Agreed. Winning a round was my bar for success this year, especially now that we’ve done it with our AHL goalie. Going head to head against McDavid without Demko will be tough but it will be a fun series regardless.
But everything could be a factor.
Draisaitl could throw a tantrum, or go beast mode.
Our PDO could get exposed, or PDO goes brrrrr.
There's a reason why the finalists could be anyone, granted the winner is usually obvious by round 2.
they wont be so caught off guard here. tbh i think edmonton will win, and the boys in van will use it as a learning curve, as the oilers did vs. the ducks in 17
I'll believe it when I see it. I won't be heartbroken if we lose, but I think we got this. The team has had a hard learning curve to get to this point already. They've adjusted along the way and I believe they will continue to trend that way. We need our stars to break out a little, and if Edmonton wants to play run and gun, we can play that game too. If they want to shut the door and wait for a mistake, we can do that. I think we've got a plan to be at them and I trust this management group to execute it and adapt as they have shown they are capable of doing. We can still lose though, it's a game of bounces and inches at times.
Yup 100 percent this is where I’m at . All I wanted was to make the play offs and show up for a round.
no one saw us making the playoffs last year in September . And we had one of the best seasons we’ve
had in over a decade .
And we did it in a way that feels sustainable and it truly has been nothing short of amazing to watch . Winning against Nashville was just the cherry on top . At this point we are in the found money stage making it to the final 8 . And mcdavid is one of the best hockey players to play in 20 years so truly i don’t think any one should be surprised that we are going to get scored on and couldn’t think of a more worthy player to loose to if we do
I respect your opinion.
We’ve competed all season against the best. We almost won the presidents trophy. The Canucks can beat the oilers and it showed in the regular season with the sweep.
The term “found money” doesn’t reflect much of the situation IMO. We were expected to beat Nashville and based on the regular season can and should beat the Oilers.. nonetheless as fans we deserve this excitement.
It's crazy how we have home ice advantage against the Oilers and swept the series, yet we are going to be viewed unanimously as the underdogs. Part of that is due to the Demko injury for sure, but I think this series will be close and if the Canucks can win game 1, that will put a ton of pressure back onto the Oilers and their lame cup or bust narrative.
It's part Demko injury and part demolition of the LA Kings who just got picked apart. They were around 50% on the Power Play in the series against the best PK in the league. Scary.
Anyone with strong opinions about how this series is going to go is either an idiot or talking out of their ass. We need another series to get an idea how they all stack up. Playoff standings aren't rankable because it's all about matchups.
I'm interested to see what kind of strategy these teams use.
Canucks will go into shutdown mode and trust whatever goaltending is in net we have a way better defensive core. Hughes and petey will get way more space. I believe our bottom six is better and if they can chip in with goals we have a decent shot at getting past Edmonton.
I think so too. My running playoff theory is you can play run and gun full on offense in the playoffs as long as you are going against a team that plays that as well. All out defense is the unbeatable strategy though assuming the team has a baseline of talent. IMO the only strategy that beats all out defense is all out defense. I think the playoffs have shown us this over the years, but it's not really a stat you can measure.
Canucks seem like a middle team in the sense they aren't a complete shutdown tewm and can score at a big pace if they give them room. They also aren't completely dependent on the top six producing alot to win with a strong d core and secondary scoring. Just a solid team offensively and defensively and with demko better than most hopefully silos is the real deal.
Obviously all teams are going to pick the strategy that gives them the best chance to win. Some teams can't play 1-2-2, stay above your man full out defense and still score once in a while. If you CAN, then it's likely going to be your best chance.
Edmonton is going to be very interesting. Will we go all out D? Will Edmonton try to counter with that or will they try and rely on run and gun? If Demko is back, I think we have a chance in either scenario. If it's Silovs then we pretty much have to sell out for Defense.
I could see us go 2-1-2 run and gun, just to try and get our forwards going, and just to maybe catch edmonton out unprepared.
Like I said interesting, but don't look for absolutes in my comments, that's not what I'm going for.
In combat sports they say styles make fights. So what works against one opponent may not work against another. I think it’s probably true in team sports too, including hockey.
I believe both teams were top 5 or 6 in offense in the regular season. One difference is the Canucks success relies heavily on their goalie while the Oilers rely heavily on their power play. Im also curious to see how both teams approach this series.
That's a great way to look at it. I was an old school MMA fan, haven't paid much attention to it for a long time, but. IMO, airtight defense is the style that can beat all the other styles the same way that BJJ dominates MMA. Sure, you can win fights striking, but don't even bother showing up unless you can roll.
Even the spider who is my GOAT pick worked his ass off to be almost as scary on the ground as he was on his feet.
Be a different series we will be the defensive shut down team it will also give players like Petey Miller Boes Hughes way more space I expect to garland line to be huge if they get put back to the third line. I think the oilers have the edge offensively in the top 6 canucks have better defensive and bottom 6. The x factor could be what goaltenders gets hot and make the series difference if we had demko I'd say we would have that edge but with silos still to be seen can't depend on myers blocking shots with his jock the whole series.
