Win three games and you’re in. One good week. This simple mandate is precious to the Canucks’ less-experienced players who will have a chance to grow a little more and prove they can score goals and win games when it matters most. (via imacSportsnet)
“For sure, it’s huge,” veteran Canuck Brandon Sutter said from Sylvan Lake, Alta. “You don’t really quite realize what the intensity is like and… just how much fun the playoffs are. You’ve got to learn pretty quick how to raise your expectations for how you play out there. It’s just a fun time. For our young guys to get a little taste of that would be awesome.”
“Like we’ve been saying the last couple of years, we want them to play meaningful games down the stretch when the hockey matters,” Canucks general manager Jim Benning told reporters after the NHL announced Tuesday its ambitious 24-team playoff tournament. “The intensity and the focus, they’re going to see what it’s like now to play with that intensity. I think it’s great for our whole organization.
The Canucks believed they were a playoff team when their .565 winning percentage put them seventh in the Western Conference as the NHL suspended play on March 12. The league and its Return to Play Committee expanded the Stanley Cup field to 24 teams, but 16 of them still have to qualify for the official playoffs should the coronavirus allow the NHL to execute its plans for summer hockey.
And while the Canucks would like to call themselves a playoff team, if they fail to advance against the Wild, Vancouver has the benefit of getting back the first-round draft pick conditionally surrendered last June in the trade for J.T. Miller — in addition to the priceless experience gained by young players competing in playoff-like games.
“The league has tried to come up with something that’s fair for the teams,” Benning said. “We were fighting down the stretch to be a playoff team, and this is the format they’ve come up with, so we’re going to embrace it. We’re going to come back and be ready to go. This is a great opportunity for our players. Our players are excited to be part of this and we’re in the hunt. You win your share of games, you can keep playing. You’re playing for the Cup.
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Nash, Kane, O’Ree headline Class of 2020-21 in Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame - Sportsnet.caIntroducing the Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame 2020/21 inductees! 🤩👏 Steve Nash Lorie Kane Willie O'Ree Diane Jones Konihowski Details ➡️ sportshall | orderofsport
Read more »