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Top-seeded Canucks try to extend lead over Preds in Game 2

Apr 30, 2011 - 2:56 PM (Sports Network) - The top-seeded Vancouver Canucks will try to grab a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference semifinals when they host the Nashville Predators in tonight's Game 2 matchup at Rogers Arena.

The Canucks were just two days removed from a thrilling Game 7 overtime victory against the defending-champion Blackhawks when they hosted the Predators on Thursday in the opener of this best-of-seven series.

Vancouver showed little sign of fatigue, however, as it recorded a 1-0 victory over the visiting Predators. Roberto Luongo out-dueled Pekka Rinne and Chris Higgins notched the game's only goal. Luongo made 20 saves for his third career playoff shutout.

Higgins tallied late in the second period with assists from Maxim Lapierre and Kevin Bieksa for the Canucks, who recorded their fourth home win of the 2011 postseason.

"It was a good first game for us in this series," Bieksa noted. "It was what we expected; Nashville's a stingy team defensively, so they're not going to give us a whole lot. We're going to have to play tight and capitalize on the chances they give us."

The Canucks held a three-games-to-none lead over Chicago in the opening round before allowing the Blackhawks to force a seventh game.

Rinne was solid with 29 stops for the Predators, who recorded their first-ever playoff series victory with a six-game decision over Anaheim in the opening round.

Luongo, meanwhile, has turned aside 63-of-65 shots since the Canucks opted to start his backup Cory Schneider in Game 6 of the Chicago series. The Vezina Trophy finalist stopped 12-of-13 shots in relief of Schneider in the penultimate game of the first round and Luongo then turned aside 31-of-32 shots as the starter in the decisive seventh game.

The Canucks played Thursday's tilt without defenseman Sami Salo, who has sat out the last two games with a leg injury. The Finnish veteran is questionable for this evening's test.

Vancouver is trying to earn a berth in the conference finals for the first time since 1994, when they made it to the Stanley Cup Finals before bowing out to the New York Rangers in seven games.

Nashville and Vancouver split four games in the regular season series and the clubs have never met before in the postseason.

The Canucks are 4-1 as the host in the playoffs after going 24-9-8 at Rogers Arena during the regular season. Nashville had a 20-18-3 mark on the road this year and is 2-2 as the guest this postseason.

This series will shift to Nashville for the next two games and the Preds will host the Canucks in Game 3 on Tuesday.