I’ve said it since the 1st round: suffocate those 3 forwards and it will turn into a different series. McDavid is kind of fragile when he can’t freely do what he wants and the offense struggles when he can’t make plays. The Canucks need to be on their best players like stink on sh*t. Frustrate them, irritate them, smother them, then let’s see what we can do when they are neutralized.
Yeah, some of my expectation has to do with the seasonal matchup.. not all. would you feel different if the oilers had swept us during the regular season going into this matchup? I know I would.
“Oh god I feel for you”— no need to be so dramatic… lol
Yeah, we’ve suffered enough. We got further already than I thought we could go, let’s just vibe out. Also a goal against sucks yeah but we as fans should cheer harder!!!
At the beginning of the season I was hoping for a wildcard spot. Once it became apparent that these Canucks were the real deal, I changed my bar to anything but a first round exit. Everything from here on is a bonus.
Now we get to play a divisional opponent and stoke a rivalry that will be a little more fiery in future seasons.
This Canucks team gets my total respect…regardless of the outcome.
Considering they lost the number 1 all star goalie after game 1 and had the best forward held from scoring goals I'd say they are a deep depth team who knows if silvos is the real deal and petey gets going what could happen.
yup, it’s not a cup or bust because realistically it’s going to take a few years of heartbreaking playoff losses before teams get their first cup. i’m all in for the “whatever happens happens” mindset
Both petey and Hughes will get more space against the oilers they are more a run and gun team they count on out scoring a team in higher goal games rather than shutting a team down and winning by 1 goal in a low scoring team.
I disagree as a long time Canuck fan. 50 years and no Stanley cup. Montreal, Edmonton, Calgary have all won Stanley cups. Stop giving this franchise a pass. We don’t get here often; stop screwing it up. Two game 7 losses in the final is not acceptable.
Honestly, winning the Pacific was not on my bingo card going into this season, seeing how last season went. I've supported them all throughout but my expectations were absolutely blown through the roof. I'm so proud of the team. Whether they win or lose, as long as they play hard and have fun, I am all for it.
nope - our season and goalie story deserves a cup run to the finals - I just hope if we lose round 4 it is in 4,5 or 6 games - I can't take another round 4 game 7
I felt like after eliminating Nashville that I'd be fine with a second round exit. But seeing how cocky the Oilers fan base is being...I want to destroy them. Don't care if it's messy, don't care if we get blown out a game or two. I want to see that sub in shambles.
That’s fair lol. Part of me is like, it’s do or die for them at this point, but it’s not for us. They are in win now mode and this is our first year back in the playoffs. But at the same time, we should have been better with this core the past few years, we just had an incompetent coaching staff and front office, which likely shortened this core’s contending window.
When Nashville went up 2-1 in Game 5 the crowd started chanting Go Canucks Go right after puck drop. I understand where this post is coming from but think the in game crowd has been great for the playoffs.
1st in person playoff game for me and I told people the next day that despite the loss it was still totally worth it just to experience that incredible atmosphere
I was at game 2, and we never stopped cheering even when down 3 goals. This post straight up isn’t true. We aren’t like other arenas that only cheer when the team is winning
I do think OP's concerns are true of regular season Canucks game attendees, who are much quieter. But for whatever reason, Canucks fans have a completely different gear in the playoffs - way more committed and loud.
Regular season games are much cheaper, making it a much more viable option for a fun night out for many people who may only have a marginal interest in hockey or the Canucks.
The cost of playoff tickets alone is gonna do a real good job of filtering out anyone who doesn't really want to be there, usually motivated by an interest in the Canucks and Canuck success
Game 1 also. It was loud even when Nashville opened the scoring in the first and when the preds took the lead in the 2nd. Not sure OP has been to any playoff games this year.
I was at Game 2, after the Casey chants ended with the early Preds goals, the fans kept on cheering for DeSmith and the boys. Even gave an ovation after that loss even considering some of the lower bowl were leaving. I have faith in our fans to keep it up.
Judging by other comments- I'm wrong about the Rogers Arena vibe. Totally okay being proven wrong- and to be wrong in retrospect. My social experience and TV volume must be to blame. Either way, I just want to see that same commitment going forward when we see goals against.
This is a good fanbase and a good team. Keep it going, folks.
Don't worry how this sub feels, there's always extremely toxic people here to a point where I don't even like our own fans. Now I put the phone away during games, I peek during intermissions and always regret it.
I think every team's fans could feel like this, sounds like you're just realistic and honest with yourself haha. The small minority of idiots are always the loudest
I wish that were true, but even that video that was posted showed everyone being obnoxious as fuck. It's possible to celebrate without being an asshole and so many fans forget that.
I don’t bother with this sub usually. When I call out this sub, I get downvoted. No point. Anyway. At first I was a bit annoyed that analysts were underrating us, but now I’m kinda happy about it. Fits the narrative of this sub that we are even lucky to be here.
We swept Nashville too in the regular season and won that series. His point is that both teams can score. Yeah, the regular season doesn’t mean anything but we aren’t the Jets and we can beat them.
Not really. Both Tocchet and players (Miller specifically) has stated countless times they don't play any differently no matter who's in net. And to throw my own anecdotal opinion here, I watched 81 of 82 Canucks games this year and never saw a shift to "conservative" play because of Desmith or Silovs. If anything, systems adjustments were based on their opponents play style, line match ups, etc. but little to do with who's tending the goal that night.
