The Vancouver Canucks are set to face off against the Nashville Predators in the Western Conference First Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Finishing atop the Pacific Division with a record of 50-22-9, the Canucks will enjoy home-ice advantage in the best-of-7 series. On the other side, the Predators (47-30-5) clinched the first wild card spot in the Western Conference.
The playoffs will kick off on Saturday, with the Canucks holding a perfect record against the Predators in the regular season. They secured victories in all three encounters: a 3-2 win in Nashville on Oct. 24, a 5-2 triumph in Vancouver on Oct. 31, and another 5-2 victory in Nashville on Dec. 19.
Throughout the season, the Canucks were propelled by the stellar performances of forwards J.T. Miller, Elias Pettersson, and Brock Boeser, as well as defenseman Quinn Hughes. Miller amassed an impressive NHL career-high of 103 points, while Pettersson and Boeser also reached career-high point totals. Hughes, meanwhile, led all NHL defensemen with 91 points.
In goal, Thatcher Demko and Casey DeSmith shared duties, with Demko boasting a record of 35-13-2 and DeSmith posting a 12-9-6 record.
Against the Predators, the Canucks saw notable contributions from Hughes, Pettersson, and Ilya Mikheyev. Demko particularly stood out with a 2-0-0 record and strong goaltending performances.
As for the Predators, Filip Forsberg led the charge with an NHL career-high of 94 points, supported by defenseman Roman Josi and forward Gustav Nyquist. In goal, Juuse Saros and Kevin Lankinen shared responsibilities.
In their matchups against the Canucks, the Predators relied on forward Colton Sissons and Tommy Novak for offensive output. However, they faced goaltending challenges, with Saros and Lankinen struggling in their respective appearances.
Notably, Vancouver and Nashville have crossed paths in the playoffs before, with the Canucks emerging victorious in six games during the 2011 Western Conference Semifinals.
While both franchises have yet to clinch the Stanley Cup, Vancouver has reached the Final three times, most recently in 2011, while Nashville made its lone appearance in 2017.