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Nashville Predators' expected lineup for Game 2 vs Vancouver Canucks in NHL playoffs

VANCOUVER — As the Nashville Predators prepare for Game 2 on Tuesday, they do so knowing Vancouver Canucks starting goaltender Thatcher Demko will be out with an injury.

With Demko injured, the Predators will face backup goaltender Casey DeSmith, who will be making his second career playoff start. Canucks coach Rick Tocchet added that Demko will be evaluated in the coming days, not ruling out the possibility of a return later in the series.

With Demko a huge part of Vancouver's run to the No. 2 seed in the West — and DeSmith a career backup goalie — you might expect a different approach for Nashville. But Predators coach Andrew Brunette said that won't be the case Tuesday.

"The same approach," Brunette said after morning skate. "We've got to get on the inside a little more than we did last game, anyway. We are just doing us."

As for the players, they view it the same way. The team generated only 22 shots on Demko on Sunday, their lowest total since generating 21 shots against the Los Angeles Kings on Feb. 22.

They know Game 2 is about how the Predators perform, not how the Canucks perform.

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"We are trying to beat the team, not any one individual player," Nashville's Luke Evangelista said. "We're just focused on ourselves."

DeSmith has played in one playoff game in his career, a 48-save performance in a 4-3 triple overtime win for Pittsburgh in 2022. DeSmith was replaced in that game after suffering an injury, so he did not get credit for the win. Instead, Louis Domingue made 17 saves in relief, earning the win, then going viral for eating spicy pork between overtime periods.

Nashville Predators expected lineup for Game 2 against Vancouver Canucks

At Tuesday's morning skate, Brunette said there are "a couple of game-time decisions" regarding the Predators' lineup. The most likely additions are forward Cody Glass and defenseman Dante Fabbro, who Brunette identified as "possibly" getting a look after Game 1.

At practice, the lineup was the same as Game 1, so we will not know the official lineup until Game 2 warmups.

Here's the most likely lineup for Nashville against Vancouver tonight:

Forwards

Filip Forsberg - Ryan O'Reilly - Gustav Nyquist

Mark Jankowski - Tommy Novak - Luke Evangelista

Anthony Beauvillier - Colton Sissons - Jason Zucker

Cole Smith - Michael McCarron - Kiefer Sherwood

Defense

Ryan McDonagh - Roman Josi

Jeremy Lauzon - Alex Carrier

Spencer Stastney - Luke Schenn

Goaltenders

Juuse Saros

Kevin Lankinen

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Predators-Canucks Game 2: Nashville expected lineup in NHL playoffs