Good News For Edmonton : He Is Back….
The Vancouver Canucks are prepared for an all-Canadian second-round matchup following their victory over Nashville Predators
Vancouver coach Rick Tocchet admits that reaching the NHL’s final eight teams means a great deal to him. An upcoming match against the Edmonton Oilers, both Canadian teams, in the next round adds even more excitement.
“We understand that the upcoming series will be challenging,” Tocchet mentioned on Friday night following his team’s 1-0 victory over Nashville in Game 6.
Tocchet, a nominee for the NHL’s coach of the year award, led the Canucks from missing the playoffs last year to claim third place in the West this season. They secured the Pacific Division title with 109 points, winning all four matches against Edmonton.
Despite a series with low shot numbers against Nashville, the Canucks managed to emerge victorious in the final four games, each decided by a single goal.
Pius Suter broke the deadlock with his second postseason goal, scoring with just 1:39 remaining. This became the latest decisive goal in a Canucks series-clinching match, surpassing Daniel Sedin’s goal with 2:03 remaining in Game 6 of the 2010 conference quarterfinals.