Canucks Game Day: Tocchet plays ‘villain’ card. ‘I love getting booed’

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Vancouver Canucks vs. Nashville Predators

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Round 1, Game 3, NHL Playoffs

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When/where: Friday, 4:30 p.m., Bridgestone Arena
TV: SN Pacific. Radio: Sportsnet 650

The buzz: Rick Tocchet was no picnic to play against, and was a true road warrior.

Rough and tough and talented, the former power forward accumulated 112 points and 471 penalty minutes in 145 career NHL playoff games. He relished the role, and his most productive playoff came with the intimidating Philadelphia Flyers.

Tocchet stoked the competitive fire upon arrival in Nashville for Game 3 and 4. The Canucks head coach knows he has a good road team — seventh-best regular-season record at 23-14-4 — and a dominant 5-2 win at Bridgestone on Dec. 19 is a reference point.

And a raucous atmosphere in Music City with barbs flying should add spice to a series that is tied at one win apiece.

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“I love it,” said Tocchet. “I love getting booed. Nashville has great fans, and they don’t throw stuff at you. But I do like the fact that sometimes it’s nice to be the villain. I think it brings out the best in some guys. So use it to your advantage.”

It’s a good narrative diversion because the big story is the loss of starting goalie Thatcher Demko to a suspected knee injury, and back-up Casey DeSmith is carrying the load.

Head games are often as prevalent as post-season games, and the Canucks can’t get sucked in. They need better starts. They need to get pucks through layers of defenders — the Predators have blocked 44 in this series — and they can’t keep missing the net. They did it 53 times in the first two games.

The Canucks were 38-11-4 when they scored first during the regular season. On Friday, they have to adopt the KISS mantra (“Keep It Simple, Stupid) to not dig an early hole. They need to quiet the crowd and not ignite it.

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“In the first five minutes, it’s going to be crazy, and you have to use that to your advantage,” suggested Tocchet. “Play a simple game and get a good hit in. If nothing happens on your shift, that’s okay. You don’t have to press the issue.

“And stay disciplined. Sometimes, when the crowd is loud, you get over-juiced and take penalties. For guys who haven’t experienced this, you’re happy they got a taste and it will settle some down. Now, can you raise your level?”

The hope: Elias Pettersson escapes funk. Whatever is bothering the struggling center — expectation, hesitation, or some nagging ailment — it wasn’t a good look Tuesday in a 4-1 loss. He had no shots. Seven were blocked and two missed the mark. His tone and body language post-game were that of somebody still trying to find his way and not having a solution. He finished the season with 15 points (4-11) in his last 17 games.

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“Petey, he’s a young kid and this is his first taste of pressure in the playoffs,” reasoned Tocchet. “It’s good for him. He’s got to learn. Dust himself off and be ready for Game 3. I want to see him shoot the puck more.”

The fear: Power play fails to launch. It’s supposed to be their ticket to victory, not an author of their resignation. They need an 0-for-6 power play held to five shots through two games to connect. The Canucks make it sound complicated, but it’s not. The old refrain of bodies and pucks to the net has fallen on deaf ears. Pretty plays don’t cut it in the post-season. Screens, tips, deflections and rebounds do.

The injured: Canucks: Thatcher Demko (undisclosed, week-to-week). Predators: No injuries to report.

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The quote: “If I score in the first, it’s 1-1 and maybe a different outlook. I’m always my biggest critic. I take a lot of blame for this one.” — Elias Pettersson following Game 2 loss.

The lineup:

Suter-Miller-Boeser

Hoglander-Pettersson-Mikheyev

Joshua-Lindholm-Garland

Di Giuseppe-Blueger-Lafferty

Hughes-Hronek

Soucy-Myers

Zadorov-Cole

DeSmith

The prediction: The Canucks sense the urgency of the moment and actually get their special-teams act together. They strike on the power play and add an empty-netter for a 4-3 win.

(FAN FORUM: Do you have a specific question for a player? Pass it along to @provincesports and we’ll get it in a future edition.)

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Read more of our Canucks vs Predators playoff coverage:

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• Mentality in the spotlight as series shifts to Nashville tied 1-1
• Canucks: Want to talk playoffs? Player-turned-analyst Chris Higgins is your guy
• Canucks vs. Predators Game 2: How the goals were scored
• Canucks: Worried about missing Thatcher Demko? Here are five backups who stole the show in the playoffs
• Stanley Cup Coffee Canucks vs. Predators: The challenge ahead for Casey DeSmith, plus the Predators feel a little lucky

GET YOUR CANUCKS PLAYOFF POSTERS: We are proud to partner with the Vancouver Canucks to bring you this year’s edition of the longtime Province tradition, the Canucks Playoff Poster series. CLICK HERE to get a new player poster emailed to you every game day!

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