Yahoo Sports Predators Follow 'Same Old Song and Dance' in 3-1 Loss to Canucks
The Nashville Predators fell to the Vancouver Canucks, 3-1, Wednesday at Bridgestone Arena.
Tommy Novak scored the lone goal for the Predators, who have now lost two in a row after their season-long five-game winning streak. Juuse Saros finished with 19 saves in the loss, while Canucks goaltender made 31 saves to earn his fourth win of the season.
How the Predators lined up vs. Vancouver
Forsberg-Stamkos-Marchessault
Hinostroza-O'Reilly-Nyquist
L'Heureux-Svechkov-Novak
Smith-McCarron-Sissons
Josi-Barron
Skjei-Blankenburg
Wilsby-Schenn
Saros
Annunen
Extra: Jankowski (inj.), Gravel
IR: Lauzon, Evangelista
Game Summary
Nils Hoglander got Vancouver on the board first off the rush with a toe drag around Roman Josi and a wrist shot that beat Saros under the glove at the 7:11 mark of the first period.
The Predators responded in kind 90 second later, after a big save from Saros led to a quick transition for Nashville. Zachary L'Heureux created the chance with a pass off the pads of Demko, and Novak crashed the net to tie the score at 1-1.
Linus Karlsson, who was recalled by the Canucks from AHL Abbotsford last week, tipped in a Tyler Myers shot for his first career NHL goal to give Vancouver a 2-1 lead at the 1:28 mark of the second.
The score held until the final seconds of the third period, when Pius Suter scored into the empty net for the 3-1 final.
Key Takeaways & Notes
Novak has three goals in his last four games. He also scored in each game of Nashville's home-and-home set against the San Jose Sharks.
The Canucks earned their third straight win to leapfrog the Calgary Flames for the second Wild Card spot in the Western Conference.
They Said It
Head coach Andrew Brunette called Wednesday's loss "the same old song and dance" for the Predators, who followed a familiar pattern of making costly mistakes with the puck despite generating chances that didn't fall their way. However, he said, this loss had a different feeling than the losses earlier in the season.
"This is a much better feeling," Brunette said. "I think we're much more connected... Our forward lines are balanced, and they're creating, and didn't get results tonight. But I really like the forward group, and just tonight didn't work. But there's a better feeling, for sure. I think more guys are feeling more comfortable with each other, with the group – maybe a little bit more invested with our group, so you feel better."
Up Next
The Predators hit the road for a back-to-back set beginning Friday against the Buffalo Sabres. The puck drops at KeyBank Center Friday at 6 p.m. CT, and the game will be broadcast regionally on FanDuel Sports Network South and on ESPN+ for out-of-market customers in the United States.
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