116 versus 143.
That91裸聊视频檚 the number of playoff games Vancouver91裸聊视频檚 Ian Cole has participated in versus the combined total of J.T. Miller, Quinn Hughes, Elias Pettersson, Brock Boeser and Thatcher Demko entering this post-season.
Take Miller and his 78 games out of the equation and that91裸聊视频檚 116 games versus 55.
When it comes to playoff experience, Cole is the dean of the Canucks dressing room.
The 35-year-old native of Ann Arbor, Michigan was part of back-to-back Stanley Cup championships with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2016 and 2017 and has been part of playoff runs with Colorado and Carolina.
For Cole, the playoffs are familiar territory.
While most of his teammates were soaking in the rabid atmosphere at Rogers Arena on Sunday night when Vancouver defeated Nashville 4-2 in game one of their first round series, Cole didn91裸聊视频檛 let the moment get too big.
Although he appreciated the fan support, the veteran defenseman didn91裸聊视频檛 try to soak it all in.
91裸聊视频淣o, not really to be honest. All that stuff is awesome and you can feel the energy but personally for me I do better when I block out all the external stuff,91裸聊视频� stated Cole.
He admits that having experience in that type of environment does help in terms of focusing on the task at hand.
91裸聊视频淲hen you go and you step out here, it91裸聊视频檚 your fans and the atmosphere is so great. It91裸聊视频檚 like 91裸聊视频榳ow, this is amazing.91裸聊视频� Then you go to Nashville, and you91裸聊视频檙e like, 91裸聊视频榳ow, this is so intimidating.91裸聊视频� Well, it91裸聊视频檚 neither. It91裸聊视频檚 great here. Yeah, I feel the energy and use it. And there? It91裸聊视频檚 going be loud. It91裸聊视频檚 not intimidating - feel the energy use it,91裸聊视频� explained Cole.
91裸聊视频淚t all should be the same mindset right? It shouldn91裸聊视频檛 matter where you91裸聊视频檙e playing, there91裸聊视频檚 going to be energy everywhere at this point of the year. The fans were great. They were awesome and you could definitely feel that but I don91裸聊视频檛 think focusing on it is beneficial.91裸聊视频�
As a veteran on the team, Cole picks his spots when to say things and is always open to helping out teammates when asked.
91裸聊视频淵ou try to say some things here and there but I also don91裸聊视频檛 want to stand up here and pontificate 91裸聊视频榦h, I91裸聊视频檝e done this and this is what we need to do.91裸聊视频� No one really appreciates that either. When guys come to you and ask questions, you answer them. If you see things that you think you can add some insight to or fix, you do that when the time is right. But again, I don91裸聊视频檛 think standing up and telling people what to do or how to play91裸聊视频e got here for a reason.
91裸聊视频淲e91裸聊视频檝e got a great hockey team. We91裸聊视频檙e deep. We91裸聊视频檙e skilled. We have elite players from our goaltending all the way through our 91裸聊视频楧91裸聊视频� all the way through our forwards. So let guys do their job and let guys experience it for themselves and grow and learn.91裸聊视频�
Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet recognizes that Cole91裸聊视频檚 experience is valuable and pointed out and example of it from earlier in the year.
91裸聊视频淭here91裸聊视频檚 been times this year I felt our team get a little antsy and Coler91裸聊视频檚 demeanor after the game has helped our team. I91裸聊视频檝e seen it. It91裸聊视频檚 easier when it comes from the player or their peers than the coach when you have that player that can settle guys down,91裸聊视频� said Tocchet, referring to a four-game late-February swoon that was snapped with a 3-2 win over Boston at Rogers Arena. 91裸聊视频淚 think we lost four in a row one time and Coler talked to the guys. The next night we played we had a good night. Some of the older guys I think won us that game.91裸聊视频�
Cole is the epitome of what Tocchet and the organization want from players in terms of a mental approach.
Now in his 14th NHL season, Cole has seen it all yet he doesn91裸聊视频檛 get too high after success or too low after failure.
91裸聊视频淚 mean, listen, we91裸聊视频檝e talked about this many times over the course of the year, which essentially is 91裸聊视频榟ey, we win a couple games everyone91裸聊视频檚 riding high. They91裸聊视频檙e amazing! Or we91裸聊视频檙e gonna win the cup!91裸聊视频� Well, it91裸聊视频檚 not true. We got to win a heck of a lot more hockey games.
91裸聊视频淥r just like if we had lost the first game and got blown out 8-1. 91裸聊视频極h man! They91裸聊视频檙e a phony - they91裸聊视频檙e a fake. They91裸聊视频檙e not there.91裸聊视频� That91裸聊视频檚 not true either.
91裸聊视频淟et91裸聊视频檚 try to stay level-headed through this whole thing. Let91裸聊视频檚 try to stay even-keel. We have a lot more hockey games to win. They (Nashville) are going to push back. They91裸聊视频檙e going to come back even better. And we need to be ready for them.91裸聊视频�
OVERTIME
* The discussions have already started about the 91裸聊视频榗oaching adjustments91裸聊视频� that take place in a series but don91裸聊视频檛 kid yourselves. You don91裸聊视频檛 change the foundation of what got you to the post-season. The adjustments are more like 91裸聊视频榯weaks91裸聊视频� according to Tocchet. 91裸聊视频淟et91裸聊视频檚 face it. They know us. We know them. There might be some stuff they might adjust to and we have to be ready for it and vice versa. A lot of times there are in-game adjustments too whether you take a guy off a line or try different things. You can91裸聊视频檛 be afraid to do that in-game. I think that91裸聊视频檚 important,91裸聊视频� stated Tocchet.
* Asked if he learns anything more about his team after watching game video, Tocchet said it reinforces what he sees from the bench during the course of a game more so than any eye-opening revelations. 91裸聊视频淔or me in real time I kind of know. I don91裸聊视频檛 need the next day to validate it. There is the odd time where I may have misread (what occurred in the game) but I kind of know what I thought last night is what I watched today.91裸聊视频�
* Tocchet believes the main purpose of looking back at games is to use the video as a tool to help players moving forward. 91裸聊视频淭o me, good coaching is how do you present it to the players without being negative or even too positive. I think it91裸聊视频檚 important you tell the story. Whatever our story is today with the players is going to help us tomorrow. I think that91裸聊视频檚 what I look at video for 91裸聊视频� creating your narrative to the players. What can we do to get better?91裸聊视频� he explained.
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.
READ MORE:
READ MORE:
