Game 1 of the NHL Playoffs First Round will see a pair of Western Conference squads square off in Western Canada on Sunday night as the seventh-seeded Nashville Predators (47-30-5, 99 points) are on the road against the second-seeded Vancouver Canucks (50-23-9, 109 points).
The Canucks won the Pacific Division crown by five points over the Oilers and finished third in the West during the regular season. They had won two straight games and three of their last four before getting doubled up 4-2 by Winnipeg on the road in their regular season finale Thursday night.
Nashville, meanwhile, return to the postseason after failing to qualify last season for the first time since 2014. They had a chance to secure the West Conference's top wild card slot, but they lost to Pittsburgh 4-2 on the road in the regular season finale.
They were lucky that Vegas also lost to Anaheim in the regular season finale, avoiding a first-round showdown with the Stars. Ultimately, the Predators ended the regular season in fourth place in the Central Division, 14 points behind the first-placed Stars.
Here, GOAL brings you all the information you need to know about this NHL match, including how to watch, team news, key results and head-to-head results.
Vancouver Canucks vs Nashville Predators: Date & Puck-Drop time
| Date | Sunday, April 21, 2024 |
| Time | 10:00 pm ET/7:00 pm PT |
| Arena | Rogers Arena |
| Location | Vancouver, Canada |
The Stanley Cup Playoff Round 1 Game 1 between Vancouver Canucks and Nashville Predators will take place at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, Canada on Sunday, April 21, 2024. The puck drop is scheduled for 10:00 pm ET/ 7:00 pm PT.
How to watch Vancouver Canucks vs Nashville Predators NHL Game on TV & stream live online
The Vancouver Canucks vs. Nashville Predators NHL fixture will be broadcast live nationally on ESPN.
If you don't have cable TV, the best way to watch almost every NHL playoff game online is with DirecTV Stream Choice. Best of all, DirecTV Stream packages all start with a five-day free trial. You need to pay for DirecTV Stream's Ultimate plan ($119.99 per month) to get all the channels you need to watch games on national channels: ABC, ESPN, NHL Network, TBS, and TNT.
Vancouver Canucks vs Nashville Predators Team News & Key Leaders
Vancouver Canucks
The Canucks' injury report is a short one ahead of Game 1 against the Nashville Predators, with D Tucker Poolman being the only casualty with a head injury.
Dynamic young captain Quinn Hughes has been the league's leading Norris Trophy contender all season. The 24-year-old blueliner has scored 17 goals and provided 74 assists in 81 games, leading all Vancouver skaters at almost 25 minutes per game. He's showing no signs of slowing down either, netting 11 points in the Canucks' last 10 games.
Center J.T. Miller led the Canucks with 103 points and has proven clutch, second only to teammate Elias Pettersson (10) with nine match-winning goals. Forward Elias Lindholm has 12 points (six goals, six assists) to his name from 26 games with Vancouver after being acquired in a trade from the Calgary Flames in late January.
Chief Canucks' Goaltender Thatcher Demko is coming off an injury that kept him sidelined for a month, but prior to that, he was in the fray for the Vezina Trophy. He finished with a 35-14-2 record with a .918 save percentage and will be looking to improve upon his 2-1 playoff record.
Nashville Predators
Filip Forsberg led Nashville with a career-high 94 points, and he also set a franchise record with 48 goals whilst playing all 82 games. Gustav Nyquist was third amongst the Predators' skaters with an NHL career-high 75 points (23 goals, 52 assists) in 81 games. He has been a regular fixture on the top line with Forsberg and Ryan O'Reilly, who was second to Forsberg with 26 goals.
Predators skipper Roman Josi. Hughes ranked third amongst all defensemen in the NHL with 85 points (23 goals, 62 assists) in the regular season.
Juuse Saros heads into the playoffs as the Predators' top goaltender. The 2022 and 2023 Vezina Trophy finalist, he has secured his place among the best netminders in the NHL, although he struggled early this season. He lost nine of his first 15 starts and had an.896 save percentage. He was back to his usual self down the stretch, winning 15 of his final 20 games and posting a .916 save percentage.
Head-to-Head Record
Vancouver swept the three-game season series against Nashville, outscoring them 13-6. That doesn't mean anything heading into their playoff showdown, though.
| Date | Match | Competition |
|---|---|---|
| 20/12/23 | Nashville Predators 2-5 Vancouver Canucks | NHL |
| 01/11/23 | Vancouver Canucks 5-2 Nashville Predators | NHL |
| 25/10/23 | Nashville Predators 2-3 Vancouver Canucks | NHL |
| 07/03/23 | Vancouver Canucks 4-3 Nashville Predators | NHL |
| 22/02/23 | Nashville Predators 5-4 Vancouver Canucks | NHL |