Expectations for the Vancouver Canucks were not high heading into the season.

Asked in September if he expected the team to make the playoffs, president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford hedged.

B次元官网网址淭o be very to the point, the changes that we made, we have a playoff team if everything goes right,B次元官网网址� he said.

Things did go right.

On Sunday, the Canucks will host their first home playoff game since 2015 when they kick off a first-round matchup against the Nashville Predators.

Vancouver has been one of the big surprises of the NHL season. The team went 23-9-3 ahead of the Christmas break and consistently hovered near the top of the league standings before capturing the Pacific Division title with a 50-23-9 record.

B次元官网网址淚 think if someone told us where we would be this time (of the) year in the summer, obviously weB次元官网网址檇 take it,B次元官网网址� said captain Quinn Hughes. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 different when youB次元官网网址檙e building something every day and youB次元官网网址檙e living it. But we knew we had some good pieces in here and weB次元官网网址檝e got a great staff, and management did a really good job with putting pieces together.

B次元官网网址淎nd it hasnB次元官网网址檛 been easy, but we did everything we were supposed to do.B次元官网网址�

Players arrived in Vancouver well ahead of training camp last fall, trading their late-summer plans for group skates.

Brock Boeser, the teamB次元官网网址檚 longest-tenured player, says it feels B次元官网网址渁mazingB次元官网网址� to see the hard work result in a playoff spot and division title.

B次元官网网址淥bviously, we were sick and tired of losing,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淎nd thatB次元官网网址檚 why we came here early to try and set that standard, set those expectations. I think we had that great start to the year and just built off it. WeB次元官网网址檝e had our ups and downs, but I think weB次元官网网址檝e learned a lot.B次元官网网址�

Several of the CanucksB次元官网网址� top players shone throughout the season, putting up career-high numbers.

Hughes led all NHL defenceman with 92 points. Boeser hit the 40-goal mark. Three Vancouver players were among the leagueB次元官网网址檚 top-20 scorers, including forward J.T. Miller with a team-high 103 points. Even after missing a month with a knee injury, goalie Thatcher Demko finished with a 35-14-2 record, a .918 save percentage and five shutouts.

Point totals and division titles donB次元官网网址檛 count in the post-season, noted winger Conor Garland.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 nice, but once Game 1 comes around, itB次元官网网址檒l all be meaningless,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淲e give ourselves a chance getting into the playoffs. It really doesnB次元官网网址檛 matter if youB次元官网网址檙e the eighth seed or the No. 1 seed, everybody has a chance. And thatB次元官网网址檚 what everybody fights for all year.B次元官网网址�

Head coach Rick Tocchet preached the importance of having a B次元官网网址渄ay-to-day mindsetB次元官网网址� throughout the season. That wonB次元官网网址檛 change come playoffs, he said.

B次元官网网址淚 think for our group, we just have to worry about Game 1,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淵ou canB次元官网网址檛 look at the big thing, B次元官网网址榃hat if?B次元官网网址� or B次元官网网址榊ouB次元官网网址檝e got to win a series,B次元官网网址� all that stuff. I think itB次元官网网址檚 dangerous when you think that way.

B次元官网网址淚 think, honestly, weB次元官网网址檝e got to prepare for that first period against Nashville and be ready to play from that first shift. B次元官网网址� I think when you think big picture, thatB次元官网网址檚 when you get nervous.B次元官网网址�

NHL playoff experience is one thing many of VancouverB次元官网网址檚 stars lack. The CanucksB次元官网网址� last playoff run came in the Edmonton bubble during the COVID-abbreviated 20219-20 season.

B次元官网网址淭hat was different. That was tough,B次元官网网址� said Garland, who played for the Arizona Coyotes at the time. B次元官网网址淥ur games were at like, 10 in the morning. So I was eating pasta at 8 a.m. It wasnB次元官网网址檛 the most fun IB次元官网网址檝e had in my life.

B次元官网网址淭his year is different. IB次元官网网址檒l find out.B次元官网网址�

Six current Canucks played for Vancouver in the bubble, including Boeser. Playoffs this year will be completely different, he said.

B次元官网网址淚 think weB次元官网网址檝e just got to look at it as our first time,B次元官网网址� Boeser said. B次元官网网址淛ust with the fans and the momentum shift and all that, itB次元官网网址檚 something new to us and something I think weB次元官网网址檙e going to have to embrace.B次元官网网址�

The Canucks swept their season series against Nashville, but all three games took place before Christmas and the Predators were one of the NHLB次元官网网址檚 hottest teams coming out of the all-star break. Nashville took points from 18 straight games across February and March, and finished the regular season fourth in a ultra-competitive Central Division.

The late-season push doesnB次元官网网址檛 scare Canucks winger Dakota Joshua.

B次元官网网址淚 feel good about facing anybody,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚 think this group is a confident one.B次元官网网址�

The results of the Vancouver-Nashville season series will help going into the playoffs, Joshua added.

B次元官网网址淵ou know you can beat them,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淏ut at the end of the day, you start off 0-0. They were a pretty hot team here down the stretch, so theyB次元官网网址檙e feeling probably a lot better than the times we played them during the season. And it should be a great series.B次元官网网址�

TALE OF THE TAPE

Regular-season series: Vancouver 3-0

Goals per game: Vancouver B次元官网网址� 3.40 (6th); Nashville B次元官网网址� 3.24 (10th).

Top scorers: Vancouver B次元官网网址� J.T. Miller, 103 points; Nashville B次元官网网址� Filip Forsberg, 94

Starting goaltender: Vancouver B次元官网网址� Thatcher Demko, 35-14-2, 2.45 GAA, .918 save percentage; Nashville B次元官网网址� Juuse Saros, 35-24-5, 2.86 GAA, .906 save percentage

Power play percentage: Vancouver B次元官网网址� 22.7 (11th); Nashville B次元官网网址� 21.6 (16th)

Penalty kill percentage: Vancouver B次元官网网址� 79.1 (17th); Nashville B次元官网网址� 76.9 (22nd)

The Big Stat: Vancouver went 17-12-4 after the all-star break while Nashville was 21-7-3.

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