Dakota Joshua described it as a 91裸聊视频榮pectacle91裸聊视频�. Quinn Hughes said it was 91裸聊视频榚lectric91裸聊视频�.
It was the atmosphere at Rogers Arena as playoff hockey returned to Vancouver for the first time in nine years on Sunday night.
The Vancouver Canucks didn91裸聊视频檛 disappoint the sell-out crowd of 18,967 as they scored three third period goals 91裸聊视频� the last one into an empty net 91裸聊视频� to defeat the Nashville Predators 4-2 in game one of their first-round playoff series.
91裸聊视频淲hen we came out on the ice today it was probably one of the more special things I91裸聊视频檝e been a part of other than the birth of my children and my wedding. It91裸聊视频檚 hard not to get choked up when you see that,91裸聊视频� J.T. Miller said after the game.
91裸聊视频淭hat literally is everything 91裸聊视频� that emotion, that noise and the towels. If you can91裸聊视频檛 get up for that, you have something wrong with you. That was amazing. Once the first couple of shifts subsided, it was nice to settle in and play the game but I think I got a different perspective of what hockey means to these people here.91裸聊视频�
Despite the energy in the building, it was the Predators who opened the scoring on a goal by Jason Zucker at 16:15 of the first period and led 1-0 after 20 minutes of play,
The Canucks battled back with an early second period goal by Elias Lindholm 0:47 seconds into the period but Ryan O91裸聊视频橰eilly91裸聊视频檚 goal on the power play at 10:46 gave the Preds a 2-1 lead after forty minutes.
After Nashville went ahead, the Canucks came to a fork in the road.
Do they succumb to the pressure, press and make a mistake to give Nashville a 3-1 lead? Or do they hold steady until an opportunity arises?
Luckily for Canuck Nation it was the latter on this night as Pius Suter scored at 8:59 and then Joshua scored 12 seconds later to give the Canucks a lead they wouldn91裸聊视频檛 relinquish. Joshua added an empty netter at 18:32 to clinch the win.
In a way, the Canucks had been preparing for this situation 91裸聊视频� and for this game 91裸聊视频� all season long.
Since training camp, Vancouver head coach Rick Tocchet has preached to stay 91裸聊视频榚ven keel91裸聊视频� and to be patient in critical situations.
Being down 2-1 at home in your first playoff game with an amped up crowd tested that mantra and the Canucks passed the test.
91裸聊视频淚t helped a lot. We91裸聊视频檝e been working on it all year. We91裸聊视频檝e talked countless times throughout the season exactly for moments like this. It91裸聊视频檚 what we have been building for 91裸聊视频� how to approach it physically and mentally. When things go bad or go well, it should be even-keel and they guys did a good job tonight,91裸聊视频� stated Tyler Myers.
91裸聊视频淲e could have pressed and got off our game but we didn91裸聊视频檛. We played strong, mature hockey. We let the game come to us and we didn91裸聊视频檛 give them too much. We knew we were going to have our looks,91裸聊视频� said Hughes.
You can talk scheme, you can talk Corsi or PDO or whatever other analytical data you can uncover but the game is decided in the purest form 91裸聊视频� winning one-on-one puck battles 91裸聊视频� and it was a key in the Canucks success on Sunday night. Whether it was winning that battle in the defensive zone to start the rush as was the case in the first two Canuck goals or whether it was Lindholm and Conor Garland doing the dirty work to set up Joshua91裸聊视频檚 game winner, having the will to win that one-on-one is paramount to success.
91裸聊视频淚t all starts somewhere on the ice 91裸聊视频� winning a one-on-one battle. All the goals are scored like that no matter what zone it91裸聊视频檚 in. That91裸聊视频檚 how a lot of goals are going to be scored in the playoffs. I just take pride in trying to win every battle I91裸聊视频檓 in,91裸聊视频� stated Joshua.
91裸聊视频淎 lot of times off the forecheck you get one chance to keep the puck and if you win that battle and get the puck to the 91裸聊视频楧91裸聊视频� that could start a thirty second shift 91裸聊视频� or two or three shifts in a row - in their end. It91裸聊视频檚 a big play and we talk about it all the time. If you lose that puck battle that might mean that shift you91裸聊视频檙e playing defense. We take a lot of pride in those and it91裸聊视频檚 something we can even be better at,91裸聊视频� explained Miller.
As for Tocchet, he was happy with his team91裸聊视频檚 performance in the puck battles, but as always, saw areas in which the Canucks could improve in.
91裸聊视频淚t was good. I think there91裸聊视频檚 another level. I think our edge battles off the draws 91裸聊视频� that91裸聊视频檚 one thing I think we91裸聊视频檝e got to improve on. I think that has to be improved. It was a pretty low-event game in some respect but I think some of the chances they got were off (winning) draws,91裸聊视频� said Tocchet.
OVERTIME
* Thatcher Demko made 20 saves 91裸聊视频� including an incredible save of Nashville91裸聊视频檚 Anthony Beauvillier two minutes into the game. Demko came sprawling across his crease and got his right leg out to stop Beauvillier91裸聊视频檚 back door re-direct attempt. Nashville91裸聊视频檚 Juuse Saros made 17 saves in a losing effort.
* Vancouver was 0-2 on the power play while Nashville was 1-4.
* Nashville head coach Andrew Brunette is confident his team will bounce back in game two Tuesday night at Rogers Arena. 91裸聊视频淚 think this group has been resilient. We91裸聊视频檝e handled adversity all year. I think to a man we probably didn91裸聊视频檛 play our best but we91裸聊视频檝e done a really good job of just moving straight ahead. Just forget about it - rinse it. It was a fun game91裸聊视频 was proud of our group -how they handled it early and how we started 91裸聊视频� in my mind 91裸聊视频� to take the game over but we just didn91裸聊视频檛 finish the job. So lesson learned. It91裸聊视频檚 a long series and we can91裸聊视频檛 wait for the next game.91裸聊视频�
Veteran B.C. sports personality Bob 91裸聊视频渢he Moj91裸聊视频� Marjanovich writes twice weekly for Black Press Media.
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