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It’s a long flight to Nashville from Vancouver. 

Over 3200 kilometres separate the two cities. With the Vancouver Canucks slated to play the Nashville Predators in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, it’s easily the longest travel distance of any of the first-round match-ups. In fact, It’s a longer distance between two cities than all of the Eastern Conference match-ups combined.

But some intrepid Canucks fans were planning on making the trip. It’s the first time in nine years that Canucks fans have had a chance to see their favourite team in the playoffs in person, so it’s understandable that they would want to make the most of the opportunity. 

Unfortunately, fans looking for tickets to Canucks/Predators playoff games in Nashville were in for a rude awakening when they checked Ticketmaster.

Fans were greeted with a warning on the Ticketmaster site that they would be unable to buy tickets from outside of the “Nashville Predators television viewing area – Tennessee, Kentucky, Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia.”

“To better serve Nashville predators fans, a restricted sales area has been implemented,” reads the warning. “Residency will be based on credit card billing address. Orders by residents outside the viewing area will be canceled without notice and refunds given.”

Because the restriction uses the buyer’s billing address, this could even affect Predators fans from outside of the select states who might be temporary residents in Tennessee, such as students at Vanderbilt University.

Teams have done this before in the playoffs. Notably, the Florida Panthers restricted ticket sales to American residents only for their second-round match-up against the Toronto Maple Leafs last year. The intent is clearly to give priority to local fans and prevent opposing fans from filling the arena.

This is also nothing new for the Predators, who even have certain games on their regular season calendar where they restrict sales as well.

“Preds have certain “Gold Games” like Saturday games where they restrict sales to local in hopes of filling the arena with Pred fans,” said one Reddit user. “I’m a season ticket holder and there are games that we cannot even transfer the tickets. The only option is to attend or donate them.”

Canucks fans don’t even have the option of buying tickets on the secondary market. Sites like StubHub use Ticketmaster Ticket Transfers to pass tickets along from the original buyer but the message on the Ticketmaster site says, “Ticket Transfers will be disabled for this event.”

This has understandably upset Canucks fans who were hoping to make the trip.

That includes fans who were hoping to travel from closer to Tennessee, like this fan from Illinois:

Seemingly the only option for fans to buy tickets to the Canucks playoff games in Nashville is to have friends or family who live in the area who can buy the tickets for them. 

PITB has reached out to the Predators for comment but did not receive a reply by publication. 

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“He’s played so tremendously well. There’s been a lot of focus on the pursuit of 70, but you lose sight of how he’s played. The last two games, give him those types of chances and he might have got 75. It’s okay. Sixty-nine is still damn good. There are more great things to come.”

Kucherov collected his 100th assist as part of a three-goal Lightning second period that helped build its five-goal lead. Those breakdowns did get under Matthews’ skin.

“The second wasn’t good enough in our end, definitely not how we want be playing going into the post-season. I don’t think we can just think we’re going to just turn it on come Saturday. But the third (three late goals by TJ Brodie, Pontus Holmberg and John Tavares) showed signs of life and playing to the final whistle.

“Now it’s the important part of the season and we turn our focus to Boston.”

Until the second period it seemed Kucherov might be denied, too. On an earlier power play, Jones made a huge save on Brayden Point that would’ve been his hundredth helper, while Steve Stamkos hit the post on another feed.

But the Leafs kept playing with fire. When Connor Timmins over-reacted after a crease scrum with Matt Dumba and got an extra two, Kucherov set up Point in the slot and the extended home celebration began. McDavid and Kucherov getting to triple figures became the first duo since Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux in 1988-89.

Matthews’ close calls included his 20th post/crossbar, an unofficial league record. He had seven shots in the first period alone with Lightning back-up Matt Tomkins coming up as big as Andrei Vasilevskiy. Matthews, without Max Domi on his line the past couple of games, ended the ‘23-24 campaign with 107 points.

Before the game, Tampa coach John Cooper said the pure fan in him wanted both Kucherov and Matthews to reach their milestones.

“If (Matthews does it), I’ll take solace that 69 times before that, no one else could stop him.”

Kucherov changed the narrative by scoring in the first period to increase his lead in the Art Ross Trophy race to 144 on McDavid who was playing out the schedule in Arizona.

GAME ON

Three ailing forwards legitimately needed Wednesday off for Game 1 recovery time, Domi (undisclosed), Bobby McMann (lower body) and Calle Jarnkrok (hand) were in the stands, with Keefe listing the trio as “possibilities” to play Saturday … Defencemen Morgan Rielly, Jake McCabe and Joel Edmundson didn’t play in Tampa, replaced by Tuesday scratches Mark Giordano, Timmins and Brodie … There were duelling “MVP” chants among fans of Matthews and Kucherov, only two candidates in a crowded field … Jones deserved better from the team in front of him in what might be his last appearance of the year. That said, Samsonov should get the chance to carry his excellent second half into playoffs … If there are any health issues Saturday, Ryan Reaves (with Toronto’s first goal) and Noah Gregor proved themselves effective as individual fill-ins or as a unit … Brodie ended a 111-game scoring slump with his goal, though he was hoping Matthews was closer to the net for a tip … Among the poor attention to detail on Wednesday, Tyler Bertuzzi dropping a puck meant for Matthews that became Nick Paul’s opening goal and a breakaway for Brandon Hagel after William Nylander chose not to play a puck off a Toronto high stick. It allowed Calvin de Haan to wait for the Leafs to leave open ice for Hagel … The Leafs had not lost four straight since early January.

LOOSE LEAFS

Matthews is the Leafs nominee for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy for leadership qualities on and off the ice. Matthews does a lot of work with the Hospital For Sick Children that he keeps low key … Matthews’ flurry of shots on Wednesday moved him to 2,273, past Bob Pulford into sixth place in Leaf history … Leafs assistant to the GM Shane Doan was one of the many former Coyotes who flew in for Wednesday’s last home game before the move to Salt Lake City … Matt Murray made 24 saves in the Marlies 3-1 loss in Rochester on Wednesday.

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