Vancouver @ Nashville: Game Six Preview

The Vancouver Canucks have another opportunity tonight to close out the series against the Nashville Predators. They weren't able to do it Saturday on home ice, and although I think they are eventually going to take the series and advance to the Western Conference Finals, they are going to need seven games to get the job done. Nashville will win tonight.

As the playoffs advance and the all-around intensity increases, the Vancouver Canucks are going to need Daniel and Henrik Sedin to contribute and lead their team the way they did throughout the regular season. Although they have combined for seventeen points so far in the 2011 playoffs, it's not necessarily their offensive game that needs improvement. The most striking statistic is that they have combined for a -14 plus/minus rating, suggesting that their defensive game is strongly lacking.

From NHL.com:

Daniel finished with a minus-four rating in the loss to the Preds on Saturday, the worst plus-minus rating he has ever had in a single game in his career - regular season or playoffs. Daniel has had minus-three ratings several times over the course of his career, including back in Game 4 of the opening round series versus Chicago, but has never fallen below that mark until Saturday.

Vancouver has managed to get by so far, largely thanks to Ryan Kesler who has thirteen points (five goals, eight assists) and is currently plus five in the first twelve playoff games, but the bottom line is that the Canucks need the Sedin twins sooner rather than later.

Nashville captain Shea Weber rocking an unbelievable playoff beard. Well done, well done.

Predator fans demolished a car painted with the Vancouver logo with a sledgehammer outside of Bridgestone Arena in an event known as "Nuck Knock Out." The crowd is clearly ready to go, and the atmosphere should be electric as they begin to make their way inside and take their seats.

Should be a fantastic game tonight...