Canucks game day: Arturs Silovs gets third straight start in Game 6 in Nashville
2 months ago
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The Vancouver Canucks have another chance to advance with a Game 6 victory over the Nashville Predators when the teams meet at Bridgestone Arena. The Canucks lead the series 3-2. However, the Preds stayed alive and forced things back to Tennessee with a 2-1 victory at Rogers Arena on Tuesday night.
Earlier today, the two head coaches in this series – Rick Tocchet and Andrew Brunette – were named finalists for the Jack Adams Award which goes to NHL Coach of the Year as voted on by league broadcasters. Winnipeg’s Rick Bowness is the other finalist.
It appears Arturs Silovs will make his third straight start in goal for the Canucks. Silovs is 1-1 with a 2.57 GAA and a .904 save percentage since being thrust into the series as a surprise starter in place of the injured Casey DeSmith the last time the Canucks were in Nashville. There are not expected to be any lineup changes among the 18 skaters the Canucks will dress tonight. That means they’ll go with the same lineup for the third straight game.
The Canucks are shooting for a fifth consecutive victory this season at Bridgestone Arena. They won both visits during the regular season and then took Games 3 and 4 last weekend.
Power plays have been a struggle for both teams in this series. The Canucks are 2 for 13 (15.4%) with both goals coming in Game 3 in Nashville while the Preds are 2 for 19 (10.5%) including Roman Josi’s game-tying goal midway through the third period on Tuesday.
It has been a strange series, with the road team winning the past four games. In three of the games in the series, the winners have overcome a third period deficit. Goals in the series are even at 12 apiece with both teams scoring seven 5-on-5 goals so far. The Predators have outshot the Canucks in four of the five games with Vancouver’s series high being just 21 shots on goal (Game 1 and Game 4).
Brock Boeser leads the series with four goals, including a Game 4 hat trick, while JT Miller (1+5) and Filip Forsberg (2+4) share the series-scoring lead. Forsberg has been in on the last three goals the Predators have scored.
The Canucks continue to play the waiting game with Elias Pettersson who has a pair of assists in the series, but has not scored in the playoffs and has one goal in his last 18 games. Pettersson’s line with Nils Höglander and Ilya Mikheyev has not generated a goal, has been outshot 12-4 and outscored 1-0 at 5-on-5 in the four games that trio has been together.
For Nashville, meanwhile, Forsberg is the only multi-goal scorer in their lineup. They have had 11 different skaters chip in with a goal in this series compared to the Canucks who have had six players do all of their goal-scoring. Forsberg and defenceman Alex Carrier, who scored the third period winner on Tuesday, both bring three-game point streaks into action tonight.
Based on their morning skate, the Predators look to be going with the same lineup they used to win Game 5. That means Tyson Barrie remains in on defence in place of Luke Schenn.
Juuse Saros had his best game of the series on Tuesday stopping 19 of 20 shots. He is 2-3 in the series with a 2.21 GAA and an .879 save percentage.
If necessary, Game 7 is slated for Sunday night back in Vancouver.
Game 1: 4-2 Vancouver
Game 2: 4-1 Nashville
Game 3: 2-1 Vancouver
Game 4: 4-3 OT Vancouver
Game 5: 2-1 Nashville
Today’s referees: Garrett Rank & Jean Hebert (Wes McCauley is the stand-by official)
What we heard
Rick Tocchet, not willing to name a starter, on goaltending strength of Canucks organization: “I think Arturs has played really well for us, just like Casey has played well. Goaltending has been a strong part for this organzation all year. We’re getting good goaltending, too. Calmness. A lot of calmness.”
Tocchet on having another chance to close out the Preds tonight: “We’re in a really good position. We haven’t played our best hockey. We’ve played some good periods, but we haven’t played our best Canucks hockey yet. And I think tonight is a game where each individual has to look at themselves and think ‘I’m going to play well tonight. Whatever I have to do to play well’ and I think that’s the mindset we have to have tonight. For sure.”
Tocchet on being a finalist for NHL Coach of the Year: “Honestly, it’s an organizational award for me. It’s the GM, the ownership, the assistant coaches, the players. You’re a piece of the puzzle. I think it’s an organizational type of trophy. I’ve got a huge support group that helps me. That’s the way I look at it. And honestly, I’m just looking at the game tonight.”
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