Three of the four centurymakers in the competition will be on show on Sunday, in-form Martin Guptill being the other.
Tuesday's game contained 23 sixes, nine from Nicol, who got to 101 off just 57 balls with the last delivery of the match.
"There are aspects to bowling on that wicket," Hopkins said.
"We need to learn to be a bit smarter. Canterbury have dangerous batters and there are different areas we need to explore, and different plans, so we'll have a think about that and come back with something."
Although Hopkins figured 201 to be enough runs, he had high praise for occasional limited-overs international Nicol. Nothing about Canterbury's performance surprised him.
"With their bowling we know what they've got, and I thought we combated it quite well. I thought 200 was a winning score," Hopkins said. "In saying that, we know Rob is a dangerous player, [fellow Canterbury opener] George Worker is in great form and there are a couple of others too. We just need to execute our plans a bit better."
That said, Hopkins was delighted with Mahmood's century.
"It took him a little bit to warm into the competition but he's showing now over the last couple of knocks that he's world class," Hopkins said.
"He is getting used to our wickets and he's very comfortable in the dressing room, he wants to win and we're starting to see the best of him."
Mahmood's century took him to 287 runs, the third-best aggregate in the HRV Cup behind teammate Guptill's 434 and Nicol's 290.
Bowlers on both teams will be doing a spot of head-scratching this week.
Some figures were a case of avert the eyes. Both Canterbury new ball import Mitchell Claydon and Auckland left-arm spinner Bruce Martin conceded over 50 from their four overs.
And perhaps there was a clue for the two camps before the final in that the most successful bowlers on Tuesday were also left-arm spinners - Worker taking two for 29; and Auckland's Roneel Hira two for 23.
Canterbury coach Bob Carter reckoned the game gave his team plenty to ponder.
"I don't think we bowled particularly well and that will give us a wakeup call leading into Sunday," he said.
Former Northamptonshire professional Carter expects the pressures of the day will come into play in the final, with what is at stake.
"There wasn't quite so much on it [on Tuesday night] but it's a big prize and so more pressure, and I think that will add its own drama."
Canterbury will arrive in Auckland on Saturday to prepare for the final.
This will be Canterbury's third domestic T20 final, and Auckland's fifth over the seven seasons of the event.
CD pair just shy of world record
Central Districts pair Jamie How and Peter Ingram came within a six of claiming the world record for a partnership in T20 cricket in New Plymouth last night. The pair put on 201 for the first wicket in CD's win against Wellington at Pukekura Park.
That is the best first-wicket stand in the shortest form of the game, but trails by five runs the 206 of Australians Adam Gilchrist and Shaun Marsh, for the second wicket for Punjab against Bangalore in an Indian Premier League game at Dharamsala in May last year.
How hit 102 off only 48 balls on the postage-stamp sized ground, with eight sixes and eight fours, while Ingram made 97 from 54 balls with eight sixes and six fours. The pair got their runs off 16.4 overs. CD finished on 222 for two.
How's is the fourth hundred of the HRV Cup competition, and third in 24 hours, after the efforts of Auckland's Azhar Mahmood and Canterbury's Rob Nicol on Tuesday night.
Wellington replied with 169 for nine to finish bottom of the cup table. CD lie fourth with one round robin game, between Northern Districts and Otago, to be played in Hamilton tonight.
