Two goals in a 31-second span of the first period and two more in 46 seconds of the second frame seal the deal
It’s always a game of survival in Music City.
The same principle applied to the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday in an impressive 5-2 victory over the Predators to improve to 2-0-1 on a four-game road trip.
They needed a fast start against the upstart Predators, who had won four straight, 13 of their last 16, and were 13-6-0 when scoring first. And getting to extra time would be precarious because the Predators are 5-0-0 in games that go beyond regulation with Filip Forsberg firing three goals in overtime.
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So, going for a sweep of the season series would require some resolve and some smarts.
Make an early hit. Get pucks in deep. Get a shot away. Anything to seize momentum.
J.T. Miller sounded like a prophet when he sent a warning salvo following the morning skate.
“It may not be pretty the first 10 minutes, but we have to move and be physical — do the things that we can control — stuff that’s contagious on the bench,” he said. “I have total confidence.”
The Canucks struck for a pair of first-period goals by Elias Pettersson and Nils Aman in a telling 31-second span that was about pace and persistence.
Two more goals by Nils Hoglander and Pius Suter in a 46-second span of the second period were about position and patience.
It allowed some breathing space on this road grind that has included back-to-back afternoon games to zap energy and normal game preparations.
“A lot of hockey before Christmas,” added Miller. “It’s a mental thing. You have to engage yourself to get uncomfortable if you’re not quite feeling it.”
Pettersson was feeling it after a club day off Monday and had two points, six shots and eight attempts.
In the second period, he went across the top of the crease and slipped a backhander that went under goalie Juuse Saros and off the outside of the post that would have given the Canucks a three-goal bulge. In the end, it didn’t matter.
Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet applauded his club’s commitment to being ready to play.
“We were really connected and I liked our breakouts,” he said. “Each line did something and I just liked our overall game. We were really good tonight. Our leadership group was solid and just one of those good games for us and really proud of our defensive game.”
Here’s what else we learned as the Canucks improved to 22-9-2:
Smart start triggers the tempo
Even before they lit the lamp twice in short order, the Canucks came to play.
There was a heavy Dakota Joshua hit in the corner boards, a Grade A chance for Brock Boeser, and Suter going flat out on the backcheck to get his stick on a cross-ice pass destined for Forsberg.
It led to the goals and then some frustration by the Predators to try to swing momentum.
First, it was Pettersson speeding away on a 2-on-1 break with Ilya Mikheyev and snapping a precision shot to the far blocker side for his 13th and third in the last six games. Then, it was a heavy forechecking presence that led to an early Christmas present for Aman.
With Sam Lafferty going hard on a disruptive forecheck with Phil Di Giuseppe, Luke Schenn made a panic clearing attempt. It landed on the blade of Aman for his first of the season.
Bump in the night, no fight, no goal
Then came a strange first-stanza sequence as the Predators tried to press the issue.
Winger Michael McCarron drove Conor Garland hard into the corner boards and was challenged to a fight by Joshua that never materialized. As that was happening, centre Tomas Tomasino sped away on a breakaway and was foiled by Casey DeSmith. McCarron got the minor and game misconduct.
The first effort that got by the Canucks’ backup was a Lauzon effort in which DeSmith looked like he was expecting a pass to his glove side before the D-man went short side to make it 2-1. Cody Glass scored in the final minute as DeSmith finished with 26 saves to improve to 6-2-2.
Hoglander’s clip-and-save 10th goal
Hopefully, winger Vasily Podkolzin was watching Tuesday.
All that work paid off in the second period Tuesday.
Hoglander battled down low and got his stick in position to deflect home a Quinn Hughes point shot. Only Boeser (23), Miller (15) and Pettersson (13) have more team goals.
“He’ll very rarely sit in a corner and will scoot to an area” said Tocchet. “He’s tough to defend, that little guy. When he gets to those levels — underneath sticks for deflections and rebound goals where he has beat someone to the net — those are goals he can really get for us.”
Hughes became the first NHL defenceman to hit 40 points. He then made it 41 by sending Teddy Blueger in to make it 5-1 and chase Saros, who allowed five goals on 24 shots.
Make it four Kuzmenko scratches
Tocchet cut to the chase Tuesday morning.
When asked about Andrei Kuzmenko’s fourth scratch of the season, he didn’t have much to say because we’ve heard it all before. On a night where speed and checking were imperative against the pesky Predators, the bench boss looked elsewhere.
“I’m trying to win a game and I felt this was the best lineup and we’ll re-evaluate for the Dallas game (Thursday), said Tocchet. The fourth line was Aman between Di Giuseppe and Lafferty.
