Replay ruling aids Predators in win over Canucks
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- This time, replay gave the Nashville Predators a goal against the Vancouver Canucks.
Filip Forsberg's power-play slap shot at 9:04 of the third period was ruled a goal after a lengthy review, the key tally in the Predators' 4-2 win Tuesday night at Bridgestone Arena.
Sixteen seconds after Vancouver's Luca Sbisa went off for interference, Forsberg let rip with a shot that hit off a couple of bodies and rolled through the goal crease as goalie Jacob Markstrom attempted to cover it up.
The referees waved the goal off initially, but replays showed that the puck barely cleared the line. Forsberg's 16th goal of the season gave Nashville a 3-1 lead.
In the teams' previous meeting on Jan. 17, Nashville lost 1-0, its apparent first-period goal by Derek Grant waved off after a marathon review.
The Canucks (23-24-6) pulled within a goal on Alexander Edler's man-advantage marker at 12:06 of the third but couldn't quite equalize. Vancouver started a critical six-game road trip by falling to 6-16-3 away from British Columbia.
Nashville (26-19-8) got 31 saves from Pekka Rinne (21-14-6), including a big one on Loui Eriksson in the final two minutes after Vancouver pulled Markstrom (9-10-3) for a sixth attacker.
Mike Fisher sealed the verdict with an empty-netter at 19:17, his 13th goal of the season.
Markstrom stopped 29 of the 32 shots he faced in the loss.
Vancouver initiated the scoring on its first shot. Center Markus Granlund won a faceoff from new Nashville acquisition Vernon Fiddler, skated to the high slot and beat Rinne with a wrister at 6:01 for his 13th goal of the season.
The Predators tied it at 12:20 on Viktor Arvidsson's 14th marker of the year. He finished a rush started by Calle Jarnkrok, with Colin Wilson teeing up Arvidsson in the left faceoff circle for a wrister that eluded Markstrom.
Nashville gained the lead at 16:32 when the same line struck again. This time, it was Jarnkrok with a point-blank wrister at the left post that hit Markstrom, plopped to the ice and trickled through the goalie's pads before crossing the goal line for Jarnkrok's ninth.
The Canucks thought they had tied it at 16:43 when Jayson Megna swatted the puck into an open net, but referee TJ Luxmore immediately waved it off because the puck was played with a high stick.
NOTES: Vancouver D Ben Hutton returned to the lineup Tuesday night after an 11-game absence. He injured his hand after blocking a shot with it Jan. 6 in a 4-2 victory over Calgary. ... Nashville placed LW Harry Zolnierczyk on injured reserve with an undisclosed injury and recalled LW Pontus Aberg from AHL Milwaukee. Aberg has a goal and an assist in 11 games with the Predators this season. ... The Canucks scratched C Reid Boucher, D Alex Biega and D Philip Larsen. ... Nashville scratches were D Anthony Bitetto, C Colton Sissons and D Brad Hunt.