It's no pain, no gain for Canucks in series opener
Coach Rick Tocchet told reporters his Vancouver Canucks must learn to “embrace the pain” to thrive in these Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Maybe that's why television viewers saw Tylenol ads flashed on the ice at Rogers Arena while Tocchet's Canucks trailed the Nashville Predators 2-1 in the third period Sunday night, before erupting for three goals and a 4-2 win in Game 1 that featured tough hits, superb saves and a return of Towel Power made famous by late Canucks bench boss Roger Neilson.
Dakota Joshua, the punishing forward expected to provide some additional muscle in Vancouver's playoff drive, dished out some big hits, but he scored twice and added an assist to make the Predators' loss even more painful.
Joshua said to win the ultimate playoff prize, players needed to “go through some stuff ” and welcomed all the pain his rivals could offer. Nashville had been 18-1-0 and winner of 15 straight games since the calendar flipped to 2024 when leading after two periods.
JET NETS A FAST 20
Mark Scheifele's first-period goal Sunday night in the Winnipeg Jets' 7-6 win against the visiting Colorado Avalanche was his 20th career playoff goal, scored in his 38th game.
Only three active players have reached that mark in fewer games. Alex Ovechkin did it in 26 games, Jake Guentzel in 32 and Connor McDavid in 36 games.
The game was the first this season — the whole season, not just playoffs — to have two separate periods where at least six goals were scored.
The teams tied 3-3 in the first, then 3-3 again in the third. The difference was Winnipeg getting the only goal of the second.
“It wasn't exactly how we drew it up,” Jets coach Rick Bowness said. “But if that's the way it goes, that's the way it goes.