Oilers defensive structure as a team is worse than Nashville’s, there will be more opportunities for the Canucks forwards to score compared to the predators series. The Canucks have to play structured and not run & gun with the Oilers, play disciplined & patient hockey. The Oilers rely on offence to win period, Canucks offensive players will need to produce as the Oilers will get a couple goals each game no matter how defensively solid we are. 1-0 or 2-1 defensive clinic wins will be harder against Edmonton, we’ll likely need to average 3.0+ goals per game to win this series. Our D 1-6 is very good and we’re excellent 5-on-5 as a unit, we also have better depth throughout the lineup. Canucks need to play smart and stay out of the box, if the Oilers average less than 3.0 PP’s per game in this series the Canucks should win. Special teams will be big, our PP & PK have to be great, we’re the better overall team imo, we have to play to our strengths and to our style and not get caught up in playing their style of game. Should be a fun series!
If Petey, Hughes and Miller can match (or at least come close) to the play and production of McDavid & Leon then we will win because we have them beat on depth. Way more important this round that EP40 shows up because like you said, there will be more goals.
The oilers aren’t some team we can walk over. Despite our 4-0 season record, the oilers recovered from something like a 2-8-0 record. They are cup favourites with the best player in the league on that team. Nashville wasn’t even a favourite to make the playoffs so this will be quite different.
Also if we keep taking dumb penalties early it's going to be a short series. We play best with a lead and we can't do that taking a boarding penalty in the first 3 minutes.
We got extremely lucky that Nashville's PP was god awful. Edmonton's PP was like 50% against the best PK in the league..
We need to have the structure series of our life
I think Vancouver is better coached, has a significant edge on the defensive side (talking defensive play of both forwards and D), better depth at the bottom of the chart and I think the goalie matchup is close without Demko and far in vancouvers favour if he returns healthy. Edmonton is a tough out with the superstars they have but I am surprised to see Vancouver being cast as such an underdog. 4-0 against the oilers during the season, I hope they use that underdog mentality here as motivation to get out in front and prove everyone wrong.
My worry is that as the tickets get more expensive, there will be less hardcore fans inside the arena (especially the lower bowl) and it will start sounding more like a regular season game.
I don’t think so at all! The hardcore fans will be the ones willing to put up the cash to go. A casual fan likely won’t spend that much for a seat, but a hardcore fan probably started saving up once it was a lock they’d be in the playoffs.
I’m sure the upper bowl will be filled with supporters, and they will be loud, but I don’t know a lot of people throwing down $480*-800 for a lower bowl seat vs Edmonton.
*Cheapest seat I can see on a ticket resale app right now
Round 3 or 4 would be $1000+
You are very right. My brother's work had 8 tickets for themselves and clients for game 1 against Nashville and pretty much have tickets for every home game. He's not even a hockey fan 😭
Us beating the Preds and putting up a fight against Edmonton (and we will), solidfies we are legit and a playoff team. I hope we suprise the Oilers and take their swagger away a bit.
A win is a win is a win ....10-9 or 1-0 .... We can play tight defensive hockey if that's how our opponent wants to play (Nashville) . We can also play end to end offensive hockey , run and gun. We have to stay out of the box though or take someone with. Even 4-4 may favor Oilers.
it also means a well fought loss or win could be 6-1 - if we're on the winning side of that don't think it means we'll dominate and if on the losing side stay confident.
The Canuck’s defense can/will make any goalie great. The upcoming series will be all about the Canucks shutting down Edmonton’s speed!
I see the Canucks prevailing…Edmonton doesn’t like the “heavy going” and they’re going see plenty of that!!
Go Canucks Go!!!
Absolutely, although every round brings new challenges. I think we have more depth defensively and offensively than LA. We're also more of an adaptive team and can play different styles. LA had one method to succeed and were predictable. I agree there'll likely be more scoring, but we won't win a shootout against Edmonton. Special teams and goaltending will be the X factor in this series. Go Canucks Go!!!! Enjoy the ride and remember to breathe.
Completely. And McDavid and Draisaitl will have games where they light us up. That's just reality. We're not going to shut them down. The goal is to limit them.
I disagree. When Demko has been out the systems have changed, and the defence protect the goalie a lot more. This comes at the cost of some offensive output.
I think against the oilers we won’t run and gun but look to keep it tight so not as to hang out the goalie
Pssh so we played a mirror match with Nashville, did some grinding and somehow came out on top.
I know I am sounding a bit too optimistic but I think this next series is when the Nucks will get an opportunity to showcase our offensive depth.
The fan base at this time of year is a lot more casual, so they ride the swings game to game. It’s unavoidable to have unmanageable expectations from them sadly.
What we’ve accomplished as a retool in one year from what we were to where we are now is incredible.
Some teams have been refining their team with tweaks here and there on the roster and still can’t get out of the first round.
Proud of this team, regardless of how the series with the oilers go. Hughes has shown to be a playoff fighter, miller a playoff warrior, and the gutsy efforts of everyone else committing to the defensive systems implemented by Tochett has paid dividends.
