The Nashville Predators defeated the Vancouver Canucks 4-1 in Game 2 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals to even the series at one apiece. Nashville’s 30 blocked shots and stellar defensive play were the key factors behind Smashville’s victory.
Demko Out, DeSmith In:
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Before Game 2 took place, the Vancouver Canucks announced on Tuesday afternoon that their starting goaltender, Thatcher Demko, will be out indefinitely with an undisclosed injury. With Demko out, backup Casey DeSmith was named Game 2 starter for the Canucks.
Like a shark smelling blood in the water, Nashville pounced on the opportunity to attack quickly and often as their first shot of the game beat DeSmith off a strange deflection from the stick of Preds forward Anthony Beauvillier.
Oh So Close:
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The Canucks were inches away from tying it in the dying seconds of the first period. A holding call on Nashville’s Ryan McDonagh put Vancouver on the powerplay with just under a minute left in the first.
With four seconds left, a beautiful pass from Quinn Hughes found the stick of Elias Pettersson on the right faceoff circle, but Pettersson missed a wide-open net, which brought him down to his knees.
Predators Take Control:
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The Predators rolled with this early momentum and jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second period off of goals from Filip Forsberg and Colton Sissons. Forsberg’s goal was the 30th of his playoff career, making him the all-time playoff leader in goals for the Predators.
Vancouver made it interesting when defenseman Nikita Zadorov fired a wrist shot from the point that beat Saros on the blocker side to cut the deficit to two. Unfortunately for Vancouver, that would be all she wrote as an empty netter by Keifer Sherwood sealed the 4-1 victory for Nashville.
Also, the Nashville Predators set a franchise record for recording the least amount of shots in a playoff victory with 16 in game two. The previous record was set in a 3-1 win against the Detroit Red Wings during the 2012 playoffs.
Blocked Shot Bonanza:
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Although Vancouver only potted one goal in Game 2, they did everything in their power to get back in the game as Vancouver finished with 84 shot attempts in Tuesday’s matchup. Without Nashville’s 30 blocked shots, the game might have been much closer than the scoreboard indicated.
Even though Vancouver only scored once in game two, they were happy with their scoring chances and offensive play. In a post-game interview with Pettersson, he said, “We’re creating looks. We’re creating scoring chances. They’re just doing a good job blocking shots, so we gotta find a way to get them through.”
DeSmith Excited For Opportunity:
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Canucks goaltender Casey DeSmith shared his thoughts on his first playoff game since 2022: “Obviously bummed for Demko, but I’m excited to play. Playoffs are a different animal and it was fun to be out there.”
“The crowd was incredible too,” said DeSmith. “It’s an incredible atmosphere and this city’s behind us and I, for one, appreciate it. And I know everybody else in the locker room does too.”
Heading To Smashville:
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On the other side, the Predators can’t wait to get back home to Bridgestone Arena. “Bridgestone in the playoffs is unbelievable,” said captain Roman Josi. “The atmosphere is unreal and it’s gonna be loud. We’re excited to go home.”
Game 3 will take place on Friday, April 26th in Nashville at 7:30 PM EST. Friday will mark Nashville’s first home playoff game since 2022.
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About the author: Trevor Poetzinger is a senior at Western Michigan University studying journalism in hopes of becoming a sports journalist. Poetzinger is a big Chicago sports fan, with the Blackhawks and White Sox as his favorites. Poetzinger also loves talking about anything hockey and baseball-related, whether it’s the pros, semi-pros, or college.
