It’s often said that the most dangerous animal is the one that’s wounded and cornered. In the case of the Nashville Predators, their pride had been dealt a blow with a miserable Game 4 defeat. They had to face the Vancouver Canucks and their rabid fans on Tuesday night for Game 5, down 3-1 in the series. The Predators proved the wounded animal theory correct, winning yet another tight game, this time 2-1, to cut Vancouver’s advantage in the series to 3-2.
Predators Down but Not Out
Being down but not out applies to both the series as a whole and also this particular contest. All three goals were tallied in the final frame, with the hosts getting on board first. Nikita Zadorov, who continues to show his worth, got the home crowd jumping with a tightly angled wrist shot at 3:11.
Related: 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs Round 1 Hub
The Canucks could almost see the light at the end of the tunnel, but the Predators are a stubborn and talented bunch. Roman Josi levelled the terms on the power play with a goal that exemplified both luck and determination on Nashville’s part. Alexandre Carrier kept his team’s season alive with a slap shot from the blue line at 12:46 that had eyes through traffic and fooled Canucks goalie Arturs Silovs. The latter’s counterpart, Juuse Saros, once again didn’t have a ton of saves to make, but was spectacular when called into action, particularly as Vancouver pressed to find the tying goal.
The rivals continued the trend of few shots (22 to 20 in favour of the Predators) and getting in the faces of the other team’s offensive players. Through five matches, it looks as though both sides are content to find out who will win a slow, deliberate war of attrition.
Game 6 is set for Friday back in Nashville.