NASHVILLE, Tenn – Elbows, sticks and almost and implement of pain were used Thursday night as the Predators looked to tie up their series with the Vancouver Canucks. This fourth game in the second round series was not for the faint of heart. The Predators played opportunistic hockey and looked for mistakes in the Vancouver game.
Few offensive threats were mounted by Nashville and indeed they had only 13 shots on goal heading into the third period. Vancouver had 21 shots over the same line.
On the night, the Canucks made few mistakes but one was late in the opening frame when Joel Ward wristed in his fifth of the playoffs at 19:18 on a powerplay. His goal tied the game at one apiece.
Just over four minutes earlier Christian Ehrhoff had put the Canucks up with a nifty slapshot at 15:04. His goal was assisted by the Sedin twins.
Neither side established dominance though the Canucks had the better of the offensive efforts. Still Nashville was in the game throughout.
At the midway point of the second stanza, Alexandre Edler put a slapshot of his own past Pekka Rinne in the Nashville net for a 2-1 Vancouver lead.
Nashville’s determined effort paid off early in the third when Cody Franson netted his second of the postseason 3:27 of the period.
But Vancouver’s Ryan Kesler stepped up once again for the Canucks and wristed a shot past Rinne 7:28 of the third. Kesler skated between two Predators’ defensemen and wristed the shot past a naked Rinne. It was his third goal of the post season, all on the powerplay. The goal set the stage for an exciting final period of tough, old-time hockey in Tennessee.
The Predators’ lack of offensive threat throughout the game left them grasping for rare opportunities to take shots on Roberto Luongo. And there was too little offense from Nashville and just enough from Vancouver.
Henrik Sedin iced the match with an empty net goal, his first of the playoffs. Kesler picked up an assist on the goal, his third point of the night.
The teams now head to British Columbia with the Canucks up 3-1 in the series.
Vancouver deserved the win and while the Predators played a strong game they simply did not have enough to challenge Vancouver in this contest.
Contact Lu.Lafrado@prohockeynews.com
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