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After missing practice on Tuesday, Elias Pettersson is good to go for the Vancouver Canucks today. He was present at the morning skate and is expected to be in the lineup for Game 1 against the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Arena tonight.
“I feel good,” Pettersson told reporters when asked about his health. He was “under the weather” yesterday, Rick Tocchet said.
Elias Pettersson on the ice at #Canucks morning skate.
He missed yesterday’s practice with an illness. pic.twitter.com/RJdqOxfJ7v
— Noah Strang (@noahstrang_) May 8, 2024
Pettersson seems eager to put his first-round struggles behind him. He didn’t score a goal in the Nashville series, posting just three assists.
One of those assists was a big one, on the series-winner in Game 6. But when asked if his play leading to the goal was something he could build off of, Pettersson didn’t want to go there.
“I’m excited for Edmonton tonight,” Pettersson said simply.
Pettersson eventually spoke briefly about his first-round struggles before expressing a desire to move on.
“I think I just wanted to do too much the first few games,” he said. “But hopefully that was the last question about the first round.”
Fair enough.
People have wondered if Pettersson was playing through an injury. Perhaps, as Tocchet said last week, he was just thinking too much.
“I just try to play and play off instincts,” Pettersson said.
The Canucks were able to get by Nashville without Pettersson at his best, but they’ll need him firing on all cylinders to get past the heavily-favoured Edmonton Oilers.
“I’m very excited. It’s a good opportunity for us. It’s a good team over there. We’re underdogs.”