聊视频� will require a better start than the dismal 8-15-2 record that prompted a house cleaning last December.

The results saw the club fire head coach Travis Green, general manager Jim Benning and several other staff.

Boudreau was hired to run the bench for the rest of the campaign and the team went 32-15-10 under his tutelage.

Last in the Pacific Division when Boudreau took over, Vancouver finished five points out of a playoff spot.

91裸聊视频淥ur expectation is to be playing in April,91裸聊视频� said centre J.T. Miller. 91裸聊视频淲e have to hit the ground running. Last year shows how important it is to have a good start.91裸聊视频�

Miller, who signed a seven-year, US$56-million extension with Vancouver earlier this month, will be key to the team91裸聊视频檚 success.

The 29-year-old led the Canucks in scoring with a career-high 99 points (32 goals, 67 assists) and believes the group has what it takes to make a post-season run.

91裸聊视频淎 lot of guys here are sick of not making the playoffs,91裸聊视频� Miller said. 91裸聊视频淥ur goal is to compete for the Stanley Cup and win the Stanley Cup. There91裸聊视频檚 no reason that we can91裸聊视频檛 be there and competing for the Stanley Cup at the end of the season.91裸聊视频�

Much of last year91裸聊视频檚 Canucks team is returning this season, plus notable free agent acquisitions Curtis Lazar, formerly of the Boston Bruins, and ex-Toronto Maple Leaf Ilya Mikheyev.

91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檓 excited about the guys that we added,91裸聊视频� said captain Bo Horvat. 91裸聊视频淩e-signing (Miller) was a huge step into making us an elite group.91裸聊视频�

Horvat, too, is looking for another big season.

The 27-year-old centre had 52 points last season, including a career-high 31 goals, and is set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2022-23 campaign.

He doesn91裸聊视频檛 expect his contract status to impact his play on the ice.

91裸聊视频淚 can put it aside completely,91裸聊视频� Horvat said. 91裸聊视频淔or me, I91裸聊视频檓 just focused on how I can make this team better. Eventually it91裸聊视频檚 going to come to fruition.91裸聊视频�

Like his coach and teammates, Horvat has high expectations for the 2022-23 season.

Reaching them will require the players to have a specific mindset, he said

91裸聊视频淲e have to see ourselves as a playoff team,91裸聊视频� the captain said. 91裸聊视频淚f we do anything less than that, we fail.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频擥emma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press