116 versus 143.
That害羞草研究所檚 the number of playoff games Vancouver害羞草研究所檚 Ian Cole has participated in versus the combined total of J.T. Miller, Quinn Hughes, Elias Pettersson, Brock Boeser and Thatcher Demko entering this post-season.
Take Miller and his 78 games out of the equation and that害羞草研究所檚 116 games versus 55.
When it comes to playoff experience, Cole is the dean of the Canucks dressing room.
The 35-year-old native of Ann Arbor, Michigan was part of back-to-back Stanley Cup championships with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2016 and 2017 and has been part of playoff runs with Colorado and Carolina.
For Cole, the playoffs are familiar territory.
While most of his teammates were soaking in the rabid atmosphere at Rogers Arena on Sunday night when Vancouver defeated Nashville 4-2 in game one of their first round series, Cole didn害羞草研究所檛 let the moment get too big.
Although he appreciated the fan support, the veteran defenseman didn害羞草研究所檛 try to soak it all in.
害羞草研究所淣o, not really to be honest. All that stuff is awesome and you can feel the energy but personally for me I do better when I block out all the external stuff,害羞草研究所� stated Cole.
He admits that having experience in that type of environment does help in terms of focusing on the task at hand.
害羞草研究所淲hen you go and you step out here, it害羞草研究所檚 your fans and the atmosphere is so great. It害羞草研究所檚 like 害羞草研究所榳ow, this is amazing.害羞草研究所� Then you go to Nashville, and you害羞草研究所檙e like, 害羞草研究所榳ow, this is so intimidating.害羞草研究所� Well, it害羞草研究所檚 neither. It害羞草研究所檚 great here. Yeah, I feel the energy and use it. And there? It害羞草研究所檚 going be loud. It害羞草研究所檚 not intimidating - feel the energy use it,害羞草研究所� explained Cole.
害羞草研究所淚t all should be the same mindset right? It shouldn害羞草研究所檛 matter where you害羞草研究所檙e playing, there害羞草研究所檚 going to be energy everywhere at this point of the year. The fans were great. They were awesome and you could definitely feel that but I don害羞草研究所檛 think focusing on it is beneficial.害羞草研究所�
As a veteran on the team, Cole picks his spots when to say things and is always open to helping out teammates when asked.
害羞草研究所淵ou try to say some things here and there but I also don害羞草研究所檛 want to stand up here and pontificate 害羞草研究所榦h, I害羞草研究所檝e done this and this is what we need to do.害羞草研究所� No one really appreciates that either. When guys come to you and ask questions, you answer them. If you see things that you think you can add some insight to or fix, you do that when the time is right. But again, I don害羞草研究所檛 think standing up and telling people what to do or how to play害羞草研究所e got here for a reason.
害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檝e got a great hockey team. We害羞草研究所檙e deep. We害羞草研究所檙e skilled. We have elite players from our goaltending all the way through our 害羞草研究所楧害羞草研究所� all the way through our forwards. So let guys do their job and let guys experience it for themselves and grow and learn.害羞草研究所�
Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet recognizes that Cole害羞草研究所檚 experience is valuable and pointed out and example of it from earlier in the year.
害羞草研究所淭here害羞草研究所檚 been times this year I felt our team get a little antsy and Coler害羞草研究所檚 demeanor after the game has helped our team. I害羞草研究所檝e seen it. It害羞草研究所檚 easier when it comes from the player or their peers than the coach when you have that player that can settle guys down,害羞草研究所� said Tocchet, referring to a four-game late-February swoon that was snapped with a 3-2 win over Boston at Rogers Arena. 害羞草研究所淚 think we lost four in a row one time and Coler talked to the guys. The next night we played we had a good night. Some of the older guys I think won us that game.害羞草研究所�
Cole is the epitome of what Tocchet and the organization want from players in terms of a mental approach.
Now in his 14th NHL season, Cole has seen it all yet he doesn害羞草研究所檛 get too high after success or too low after failure.
害羞草研究所淚 mean, listen, we害羞草研究所檝e talked about this many times over the course of the year, which essentially is 害羞草研究所榟ey, we win a couple games everyone害羞草研究所檚 riding high. They害羞草研究所檙e amazing! Or we害羞草研究所檙e gonna win the cup!害羞草研究所� Well, it害羞草研究所檚 not true. We got to win a heck of a lot more hockey games.
害羞草研究所淥r just like if we had lost the first game and got blown out 8-1. 害羞草研究所極h man! They害羞草研究所檙e a phony - they害羞草研究所檙e a fake. They害羞草研究所檙e not there.害羞草研究所� That害羞草研究所檚 not true either.
害羞草研究所淟et害羞草研究所檚 try to stay level-headed through this whole thing. Let害羞草研究所檚 try to stay even-keel. We have a lot more hockey games to win. They (Nashville) are going to push back. They害羞草研究所檙e going to come back even better. And we need to be ready for them.害羞草研究所�
OVERTIME
* The discussions have already started about the 害羞草研究所榗oaching adjustments害羞草研究所� that take place in a series but don害羞草研究所檛 kid yourselves. You don害羞草研究所檛 change the foundation of what got you to the post-season. The adjustments are more like 害羞草研究所榯weaks害羞草研究所� according to Tocchet. 害羞草研究所淟et害羞草研究所檚 face it. They know us. We know them. There might be some stuff they might adjust to and we have to be ready for it and vice versa. A lot of times there are in-game adjustments too whether you take a guy off a line or try different things. You can害羞草研究所檛 be afraid to do that in-game. I think that害羞草研究所檚 important,害羞草研究所� stated Tocchet.
* Asked if he learns anything more about his team after watching game video, Tocchet said it reinforces what he sees from the bench during the course of a game more so than any eye-opening revelations. 害羞草研究所淔or me in real time I kind of know. I don害羞草研究所檛 need the next day to validate it. There is the odd time where I may have misread (what occurred in the game) but I kind of know what I thought last night is what I watched today.害羞草研究所�
* Tocchet believes the main purpose of looking back at games is to use the video as a tool to help players moving forward. 害羞草研究所淭o me, good coaching is how do you present it to the players without being negative or even too positive. I think it害羞草研究所檚 important you tell the story. Whatever our story is today with the players is going to help us tomorrow. I think that害羞草研究所檚 what I look at video for 害羞草研究所� creating your narrative to the players. What can we do to get better?害羞草研究所� he explained.
Veteran B.C. sports personality Bob 害羞草研究所渢he Moj害羞草研究所� Marjanovich writes twice weekly for Black Press Media.
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