Can the high-flying Canucks continue their roll into the playoffs, or will Filip Forsberg and Juuse Saros steal the series...
This will be the second-ever meeting between the Predators and Canucks in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. These two teams last faced off in the second round of the 2011 postseason, with Ryan Kesler and the Sedins leading the Canucks past the Predators four games to two.
It’s worth noting that this is only Vancouver’s second time qualifying for the playoffs since 2015. Save for a surprising run in the 2020 playoff bubble, the Canucks haven’t done anything of note past the middle of April for the better part of the last decade. Conversely, the Predators have been perennially in or around the playoff picture for the last number of years but have only advanced past the first round once since reaching the Stanley Cup Final in 2017.
Vancouver boasted the stronger power play of the two teams this season, with its 22.5 percent conversion rate ranking 10th in the league. Nashville finished 16th, at 21.6 percent. J.T. Miller led the Canucks with 40 power-play points this season, while Brock Boeser fired home a team-leading 16 power-play goals; Ryan O’Reilly paced the Preds with 14 power-play goals, while Roman Josi narrowly edged out Filip Forsberg with 33 power-play points.
Hughes is in the midst of a truly transcendent season that will almost certainly culminate with him winning the Norris Trophy as the league’s top defenseman. The 24-year-old rearguard has come into his own as a dominant player at both ends of the ice, using his elite skating, instincts, and puck skills to help his team score a ton of goals while allowing substantially fewer.
Beyond Hughes and Josi, it’s probably safe to say Vancouver’s defensive committee is slightly stronger. They’ve allowed fewer goals and chances on a per-60 basis all year long. And it makes sense when looking at the two depth charts: Nashville has Ryan McDonagh, Alex Carrier, and a lot of relative unknowns; Vancouver’s group is far from perfect but Filip Hronek, Carson Soucy, Tyler Myers, and Ian Cole have all had strong seasons.Thatcher Demko is having a career year with this Canucks team.
Both the Predators and Canucks have solid backup options, but make no mistake — this is the Demko vs. Saros show. If it gets to the point where Casey DeSmith or Kevin Lankinen are thrust into action, this series could get wild.The Canucks are relatively healthy across the board.
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