In Vancouver, the Canucks fell behind, 2-1, in the first period to the Nashville Predators on Tuesday night.
Elias Pettersson scored twice in the middle frame, and once in the third for a hat trick to lead the Canucks to a 5-2 win.
“Very happy. Another win for us and happy with the hat trick, and happy I got the easy third one,” Pettersson said. “I think confidence is everything. Even if you don’t have your best game, you can lean back to confidence and structure.”
Thatcher Demko made 27 saves in the Vancouver win.
“That’s not our brand of hockey. We were pretty loose. Too many turnovers. It wasn’t a great game for us identity wise,” Canucks coach Rick Tocchet said. “We got to be careful we don’t get fat and happy around here … winning this game is great, and we had some individuals that did a nice job for us. But as a whole, as a team, we understand we have to play a certain way and tonight’s not the way.”
In the opening frame, Sam Lafferty staked the Canucks to a 1-0 lead at 13:45.
The Predators replied with a pair of strikes, 30 seconds apart, for the lead after 20 minutes.
Nashville’s Colton Sissons scored at 16:10 to tie the game, 1-1, and Dante Fabbro scored at 16:40 for the lead.
“We had moments we played really well, [but] they pushed back,” Fabbro said.
Pettersson’s first came with less than a minute gone in the middle frame to tie it, 2-2.
His double in the period was at 16:38 off the power play, for what would prove to be the game-winner.
The Canucks went 1-for-3 on the power play and killed off all four Nashville advantages.
“(Special teams) was huge,” Sissons said. “We’ve had a few games this year where the special teams was the difference. We’ve been pretty solid 5-on-5. We’ve definitely got to continue to get better at certain details of the game.”
J.T. Miller scored off a rebound at 4:11 of the third to push the Vancouver lead to 4-2.
Miller was benched in the middle frame after being whistled for three penalties.
“It makes everybody know they’re accountable,” Tocchet said. “Some guys get a little longer leash. … I’m not going to sit him in the third period. He’s done too many good things for me and his teammates, and when he scored his teammates were so happy for him.”
Pettersson finished his hat trick with three minutes left on the clock for the 5-2 final.
Kevin Lankinen made 22 saves in the Preds loss.
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