Vancouver‘s Rogers Arena will be rocking Tuesday night as the Canucks look to eliminate the Nashville Predators in Game 5 of their first-round Stanley Cup Playoff matchup.
With the team back on home ice, Vancouver police say they will flood the downtown core with officers anticipating a celebratory atmosphere should the team win.
“Our role is to create a very fun, safe, family-friendly event,” Const. Tania Visintin said.
“We are very pleased with the crowd dynamic so far. Game 1 we did see some issues — we saw a lot of open alcohol consumption within the streets — but by and large, everyone has been respectful. Game 3 it was better. We are hoping that will continue tonight as well.”
Police have handed out a “couple dozen” tickets for drinking in public, and are urging everyone who chooses to drink to do so responsibly at home or in a bar or restaurant.
Meanwhile, there are still no plans for a public game viewing party in the City of Vancouver, but the City of Burnaby has joined Delta and Port Coquitlam in hosting events.
Burnaby is hosting a free, family-friendly screening at the new Rosemary Brown Recreation Centre, starting at 6:30 p.m.
Delta will again be hosting its family-friendly outdoor viewing party at Heart Plaza, while Port Coquitlam’s event is hosted at the Port Coquitlam Community Centre.
Chance to clinch series
The Canucks took a 3-1 stranglehold on the best-of-seven series in Nashville on Sunday, pulling off an improbable comeback with a pair of late goals with the netminder pulled and the winning goal just over a minute into overtime.
“If we played a great game and won, maybe as a coach you are a little bit nervous for tonight’s game,” head coach Rick Tocchet said Tuesday.
“But because we know we didn’t play our A-game, I think our antenna is up. Like we have to play better, you feel more comfortable going to this Game 5.”
A win Tuesday will send the Canucks on to round two to face the winner of the Edmonton-Los Angeles series, while a loss will send them back to Nashville for Game 6 on Friday.
Despite coming home from Nashville with two road wins, the Canucks leadership group admitted there was work to do on home ice. Vancouver managed just 12 shots on goal in Game 3, and Nashville carried the play for most of Game 4.
“I think personally we shouldn’t have too much of an emotional high just because we really didn’t play that well,” captain and star defenceman Quinn Hughes said.
“We did some things really well, we defended pretty well and didn’t give them too much, but as far as creating and having those shifts where we controlled the game, we didn’t really have that.”
Hughes has become a target for Nashville and absorbed a series of punishing hits in Game 4. Despite missing a few shifts in the game and being filmed grimacing in pain on the bench, the captain told media Tuesday he feels “good.”
Tocchet said he wants to see more offensive pressure from his team in Game 5, including avoiding “one and done” attacks where Nashville quickly retrieves the puck and moves it up ice.
“Trying to close the series is always the hardest game,” head coach Rick Tocchet said Tuesday.
“We have to have an attitude. Because Nashville, they are not going to change, they are going to come at us. And if we don’t come up with loose pucks it doesn’t matter what system you have.”
Tocchet would not tip his hand as to which goaltender would start Tuesday. All-star goalie Thatcher Demko remains out with an injury, while backup Casey DeSmith missed Game 4 with an injury of his own. The coach did say that both third-stringer Arturs Slivos, who performed well in Game 4, and DeSmith would dress for Tuesday’s game.
Power forward JT Miller, who has six points in the series, said the team has started to settle into its game following early post-season jitters.
“To be honest with you, games feel more normal now — not the three, four minutes last game, that’s some pretty high emotion — but I think we’re just playing a game now … you miss playoff hockey, this is fun, this is the reason we play and all,” he said.
Miller, however, conceded the team had been outplayed recently.
“We need to get more forechecking and smarter forechecking to get the puck back to wear them down,” he said.
“We need to dictate play, because when they dictate they’re a really good hockey team.”
Tuesday’s game kicks off at 7 p.m. PT.