Canucks 1, Predators 0
Chris Higgins scored with 7:46 remaining in the second period and Vezina Trophy finalist Roberto Luongo made 20 saves as the top-seeded Vancouver Canucks posted a 1-0 home victory over the fifth-seeded Nashville Predators in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals series Thursday.
Maxim Lapierre and defenseman Kevin Bieksa each notched an assist for the Canucks, who host Game 2 on Saturday.
Vezina Trophy finalist Pekka Rinne stopped 29 shots for Nashville, which was completely dominated in the first second-round playoff game in franchise history.
Vancouver showed no signs of fatigue after its grueling seven-game series against the Chicago Blackhawks in the first round, outshooting Nashville 16-5 in the first period and winning 22 of 25 faceoffs. But the Predators weathered the storm thanks to Rinne, who made a number of superb saves to keep the game scoreless.
It was more of the same in the second session and Rinne again was up to the task until Higgins finally broke through for the Canucks.
Nashville blue-liner Kevin Klein was caught high in the defensive zone, creating a 3-on-1 down low for Vancouver. Lapierre made a cross-slot pass to Higgins, who put a shot from the left hash marks just under the crossbar for his second goal of the postseason and a 1-0 lead.
Luongo had a fairly easy time posting his third career playoff shutout and second this postseason, turning aside five shots in the first period, six in the second and nine in the third. His biggest save came early in the final session as he denied Mike Fisher on a shorthanded breakaway.