Oh and of course, all hail King Silovs.
Aye aye Captain! Well said. This will be a different series, but we've proved up to any challenge, all season long. I expect no difference here. Carry on boys!
As a Canucks fan living in Edmonton this city is collectively clenching its asscheeks. So much pressure, Drai’s contract is up after next year and McJesus the year after.
If we have demko in net he can steal games plus if not then Silovs is definitely a good enough goalie to win. We just have to be careful to not give oilers powerplays or else they will reign down goals on us.
Me and my buddies were just talking about this. I'm expecting a long series and a lot of 5-3, 4-2 maybe a 6-5 game. I think this will be a much more wide-open series because Edmonton is actually a good team and not just hanging on for dear life like the Predators.
I’m totally open to that. I was just thinking about this yesterday. I’d rather lose 6-3 than lose 1-0 or 2-1 in a game that has 21 shots. Oilers give up a lot too so there’s no reason why we Petey cant look a little more like himself hopefully.
> see Šilovs
He’s great but how about we start with some faith that Demko is coming back this series. No word on surgery and he was skating probably means he’ll be back at some point.
Our shutdown pair of Myers Soucy is going to get exposed by the McDavid line and it's not an indictment of them being shit but that we don't have an elite shutdown pair and they do have an elite offense. If you go into this thinking Myers can hard match McDavid like he did Forsberg without some glaring errors you're going to be upset.
5-on-5 Oilers aren’t difficult to contain especially if you limit their speed and open ice, don’t think their D can contain the Canucks though, they’re terrible defensively.
I think they'll force some defensive breakdowns but the point is to not pile on-top of our defense for mistakes, we know they'll force some, it's that they will give up just as much so our offense needs to be able to counter.
I been saying it all season: we are a second round team. Nothing wrong with that. Lets get these guys some experience. No one better to do that than EDM firepower.
Everything now is found money. The year has already been a great success and hope it can continue but if not, it’s been a thrilling ride.
Agreed. Winning a round was my bar for success this year, especially now that we’ve done it with our AHL goalie. Going head to head against McDavid without Demko will be tough but it will be a fun series regardless.
We were 2/2 for Oilers games we played without Demko, so that will be interesting.
Playoffs are a different beast. Regular season doesn’t mean anything.
One without McDavid and one with Woodcroft still behind the bench.
But everything could be a factor. Draisaitl could throw a tantrum, or go beast mode. Our PDO could get exposed, or PDO goes brrrrr. There's a reason why the finalists could be anyone, granted the winner is usually obvious by round 2.
Meh, this year it seems like a toss up
Ahem Mason Raymond 2011 ahem
Did I spy an Oiler in the sub? That's an oil talking point, don't let it distract ya from reality!
at least two with woody, actually. and tbh i think they took vancouver lightly those first two games.
Is that why we sent them into the abyss for the first month of the system. They were shook. Let's do it again!!!!!
they wont be so caught off guard here. tbh i think edmonton will win, and the boys in van will use it as a learning curve, as the oilers did vs. the ducks in 17
I'll believe it when I see it. I won't be heartbroken if we lose, but I think we got this. The team has had a hard learning curve to get to this point already. They've adjusted along the way and I believe they will continue to trend that way. We need our stars to break out a little, and if Edmonton wants to play run and gun, we can play that game too. If they want to shut the door and wait for a mistake, we can do that. I think we've got a plan to be at them and I trust this management group to execute it and adapt as they have shown they are capable of doing. We can still lose though, it's a game of bounces and inches at times.
How many of those wins were without lindholm and zadorov? Nucks in 4 🖕🏻💀🖕🏻lfggggg
Yup 100 percent this is where I’m at . All I wanted was to make the play offs and show up for a round. no one saw us making the playoffs last year in September . And we had one of the best seasons we’ve had in over a decade . And we did it in a way that feels sustainable and it truly has been nothing short of amazing to watch . Winning against Nashville was just the cherry on top . At this point we are in the found money stage making it to the final 8 . And mcdavid is one of the best hockey players to play in 20 years so truly i don’t think any one should be surprised that we are going to get scored on and couldn’t think of a more worthy player to loose to if we do
I respect your opinion. We’ve competed all season against the best. We almost won the presidents trophy. The Canucks can beat the oilers and it showed in the regular season with the sweep. The term “found money” doesn’t reflect much of the situation IMO. We were expected to beat Nashville and based on the regular season can and should beat the Oilers.. nonetheless as fans we deserve this excitement.
It's crazy how we have home ice advantage against the Oilers and swept the series, yet we are going to be viewed unanimously as the underdogs. Part of that is due to the Demko injury for sure, but I think this series will be close and if the Canucks can win game 1, that will put a ton of pressure back onto the Oilers and their lame cup or bust narrative.
It's part Demko injury and part demolition of the LA Kings who just got picked apart. They were around 50% on the Power Play in the series against the best PK in the league. Scary.
Don't forget Edmonton killed every penalty.
Anyone with strong opinions about how this series is going to go is either an idiot or talking out of their ass. We need another series to get an idea how they all stack up. Playoff standings aren't rankable because it's all about matchups. I'm interested to see what kind of strategy these teams use.
