Blueger knows the thrill of a Stanley Cup chase
Teddy Blueger knows the playoff drill.
Listen, learn, execute — and don't get spooked by the spotlight.
After all, it's a career thrill. Enjoy it.
“Honestly, it's a privilege to play in these games. You don't get it every year,” said the gritty, Vancouver Canucks centre, who logged six post-season games with the champion Vegas Golden Knights last season.
“I don't know if it's calming, but you know what to expect. Emotions will be high, but when you've seen it and been around it, that definitely helps.”
It's why Blueger was in a good place Sunday. He knew what to expect in last night's series opener against the Nashville Predators.
“Fun time,” said Blueger. “Everybody has been looking forward to it for a while.”
The Canucks often have seven coaches on the practice ice. That's gives players a leg up when Hall of Famers Henrik and Daniel Sedin are providing skill sessions.
“For sure,” stressed Blueger. “If it's an individual skill, they're all very approachable and easy to talk to. We get a wealth of information and they have a wealth of playoff experience.
“They were in our shoes and know all the emotion that goes into it and what we're feeling.”
Teams that succeed often win the special-teams battle. And while a power play with so much potential often searches for the pretty goal instead of grinding one out down low, the penalty kill has been one of the good-news stories.
The Canucks killed 13 consecutive power plays in four games heading into the post-season and finished at 79.1 per cent efficient to place 17th. In November of 2021, the penalty kill was an abysmal 63.8 per cent. It kept frustrated penalty-kill specialist Jason Dickinson up at night.
Acquiring those with a pedigree to deny power-play goals was crucial. In Elias Lindholm, Pius Suter, Sam Lafferty, Filip Hronek, Carson Soucy, Ian Cole and especially Blueger, the Canucks don't have to tax J.T. Miller, Elias Pettersson or Quinn Hughes with added minutes.
Blueger and Lindholm are deployed as the top pair and have developed quick chemistry. It's not surprising. Blueger is aggressive and disrupts power play flow and Lindholm is strong in the faceoff circle and reads the game exceptionally well.
Whether assistant coach Mike Yeo calls for the traditional diamond defending alignment, an umbrella or hybrid formation, they're all working.
“We've got some great goaltending and for the most part our structure has been dialed in,” said Blueger. “Getting consistent time with Lindy (Lindholm) has helped in just reading off each other. We've executed well with faceoff plays and clears and assignments.
“If you start with a clear that's a big advantage and Lindy being so good on the (faceoff) does helps. And his intelligence makes it easier for me.”
The hard part will be denying the Predators' dynamic top line and first power play unit of Ryan O'Reilly between Filip Forsberg and Gustav Nyquist.
Roman Josi, who could be a Norris Trophy finalist, quarterbacks the league's 16th-ranked unit (21.6 per cent) and had 24 power play assists.
O'Reilly went 53.9 in faceoff percentage this season and added 14 power-play goals.
“It's a huge challenge,” admitted Blueger. “An extremely highly-skilled line with a lot of playoff experience. Lots of skill and intelligence and just very crafty.”