Smash cars and catfish: What Nashville has in store for the Vancouver Canucks
After dropping Game 2 at home on Tuesday, the Vancouver Canucks are now in Nashville for Games 3 and 4 of their first-round matchup against the Predators. And fans there are gearing up for a unique playoff tradition that gives new meaning to Bridgestone Arena’s nickname: Smashville.
At the start of every playoff round, Preds fans take sledgehammers to a car decked out in the opposing teams name and colours. And the Canucks car is now outside the arena, ready to be smashed before Friday’s game.
“I’m curious how beat up it will be,” said Harman Dayal, a Canucks reporter with The Athletic who is in Nashville to cover Games 3 and 4.
“That’s part of the fun of playoff hockey, right? Every fan base, every team has its own traditions.”
Predators fans are also known to throw catfish on the ice during playoff games, and they relentlessly taunt visiting netminders with deafening chants after every Nashville goal.
“I covered a game in the regular season between Vancouver and Nashville in December, and I can tell you that Bridgestone Arena is absolutely rocking,” said Dayal. “You don’t typically think of Nashville as one of the pure hockey markets in the NHL. But those fans are passionate, they are loud, and it’s going to be a hostile, intimidating environment for the Canucks.”
The Canucks will have to face the Predators without number one goalie Thatcher Demko, who made the trip to Nashville but will not suit up. Backup Casey DeSmith will be between the pipes, like he was for Game 2.
“DeSmith spoke after practice about how helpful it is just for him to still have Demko’s support, and how close they have been,” said Dayal.
“I think Demmer coming on the trip – and he’s doing this thing in therapy and stuff – but I think it’s important he’s around," said Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet.
"And Demmer wants to be around, so I think that really helps.”
The Canucks will have Tyler Myers back in the lineup Friday. The defencemen missed Game 2 with the flu. He skated with the team during Thursday’s practice in Nashville, where the focus was on getting pucks through the persistent Predators screen.
“Sometimes it just comes down to will and hunger to the get the puck to the net,” said Myers.
“I just thought Nashville’s will to defend was better than our will to score, let’s face it,” said Tocchet. “I think there is position and plays there, but it’s really a will.”
The Canucks will have some fan support in Nashville.
“We landed here Wednesday night and our cab driver was asking me if Canadians have this week off, because he has heard of a lot of people from Vancouver coming in,” said Dayal.
But mostly, Bridgestone Arena will be full of pumped-up Predators fans, fresh off smashing a car, and looking for more Canucks destruction on the ice.
“It’s one to one, it’s two evenly matched teams,” said Tocchet. “It’s going to be an exciting game, and we have got to embrace the excitement.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Most of Canada to receive emergency alert test today
The federal government will test its capacity to issue emergency alerts today, with the exception of Ontario, where the test will take place on May 15.
'A huge difference': These adults born in the '90s partnered with their parents to buy homes in Ontario
An Ontario woman said it would have been impossible to buy a house without her mother – an anecdote that animates the fact that over 17 per cent of Canadian homeowners born in the ‘90s own their property with their parents, according to a new report.
OPINION No reunion between Prince Harry and the King signifies a setback for royal unity
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has made headlines with his recent arrival in the U.K., this time to celebrate all things Invictus. But upon the prince landing in the U.K., we have already had confirmation that King Charles III won't have time to see his youngest son during his brief visit.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
How Drake and Kendrick Lamar's rap beef escalated within weeks
A long-simmering feud between hip-hop superstars Drake and Kendrick Lamar reached a boiling point in recent days as the pair traded increasingly personal insults on a succession of diss tracks. Here’s a quick overview of what’s behind the ongoing beef.
NEW For their protection, immigrants critical of China and India call for speedy passage of Canada's foreign interference legislation
Canadian immigrants threatened by hostile regimes are urging parliamentarians to quickly pass the 'Countering Foreign Interference Act' so they can feel safe living in their adopted home.
Ontario man devastated to learn $150,000 line of credit isn't insured after wife dies
An Ontario man found out that a line of credit he thought was insured actually isn't after his wife of 50 years died.
Spanish prosecutors recommend 2nd investigation into Shakira's taxes be thrown out
Spanish state prosecutors recommended Wednesday that an investigating judge shelve a probe into another alleged case of tax fraud by pop star Shakira.
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.