Predators defeat Canucks, end 4-game losing streak

NASHVILLE -- Juuse Saros made 21 saves, and the Nashville Predators ended a four-game losing streak with a 2-1 win against the Vancouver Canucks at Bridgestone Arena on Thursday.

Ryan O'Reilly and Cole Smith scored for the Predators (3-3-2), who were 0-3-1 in their previous four games.

“I thought we forechecked well tonight,” O’Reilly said. “We were hard on their [defensemen]. We did a good job of wearing them down and had some good, sustained [offensive] zone pressure at times. That’s something that we want to have. I think as a group, kind of what I said before, just not cheating the game. We’re in no position to do that right now, especially if we’re not scoring goals. We have to be on the right side. That’s got to be our foundation and build from that.”

Thatcher Demko made 33 saves, and Max Sasson scored for the Canucks (4-4-0), who lost the final two games of their five-game road trip after the winning the first three.

“I mean, obviously would’ve liked a better result,” Canucks captain Quinn Hughes said. “I think we’re all just ready to go home and have a good home stand.”

Smith gave the Predators a 2-1 lead at 5:09 of the third period on a redirection of a shot from the point through traffic by Justin Barron. Demko got a piece of it, but the puck trickled over the goal line.

“I had a swipe at it and got kind of mauled there and missed it,” Smith said. “If that wouldn’t have crossed the line, I would have been seeing that one all night. But thankfully it did.”

O’Reilly gave the Predators a 1-0 lead at 9:01 of the second period on a wrist shot from the left circle on a short-handed rush.

“They’re not going in easy right now,” Predators coach Andrew Brunette said. “I think we’re sticking with it. I think there’s some things that we can do a little bit better offensively. I think we pass up a lot of shots in good areas. We’re a little slow to pull the trigger. I think we get ourselves in the slot and we don’t shoot, or it gets blocked just because we’re a little slow. But I think the greasy goals, that’s part of what a lot of our guys can bring.”

Sasson tied it 1-1 at 11:49 of the second on a wrist shot on the rush. He got around Barron entering the zone and beat Saros through the five-hole. The forward has three goals in five games this season.

“I feel really good,” Sasson said. “I feel fast. I feel a lot more confident than I was last year. My mindset is in a good spot, and I just try to look forward to the next day after games are over. Doing a better job of that.”

Canucks forward Brock Boeser returned to the lineup after missing the previous two games because of personal reasons. He had five shots on goal in 21:09.

“[Boeser] had a really good look at the end,” Canucks coach Adam Foote said. “I’d have to watch it again. It looked like he got a lot of good wood on it. It was right there but, you know, not much you can do.”

NOTES: The Predators recalled forward Matthew Wood from Milwaukee of the American Hockey League on Thursday. He played on the top line with O’Reilly and Filip Forsberg and had four shots on goal in 14:28 of ice time. … Predators forward Jonathan Marchessault missed his third consecutive game because of a lower-body injury.