Canucks vs. Predators Game Day: Power play awakening is knockout punch

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Vancouver Canucks vs. Nashville Predators

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Round 1, Game 4, NHL Playoffs

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When/where: Sunday, 2 p.m., Nationwide Arena

TV: SN Pacific. Radio: Sportsnet 650

The buzz: It was providing lyrics for an achy-breaky country song.

The Canucks’ perplexing power play had sung a sorrowful refrain. An 0-for-6 struggle and five shots in the opening two games of a first-round playoff series against the Predators didn’t help. There were repetitive laments about too much artistry and not enough attack.

The talk was finally replaced by a walk of resolve Friday in Music City.

The power play struck for two goals for the first time in seven games as the Canucks claimed a 2-1 victory and 2-1 series advantage. Solid goaltending by Casey DeSmith was crucial, but so was winning the special-teams battle.

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Going 2-for-3 on the power play and killing all five penalties went a long way to sealing the deal. The kill has been an exceptional thrill with a 25-for-26 run of efficiency the last seven outings.

As for the power play, it wasn’t just getting out of the man-advantage funk, it was how the goals were scored.

Brock Boeser set the perfect screen for a J.T. Miller laser wrister to the far glove side that Jusse Saros couldn’t track. Boeser then stood his ground in the net-front position to redirect a no-look feed from Miller while being cross-checked to the ice.

“Star guys stick with it,” said Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet. “If you’re not scoring, make sure you’re doing other things. That’s a good lesson for our guys.”

It’s why big power-play efforts earned big check marks.

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“Those don’t go in without him,” Miller said of the screen. “He’s really good, when I release it, of having the goalie look at his back. He (Saros) is too good to score on from there — it’s not going to happen without Brock.”

As for Boeser, improved strength and finish down low have allowed him to be more efficient when he shifts from the bumper spot.

“J.T. played a lot of net front back in the day and it took me a while to buy-in — he taught me a lot,” said Boeser, who finished tied for seventh overall with 16 power-play goals this season.

The Canucks also blocked 30 shots Friday and protected the front of the net well. However, they also gave up too much in the neutral zone to initiate the Predators’ push in the third period and a 14-3 shot advantage.

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“It was not good,” stressed Tocchet. “They adjusted and were going through us pretty easily. And our breakouts were less than average, a couple of things we have to shore up.”

The hope: DeSmith continues to deliver in relief of the injured Thatcher Demko. He was under siege early in Game 3, but kept his composure to withstand power plays and showed better rebound control. He was more calm, more centred with 29 saves.

The fear: Open season on Quinn Hughes. The captain was treated like a piñata from the outset — knocked to the ice and double-teamed in a sideboards collision — and the intent was obvious. Without time and space to wheel and deal, Hughes is less effective. The Canucks need to be better in the neutral zone and buy him more exit time.

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The stat: The Canucks are 12-for-13 on the penalty kill in the series. Six players acquired this season have a PK pedigree and that has made all the difference. Elias Pettersson, Miller and Hughes aren’t not taxed to also kill.

The wounded: Canucks: Thatcher Demko (knee, week-to-week). Predators: No injuries to report.

The quote: “It’s huge when our power play can find it. Hopefully, it gives us confidence for our 5-on-5 game.” — Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet.

The lineup: 

Suter-Miller-Boeser

Hoglander-Pettersson-Mikheyev

Joshua-Lindholm-Garland

Di Giuseppe-Blueger-Lafferty

Hughes-Hronek

Soucy-Myers

Zadorov-Cole

DeSmith

The prediction: The Canucks make needed adjustments but the desperate Predators can’t go down 3-1 in the series. This one goes to overtime and it’s a coin toss. It’s going to be 4-3 and the Preds may prevail. Happy to be wrong.

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(FAN FORUM: Do you have a specific question for a player? Pass it along to @provincesports and we’ll get it in a future edition.)

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