Joel Ward turned a tie game into a two-goal lead by scoring twice early in the third period and the fifth-seeded Nashville Predators held on for a 4-3 road victory over the top-seeded Vancouver Canucks in Game 5 of their Western Conference semifinal series Saturday.
Ward added an assist, David Legwand also netted two goals and Vezina Trophy finalist Pekka Rinne made 31 saves for the Predators, who avoided elimination and look to even the series when they host Game 6 on Monday.
From the left faceoff circle, Mike Fisher made a slap pass across the slot to Ward, who one-timed it past Vezina finalist Roberto Luongo 74 seconds into the third for a 3-2 edge. Ward struck again at 5:45, beating Luongo to the glove side from the left circle after a turnover for his seventh goal of the playoffs and fourth in three contests.
Ward, who registered just 10 tallies in 80 games during the regular season, had a chance at a natural hat trick but was denied by Luongo on a shorthanded breakaway with eight minutes to play.
Ryan Kesler scored twice, Raffi Torres notched a goal and an assist and Luongo stopped 19 shots for Vancouver, which lost Mikael Samuelsson to a leg injury midway through the first period.
Nashville opened the scoring while killing a penalty early in the first period as Legwand beat Luongo to the stick side on a breakaway at 3:42. It was the league-high third shorthanded goal allowed by Vancouver this postseason.
The lead did not last long as the Canucks scored the equalizer 28 seconds after the power play expired. Predators defenseman Jonathon Blum coughed up the puck in his own zone to Jannik Hansen, who set up Torres alone in front at 5:59.
Kesler gave Vancouver a 2-1 advantage with 4:54 remaining in the first, fighting off Nashville captain Shea Weber to convert a pass from Mason Raymond. But the Predators knotted the contest 51 seconds into the middle session on a nifty play by Legwand, who flipped the puck over the net from the end boards and banked it in off Canucks defenseman Alex Edler.
Kesler got Vancouver within 4-3 with 3:46 left in the third, beating Rinne with a hard wrister from the top of the right circle for his fifth goal in three games.