Editor’s note: OTF welcomes Alex H to our 2024 postseason coverage! She taught me a lot of what I know about hockey, and I’m delighted to have her on board helping cover this series. A former Vancouver Canucks player of some renown described Game One as “being fought in a phone booth” on the ESPN broadcast during the second intermission. He, of course, has the advantage in terms of… Source ..read more

Game 1: Predators 2, Canucks 4Despite holding a pair of early leads, the Preds were largely outplayed tonight and struggled to respond once the Canucks got established. ICYMI: Could have been better. Stay tuned for some analysis coming up shortly! How Barry Trotz led the Predators back to the playoffs as GMAfter being a hockey coach for most of his adult life, Barry Trotz returned to… Source ..read more

Despite holding a pair of early leads, the Preds were largely outplayed tonight and struggled to respond once the Canucks got established. Some great play by the Canucks’ defense and skilled play by their offense sealed the Preds’ fate. Here’s a look at how it went down. Vancouver got out to a strong early start, but the Preds made a temporary recovery and got some offense of their own going. Source ..read more

Yep, that’s a Taylor Swift reference. Nashville has Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, and Nicole Kidman. Vancouver has late puck drops and … yeah. [Ed.: Sarah McLachlan and Carly Rae Jepsen, if we’re going to get technical, but the late puck drops still give Nashville the W on this front.] It’s been over a decade since these two teams last squared off in the postseason. There’… Source ..read more

If you’re a fan of elite defenders, boy is this the series for you. The 2023-24 Norris Trophy race can be basically summed up by this series: the Pacific champion Vancouver Canucks are led by captain and Norris frontrunner Quinn Hughes, who took an early lead for the award and really never looked back. On the other side are your Nashville Predators and their captain Roman Josi–both took some time… Source ..read more

Everyone loves playoff scoring, at least when it’s their team doing it. We take a look at the players who might be difference makers for Nashville and Vancouver up front. This has been an exhilaratingly high-octane Preds team. Filip Forsberg fell two goals short of fifty on the season despite an ice-cold streak to start the season, while Gustav Nyquist had a career year at the age of 34. Source ..read more

Instant Analysis: Predators Set to Face Canucks in First Round of 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs | Nashville PredatorsHead-to-Head Stats, Season Series Recaps, Matchup X-Factors & More to Know Before Nashville Faces Vancouver ‘Utah’s ready for a team,’ new owner says | NHL.comDiscusses name of team, arena renovations before 2024-25 season with NHL.com Golden Knights lose to Ducks… Source ..read more

NHL parity should make for exciting Stanley Cup Playoffs, TNT analysts say | NHL.comOlczyk, Carter, Bissonnette see ‘competitive balance’ across 16 teams It’s going to be a wild ride. Erik Karlsson calls Penguins ‘a huge disappointment’ after missing playoffsSuperstar defenceman Erik Karlsson was quite blunt when asked about the Pittsburgh Penguins’ season after they were eliminated… Source ..read more

With the Dallas Stars taking the St. Louis Blues to overtime tonight, they’ve guaranteed their spot as the top seed in the Western Conference, and will be facing the second wildcard in the first round. The Vancouver Canucks, meanwhile, have their own playoff berth locked: top in the Pacific and facing the Preds. We’ll have more on the matchup, including a look at both teams’ advantages and… Source ..read more

Oshie scores late, Capitals top Flyers to clinch 2nd East wild card | NHL.comBreaks tie with empty-net goal with 3:00 left; Philadelphia eliminated from playoff contention Flyers say missing playoffs on last game of season ‘tough pill to swallow’ | NHL.comYoung team exceeded expectations, but falls short with loss to Capitals Trophy Tracker: Hellebuyck of Jets choice to win Vezina as… Source ..read more