Canucks Have Some Adjustments to Make for Game 2

Their physicality allowed the club and crowd to remain engaged despite trailing for the majority of the game. Playoff hockey calls for more physical play as refs tend to put their whistles away. Therefore, penalties that usually would be called on Myers and Zadorov for hitting smaller players, aren’t called as much. However, the Canucks did receive four penalties and will need to be wary of making careless plays without the puck.

The Canucks set the tone with their physical play and continued to mix in physicality between the whistle. The most memorable moment came when Myers punched Colton Sissons in front of the net and cleared things up while Thatcher Demko covered the puck. That type of toughness is important as it shows the Canucks won’t be pushed around, and having players with size such as Myers, Zadorov, and Joshua helps with that. 

Change: Podkozlin in for PDG

Head coach Rick Tocchet decided to play a veteran forward in Phillip Di Giuseppe instead of a younger forward in Vasiliy Podkolzin. The coach opted for experience early on in the series. 

“Sometimes in the first games, sometimes you might go with experience early on,” Tocchet said. “Things like that, gut feeling, if [Di Giuseppe] does play, I thought he played good against Nashville the first three games at the beginning of the year, I think he scored a goal. You’re looking for anything like that but experience does help.”

However, Di Giuseppe struggled in Game 1 for the Canucks. The forward made a few mistakes with poor shot selection and being over-aggressive during the penalty kill, which led to Ryan O’Reilly’s power-play goal. He also took a third-period tripping penalty which the Canucks managed to kill off before coming back and winning the game.

Replacing the veteran for the younger Podkolzin benefits the team in a few ways. It allows the club to manage the situation the young forward is in as he would be playing at home, while the team is up one game and the coaching staff can manage his minutes. Additionally, the young forward has shown he is a playoff performer in other leagues throughout his playing career. In the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), he scored seven goals and posted 14 points through 20 games in two appearances. Meanwhile, in the Supreme Hockey League (VHL) he’s scored two goals and posted three points in nine games through two appearances, and in the American Hockey League (AHL), he’s scored a goal and posted two points in two games. He has performed well in the postseason at high levels.

Podkolzin has shown he can produce in the postseason and his style of play suits it. Since returning to the NHL from his AHL stint, he led the team in hits per 60 with 20.74. At the very least, Podkolzin can lean into his physical edge and make a difference. 

Keep: Joshua-Lindholm-Garland Line

The line of Miller, Brock Boeser, and Pius Suter was the Canucks best for the full 60 minutes of Game 1. However, the line of Joshua, Elias Lindholm, and Conor Garland was the difference maker. Lindholm scored the first goal of the game for the Canucks, while Joshua scored the third and fourth. Garland pitched in on the third goal, finding the big winger open in front of the net. 

Throughout the season, the duo of Joshua and Garland have played with multiple different centres. However, in the playoffs, Lindholm seems to be the perfect centreman for the dynamic duo. He plays a 200-foot game, which is crucial in the postseason. Not only did he open up the scoring on the first goal, but he caused the turnover on the game-winner. The Swede remained calm, which Tocchet noticed. 

“I didn’t see panic in his game. I love his demeanour. He knows how to play these type of games. I was never worried about him.”

With Lindholm on the third line, the Canucks can play four strong centres up the middle. Additionally, they can reunite the Lotto Line when they are desperate for a goal. 

Change: Replace Lafferty With Mikheyev on Pettersson’s Line

The first goal scored by the Predators came on poor coverage from Sam Lafferty, who replaced Elias Pettersson in the faceoff circle. The winger played alongside Pettersson and Nils Hoglander in Game 1, and the line struggled. Although Lafferty bought speed and size to the top six, the fit wasn’t there.

Lafferty has played well for the Canucks as a depth player, which is why he should return to the fourth line. Replacing him on the Pettersson’s line should be Ilya Mikheyev. The Russian forward had an up-and-down regular season but played well in Game 1. The forward plays well in the defensive ends and can use his speed on the forecheck to get Pettersson and Hoglander the puck. Getting Pettersson and Hoglander going is crucial to any long-term success the Canucks will have in the playoffs. 

Canucks Will Attempt to Pick up a Win Before Heading to Nashville

The Canucks have an opportunity to go up 2-0 in this first-round series against the Predators. To do so, they will have to ensure they continue playing a physical hockey brand. Additionally, keeping Lindholm at centre along with Joshua and Garland is important. Meanwhile, replacing Di Giuseppe with Podkolzin in the lineup while moving Lafferty to the fourth line and promoting Mikheyev to Pettersson’s line could lead to positive results.