Preds Bounce Back to Beat Canucks

Following Tuesday’s loss, the Predators simply wanted to respond in the right way. Mission accomplished.

Cole Smith scored what proved to be the game-winner as Nashville defeated the Vancouver Canucks by a 2-1 final on Thursday night at Bridgestone Arena. The result sees the Preds snap a four-game skid with a victory that played right to their identity.

Ryan O’Reilly tallied while shorthanded for Nashville, and Juuse Saros made 21 saves to earn his third win of the campaign and give the Preds a satisfying conclusion to the evening.

“Much better,” O’Reilly said of his group’s effort. “We wanted to defend better. That was a big thing. Last game, we were caught cheating a lot, and I thought we were a lot better tonight. Just being on the right side, being tougher to play against… We stuck with it, and that's a gutsy win… It was a good response by us, and we’ve got something to build off of.”

“I think [we viewed this game as a chance to have] a little bit of a reset in our mindset, and I thought it was evident in the way we played tonight,” Preds Head Coach Andrew Brunette said. “I thought everybody was all in. Everybody pulled and paddled hard and pulled their weight, and it was great to get a win - big save by ‘Juice’ at the end.”

Neither team found the back of the net in the opening 20 minutes, but midway through the middle period, O’Reilly took a pass from Spencer Stastney while shorthanded and sniped a shot past Thatcher Demko for a 1-0 lead.

Vancouver evened the score minutes later as Max Sasson beat Saros on a partial break, and that 1-1 draw carried into the third period, but Smith soon broke the tie. Just over five minutes into the final frame, Justin Barron’s shot was tipped by Smith, and the puck got through Demko and barely trickled over the goal line for what seemed like an eternity - but it was more than enough time to give the Preds the last lead they’d need.

“I don't think so,” Smith said when asked if he’d ever had a tally that close on the line. “I had a swipe at it, and I got kind of mauled there and missed it. And you know, if [it wouldn’t have gone] across the line, I would have been seeing that one all night. But, thankfully it did.”

From there, Saros and the Nashville defense held firm, including one more massive stop from the netminder in the dying seconds to give the Preds a bounceback win and a much better feeling than they had to start the homestand.

“I thought it was really good,” Preds defenseman Nick Perbix said of the effort. “I mean, I think we played as close to a 60-minute game as we could. Obviously, every game is going to have some adversity, but I thought we pushed through.”

Perbix and Nashville’s penalty kill continued to be excellent once again on Thursday night, including a 5-on-3 kill late in the first period to help the Preds to a perfect 5-for-5 on the PK.

“I think everyone's committed to it,” O’Reilly said of the penalty kill. “I think being on the same page and reading off each other, and I think guys are prepared. Big 5-on-3 kills, big blocks. Huge block by [Roman Josi] there - that kind of sacrifice and being on the same page and work for each other, it’s effective.”

The line of Smith, Michael McCarron and Ozzy Wiesblatt was also especially efficient in the win, and the trio helped to drive play all night with a game-winning goal as the exclamation point.

“They’re kind of the identity line of our team, and they're a little bit of the driver,” Brunette said. “I think, especially when they're playing like they did tonight, and for most of the year, they bring a certain style of play. They're predictable; when you put them out there, you feel very comfortable. I thought they set the tone in the third period from that first shift, and I really think we settled in for the most part that period. They were really good tonight and they've been really good all year, and it's nice to see them get rewarded. They get so many chances and it's nice to see one go in for them.”

Nashville’s homestand continues on Saturday against Los Angeles, and while the Kings will surely provide another tough test, the Preds found a way back into the win column. And as O’Reilly said, they’ve got something to build on once more.

“It feels very good,” Perbix said of the win. “Obviously, there's going to be adversity throughout the season, all the time. There’s a bit much this early…but we’ve just got to build off that.”

Notes:

Prior to Thursday’s game, the Preds recalled forward Matthew Wood from Milwaukee (AHL). The rookie then made his season debut against the Canucks and was tied for the team lead with four shots on goal in 14:28 of ice time.

Preds forward Jonathan Marchessault has continued to practice, but he did not play Thursday and remains day-to-day with a lower-body injury. Nick Blankenburg was scratched against the Canucks.

Nashville’s five-game homestand continues with a back-to-back weekend set that begins Saturday against Los Angeles and finishes Sunday versus Dallas.