Canucks left moved by Rogers Arena’s playoff atmosphere in Game 1

“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 The Province’s Patrick Johnston he didn’t know why when he was “maybe the worst f------ player in the game.”

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.

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.