<p>It was an atmosphere nine long years in the making. And the Vancouver Canucks felt every last bit of it.</p>
<p><span data-preserver-spaces="true">Right as the Canucks stepped on the ice at Rogers Arena for their first home playoff game since 2015, <a href="https://canucksarmy.com/news/canucks-fans-scott-road-celebrations-surrey-game-1-win-predators">the fan&#8217;s energy</a> was immediately palpable. And that energy spurred them to a come-from-behind 4-2 victory over the Nashville Predators, drawing first blood in this best-of-seven opening series.</span></p>
<p><span data-preserver-spaces="true">The sellout crowd, with Vancouver&#8217;s signature white playoff towels in hand, made their presence known with a &#8220;Go Canucks Go&#8221; chant in the warmups, the singing of &#8216;Oh Canada&#8217; before the puck dropped, and the sounds of &#8220;Sarrrrroooooos&#8221; during the third to razz the Preds&#8217; goalie.</span></p>
<p><span data-preserver-spaces="true">When Dakota Joshua scored to give the <a href="https://canucksarmy.com/news/instant-reaction-dakota-joshua-scores-twice-canucks-predators-4-2-game-one">Canucks the lead in the third</a>, just 12 seconds after Quinn Hughes tied it, nearly blowing the roof off the arena.</span></p>
<div class="jetpack-video-wrapper"><span class="embed-youtube" style="text-align:center; display: block;"><iframe loading="lazy" class="youtube-player" width="1424" height="801" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TyoDuHk5zME?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent" allowfullscreen="true" style="border:0;" sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox"></iframe></span></div>
<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s a special moment,&#8221; Joshua said. &#8220;I&#8217;ll never forget it and makes you want to keep doing it.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;The building was crazy, you think you know what to expect until you get out there.&#8221;</p>
<p>J.T. Miller rarely shows more than a grin at the antics of Canucks fans. When fans chanted his name at a game last month, he told <a href="https://theprovince.com/sports/hockey/nhl/vancouver-canucks/canucks-4-flames-2-tight-defensive-win-playoff-bound">The Province&#8217;s Patrick Johnston</a> he didn&#8217;t know why when he was &#8220;maybe the worst f****** player in the game.&#8221;</p>
<p><span data-preserver-spaces="true">He&#8217;s also one of the team&#8217;s most experienced playoff members, having been a part of deep postseason runs for both the New York Rangers and the Tampa Bay Lightning.</span></p>
<p>On Sunday night, as the iconic intro music of U2&#8217;s &#8220;Where the Streets Have No Name&#8221; played and the playoff towels waved, Miller allowed himself a rare moment to soak it all in.</p>
<p>&#8220;When we came out on the ice today, it was probably one of the more special things I’ve been part of other than the birth of my children and my wedding,” Miller said. “It’s hard not to get choked up when you see that.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;That literally is everything, that emotion and that noise and the towels&#8230;  I got a different perspective on what hockey means to the people here. It was awesome.&#8221;</p>
<p>Quinn Hughes went to watch his brothers play in the New Jersey Devils&#8217; playoff run last season, but the crowd comparison was no contest in his eyes.</p>
<p>&#8220;I couldn&#8217;t really believe how loud the fans were,&#8221; Hughes said. &#8220;I&#8217;ve seen some playoff games, I went to New Jersey and the [Madison Square] Garden last year and watched, but it wasn&#8217;t anything like we just witnessed.&#8221;</p>
<p>The emotional high of winning the first playoff game this city has seen since 2015 might lead to a slightly quieter evening in Game 2. But there&#8217;s no doubt fans will be bringing the noise at Rogers Arena for every game the Canucks give them this season, and it&#8217;ll only ramp up the deeper they go.</p>
<p>After all, they&#8217;re making up for lost time.</p>
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It was an atmosphere nine long years in the making. And the Vancouver Canucks felt every last bit of it.

<span data-preserver-spaces="true">Right as the Canucks stepped on the ice at Rogers Arena for their first home playoff game since 2015, <a href="https://canucksarmy.com/news/canucks-fans-scott-road-celebrations-surrey-game-1-win-predators">the fan's energy</a> was immediately palpable. And that energy spurred them to a come-from-behind 4-2 victory over the Nashville Predators, drawing first blood in this best-of-seven opening series.</span>

<span data-preserver-spaces="true">The sellout crowd, with Vancouver's signature white playoff towels in hand, made their presence known with a "Go Canucks Go" chant in the warmups, the singing of 'Oh Canada' before the puck dropped, and the sounds of "Sarrrrroooooos" during the third to razz the Preds' goalie.</span>

<span data-preserver-spaces="true">When Dakota Joshua scored to give the <a href="https://canucksarmy.com/news/instant-reaction-dakota-joshua-scores-twice-canucks-predators-4-2-game-one">Canucks the lead in the third</a>, just 12 seconds after Quinn Hughes tied it, nearly blowing the roof off the arena.</span>

https://youtu.be/TyoDuHk5zME?si=AyfQOZl1Z74ksat7

"It's a special moment," Joshua said. "I'll never forget it and makes you want to keep doing it."

"The building was crazy, you think you know what to expect until you get out there."

J.T. Miller rarely shows more than a grin at the antics of Canucks fans. When fans chanted his name at a game last month, he told <a href="https://theprovince.com/sports/hockey/nhl/vancouver-canucks/canucks-4-flames-2-tight-defensive-win-playoff-bound">The Province's Patrick Johnston</a> he didn't know why when he was "maybe the worst f****** player in the game."

<span data-preserver-spaces="true">He's also one of the team's most experienced playoff members, having been a part of deep postseason runs for both the New York Rangers and the Tampa Bay Lightning.</span>

On Sunday night, as the iconic intro music of U2's "Where the Streets Have No Name" played and the playoff towels waved, Miller allowed himself a rare moment to soak it all in.

"When we came out on the ice today, it was probably one of the more special things I’ve been part of other than the birth of my children and my wedding,” Miller said. “It’s hard not to get choked up when you see that."

"That literally is everything, that emotion and that noise and the towels...  I got a different perspective on what hockey means to the people here. It was awesome."

Quinn Hughes went to watch his brothers play in the New Jersey Devils' playoff run last season, but the crowd comparison was no contest in his eyes.

"I couldn't really believe how loud the fans were," Hughes said. "I've seen some playoff games, I went to New Jersey and the [Madison Square] Garden last year and watched, but it wasn't anything like we just witnessed."

The emotional high of winning the first playoff game this city has seen since 2015 might lead to a slightly quieter evening in Game 2. But there's no doubt fans will be bringing the noise at Rogers Arena for every game the Canucks give them this season, and it'll only ramp up the deeper they go.

After all, they're making up for lost time.
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Canucks left moved by Rogers Arena’s playoff atmosphere in Game 1

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