'Hockey gods' wink at Predators, keep NHL playoff series going vs Canucks | Estes
It wasn’t a plea for divine intervention as much as a summons. The “hockey gods,” Andrew Brunette figured, owed his Nashville Predators.
And he said so in the doldrums after Sunday’s epic Game 4 collapse at Bridgestone Arena, which gave the Vancouver Canucks a commanding 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven first-round series.
“Usually when you do the things we've been doing,” said Brunette, complimentary of how his team had played most of that defeat (and the defeat before it), “if we can clear our mind and go back to work, the hockey gods may give you a little bit of a break here.”
Tuesday night in Vancouver, the Predators got a little bit of a break.
They stayed alive by scoring twice — each time, rather improbably — in the third period to swipe a 2-1 victory that'll force the Canucks to travel all the way back to Nashville for Friday’s Game 6. The prospect of a winner-take-all Game 7 looms if they’re again unable to close out the Predators.
Vancouver had its chance in Game 5. After two scoreless periods, the Canucks pulled in front 1-0 when Nikita Zadorov scored a few minutes into the third period. With a rowdy home crowd urging the Canucks toward the finish line, you had to believe it'd be curtains for the Predators.
Those hockey gods just laughed and winked.
Nashville’s first goal was created by Roman Josi. But it slipped over the line because Canucks goalie Arturs Silovs rolled over and unknowingly knocked it in behind him.
Then you had defenseman Alex Carrier, of all people, unleashing a beauty of a low shot from near the blue line, hitting bull's-eye and beating Silovs in the bottom corner.
Not Josi. Not Filip Forsberg. Not Ryan O’Reilly or Gustav Nyquist or Tommy Novak or Luke Evangelista.
Alex Carrier.
It was his first-ever playoff goal. He had scored only four goals this season, and 10 in 217 career NHL regular-season games.
Hey, why not? “Are you kidding me?” seems to be the default setting for this weird first-round series, which floats on like a knuckleball. No telling where it’s headed next. Road teams have won each of the past four games.
For the Predators, Tuesday’s victory was on brand. It was another example of why they’ve been so endearing this season.
You simply can’t ever count them out. Matter of fact, it's exactly when you count them out that they become their most dangerous.
It has been this way for months, so much that it would have been out of character for these Predators to fly out to Vancouver just to perish with a whimper, even if no one could have blamed them after such heartbreak in Game 4.
Lose two at home to go down 3-1 in the series? Might as well just get it done in Vancouver again.
Down 1-0 in the third period and staring at elimination? Just find two late goals from whomever and deal the Canucks a taste of what it feels like to blow a lead in front of home fans.
So back to Nashville. Both of y'all.
Reach Tennessean sports columnist Gentry Estes at gestes@tennessean.com and on the X platform (formerly known as Twitter) @Gentry_Estes.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Predators get the wink and nod in Game 5 NHL playoff win vs Canucks
