Canucks vs. Predators: How ageless Ian Cole has played prominent role

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Ask Ian Cole what makes a fellow blueliner tick and you get more than just a short critique.

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After all, he played with Nikita Zadorov in Colorado and Carson Soucy in Minnesota. He can fill your tape recorder with the past and present value of current teammates.

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As a veteran Vancouver Canucks defenseman, Cole has that gift of gregarious and thoughtful gab because his hockey odometer has not only reached 948 career games — including 121 in the postseason — it includes two Stanley Cup championships.

Cole, 35, commands respect on the ice and in the room because he has earned it.

“When he speaks, the team listens,” center JT Miller said Tuesday morning. “And when he plays, it’s winning hockey. It’s simple and it’s a man’s game.

“He’s physical and not afraid of anything. He is a big part of the team.”

Aside from the obvious attributes that befit a sizeable defender, he led his club in playoff blocks heading into Game 5 of a first-round playoff series against the Nashville Predators.

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Through four games, he has checked a lot of boxes. He has a plus-1 rating, hasn’t taken a penalty or been on the ice for a goal against. He blocked five shots in Game 3, and has helped the penalty kill go 14-for-15.

These are things worthy of salutes.

“I knew he was a winner, and when you watch him, you really understand what that means,” said Canucks captain Quinn Hughes. “The way he sacrifices as a really good pro and brings leadership to the room. He’s done everything we’re trying to do as a group.

“He has been through it all and seen it all. And he’s been incredible in this series.”

However, it was a key offensive-zone pinch in overtime Sunday that proved timely. It triggered the scoring sequence on Elias Lindholm’s winning goal that spoke to Cole’s savvy to read the play and react accordingly.

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“As a foundation, you want to take away as much time and space as you can,” said Cole, an unrestricted free agent. “If you can read that Huggy (Hughes) has missed the net with this shot, you want to activate and try to win that race with (Ryan) O’Reilly and beat him to the puck (along the wall).

“It’s not anything new, or ground-breaking or earth-shattering. It’s just something we like to do to extend zone time. Guys get tired. They’re over a minute (shift time) and you can trap guys in their own end for a little bit.”

The pinch decision led to Cole shoveling the puck into the corner boards, Dakota Joshua winning a possession battle and feeding Conor Garland behind the net.

The winger then spotted an untouched Lindholm in the slot to seal a remarkable 4-3 comeback victory to put the Canucks up 3-1 in the series.

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Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet has long sought and lauded a bigger presence on the back end because he knows that is what wins in the playoffs. He had it in Pittsburgh in 2016 and 2017 as a Penguins assistant coach.

In the 2016-17 campaign, defenseman Kris Letang was limited to 41 games and missed the playoffs because of surgery for a herniated disk in his neck. The Penguins played on and topped the Predators in six games of the Cup final with a back end that was big and effective.

What he sees here is encouraging.

“To me it’s Zee (Zadorov), (Tyler) Myers, Soucy and Cole, who has been monsters for us,” said Tocchet. “Those guys stand out. They have kind of been our pillars in this series. Even when they (Predators) were coming at us, we were holding the fort in front.

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“I have to give those guys a lot of credit.”

And speaking of credit, let’s get back to that Cole book on Zadorov and Soucy.

Zadorov and Cole were a defense pairing with the Avalanche. Zadorov is playing his way to a big offseason raise as a UFA because the postseason is everything.

He led the Canucks in thundering playoff hits heading into Game 5. He also led in intimidation, chirping and those long looks at the opposition bench to get under the opposition skin.

“There are guys who have special skills and you give them leeway,” suggested Cole. “(Zadorov is) 6-foot-6 and 250 pounds. He’s a monster. And any time he makes contact with somebody, it’s a massive collision.

“If I have to play a 2-on-1 because he blew up their best player, I will gladly play it.”

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And what about Soucy? In January, Cole was banging the drum that his former Wild defensive partner would return from injury to play well and even better in the postseason.

“He’s just a really good player,” said Cole. “Really smart, sound positionally and battles. He has skills to make plays, but he’s not going to go end to end. Good read and good feet. He’s smooth and in position.”

There you go. Class adjourned.

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