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

[Sergei Shirokov]

why was the arena waving their towels cheering as their team lost home ice advantage?

Kind of a silly thing to say no?

We have good fans that would rather try and support and hype the team up for the road trip.

What, do you expect us all to riot or something?

Was at the game, I was a little surprised at that but the crowd was great & into it from start to finish. Possibly the best crowd I've been apart of. Think people were just happy to have this opportunity & enjoyed the night.

The bandwagon is starting to fill up again around here

 

[Grigowski]

Weird game...Both teams staying under 20 shots...... Nashville "turtled" to a 4-1 win......Crazy amount of blocked shots....

It was very effective this time, but i doubt that this is sustainable for Nashville.

 

[soothsayer]

Interesting. I only caught the 3rd period, and all I saw was what looked like an incredibly focused protect the lead strategy. Kind of like old NYR coach Tom Renney's "5 In The Picture" emphasis on clogging the middle with shot blocking bodies.
Even that last PP for the Predators looked like an effort to not give the puck away (though I thought the players didn't even do that well and it became a very confused looking PP).

I am guilty of seeing only 1/3 of the game.
What the Predators were doing was incredibly effective, though. The Canucks had no answer to it when I was watching it.

I'm looking forward to seeing more of, if not all, Game 3.

I saw exactly what you saw, but I saw the whole game and it was the same throughout. Nashville clogged the middle of their zone to push everything to the outside and block the long range shots, and the Canucks were happy to oblige.

You would think the Canucks would try moving the puck around to break Nashville's formation or create more passing plays near the net, but instead they just kept trying long-range and outside shots over and over and over again. I'd be curious to see a shot chart showing where the Canucks were taking their shots to see if what I was seeing matches, because while they looked to be controlling the play most of the game, they didn't look dynamic at all. If they don't adjust, the Canucks are going to lose this series. Nashville is too good at blocking shots and Saros is too damn good to lose to a static shooting strategy.

 

[Pucklington]

Weird game...Both teams staying under 20 shots...... Nashville "turtled" to a 4-1 win......Crazy amount of blocked shots....

It was very effective this time, but i doubt that this is sustainable for Nashville.

They have the goalie to make it sustainable, and with the unfortunate luck Canucks just suffered...

At this point, they should play low event hockey and leave it up between which goalie makes more mistakes.

 

[Oliewud]

we missed multiple empty nets

literally everything that could go right for nashville did... those horseshoes wont last for long

 

[beardawg]

What was up with Hughes just holding the puck behind his own net for the entire final 30 seconds of the 2nd period, right after the Canucks just had a PP killed? You don't really see that in the regular season unless it's the end of the game and your team is winning...seemed like he was just waving a white flag with a period left to go. Kind of a head scratcher

 

[Three On Zero]

Some HF posters:

Why don't the Canucks support their team when they're losing?

Also Some HF posters:

Why do the Canucks support their team when they're losing?

It’s doesn’t fit that odd bandwagon narrative people try to use, that’s why

 

[PredsV82]

Weird game...Both teams staying under 20 shots...... Nashville "turtled" to a 4-1 win......Crazy amount of blocked shots....

It was very effective this time, but i doubt that this is sustainable for Nashville.

Should be different in Nashville when we have control of matchups. People crap on "turtling" but in a road playoff game with a 2 goal lead in the third, anyone who doesn't focus mainly on defense and shot blocking/suppression is an idiot.

 

[Three On Zero]

Should be different in Nashville when we have control of matchups. People crap on "turtling" but in a road playoff game with a 2 goal lead in the third, anyone who doesn't focus mainly on defense and shot blocking/suppression is an idiot.

Turtling or not, you have to appreciate how Nashville played. They had a system and stuck to it, went up a few goals on bad goaltending and grinded the game out after that. That was a near perfect playoff game.

These low shot games are actually far more entertaining due to teams sticking to a defensive system. Not every game should be a defence/goaltending need not apply gongshow.

 

[beardawg]

Should be different in Nashville when we have control of matchups. People crap on "turtling" but in a road playoff game with a 2 goal lead in the third, anyone who doesn't focus mainly on defense and shot blocking/suppression is an idiot.

Seems like it was finally an adjustment on the fly by Bruno to focus on closing the game. The boys are bought in

 

[BonMorrison]

Shocked they pulled the win out while turtling but I'll take it. It's going to be a very different team in Nashville with the match-ups they want.

 

[triggrman]

They have the goalie to make it sustainable, and with the unfortunate luck Canucks just suffered...