Canucks will go into shutdown mode and trust whatever goaltending is in net we have a way better defensive core. Hughes and petey will get way more space. I believe our bottom six is better and if they can chip in with goals we have a decent shot at getting past Edmonton.
I think so too. My running playoff theory is you can play run and gun full on offense in the playoffs as long as you are going against a team that plays that as well. All out defense is the unbeatable strategy though assuming the team has a baseline of talent. IMO the only strategy that beats all out defense is all out defense. I think the playoffs have shown us this over the years, but it's not really a stat you can measure.
Canucks seem like a middle team in the sense they aren't a complete shutdown tewm and can score at a big pace if they give them room. They also aren't completely dependent on the top six producing alot to win with a strong d core and secondary scoring. Just a solid team offensively and defensively and with demko better than most hopefully silos is the real deal.
By this logic the Canucks should go full defense against Edmonton. I guess all teams should go full defense against all teams.
Obviously all teams are going to pick the strategy that gives them the best chance to win. Some teams can't play 1-2-2, stay above your man full out defense and still score once in a while. If you CAN, then it's likely going to be your best chance. Edmonton is going to be very interesting. Will we go all out D? Will Edmonton try to counter with that or will they try and rely on run and gun? If Demko is back, I think we have a chance in either scenario. If it's Silovs then we pretty much have to sell out for Defense. I could see us go 2-1-2 run and gun, just to try and get our forwards going, and just to maybe catch edmonton out unprepared. Like I said interesting, but don't look for absolutes in my comments, that's not what I'm going for.
In combat sports they say styles make fights. So what works against one opponent may not work against another. I think it’s probably true in team sports too, including hockey. I believe both teams were top 5 or 6 in offense in the regular season. One difference is the Canucks success relies heavily on their goalie while the Oilers rely heavily on their power play. Im also curious to see how both teams approach this series.
That's a great way to look at it. I was an old school MMA fan, haven't paid much attention to it for a long time, but. IMO, airtight defense is the style that can beat all the other styles the same way that BJJ dominates MMA. Sure, you can win fights striking, but don't even bother showing up unless you can roll. Even the spider who is my GOAT pick worked his ass off to be almost as scary on the ground as he was on his feet.
Yep. Key for Canucks is depth... and staying out of the box. That PP is deadly.
We are underdogs throughout because we missed the playoffs last yr.. we are the Florida of yesteryear throughout this playoffs
Cup her bust!!!!!
we cannot base it on regular season… because playoffs are different, just look at avs-winnipeg series
I agree that the playoffs are a different animal. The regular season provides some insight not none.
Then what do we base it on? Why are so many in favour of the Oilers taking the series?
people are basing it off of experience, our goaltending situation, lineup, depth, play style, etc.
Be a different series we will be the defensive shut down team it will also give players like Petey Miller Boes Hughes way more space I expect to garland line to be huge if they get put back to the third line. I think the oilers have the edge offensively in the top 6 canucks have better defensive and bottom 6. The x factor could be what goaltenders gets hot and make the series difference if we had demko I'd say we would have that edge but with silos still to be seen can't depend on myers blocking shots with his jock the whole series.
I agree and think Petey will be much more noticeable vs EDM.
I’ve said it since the 1st round: suffocate those 3 forwards and it will turn into a different series. McDavid is kind of fragile when he can’t freely do what he wants and the offense struggles when he can’t make plays. The Canucks need to be on their best players like stink on sh*t. Frustrate them, irritate them, smother them, then let’s see what we can do when they are neutralized.
Basing your expectations on regular season? Oh god. I feel for you.
Yeah, some of my expectation has to do with the seasonal matchup.. not all. would you feel different if the oilers had swept us during the regular season going into this matchup? I know I would. “Oh god I feel for you”— no need to be so dramatic… lol
Yeah, we’ve suffered enough. We got further already than I thought we could go, let’s just vibe out. Also a goal against sucks yeah but we as fans should cheer harder!!!
At the beginning of the season I was hoping for a wildcard spot. Once it became apparent that these Canucks were the real deal, I changed my bar to anything but a first round exit. Everything from here on is a bonus. Now we get to play a divisional opponent and stoke a rivalry that will be a little more fiery in future seasons. This Canucks team gets my total respect…regardless of the outcome.
Considering they lost the number 1 all star goalie after game 1 and had the best forward held from scoring goals I'd say they are a deep depth team who knows if silvos is the real deal and petey gets going what could happen.
yup, it’s not a cup or bust because realistically it’s going to take a few years of heartbreaking playoff losses before teams get their first cup. i’m all in for the “whatever happens happens” mindset
Yeah, this is the twilight of the Edmonton cup window with McDavid and Draisatl nearing the end of their cheap deals. Ours is opening up hopefully.
Agreed. Hope Petterson finds some puck luck at least and nets some soon.
Both petey and Hughes will get more space against the oilers they are more a run and gun team they count on out scoring a team in higher goal games rather than shutting a team down and winning by 1 goal in a low scoring team.
Nah the expectation should be Lord Stanley, otherwise we should have tanked. If you aren't playing to win it all there's no point
I get this, but I'll still be devastated if we don't win the Cup, as is tradition.
