WCQF: Vancouver Canucks vs Nashville Predators (VAN Leads 3-2)

[Zalos]

Nashville has been incredibly good down the stretch, and in comparison Vancouver has slowed down considerably. Which version of each team will show up in this playoff series?

I am going to go with Vancouver in 7.

 

[strattonius]

Don’t get me wrong It’s not like the canucks are a pushover either.

I just think it’s going to be a lot tighter than what I see is getting credited


This is going to be a good series

You're exaggerating. There's always going to be extreme opinions of sweep or whatever this isn't Canuck fan exclusive.

Agreed going to be a good series. Hughes vs. Josi; Demko vs Saros are both compelling storylines.

 

[SeawaterOnIce]

Haven’t you heard the Predators are clutch and grab trap team that has to win 1-0 on a lucky goal in OT.

Well, duh! That Ronning-Johnson-Fitzgerald line has provided most of your offense this season.

 

[Paradise Circus]

Preds just landed YVR

 

[Snubbed4Vezina]

I had the Canucks pegged as a first round loser but the Predators really cooled off toward the end of the season. Vancouver in 6.

 

[Raistlin]

Nashville has been incredibly good down the stretch, and in comparison Vancouver has slowed down considerably. Which version of each team will show up in this playoff series?

I am going to go with Vancouver in 7.

everyone knows they miss having Demko in net. Of lesser acclaim is how much they missed having Dakota Joshua to finish on the 3rd line. If EP becomes the 100 point threat he was early in the season. Thats 3 potent lines coming in waves with a vezina candidate in net. Vancouver in 6 if stars align and everyone is playing to expectation.

 

[AlainVigneaultsGum]

Your board has a meltdown after every loss against Vancouver, which happened a lot this year lol.

They have a meltdown when you tell them gg lmao.

 

[Rowlet]

They have a meltdown when you tell them gg lmao.

They have a melt down when the Canucks at home beat an out of conference team on a back to back with a 4 hour flight in between games because it had to just be luck.

 

[olli]

Nashville in 7. Vancouver is better on paper but I have a feeling Nashville is a team of destiny like there were in 2016.

 

[rea]

Its the 30th anniversary of the 1994 cup finals run, I could see them run skate blacks at home, I'd kill for skate whites away too.

Skate whites at home w the towels like yesteryear.

 

[Rowlet]

Skate whites at home w the towels like yesteryear.

You can't do skate whites at home because the other team will wear colours at home so the Canucks would end up doing all whites all post-season.

I'm not complaining, I love the whites, but I like the black too.

 

[Paradise Circus]

Are the Canucks wearing the White Skate in the POs?

 

[Rowlet]

Are the Canucks wearing the White Skate in the POs?

No word yet, but god I hope so

 

[SeawaterOnIce]

Nashville in 7. Vancouver is better on paper but I have a feeling Nashville is a team of destiny like there were in 2016.

Don't you mean 2017?

 

[odin1981]

Cheering for Vancouver, hope you don't mind it. Playoff bandwagoner here.

 

[notsocommonsense]

Cheering for Vancouver, hope you don't mind it. Playoff bandwagoner here.

Welcome aboard!

 

[Osprey]

Since no one has posted the schedule yet:

Game 1 - Sun, Apr 21 @ Vancouver - 7:00pm PT / 9:00pm CT
Game 2 - Tue, Apr 23 @ Vancouver - 7:00pm PT / 9:00pm CT
Game 3 - Fri, Apr 26 @ Nashville - 4:30pm PT / 6:30pm CT
Game 4 - Sun, Apr 28 @ Nashville - 2:00pm PT / 4:00pm CT
Game 5* - Tue, Apr 30 @ Vancouver
Game 6* - Fri, May 3 @ Nashville
Game 7* - Sun, May 5 @ Vancouver
*If Necessary

 

[Uncle Scrooge]

There isn't a massive difference between the two teams, but I think Vancouver matches up pretty well against the Preds. We saw that in the regular season.

The back-ends as a whole are pretty similar level in my opinion, but the Canucks just have more talent. Put 2 and 2 together and over 7 games they should have the edge.

I think for the Preds to win, they need the young guys to step up in a big way. Otherwise the middle 6 probably falls short.

 

[Gnashville]

Well, duh! That Ronning-Johnson-Fitzgerald line has provided most of your offense this season.

If Dunham stands on his head they have a shot.

 

[Osprey]

There isn't a massive difference between the two teams, but I think Vancouver matches up pretty well against the Preds. We saw that in the regular season.

It should be noted that all three meetings in the regular season were early in the season, before the Preds turned it around. The Canucks likely still do match up well with the Preds, but the Preds are also playing better than when the Canucks last faced them.

 

[John Mandalorian]

Predators have less to lose.

 

[Javaman]

Problem with that is that Nashville has been consistently good from late November until now, basically the 6th best record since that time across the league. And yes we may have been sub .500, but the difference between the two teams in that stretch:

5-4-1 for Vancouver
4-5 -1 for Nashville

I wouldn't exactly call that worlds apart, the difference is one game.

We also finished the season with 3 games in 4 nights and also rested some guys, so that can skew things a bit. Not to mention in the last game Pittsburgh was desperate, us not so much.

Trust me, I get it. I'm not one of those Canucks fans who are saying cringeworthy things like "The Canucks have a 1st round bye in the playoffs, lol." I just don't think you can completely look past what happened in the regular season.

Both teams finished the season in mediocre fashion. Both teams are capable of playing at a much higher level than they showed in the final stretch and both teams appear to be fully healthy.

I picked the Canucks in 6 because I feel, in the end, they have the better roster. I don't really see an area where the Predators have a distinct advantage over the Canucks either. I don't think it will be easy, and I won't be shocked if the Preds win the series. I'm just hyped for finally seeing the Canucks in the playoffs again and am hoping for an entertaining series.

 

[triggrman]

Trust me, I get it. I'm not one of those Canucks fans who are saying cringeworthy things like "The Canucks have a 1st round bye in the playoffs, lol." I just don't think you can completely look past what happened in the regular season.

Both teams finished the season in mediocre fashion. Both teams are capable of playing at a much higher level than they showed in the final stretch and both teams appear to be fully healthy.

I picked the Canucks in 6 because I feel, in the end, they have the better roster. I don't really see an area where the Predators have a distinct advantage over the Canucks either. I don't think it will be easy, and I won't be shocked if the Preds win the series. I'm just hyped for finally seeing the Canucks in the playoffs again and am hoping for an entertaining series.

In fairness Preds had a bunch of new players playing a totally different style of hockey, it took a minute. Not that it would have been any different outcome wise, just saying it was during a major adjustment period

 

[Javaman]

In fairness Preds had a bunch of new players playing a totally different style of hockey, it took a minute. Not that it would have been any different outcome wise, just saying it was during a major adjustment period

Just to clarify, when you say "major adjustment period," do you mean at the start of the season or post-TDL?

 

[Peter Griffin]

I’m excited for this series. I preferred Nashville over LA/Vegas, not because I think they’re an easier opponent, but rather because I feel both teams are quite similar and I think it will be a really entertaining series because of that.