116 versus 143.
That含羞草研究社檚 the number of playoff games Vancouver含羞草研究社檚 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含羞草研究社檚 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含羞草研究社檛 let the moment get too big.
Although he appreciated the fan support, the veteran defenseman didn含羞草研究社檛 try to soak it all in.
含羞草研究社淣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,含羞草研究社� stated Cole.
He admits that having experience in that type of environment does help in terms of focusing on the task at hand.
含羞草研究社淲hen you go and you step out here, it含羞草研究社檚 your fans and the atmosphere is so great. It含羞草研究社檚 like 含羞草研究社榳ow, this is amazing.含羞草研究社� Then you go to Nashville, and you含羞草研究社檙e like, 含羞草研究社榳ow, this is so intimidating.含羞草研究社� Well, it含羞草研究社檚 neither. It含羞草研究社檚 great here. Yeah, I feel the energy and use it. And there? It含羞草研究社檚 going be loud. It含羞草研究社檚 not intimidating - feel the energy use it,含羞草研究社� explained Cole.
含羞草研究社淚t all should be the same mindset right? It shouldn含羞草研究社檛 matter where you含羞草研究社檙e playing, there含羞草研究社檚 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含羞草研究社檛 think focusing on it is beneficial.含羞草研究社�
As a veteran on the team, Cole picks his spots when to say things and is always open to helping out teammates when asked.
含羞草研究社淵ou try to say some things here and there but I also don含羞草研究社檛 want to stand up here and pontificate 含羞草研究社榦h, I含羞草研究社檝e done this and this is what we need to do.含羞草研究社� 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含羞草研究社檛 think standing up and telling people what to do or how to play含羞草研究社e got here for a reason.
含羞草研究社淲e含羞草研究社檝e got a great hockey team. We含羞草研究社檙e deep. We含羞草研究社檙e skilled. We have elite players from our goaltending all the way through our 含羞草研究社楧含羞草研究社� all the way through our forwards. So let guys do their job and let guys experience it for themselves and grow and learn.含羞草研究社�
Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet recognizes that Cole含羞草研究社檚 experience is valuable and pointed out and example of it from earlier in the year.
含羞草研究社淭here含羞草研究社檚 been times this year I felt our team get a little antsy and Coler含羞草研究社檚 demeanor after the game has helped our team. I含羞草研究社檝e seen it. It含羞草研究社檚 easier when it comes from the player or their peers than the coach when you have that player that can settle guys down,含羞草研究社� said Tocchet, referring to a four-game late-February swoon that was snapped with a 3-2 win over Boston at Rogers Arena. 含羞草研究社淚 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.含羞草研究社�
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含羞草研究社檛 get too high after success or too low after failure.
含羞草研究社淚 mean, listen, we含羞草研究社檝e talked about this many times over the course of the year, which essentially is 含羞草研究社榟ey, we win a couple games everyone含羞草研究社檚 riding high. They含羞草研究社檙e amazing! Or we含羞草研究社檙e gonna win the cup!含羞草研究社� Well, it含羞草研究社檚 not true. We got to win a heck of a lot more hockey games.
含羞草研究社淥r just like if we had lost the first game and got blown out 8-1. 含羞草研究社極h man! They含羞草研究社檙e a phony - they含羞草研究社檙e a fake. They含羞草研究社檙e not there.含羞草研究社� That含羞草研究社檚 not true either.
含羞草研究社淟et含羞草研究社檚 try to stay level-headed through this whole thing. Let含羞草研究社檚 try to stay even-keel. We have a lot more hockey games to win. They (Nashville) are going to push back. They含羞草研究社檙e going to come back even better. And we need to be ready for them.含羞草研究社�
OVERTIME
* The discussions have already started about the 含羞草研究社榗oaching adjustments含羞草研究社� that take place in a series but don含羞草研究社檛 kid yourselves. You don含羞草研究社檛 change the foundation of what got you to the post-season. The adjustments are more like 含羞草研究社榯weaks含羞草研究社� according to Tocchet. 含羞草研究社淟et含羞草研究社檚 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含羞草研究社檛 be afraid to do that in-game. I think that含羞草研究社檚 important,含羞草研究社� 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. 含羞草研究社淔or me in real time I kind of know. I don含羞草研究社檛 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.含羞草研究社�
* Tocchet believes the main purpose of looking back at games is to use the video as a tool to help players moving forward. 含羞草研究社淭o me, good coaching is how do you present it to the players without being negative or even too positive. I think it含羞草研究社檚 important you tell the story. Whatever our story is today with the players is going to help us tomorrow. I think that含羞草研究社檚 what I look at video for 含羞草研究社� creating your narrative to the players. What can we do to get better?含羞草研究社� he explained.
Veteran B.C. sports personality Bob 含羞草研究社渢he Moj含羞草研究社� Marjanovich writes twice weekly for Black Press Media.
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