The Vancouver Canucks staged a remarkable 4-2 comeback against the Nashville Predators as the team overcame a goal deficit to clinch Game 1 in the first round of the Western Conference Stanley Cup Playoffs. Longtime Canucks fan and Hollywood personality Kevin James was present among the crowd, and so was Nickelback’s Chad Kroeger.
The NHL postseason atmosphere is always electric and it was no different on Sunday in Vancouver. A clip shared by the X account BarDown captured James holding up a Canucks shirt, and cheering passionately with the fans.
Seated in the row in front of James was Chad Kroeger, lead singer of the Canadian rock band Nickelback. Kroeger, also a devoted Canucks supporter, was seen pointing at the Canucks shirt James proudly held in his hands.
This wasn't Kevin James' first appearance at a Canucks game. He's known for his consistent support of the team, and just last month, the official Vancouver Canucks' X account shared a clip of him hyping up the crowd during a game, captioned "Hockey night with Kevin James."
The entire arena was pumped up with fans roaring at every flick of the puck in the Predators half. The amazing atmosphere only got louder over the course of the night as the Canucks secured a turnaround and sealed the game 4-2.
Vancouver Canucks break franchise record in Game 1
The Sunday night victory in Game 1 of their playoff campaign will be a match to remember for the Vancouver Canucks. In fact, it is the Canucks' first playoff win at home since 2015.
Despite trailing by one goal after the first half, the Canucks remained composed and mounted a comeback in the following half. Quinn Hughes and Dakota Joshua scored two quick goals for the Canucks in an interval of just 12 seconds. It set a new franchise record for the fastest goal in the playoffs.
Joshua was a standout performer on the night, contributing two goals and an assist, while Hughes and Elias Lindholm scored one goal each. Goaltender Thatcher Demko was solid between the pipes, making 19 saves in the win.