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Silovs versus Saros. Sounds like something you’d see on a boxing promo marquee.

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Among the bright lights of Music City on a frenetic Friday night, it was resolute rookie Arturs Silovs and athletic veteran Juuse Saros who shone the brightest by exchanging psychological blows with a series of spectacular playoff saves.

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And with so much at stake as the Vancouver Canucks attempted to send the Nashville Predators to the canvas by clinching the first-round series with a Game 6 triumph, it was going to be who could solve a stopper to either end or extend the matchup drama.

And then it finally happened late in the third period.

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The much-maligned Elias Pettersson kept the puck in along the sideboards, Brock Boeser threaded a back pass to a wide open Pius Suter at top of the crease and he snapped it home for the decisive dagger at 18:21.

“I got a little frustrated,” Suter said of earlier missed chances in his first NHL playoff series. “It was a challenge. I let the frustration out and just tried to focus and it was a really nice pass from Brock and I just tried to squeeze it in there. It’s just playing the right way and making the reads. The guys care a lot and that’s a huge thing.”

Still, it wasn’t over.

Elias Lindholm took a penalty with 33.9 seconds remaining and the penalty kill had to rise to the occasion again to seal a 1-0 victory. With Saros pulled, Tyler Myers blocked a hot shot and Silovs then sprawled with no stick as time elapsed for his first NHL shutout on 28 saves.

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And at 23 years, 42 days, he’s also the youngest Canucks stopper to post a shutout. Talk about an ‘Arty Party’.

“I just wanted to embrace the challenge and I’ve played on big stages before and was already familiar with what could happen,” said Silovs, who backstopped his native Latvia to world championship bronze last May and earned MVP honours. “It’s a great opportunity to seize the opportunity to get better.

“Every game for a goalie is out-performing the other guy and winning the battle.”

The manner in which Silovs doesn’t get rattled in the heat of battle befits somebody who has been in the NHL a long time, not just 15 games.

“I can’t say enough,” said Canucks captain Quinn Hughes. “It takes a lot of confidence and belief and to get a shutout. It’s impressive, to say the least.”

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Added Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet: “You can just tell the moment is not too big for him. He’s calm in the net.”

So, goodbye Predators. Hello, Edmonton Oilers. See you Tuesday at Rogers Arena.

Tocchet was impressed by the collective effort in this series and praised Suter for sticking with it because he should probably have more goals.

“Throughout this series, he was always around the net and in scrums and got punched in the head a couple of times,” said Tocchet. “He got a puck in the face. Went to the dentist the next morning. Didn’t get much sleep and had to eat soft food.

“That’s tough hockey. You go through pain and he shows up and scores a big goal for you.”

It was another example of beating the odds. The Canucks weren’t supposed to make the playoffs. They weren’t supposed to win the Pacific Division title. Now they’re in Round 2.

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“It means a lot because we’ve grown as a team and we’re not pretty,” added Tocchet. “We are who we are. But we hang in. The way we play defence keeps us in. I’m proud of the way guys bought in. We had jitters and hopefully winning this series will loosen some people up, but it’s going to get harder. We can’t get into a penalty-fest against Edmonton.”

Meanwhile, it looked like Suter was going to break the deadlock early in the third period.

He tracked a Boeser shot purposely put off the backboards and was alone at side of the net. However, Saros went post-to-post and got his right pad on the shot. Suter simply shook his head yet again. He had five shots.

Myers then teed one up through a maze that Saros didn’t see but was in position. A Teddy Blueger shot on a 4-on-2 advantage was then blocked and Ilya Mikheyev’s slot shot was gloved. And Boeser’s backhand deke on a 2-on-1 was denied by the blocker.

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And this time, the Canucks weren’t plagued by a lack of shots. They had seven of the first eight in the third period and finished with 29.

“It’s a great feeling,” added Hughes. “We stuck to what we wanted to do the whole game and we didn’t crack when it was 0-0. “Really good team defence and Arty played amazing. We knew we were going to have our looks and Brock made a great play and Pius with the great finish.”

Not that it was easy.

“Not by any means,” stressed Hughes. “A couple of games could have gone either way. It’s really hard to win at this level and they (Predators) really compete.”

