Elias Lindholm scored 1:02 into overtime and the Vancouver Canucks rallied to beat the Nashville Predators 4-3 in Game 4 of their first-round playoff series on Sunday.
The Canucks now hold a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series, with Game 5 in Vancouver on Tuesday.
Brock Boeser opened the scoring at 2:55 of regulation, then pulled Vancouver out of a two-goal deficit with a pair of goals in the final three minutes of the third. JT Miller contributed three assists.
Mark Jankowski responded with a first period goal for Nashville before Gustav Nyquist gave the Predators the lead in the second and Filip Forsberg added a goal early in the third.
Juuse Saros made 16 saves for Nashville and Arturs Silovs, in his first NHL playoff appearance, stopped 27 of 30 shots for Vancouver.
The 23-year-old Latvian is the third goaltender to play for the Canucks during the series after both star goalie Thatcher Demko and backup Casey DeSmith suffered injuries.
Demko helped Vancouver win Game 1, but has since been sidelined with an undisclosed injury and is considered week-to-week.
Backup Casey DeSmith took over for Games 2 and 3, going 1-1-0 in the two games with a 2.02 goals-against average and a .911 save percentage. What kept DeSmith out of Game 4 remains unclear.
Boeser opened the scoring early Sunday, receiving a pass from JT Miller and firing a shot into the net. Saros dropped his stick as he dove to the side in an attempt to make the save and the puck went under his arm for Boeser’s second goal of the playoffs.
Nashville responded quickly during an extended stretch of 4-on-4 hockey.
Forsberg was sent into the box for interference and moments later Lindholm followed for the same infraction.
With both teams down a man, Jeremy Lauzon launched a shot from the top of the faceoff circle and Jankowski scored the equalizer at the 5:34 mark.
Injuries began to pile up as the period progressed.
Halfway through the frame, Roman Josi removed a puck that had strayed from his ear. He remained on the ice, despite blood dripping down his neck, until a referee sent him to the locker room to be repaired. He didn’t return in the first but he did in the second.
Quinn Hughes appeared to be hurt about 16 minutes into the second when Jason Zucker and Colton Sissons caught him with two hits along the end boards. The Canucks captain headed straight to the bench doubled up and was limited to just 24:09 of ice time.
Vancouver’s Tyler Myers fell to the ice 17:28 into the game after a shot by Nashville center Tommy Novak deflected off the big defenseman’s visor. The trainers came out to look at Myers, but he got up on his own and went down the tunnel, then returned to center field.
The home team took a 2-1 lead in the second after Nyquist, stationed at the Predators’ blue line, received a pass from Ryan O’Reilly and slid down the ice. The Swedish winger’s wrist shot from inside the faceoff circle beat Silovs 5:21 into the period.
Silovs kept Vancouver’s deficit to a single goal late in the second when Anthony Beauvillier shot into the net, only to see the goalie snatch the puck out of the air.
Forsberg gave Nashville a 3-1 lead just 12 seconds into the third.
Silovs stopped a shot from Ryan McDonagh, but Josi got to the loose puck and drilled it across the box from below the goal line. Forsberg then headed the puck into the net for his second goal of the postseason.
The Canucks pulled Silovs in favor of an extra attacker with 3:21 left on the game clock.
The lead paid off when Boeser fired a shot past Saros 17:13 into the period for his second goal of the game, cutting Vancouver’s deficit to 3-2.
With Silovs out of the net once again, Boeser hit a puck off the post, collected his own rebound and beat Saros to complete his hat trick with eight seconds left in the game.
Lindholm sealed the victory with a quick shot past Saros at 1:02 of overtime, scoring his second goal of the playoffs.
KILLING TIME
Both teams went 0 for 2 on Sunday’s power play. The Canucks have taken 14 straight penalties.
PROS AND CONS
Nashville defenseman Dante Fabro played his first game of the series. He replaced Spencer Stastney, who left Game 3 with an upper-body injury and is considered week-to-week.
UNTIL NEXT TIME
The series returns to Vancouver for Game 5 on Tuesday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 28, 2024.