Ian Cole vividly recalls how he felt before skating out for his first NHL playoff game.
91裸聊视频淗onestly, I just remember being scared,91裸聊视频� he said, punctuating his sentence with a mild expletive.
91裸聊视频淵ou91裸聊视频檙e so scared because you know how important it is. You91裸聊视频檙e like 91裸聊视频楯ust don91裸聊视频檛 make a mistake! Don91裸聊视频檛 make a mistake! Don91裸聊视频檛 make a mistake!91裸聊视频�91裸聊视频�
The fear didn91裸聊视频檛 last, but Cole91裸聊视频檚 playoff career did. The veteran defenceman has made 116 post-season appearances and he won back-to-back Stanley Cups with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2016 and 2017.
Now he91裸聊视频檚 sharing that experience with his Vancouver Canucks teammates as they prepare for their first playoff run in four years.
91裸聊视频淚 think the biggest thing that we should focus on is getting our game to its peak, to the very best it can be before we enter into battle,91裸聊视频� Cole said.
The Canucks (45-20-8) secured their post-season berth on Saturday, becoming the first Canadian team to book their spot.
The upcoming run has been a long time coming.
The Canucks last played post-season hockey in Edmonton at the end of the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign.
Six players from that squad are on the current roster. But games in the bubble didn91裸聊视频檛 provide a typical playoff experience, said Canucks forward J.T. Miller.
91裸聊视频淲e had some special times as a team. That91裸聊视频檚 the only thing you91裸聊视频檙e really going to take away,91裸聊视频� said Miller, who91裸聊视频檚 seen action in 78 playoff games, including Eastern Conference finals with the Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Rangers.
91裸聊视频淭he intensity is in the game but there91裸聊视频檚 just no emotion in the game, obviously. And that91裸聊视频檚 a gigantic part of the game. I91裸聊视频檓 not going to discredit the teams that went far 91裸聊视频� It was a hard time, but we learned a lot.91裸聊视频�
The Canucks haven91裸聊视频檛 hosted a playoff game since 2015. Three of Vancouver91裸聊视频檚 top stars 91裸聊视频� right-winger Brock Boeser, centre Elias Pettersson and defenceman Quinn Hughes 91裸聊视频� hadn91裸聊视频檛 been drafted at the time.
They91裸聊视频檙e among several Canucks players who91裸聊视频檒l get their first taste of true NHL playoff action next month.
The team91裸聊视频檚 veterans 91裸聊视频� including Cole 91裸聊视频� are keen to share lessons they91裸聊视频檝e learned along the way.
91裸聊视频淔or the most part, the message is just that it91裸聊视频檚 the same game,91裸聊视频� Cole said. 91裸聊视频淟et91裸聊视频檚 not make it something that it91裸聊视频檚 not. Let91裸聊视频檚 not make it this entity that91裸聊视频檚 so massive that you can91裸聊视频檛 process the situation.
91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 the same game, but it91裸聊视频檚 not the same desperation. The desperation goes up. Every play matters exponentially more.91裸聊视频�
As the intensity ramps up, so does the need to pay attention to the little parts of your game, said Teddy Blueger.
91裸聊视频淥bviously the cost of mistakes is a little higher,91裸聊视频� said the centre, who won a Stanley Cup with the Vegas Golden Knights last season. 91裸聊视频淪o I think you91裸聊视频檝e just got to be really dialed in and focused and committed to doing your job, be willing to put your body on the line physically, blocking shots, all those little details.
91裸聊视频淎 lot of playoffs games or even regular-season games are decided by really small margins. It91裸聊视频檚 a matter of kind of getting all those little details dialed in playing hard, doing your job and executing well.91裸聊视频�
One difference between the regular season and a best-of-seven matchup is the ebbs and flows that come with a series, said Nikita Zadorov.
91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 no panic, it91裸聊视频檚 long game,91裸聊视频� said the defenceman, who91裸聊视频檚 played 45 post-season contests. 91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 a seven-game series, anything can happen. There91裸聊视频檚 definitely emotional swings during the series so I think you91裸聊视频檙e going to win those momentum games. There91裸聊视频檚 a lot of games inside the games, there91裸聊视频檚 a lot of tricks, for sure.91裸聊视频�
Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet has seen many of those tricks first hand.
During his playing career, the power forward suited up for 145 playoff games and won a Stanley Cup with the Penguins in 1992. He added two more championship titles to his resume as an assistant coach for the Penguins in 2016 and 2017.
Coaches have a key role to play in keeping players on an even keel as they weather the emotions of playoff hockey, Tocchet said.
91裸聊视频淲e91裸聊视频檝e got to be calm, too. You91裸聊视频檙e in a plane and the cockpit door91裸聊视频檚 open and you see the pilot in turbulence, biting his nails and sweating, what are you gonna do?91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淪o I can91裸聊视频檛 be biting my nails, being (upset). Like, I91裸聊视频檝e got to be calm too.91裸聊视频�
The Canucks have hovered near the top of the NHL standings for much of the season and, with nine games to play, they lead the Pacific Division, four points up on the Edmonton Oilers.
There have been challenges, including a stretch in February where Vancouver went seven games without a win in regulation (1-5-1). But there have been successes, too, like the 11-game point streak (9-0-2) the Canucks were on heading into the all-star break.
Lessons learned throughout the campaign will serve the team well in the coming weeks, Cole said.
91裸聊视频淚 think that consistency can give you something to kind of lean on when things get stressful and in situations that go haywire. Because inevitably they will,91裸聊视频� he said.
91裸聊视频淭hey91裸聊视频檒l win a game, you91裸聊视频檒l be down 5-on-3, whatever the case may be. You91裸聊视频檙e going to have to lean on what you91裸聊视频檝e experienced throughout the course of the year.91裸聊视频�
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