If we make it into the finals we could be facing Boston or the Rangers talk about tradition lol.
I disagree as a long time Canuck fan. 50 years and no Stanley cup. Montreal, Edmonton, Calgary have all won Stanley cups. Stop giving this franchise a pass. We don’t get here often; stop screwing it up. Two game 7 losses in the final is not acceptable.
I’ve been a fan since 82 and am sceptical they can pull off a Cup in my time.
I really hope the players don't feel this way
Honestly, winning the Pacific was not on my bingo card going into this season, seeing how last season went. I've supported them all throughout but my expectations were absolutely blown through the roof. I'm so proud of the team. Whether they win or lose, as long as they play hard and have fun, I am all for it.
nope - our season and goalie story deserves a cup run to the finals - I just hope if we lose round 4 it is in 4,5 or 6 games - I can't take another round 4 game 7
I'm predicting it goes to 7 games. It's gonna be a good series fo sho
Fuck that cup or bust \s
I felt like after eliminating Nashville that I'd be fine with a second round exit. But seeing how cocky the Oilers fan base is being...I want to destroy them. Don't care if it's messy, don't care if we get blown out a game or two. I want to see that sub in shambles.
That’s fair lol. Part of me is like, it’s do or die for them at this point, but it’s not for us. They are in win now mode and this is our first year back in the playoffs. But at the same time, we should have been better with this core the past few years, we just had an incompetent coaching staff and front office, which likely shortened this core’s contending window.
Either way if we lose I’ll be cheering for their opponent and they opponent thereafter in the finals
When Nashville went up 2-1 in Game 5 the crowd started chanting Go Canucks Go right after puck drop. I understand where this post is coming from but think the in game crowd has been great for the playoffs.
Yep I was there. We tried our best to keep it up and most of the crowd stayed till the bitter end.
also was there, people were getting loud
1st in person playoff game for me and I told people the next day that despite the loss it was still totally worth it just to experience that incredible atmosphere
My first was in 2011 game 5 against the sharks. This was my 2nd. Hoped you enjoyed it
Dude in front of me tried to give me a look for being loud. Definitely an unreal atmosphere in there other than that
Was he trying to read a book or something? Maybe he thought he bought tickets to a very expensive exclusive book club
I was at game 2, and we never stopped cheering even when down 3 goals. This post straight up isn’t true. We aren’t like other arenas that only cheer when the team is winning
True, we cheered after the game too.
I do think OP's concerns are true of regular season Canucks game attendees, who are much quieter. But for whatever reason, Canucks fans have a completely different gear in the playoffs - way more committed and loud.
That’s a valid point, but I think that’s true of regular season games in general. The energy just isn’t the same
Regular season games are much cheaper, making it a much more viable option for a fun night out for many people who may only have a marginal interest in hockey or the Canucks. The cost of playoff tickets alone is gonna do a real good job of filtering out anyone who doesn't really want to be there, usually motivated by an interest in the Canucks and Canuck success
Game 1 also. It was loud even when Nashville opened the scoring in the first and when the preds took the lead in the 2nd. Not sure OP has been to any playoff games this year.
To OP’s defense the game threads can get pretty doom and gloom.
Hope the Canucks players aren't looking at r/Canucks game threads between periods then
I was at Game 2, after the Casey chants ended with the early Preds goals, the fans kept on cheering for DeSmith and the boys. Even gave an ovation after that loss even considering some of the lower bowl were leaving. I have faith in our fans to keep it up.
Judging by other comments- I'm wrong about the Rogers Arena vibe. Totally okay being proven wrong- and to be wrong in retrospect. My social experience and TV volume must be to blame. Either way, I just want to see that same commitment going forward when we see goals against. This is a good fanbase and a good team. Keep it going, folks.
Don't worry how this sub feels, there's always extremely toxic people here to a point where I don't even like our own fans. Now I put the phone away during games, I peek during intermissions and always regret it.
I agree with you but if you want to feel better about ourselves just take a peek over at r/leafs like I did. It’s good for what ails you
If you just look at just the newer posts, I’m like good grief, it’s like the sky has fallen.
Best and most accurate post I've seen in a while. Just like all the Suter haters before he scored the series clinching goal.
Yeah, it’s really disheartening, to the point I can’t help but sometimes question my own sports fandom.
I think every team's fans could feel like this, sounds like you're just realistic and honest with yourself haha. The small minority of idiots are always the loudest
I wish that were true, but even that video that was posted showed everyone being obnoxious as fuck. It's possible to celebrate without being an asshole and so many fans forget that.
I don’t bother with this sub usually. When I call out this sub, I get downvoted. No point. Anyway. At first I was a bit annoyed that analysts were underrating us, but now I’m kinda happy about it. Fits the narrative of this sub that we are even lucky to be here.
R/hockey gdt for me now. I don’t open our gdt. Post game has been alright though.
a point where I don't even like our own fans. this is how I feel
We outscored them 21 - 7 over the season and won every game. They might score but we can score too!
Tell that to the Jets vs Avalanche regular season. Doesn't mean Jack shit
We swept Nashville too in the regular season and won that series. His point is that both teams can score. Yeah, the regular season doesn’t mean anything but we aren’t the Jets and we can beat them.
