Last October, I again forecasted a Vancouver Canucks playoff berth — something I had done in the prior two seasons, getting unceremoniously burned in the process. And while I believed in the roster building ongoing in Vancouver, my confidence was eroding.

Thankfully, Vancouver’s recipe of premium talent at the top end of the lineup and reliable goaltending behind it broke through in a big way this season. At no point did they look like a pretender, and for most of the season were a genuine Presidents’ Trophy contender.

Confidence fully restored!

But the gift and the curse of the Stanley Cup Playoffs is that matchups matter, and with respect to a date with the Nashville Predators, I was genuinely concerned about first-round upset potential – this before the injury to Thatcher Demko after Game 1. I think Vancouver would have much preferred to play Los Angeles versus either of the wild-card teams for that matter, but that’s a discussion for another........

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