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Canucks coach Green keen on fine line between winning, losing

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Travis Green probably didn’t mean to, but he evoked a former member of the Vancouver pro sports coaching fraternity on Wednesday when comparing Games 1 and 2 of the Vancouver Canucks’ Stanley Cup qualifying series against the Minnesota Wild.

“It’s a fine line between the two games. I don’t think you’d watch the video and see a huge difference,” he said Wednesday during a media video conference call from the team hotel in Edmonton, eliciting memories of one of former Whitecaps coach Carl Robinson’s favourite expressions.

There were some stark stylistic difference between the two games — the Canucks struggled to generate much speed or opportunity in Game 1 and were shut out, but were flying high in Game 2 and won — but Green really wasn’t off base about his edge-walking analogy when you looked at the numbers.

In Game 1 the Wild won the shot attempts battle 49-45. Game 2 saw a pile of power plays, making for a third less of even strength time, but the Wild again got a hair more shots off than the Canucks, out-attempting their rivals 30-25.

Coaches do try to boil games down to their process. The numbers were similar, but the results were drastically different.

“We found a way to create a little bit more,” Green said of the reason they won in Game 2.

“I thought we were a little bit nervous in Game 1.”

Canucks captain Bo Horvat said the difference in mentality between the two games was on the players as much as anyone.

“I don’t think it took Travis or anyone to say anything,” he said. “From past experience, if you don’t have a great night you’ve got to elevate your game. That’s what makes great players who they are.”

Wild haven’t scored five on five

It’s the Wild who put up the league’s best defensive numbers in the regular season, but through two games against the Canucks the Minnesotans have yet to score at even strength.

“There’s not a lot of room for both teams,” veteran Wild centre Eric Staal said. “On a consistent basis we need to spend more time in the offensive zone.”

Kevin Fiala, his younger teammate, was equally complimentary of how the Canucks played, especially in Game 2.

“Have to focus a little more,” he said. They play tight … they were on us more than we were on them.”

The Wild need to be quicker in getting their pucks off, too, he added, saying he believed they were still getting good looks at Jacob Markstrom, even if the Canucks were putting more defensive pressure on their opponents.

Hello, good morning

With so many teams staying in the same hotels, it’s inevitable players are going to encounter one another.

Wild head coach Dean Evason said Wednesday morning there’s just no avoiding the Canucks — to get to the Wild’s team meeting room, they have to walk past the Canucks’ meal room.

“We can’t go anywhere, they see our guys, we see their guys. It’s a really unique experience but it has not taken away from the on-ice product,” he said.

He’s also taken time to stop and catch up with friends and colleagues, including Green, who was a Team Canada teammate for the 1997 world championships.

“We had a real long conversation yesterday morning, talked about our groups. Obviously we’re not giving each other secrets, but you can still talk to somebody. It’s not like the old days. But, again, once the puck’s dropped you’re competing, you’re battling to win the hockey game,” he said.

Stall said it felt a bit like a tournament when he was a kid.

“Definitely weird,” he said. “But it’s also a bit of a fun atmosphere.”

Canucks defenceman Tyler Myers grinned a little about the oddity of running into Wild players the morning after a heated game.

“It’s definitely different,” he said. “You’re in an absolute war with them and then the next morning you’re in the elevator with them. This whole situation is very unique. It’s nothing any team can’t handle, it’s just different. You take it in stride.”

Quarantine time

Defenceman Jordie Benn is now back in Edmonton, having left his fiancee Jessi Kohout and their newborn daughter Billie in Dallas. Benn is in quarantine in his room for at least four days and has to return negative COVID-19 tests each day.

The NHL has advised teams and players that because players will have been in hospital for the birth of their child, they should expect that this hotel-room isolation to likely last longer than four days and possibly more than seven.

Once the player has cleared this window, he may have to go through a further three days of testing while skating on his own before he can rejoin his team in full.

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