Canucks Survive Game 3 With 2-1 Win, Take 2-1 Series Lead

It wasn’t always pretty. In fact, it almost never was. But when playing on the road in the Stanley Cup Playoffs against a team that likes to grind it out, that’s exactly what the Vancouver Canucks did on Friday night in Nashville. Vancouver clipped the Predators 2-1, withstanding near-constant pressure as the third period rolled along, including some breathtaking close calls in the final minutes. 

Canucks Capitalize on Precious Opportunities

For those who like their hockey fast paced and replete with scoring opportunities, this was the polar opposite, at least for the first two periods. Despite only 12 attempts on net and a largely inept attack, the Canucks cashed in on what precious few chances came their way. Case in point: their first shot came at 13:23 of the first period, but it was a J.T. Miller wrister on the power play that opened the scoring. 

Related: Nikita Zadorov is Key to Canucks Achieving Playoff Success

Vancouver did little else until 4:33 of the middle frame when, once again, the visitors made good on the man advantage. This time, Miller played the role of facilitator by sending the puck to Brock Boeser in the crease who tapped the puck past Juuse Saros. 

Canucks netminder Casey DeSmith – not entirely to blame for Game 2 but not terrific either – was far superior in Game 3. Whether it was a deflection, a screen, or a perfectly clean attempt, he was rock solid save for a Luke Evangelista wrister late that made the game’s conclusion a nervy affair. Regardless of the few minutes the Canucks spent in the Predators’ zone, the fact of the matter is they won 2-1 and also have a 2-1 advantage in the series.

Can they replicate that sort of performance again in Game 4? We’ll find out on Sunday evening.