Roman Josi and Alexandre Carrier score goals and Predators stay alive with 2-1 win over Canucks
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Roman Josi and Alexandre Carrier scored goals and the Nashville Predators kept their season alive with a 2-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks in Game 5 of their first-round playoff series on Tuesday night.
Filip Forsberg assisted on both goals and Juuse Saros made 19 saves as the Predators narrowed their deficit in the best-of-seven matchup to 3-2.
Nikita Zadorov scored for the Canucks and rookie goalie Arturs Silovs stopped 20 shots.
The series returns to Nashville for Game 6 on Friday night.
Predators coach Andrew Brunette said his top players knew they needed to step up.
“All year they’ve kind of done it. Proud of them, the resiliency they showed. It was tough,” he said. “It’s been a tough series to create a whole lot, they’re offensive guys. But they stuck with it, and the message was it might take forever to get it, but keep pounding on the door, and I thought they did a really good job just staying true to themselves."
The Canucks had a chance to earn a few days rest, but instead, the team is taking another trip to Tennessee.
“It just sucks. We had a chance to close them out at home with a lead,” said Canucks forward J.T. Miller.
“The margins are obviously close and every little mistake is going to cost you this time of year. It is what it is. It’s going to be a hard-fought series. We didn’t think coming in that it was going to be a five-gamer. And (the Predators) played well tonight.”
Vancouver poured on the pressure early, creating a flurry of chances in the game’s opening minutes.
Ryan McDonagh tried to beat the 23-year-old Silovs with a drag move midway through the first period, but the goalie reached up and snatched the puck out of the air.
Vancouver’s best chance of the first came in the final seconds when Miller bolted out of the penalty box, collected the puck for a breakaway, and sent a wrist shot just wide of the net.
The Predators came into the second with a burst of offensive force, and outshot the home side 11-4 in the period.
Cole Smith unleashed a one-timer from the middle of the faceoff circle 33 seconds into the frame, hitting the top of Silovs’ blocker. The goalie watched the rebound drop to the ice and pounced to cover it up.
Midway through the second, Nashville got another prime chance, this time while down a man.
With Anthony Beauvillier in the box for hooking, Kiefer Sherwood streaked down the ice on a short-handed breakaway but his shot hit the post.
Vancouver went 0 for 2 on the power play Tuesday while Nashville was 1 for 4.
The Canucks broke through 3:11 into the third period when Zadorov fired a sharp-angle shot under the crossbar from just above the goal line.
The Predators evened the score with a power-play goal 7:15 into the third after Dakota Joshua was called for boarding.
Silovs stopped Josi on a breakaway, freezing the puck under his body, only to be pushed into the net, with the puck squirting lose and skittering across the goal line.
Canucks coach Rick Tocchet said he thought about challenging for goaltender interference but wasn’t confident the call would go his way.
The goal snapped the Canucks’ streak of 17 successful penalty kills.
Nashville took the lead 12:46 into the third when Carrier, using a screen from Ryan O’Reilly, blasted a shot past Silovs from just inside the blue line.
“He’s a heart and soul kid, highly competitive. Love him,” Brunette said of Carrier. “Nice to see him get rewarded in a big-time moment and a big-time play.”
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