Colton Sissons and Dante Fabbro scored two quick goals in the first period, but Elias Pettersson's hat trick ensured the second Canucks win in a week over the Predators.
Colton Sissons and Dante Fabbro scored two quick goals in the first period, but Elias Pettersson's hat trick ensured the second Canucks win in a week over the Predators.
The Nashville Predators traveled to face off against the Vancouver Canucks just one week after losing to the Canucks in a disappointing 3-2 loss. The Canucks controlled much of the October 24 game pace, and Nashville was looking to improve on their performance tonight.
Head coach Andrew Brunette started backup Kevin Lankinen in net for the Predators and did some shifting with the bottom six forwards.
Nashville faced Thatcher Demko once again in net for the Canucks. Demko has had a hot start — much like the rest of his Vancouver teammates.
Nashville had an early scoring opportunity when Liam Foudy was awarded a penalty shot at 1:22 after Tyler Myers slashed him on a breakaway. Foudy stumbled on the penalty shot and Demko made the easy save. Vancouver had their best chance midway through the period as Dante Fabbro's pass was intercepted by Conor Garland, but Garland's shot rang off the post.
At 13:45 the Canucks got on the scoreboard first when Quinn Hughes' shot bounced off Sam Lafferty and behind Kevin Lankinen for the first goal of the game. Nashville answered back just a few minutes later as Colton Sissons tapped the puck into the net while Demko was focused on Roman Josi. Just thirty seconds later, Dante Fabbro gave Nashville their first lead of the game with a goal from the high slot at 16:32.
At 17:26 JT Miller was called for a hooking infraction and his dissertation to the officials about the validity of the call earned him an additional two minutes for unsportsmanlike conduct. The Predators couldn't capitalize on the first two minutes of the four minute power play. With seven seconds remaining in the first period, Tyson Barrie headed to the box for a hooking call, and the period ended with the teams playing four on four.
Elias Pettersson wasted no time tying the game up with a slot shot just :53 seconds into the second period while the teams played four on four. The Canucks brief remaining power play expired, and the teams returned to full strength.
At 13:13, JT. Miller headed back to the penalty box for a high stick on Roman Josi, but Nashville wasn't able to convert on their power play opportunity. When Alexandre Carrier's interference infraction gave Vancouver their chance on the man advantage, Elias Pettersson scored his second of the period at 16:38. The Canucks took their 3-2 lead into the second intermission of the game.
Nashville had their fourth chance on the power play at 3:06 in the third period, but just eight seconds into the man advantage, Forsberg headed to the Nashville penalty box for an interference call. The teams played four on four, and at 4:11 JT Miller tapped a loose puck past the goal line behind Lankinen to give Vancouver a two goal lead.
The game went a long stretch with no whistle, and while Nashville got time in the offensive zone, they struggled to get pucks through the defense to Demko. The pace of the game picked up and time wound down as the teams played up and down the ice.
With 3:20 remaining in the game, Kevin Lankinen abandoned the net for the extra attacker, and twenty seconds later Elias Pettersson scored his hat trick goal to solidify the win. Lankinen returned to his place in net for the final minutes of the game, and the Predators lost for the second time in seven days to the Vancouver Canucks by a score of 5-2.