How Predators beat Canucks in NHL playoffs Game 5 with Alex Carrier's unlikely career moment

VANCOUVER — With the score tied 1-1 in the third period against the Vancouver Canucks in Game 5, on Tuesday, the Nashville Predators needed at least one more goal to keep their season alive.

With all of the scorers on this team, you'd expect someone like Filip Forsberg, Ryan O'Reilly or Roman Josi to be the one to do it.

Instead, Alex Carrier — with only 10 career goals to his name, none in the playoffs — stepped up to the blue line and fired in the go-ahead goal.

It was a huge moment for the Predators — who held on to win 2-1, forcing the best-of-seven first-round NHL playoff series to Game 6 on Friday at Bridgestone Arena — but an even bigger one for Carrier.

"I was really happy for him," coach Andrew Brunette said after the win. "He's a heart-and-soul kid. Highly competitive."

Incidentally, the goal wasn't the first notable moment for Carrier in this series. During the Predators' third-period collapse in Game 1, it was Carrier's misplay that led to Dakota Joshua's go-ahead goal. The next day, Brunette chalked up the mistake to "rust" and seemed confident Carrier would recover later in the series.

"It was nice to see him get rewarded with a big-time moment and a big-time play," Brunette said.

Alex Carrier, Roman Josi react to go-ahead goal in Game 5

After the game, Carrier was quick to credit teammate Gustav Nyquist for help with the goal.

"It was great pass from (Nyquist) going low to high," Carrier said. "I just saw traffic. Took it to the middle and shot it."

Nyquist, who collected the puck after a near scoring chance on the back side of the Vancouver net, kept the play alive along the boards. He sent the puck immediately to the tape of Carrier's stick, allowing him to launch the shot toward the net.

As for the shot itself, what it lacked in power, it had in accuracy. A screen in front of the net by O'Reilly prevented goalie Arturs Silovs from seeing the puck.

Carrier said that after the game, Josi ribbed him about the shot.

"(Josi) said it was the hardest shot he'd seen in his life," Carrier said, joking. "I'm just happy it went in."

Josi added: "It was a great shot, I think it was like 69 miles an hour maybe."

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: How Predators beat Canucks in NHL playoffs with Alex Carrier's goal