Alexandre Carrier’s third-period goal completed a comeback and the visiting Nashville Predators extended their Western Conference first-round playoff series with a 2-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks in Game 5 on Tuesday.
Roman Josi also scored for the Predators, who still trail the best-of-seven set 3-2. Game 6 will be played Friday in Nashville.
Predators goaltender Juuse Saros made 19 saves, while Filip Forsberg collected a pair of assists as his team erased a third-period deficit en route to the victory.
Nikita Zadorov scored for the Canucks, the Pacific Division champions. Goalie Arturs Silovs stopped 20 shots.
With the score tied and his team’s season on the line, Carrier netted his first career playoff goal to put the Predators ahead with 7:14 remaining in regulation. With the visitors pressing in the offensive zone, Carrier was sent the puck at the point, and his seeing-eye shot found the mark for the go-ahead tally.
“I just shot it. (Josi) said it was the hardest shot he’s seen from me,” Carrier said. “I’m happy it went in.”
The Canucks had their net empty for the extra attacker for almost all of the final two minutes but could not muster the scoring chance necessary to net the equalizer.
The end result was a perfect response after the Canucks erased a late deficit en route to victory in Game 4.
“We had a chance to close them out at home with a lead. I’ve got to be better on their last goal. A couple of guys got behind me. That’s unacceptable,” Vancouver center J.T. Miller said. “The margins are close and every little mistake is gonna cost you.”
It made for another wild finish in a close-checking, low-scoring affair.
Zadorov finally broke the goalless deadlock at 3:11 of the third period with his second tally of the playoffs. The hulking defenseman gained the puck inside his own blue line, worked his way to deep in the left circle and fired a top-shelf shot that beat Saros’ glove hand.
Josi’s power-play goal just over four minutes later tied the clash. Josi had an attempt denied as he drove to the net, but during a scramble at the Vancouver cage, the puck ended up crossing the line and the goal counted, earning Josi his first marker of the series.
–Field Level Media
