Rick Tocchet doesnB次元官网网址檛 mind the fact that his Vancouver Canucks arenB次元官网网址檛 favoured to win against their next playoff opponent.
B次元官网网址淚 love being doubted,B次元官网网址� the head coach said.
Analysts have been skeptical of the Canucks all season, Tocchet added.
The team wasnB次元官网网址檛 favoured to make the playoffs, but spent much of the regular season hovering around the top of the NHL standings. Many believed the Canucks would fall apart in the first round, but Vancouver eliminated the Nashville Predators in a gritty, six-game series.
Now the betting odds are on the Edmonton Oilers to top the Canucks in a best-of-seven, second-round matchup that starts Wednesday.
ThatB次元官网网址檚 just fine by Tocchet.
B次元官网网址淚 think we kind of like that underdog role,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淎nd I think players should embrace it. I really do.B次元官网网址�
Vancouver was the dominant side in the regular-season series between the two clubs, with the Canucks sweeping the Oilers 4-0.
While there are lessons to take from those games, Edmonton B次元官网网址� which advanced to the second round by topping the L.A. Kings in a five-game series B次元官网网址� isnB次元官网网址檛 dwelling on the results, said head coach Kris Knoblauch.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 in the past, but obviously, with the series being as lopsided as it was, we need to address some things and change some things,B次元官网网址� he said.
B次元官网网址淲e were swept in the series and outscored pretty badly, so it would be pretty naive to say we didnB次元官网网址檛 need to change anything and everything went smoothly and weB次元官网网址檙e just going to play the Vancouver Canucks how we played.B次元官网网址�
After a rough start to the campaign, Edmonton finished the regular season second in the Pacific Division, five points back of Vancouver.
The Oilers have continued to roll in the playoffs, with captain Connor McDavid putting up a league-leading 12 points (one goal, 11 assists) in the first round. Zach Hyman has continued his blistering scoring pace, too, amassing seven goals across the first five games of the post-season.
The Canucks know the team theyB次元官网网址檒l face on Wednesday is much different than the one they beat during the regular season.
B次元官网网址淲e should be super excited. This is a rivalry that we love playing against,B次元官网网址� said forward J.T. Miller. B次元官网网址淥bviously, a couple special players over there. We should take a lot of pride in these games. And I know that we have going back to Game 1 of this season. And obviously theyB次元官网网址檙e going to be hungry.B次元官网网址�
Special teams are sure to be key in the second-round series.
The Oilers utilized a potent power play against the Kings, capitalizing on 45 per cent of their chances with the man advantage. The Canucks power play, meanwhile, struggled, operating at just 15.4 per cent against the Predators.
Both Vancouver and Edmonton relied on formidable penalty kills in the first round, too, with the Oilers killing off every single infraction they faced. The Canucks penalty kill was 90.9 per cent.
Things can change quickly between playoff series, though, McDavid said.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e a good power-play unit. That being said, theyB次元官网网址檙e going to throw different things at us, weB次元官网网址檒l throw different things at them,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a playoff series. And weB次元官网网址檒l challenge each other. TheyB次元官网网址檙e a good PK, weB次元官网网址檙e a good power play. WeB次元官网网址檒l see.B次元官网网址�
Wednesday will mark the first playoff game between Edmonton and Vancouver since 1992, when the Oilers bested the Canucks in a six-game set.
Going up against a Canadian team in the second round feels a bit like the 2022 playoffs when the Oilers faced their provincial rivals, the Calgary Flames, in a post-season Battle of Alberta, McDavid said.
B次元官网网址淭wo excited buildings, Canadian cities, so I would expect it to be pretty similar to that,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淥bviously a new challenge and IB次元官网网址檓 looking forward to that.B次元官网网址�
Both sides may be without some key players for Game 1.
Edmonton forward Adam Henrique missed practice with an ankle injury Tuesday. On the Canucks side, centre Elias Pettersson also missed practice Tuesday, though Tocchet said he was B次元官网网址渏ust a little bit under the weather.B次元官网网址�
VancouverB次元官网网址檚 star goalie, Thatcher Demko, is still recovering from a lower-body injury that kept him out of all but one game in the first round. Tocchet has not said whether it will be rookie Arturs Silovs or veteran backup Casey DeSmith in the CanucksB次元官网网址� net to start the second-round series.
TALE OF THE TAPE
Regular-season series: Vancouver 4-0
Goals per game: Edmonton B次元官网网址� 3.56 (4th); Vancouver B次元官网网址� 3.40 (6th)
Top scorers: Edmonton B次元官网网址� Connor McDavid, 132 points; Vancouver B次元官网网址� J.T. Miller, 103 points
Starting goaltender: Vancouver B次元官网网址� Thatcher Demko, 35-14-2, 2.45 GAA, .918 save percentage; Edmonton B次元官网网址� Stuart Skinner, 57-36-16, 2.62 GAA, .905 save percentage
Power play percentage: Edmonton B次元官网网址� 26.3 (4th); Vancouver B次元官网网址� 22.7 (11th)
Penalty kill percentage: Edmonton B次元官网网址� 79.5 (15th); Vancouver B次元官网网址� 79.1 (17th)
The Big Stat: The Canucks spent 78 per cent of their first-round series within one goal of the Predators. The Oilers spent 58 per cent of their matchup within a single tally of the Kings.