Here’s what else we learned as the Canucks advance to the second round:

Silovs, penalty kill to rescue

The Canucks wouldn’t have been in contention to break a scoreless struggle in the second period if not for Silovs and a penalty kill that has transitioned from pitiful to potent. 

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From a laughable league low of 63.8 per cent in November of 2019, to going 19-for-21 in this series and operating at 93.8 per cent in the last month, it made another statement when it mattered most.

And so did Silovs.

With Boeser assessed a questionable double-minor for a high stick on Jeremy Lauzon, it was Silovs and the penalty kill that rode to the rescue.

It started with Silovs taking a high hard shot off the chest and Nikita Zadorov with the good stick to deny a pass headed for an open Ryan O’Reilly at side of the net. Pettersson was then denied on a wrist shot off a short-handed rush before Silovs made a marvellous toe save off Filip Forsberg.

Of course, that was just one side of the fight card.

On the other side, it was Saros landing blows. Already adept at getting to rimmed shots to negate the forecheck, he had a strong second period.

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Lindholm had two good looks and put one off the goalie’s shoulder. A puck then went off Dakota Joshua’s skate and forced a quick Saros pivot. Suter then went to one knee to try and convert from a sharp angle.

J.T. Miller was denied off the rush and Suter on the rebound. Miller got to a Quinn Hughes rebound but his backhander was covered up.

Sending the strong message

The rationale went something like this Friday morning.

Tocchet once again refused to name his starter — a level of gamesmanship is always prominent in the playoffs — but made the prudent Game 6 call by giving Silovs the cage again.

A third-straight start for the playoff newbie made sense on several levels. He earned it on merit and Casey DeSmith got another game as the back-up. It would ensure his minor lower-body ailment wasn’t going to hinder quick movements.

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One fraction of a second late on a shot could decide any series. It’s one reason why Silovs was in and he certainly delivered.

Goalies savour a quick feel for the puck and he executed a pair of sharp back-to-back saves. First, he sealed up the short side on Forsberg and then a left-pad denial on Anthony Beauviller. 

He followed that up with a well-timed, poke-check on Gustav Nyquist, who had a step on Carson Soucy. And when Silovs didn’t bite on a Luke Evangelista deke to the backhand at top of the crease, you could tell he was dialled in.

Which, of course, brings up a pleasant problem. What do you do know? Does Silovs start Round 2, or is it DeSmith. Hard not to ride the kid.

What was Pettersson plan?

The math added up to a pressing problem.

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Pettersson had no goals, seven shots and nine were blocked through the first five games.

In a tight series where one dominant shift could determine the outcome, the Lotto Line was re-united to start Game 6. And it made another appearance final minute of the first period with an offensive-zone face-off to generate zone time.

In theory, it made sense. In reality, the Canucks had five shots in the first period and the Predators blocked seven. Pettersson’s one attempt in the opening frame was blocked and he has just one goal in his last 19 games. He finished with one shot and three attempts.

So, is it a groin, wrist or pressure to perform?

Still, with team shots at a premium in this series — their 92 shots through five games were second-lowest since 1960 — you have to throw all your chips on the table. Yes, Pettersson was still having trouble in traffic, trying to threat low-percentage passes, and playing at pace through neutral zone.

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That said, when you’re not scoring, contribute in other ways.

Pettersson sped away on his shorthanded chance, and while his wrist shot was snagged, it was encouraging. He moved better and didn’t hesitate. And helping to set up the winning goal was massive.

“It was huge and maybe brings some confidence for him,” said Tocchet. “Getting through this round re-sets the deck again. It doesn’t matter what happened in the past.”

NEXT GAME

Round 2, Game 1, Stanley Cup Playoffs

Canucks vs. Oilers

Tentative: Tuesday

Time: TBD, Rogers Arena, TV: SN Pacific. Radio: Sportnet 650

bkuzma@postmedia.com

Read more of our Canucks vs Predators playoff coverage:

•Canucks: How Rick Tocchet went from panel to bench to Jack Adams Award finalist
• Canucks vs. Predators: How J.T. Miller found his emotional focus
• #ScottRoadCellies: Where Canucks culture, community and car flags collide

GET YOUR CANUCKS PLAYOFF POSTERS: We are proud to partner with the Vancouver Canucks to bring you this year’s edition of the longtime Province tradition, the Canucks Playoff Poster series. CLICK HERE to get a new player poster emailed to you every game day!

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