At this point, they should play low event hockey and leave it up between which goalie makes more mistakes.

That rope a dope bullswhip last night isn't sustainable. Like the other guys said, we had to depend on shot blocking and luck.

I'd also say that, while screen Saros is the best way to score on him, you have to have more than dump it to the point and hope the shot gets through if you're Vancouver. Vancouver seemed happy to stay outside, move the puck around the outside, get it to the point and hope for a screened unblocked shot.

 

[Three On Zero]

That rope a dope bullswhip last night isn't sustainable. Like the other guys said, we had to depend on shot blocking and luck.

I'd also say that, while screen Saros is the best way to score on him, you have to have more than dump it to the point and hope the shot gets through if you're Vancouver. Vancouver seemed happy to stay outside, move the puck around the outside, get it to the point and hope for a screened unblocked shot.

Nashville was more than content to just set up and let Vancouver have free rein of the perimeter. It was weird but also very effective

 

[triggrman]

Nashville was more than content to just set up and let Vancouver have free rein of the perimeter. It was weird but also very effective

yeah, I don't like it though. Nashville wasn't even contesting the zone entries. That's just not something we've seen out of this Nashville team.

 

[BonMorrison]

yeah, I don't like it though. Nashville wasn't even contesting the zone entries. That's just not something we've seen out of this Nashville team.

Yup. With how we played in Game 1 and 2, I think people who didn't really watch us in the regular season think this is how we've played all year when it's actually the exact opposite. Bruno made adjustments last night (honestly surprised he did), I don't think they're sustainable adjustments but he obviously just wanted us to get the road win no matter how grimy.

 

[triggrman]

Yup. With how we played in Game 1 and 2, I think people who didn't really watch us in the regular season think this is how we've played all year when it's actually the exact opposite. Bruno made adjustments last night (honestly surprised he did), I don't think they're sustainable adjustments but he obviously just wanted us to get the road win no matter how grimy.

Agreed, I just don't expect it to continue. Having said that, Canucks are one of the few teams that totally outskate Nashville so maybe Bruno is actually brilliant. Edit: How many times this season have we've seen other teams do this to us and at the end we're like we just couldn't finish.....

 

[ZYXWVUT]

Van could be in trouble without Demko (goes without saying). But what team wouldn't be without their vezina caliber netminder, aside from the Bruins? Changes the dynamic of the team, even if they didn't score enough last night to win regardless.

 

[avsfan9]

What was up with Hughes just holding the puck behind his own net for the entire final 30 seconds of the 2nd period, right after the Canucks just had a PP killed? You don't really see that in the regular season unless it's the end of the game and your team is winning...seemed like he was just waving a white flag with a period left to go. Kind of a head scratcher

He’s getting a taste of playoff pressure. Teams are going to be on him every chance they get. His time with the puck is going to drop significantly. Welcome to the playoffs kid!

 

[Bizzare]

I don't think that they should be doing that. However, isn't it weird to be cheering when your team loses?

Yes, very weird to support your team no matter what.

 

[Three On Zero]

yeah, I don't like it though. Nashville wasn't even contesting the zone entries. That's just not something we've seen out of this Nashville team.

It’s not common to have a game like last night where both fanbases sit back and go “what in the f*** was that?”

He’s getting a taste of playoff pressure. Teams are going to be on him every chance they get. His time with the puck is going to drop significantly. Welcome to the playoffs kid!

Post about why Hughes had the puck for so long and a response about how Hughes is going to have the puck less?

 

[Ginormousthumbs]

It’s a shame Vancouver is going to go out because of DeStink.

 

[SeanMoneyHands]

I blame 11.6M dollar man Pettersson more than DeSmith. Pettersson needs to get going, Vancouver has no chance if he's shutdown every game.

 

[CornKicker]

it was pretty clear that nashville considers vancouver a perimeter team and they exposed it last night. great shot suppression on weak outside attempts. the canucks need to get miller/garland etc to crash that net and they need to attack the middle or they will be out in 6 games

 

[Three On Zero]

it was pretty clear that nashville considers vancouver a perimeter team and they exposed it last night. great shot suppression on weak outside attempts. the canucks need to get miller/garland etc to crash that net and they need to attack the middle or they will be out in 6 games

They don’t consider Vancouver a perimeter team, they forced Vancouver to be a perimeter team

 

[CornKicker]

They don’t consider Vancouver a perimeter team, they forced Vancouver to be a perimeter team

kind of agree, if vancouver wants to have any chance in the series they need to break that up asap