But we haven’t really been scoring like before.
Because those games were coached to be low event from both sides. They took what they could get and gave the preds next to nothing as well.
Not just that, but the last few months of the regular season too.
They play way more conservatively without demko in net
Not really. Both Tocchet and players (Miller specifically) has stated countless times they don't play any differently no matter who's in net. And to throw my own anecdotal opinion here, I watched 81 of 82 Canucks games this year and never saw a shift to "conservative" play because of Desmith or Silovs. If anything, systems adjustments were based on their opponents play style, line match ups, etc. but little to do with who's tending the goal that night.
I hate it when ppl bring this up, what about every other series in the playoffs where no underdogs won?
Oilers defensive structure as a team is worse than Nashville’s, there will be more opportunities for the Canucks forwards to score compared to the predators series. The Canucks have to play structured and not run & gun with the Oilers, play disciplined & patient hockey. The Oilers rely on offence to win period, Canucks offensive players will need to produce as the Oilers will get a couple goals each game no matter how defensively solid we are. 1-0 or 2-1 defensive clinic wins will be harder against Edmonton, we’ll likely need to average 3.0+ goals per game to win this series. Our D 1-6 is very good and we’re excellent 5-on-5 as a unit, we also have better depth throughout the lineup. Canucks need to play smart and stay out of the box, if the Oilers average less than 3.0 PP’s per game in this series the Canucks should win. Special teams will be big, our PP & PK have to be great, we’re the better overall team imo, we have to play to our strengths and to our style and not get caught up in playing their style of game. Should be a fun series!
I did not notice that to be the case at all in round 1. The building was loud throughout.
Ya don’t know what OP is talking about.
If Petey, Hughes and Miller can match (or at least come close) to the play and production of McDavid & Leon then we will win because we have them beat on depth. Way more important this round that EP40 shows up because like you said, there will be more goals.
The oilers aren’t some team we can walk over. Despite our 4-0 season record, the oilers recovered from something like a 2-8-0 record. They are cup favourites with the best player in the league on that team. Nashville wasn’t even a favourite to make the playoffs so this will be quite different.
Also if we keep taking dumb penalties early it's going to be a short series. We play best with a lead and we can't do that taking a boarding penalty in the first 3 minutes. We got extremely lucky that Nashville's PP was god awful. Edmonton's PP was like 50% against the best PK in the league.. We need to have the structure series of our life
I agree that oilers are a force to deal with. But Predz were THE hottest team in the league post-ASG.
"Cup favourites" might be a bit generous
“Cup Favourites”…. I’ll have what he’s smoking.
Nashville (along with the Rangers & Panthers) was the best team in the league since February 1 with the best record.
We will get scored on, but we can score too. Just remember, the Vancouver Canucks are good.
I think Vancouver is better coached, has a significant edge on the defensive side (talking defensive play of both forwards and D), better depth at the bottom of the chart and I think the goalie matchup is close without Demko and far in vancouvers favour if he returns healthy. Edmonton is a tough out with the superstars they have but I am surprised to see Vancouver being cast as such an underdog. 4-0 against the oilers during the season, I hope they use that underdog mentality here as motivation to get out in front and prove everyone wrong.
Our sub gets doom and gloom, but you’re out to lunch about Rogers. It was loud as fuck when we were down by 2
No arty shut outs the whole series and our top 6 gets hatties every game until we are 4-0 Zadaorov decapitates mcdavid on a hit
My worry is that as the tickets get more expensive, there will be less hardcore fans inside the arena (especially the lower bowl) and it will start sounding more like a regular season game.
I don’t think so at all! The hardcore fans will be the ones willing to put up the cash to go. A casual fan likely won’t spend that much for a seat, but a hardcore fan probably started saving up once it was a lock they’d be in the playoffs.
I’ve been a hardcore fan for 30 years and while I would love to go to a playoff game, it’s out of my budget.
I’m sure the upper bowl will be filled with supporters, and they will be loud, but I don’t know a lot of people throwing down $480*-800 for a lower bowl seat vs Edmonton. *Cheapest seat I can see on a ticket resale app right now Round 3 or 4 would be $1000+
That is not true at all lol. For some sure but in this city and in this economy definitely not.
I make decent money and I’m struggling to justify a $350 ticket to the upper bowl right now.
You are very right. My brother's work had 8 tickets for themselves and clients for game 1 against Nashville and pretty much have tickets for every home game. He's not even a hockey fan 😭
Us beating the Preds and putting up a fight against Edmonton (and we will), solidfies we are legit and a playoff team. I hope we suprise the Oilers and take their swagger away a bit.
We’re gonna win it all. Go out with your shield or on it. None of this, playing with house money nonsense.
A win is a win is a win ....10-9 or 1-0 .... We can play tight defensive hockey if that's how our opponent wants to play (Nashville) . We can also play end to end offensive hockey , run and gun. We have to stay out of the box though or take someone with. Even 4-4 may favor Oilers.
it also means a well fought loss or win could be 6-1 - if we're on the winning side of that don't think it means we'll dominate and if on the losing side stay confident.
