Canucks 4, Predators 2
Ryan Kesler snapped a tie with a power-play goal at 7:28 of the third period and the top-seeded Vancouver Canucks went on to post a 4-2 road victory over the fifth-seeded Nashville Predators on Thursday in Game 4 of their Western Conference semifinal series.
Defenseman Christian Ehrhoff and Henrik Sedin each recorded a goal and two assists, blue-liner Alex Edler also scored and Vezina Trophy finalist Roberto Luongo made 19 saves for the Canucks, who grabbed a 3-1 lead in the series and can finish off the Predators at home on Saturday.
Just over a minute into a man advantage, Kesler carried the puck into the offensive zone and split between Predators defensemen Shea Weber and Shane O'Brien before ripping a shot past Vezina finalist Pekka Rinne from the right hash marks. After failing to score in his first nine games of the postseason, Kesler - who also had two assists - has tallied three times in his last two contests.
Defenseman Cody Franson and Joel Ward notched a goal and an assist apiece while Rinne stopped 24 shots for Nashville, which lost at home for the third time in four playoff games.
Vancouver struck first as Ehrhoff put a shot from the right point just inside the left post at 15:04 of the first period as Alex Burrows made contact with Rinne above the crease. Nashville drew even with 42 seconds left in the session when Ward grabbed the rebound of his deflection and stuffed it past Luongo for his fifth goal of the postseason.
Edler put the Canucks back in front midway through the second, beating Rinne with a blast from the blue line. But Franson slapped a shot from above the slot past Luongo 3:27 into the third for his first career playoff tally, forging a 2-2 tie.