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Canucks pull off big comeback win in return of playoff hockey to Vancouver

Noah Strang
Noah Strang
|
Apr 22 2024, 4:46 am
Canucks pull off big comeback win in return of playoff hockey to Vancouver
Bob Frid/USA TODAY Sports


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The Vancouver Canucks came from behind to capture Game 1 of their series against the Nashville Predators by a score of 4-2.

It was Dakota Joshua, just recently name the team’s unsung hero, who had two goals and an assist to power the team to victory.

The Canucks were trailing 2-1 with just over ten minutes to play but a hectic 20 seconds saw the momentum of the game completely shift as the home team struck twice. They would never relinquish that newfound lead and added an empty-net goal later for good measure.

It had been nearly a decade since Rogers Arena played host to a playoff game and Canucks fans showed up in full force to support their local team.

“This building was incredible, helped us all night,” said Joshua to Canucks in-house reporter Kate Pettersen after the game.

The atmosphere was electric and the air buzzed with anticipation, both inside and outside the building.

The buzz only grew as the team took the ice to U2’s Where the Streets Have No Names, just as they did during the famous 2011 playoff run.

The crowd was making their presence felt, just like head coach Rick Tocchet asked for this morning.

“When we came out on the ice today it was probably one of the more special things I’ve been a part of, other than the birth of my children and my wedding,” said J.T. Miller after the game. “It’s hard not to get choked up when you see that, I mean that literally is everything. That emotion and that noise and the towels. If you can’t get up for that then you’ve got something wrong with you. That was amazing.”

“I think I got a different perspective on what hockey means to the people here and it was awesome,” continued the veteran who has won over the love of the fanbase.

The game got off to a slow start with both teams focused on taking the body early. The opening period featured a combined 35 hits but just 10 total shots between the two teams.

“It was perfect,” said Miller about the physical opening frame. “We kept joking that there wasn’t even a puck out there in the first.”

The Predators got the first dangerous scoring chance when Anthony Beauvillier fire a shot at a wide-open cage off a two-on-one. He was denied by his former teammate Demko as the Predators got an introduction to the Vezina Trophy-candidate goalie.

While Demko shut the door on that scoring chance early, he was beat for the first goal of the game later in the first period. Elias Pettersson was waved out of the faceoff circle and Sam Lafferty took the draw in his place. There was a defensive miscommunication after the ensuring faceoff loss and the Predators got on the board first.

It was mid-season acquisition Elias Lindholm who scored the Canucks first goal of the postseason. His wrist shot beat Juuse Saros at the start of the second period to tie the game at one.

Lindholm’s goal seemed to kickstart the Canucks into hyperdrive as they dominated the next ten minutes, keeping the puck in the Predators zone.

The Predators took back their lead later in the second period when Ryan O’Reilly beat Demko on the power play. The Canucks goalie’s glove was interfered with on the play but Rick Tocchet decided not to challenge, perhaps wisely as it’s unclear if the goal would’ve been overturned.

The home team then took two more penalties in the second period, giving the Predators a chance to double their lead. However a few successful kills would keep the deficit at one.

Both teams killed off penalties to start the third period as the Canucks desperately tried to find the tying goal. They would eventually get it on a shot from captain Quinn Hughes near the midway point of the final period which found the back of the net through traffic. The goal was originally given to Hughes but later changed to Pius Suter.

Just as the crowd was settling down from celebrating the tying goal, Dakota Joshua got them back out of their seats with the go-ahead marker. The two goals came just 12 seconds apart, completely switching the contest’s momentum and sending the crowd into a frenzy.

“I couldn’t be happier for him,” said the American-born Miller about Joshua. “He’s such a big part of this hockey team and I don’t even know if he knows how good he is.”

It was the fastest pair of goals in Canucks playoff history.

The 6-foot-3 forward had a breakout season this year with 18 goals in 63 games. He continued that good play with this huge goal and added anĀ empty-net goal later to propel the team to victory.

“It was like a foot-on-the-gas mentality on the bench. We didn’t feel scared or we didn’t feel like we needed to play safe,” commented Miller about the Canucks play when up 3-2.

Joshua could be seen having some fun with linemate Conor Garland on the bench as the clock ticked down in the third period.

Game 2 of the series is set for Tuesday back at Rogers Arena. The Canucks will look to defend home ice and take a 2-0 series lead while the Predators will be fighting to not fall behind by two games.

“Expect the response but also I’m not going to wait for them to respond. I think that we should go at them again and go harder,” said Miller after the game, previewing what should be an intense Game 2.

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