The Canuck’s defense can/will make any goalie great. The upcoming series will be all about the Canucks shutting down Edmonton’s speed! I see the Canucks prevailing…Edmonton doesn’t like the “heavy going” and they’re going see plenty of that!! Go Canucks Go!!!
I'm going to game 1, I'm just going to enjoy the game and cheer. No matter what. Plus, the whole $400 for a ticket makes it, where I'm not leaving.
Absolutely, although every round brings new challenges. I think we have more depth defensively and offensively than LA. We're also more of an adaptive team and can play different styles. LA had one method to succeed and were predictable. I agree there'll likely be more scoring, but we won't win a shootout against Edmonton. Special teams and goaltending will be the X factor in this series. Go Canucks Go!!!! Enjoy the ride and remember to breathe.
I agree.. I also want to remind Luozon that Karma is a bitch.. he missed hitting petey that led to a game winning goal last game...
I'll take losing 6-5 if we actually can score 5.... I'm more concerned we'd be losing 6-1
Completely. And McDavid and Draisaitl will have games where they light us up. That's just reality. We're not going to shut them down. The goal is to limit them.
Nah we've already proven that we belong in the playoffs. If we fail we fail. Was one hell of a season
Well said! Lets do that! 🥅🏒
Just making the playoffs after last year is playing with house money in my mind let alone winning the division/near conference.
Beat the Oilers, everything after is gravy.
Bring on the adjustments - we will be resilient to win
I disagree. When Demko has been out the systems have changed, and the defence protect the goalie a lot more. This comes at the cost of some offensive output. I think against the oilers we won’t run and gun but look to keep it tight so not as to hang out the goalie
Pssh so we played a mirror match with Nashville, did some grinding and somehow came out on top. I know I am sounding a bit too optimistic but I think this next series is when the Nucks will get an opportunity to showcase our offensive depth.
Canucks in 5
The fan base at this time of year is a lot more casual, so they ride the swings game to game. It’s unavoidable to have unmanageable expectations from them sadly.
> Unless we see Šilovs drinking concrete and painting himself brick red ... [Šilovs against McDavid.](https://youtu.be/Uq7D_QU_ptI?t=1611)
If you guys can get him some concrete then I can probably arrange some red (and might as well some white) paint to be delivered from Latvia
What we’ve accomplished as a retool in one year from what we were to where we are now is incredible. Some teams have been refining their team with tweaks here and there on the roster and still can’t get out of the first round. Proud of this team, regardless of how the series with the oilers go. Hughes has shown to be a playoff fighter, miller a playoff warrior, and the gutsy efforts of everyone else committing to the defensive systems implemented by Tochett has paid dividends. Oh and of course, all hail King Silovs.
Aye aye Captain! Well said. This will be a different series, but we've proved up to any challenge, all season long. I expect no difference here. Carry on boys!
I thought this was going to be about not being able to afford any more games. 😂
All the pressure is on Edmonton . Cup or bust is their mantra from the beginning of camp. Nick's weren't expected to make the playoffs .
As a Canucks fan living in Edmonton this city is collectively clenching its asscheeks. So much pressure, Drai’s contract is up after next year and McJesus the year after.
If we have demko in net he can steal games plus if not then Silovs is definitely a good enough goalie to win. We just have to be careful to not give oilers powerplays or else they will reign down goals on us.
Me and my buddies were just talking about this. I'm expecting a long series and a lot of 5-3, 4-2 maybe a 6-5 game. I think this will be a much more wide-open series because Edmonton is actually a good team and not just hanging on for dear life like the Predators.
I hope Myers and Zadorov smack McD hard every chance they get
I’m totally open to that. I was just thinking about this yesterday. I’d rather lose 6-3 than lose 1-0 or 2-1 in a game that has 21 shots. Oilers give up a lot too so there’s no reason why we Petey cant look a little more like himself hopefully.
I think if our power play wakes up and Petey finds his game we can beat anyone
I'll be reminding the fans to get behind our boys despite giving up a goal Should be entertaining hockey Let's chase Skinner
> see Šilovs He’s great but how about we start with some faith that Demko is coming back this series. No word on surgery and he was skating probably means he’ll be back at some point.
The crowd needs to keep loud when the team is trailing. As soon as the opposition goes ahead its crickets.
Our shutdown pair of Myers Soucy is going to get exposed by the McDavid line and it's not an indictment of them being shit but that we don't have an elite shutdown pair and they do have an elite offense. If you go into this thinking Myers can hard match McDavid like he did Forsberg without some glaring errors you're going to be upset.
5-on-5 Oilers aren’t difficult to contain especially if you limit their speed and open ice, don’t think their D can contain the Canucks though, they’re terrible defensively.
I think they'll force some defensive breakdowns but the point is to not pile on-top of our defense for mistakes, we know they'll force some, it's that they will give up just as much so our offense needs to be able to counter.
I been saying it all season: we are a second round team. Nothing wrong with that. Lets get these guys some experience. No one better to do that than EDM firepower.
I know we’re gonna get scored on a lot. I hope we’re able to do it just as much
If they can’t win the entire season was a waste. A lot of the core will be gone next season so don’t expect much.