Predators 4 - 7 Canucks
Final
  for this game

Canucks top Preds with balanced attack

Mar 15, 2013 - 7:39 AM Vancouver, BC (Sports Network) - Andrew Ebbett and Jannik Hansen each posted a goal and two assists as the Vancouver Canucks took a 7-4 victory over the Nashville Predators on Thursday.

Henrik Sedin, Maxim Lapierre, Mason Raymond and Alexander Edler each had a goal and an assist while David Booth added a goal for the Canucks, who have won two straight following a slide that saw the team lose six of seven. Roberto Luongo gave up four goals on 33 shots.

"It was good to capitalize on our chances and shut the door when we did," Booth said.

Matt Halischuk had a goal and an assist while Mike Fisher, Nick Spaling and Gabriel Bourque each scored for the Predators, who have lost five of their last seven.

Pekka Rinne was pulled early in the second period after allowing four goals on just 12 shots while Chris Mason stopped 7-of-9 shots in relief.

Vancouver held a 5-2 lead going into the third period, but Nashville cut that deficit to two at the 6:38 mark when a scrum behind the right of the net saw the puck come out front and Fisher backhand it in.

The Preds made it a one-goal game with 4:19 to play as another play behind the net resulted in the puck coming out front where Bourque lifted a backhand past Luongo.

Sedin, though, was awarded a penalty shot when he was slashed by Sergei Kostitsyn and he took advantage of the chance by faking back to the forehand and putting it in with 2:34 to play for a 6-4 lead.

"He did a pretty good fake and I didn't expect that from him," Mason said.

Booth iced the game with an empty-netter with 1:37 left in the contest.

Ebbett got Vancouver on the board just 1:25 in with his first goal of the year, but Halischuk answered less than three minutes later with his first of the campaign.

It was a 2-1 lead for the Canucks on Edler's fifth of the season at the 5:20 mark and Raymond finished off a 3-on-2 with a one-timer from the right circle with 1:53 to play in the first for a 3-1 advantage.

The Canucks made it a 4-1 game as Dale Weise hit Lapierre, coming out of the penalty box, with a lead pass and he buried it for his second of the year at the 5:32 mark of the second.

Nashville got one back just 29 seconds later as Spaling's pass from the left side hit off the skate of Kevin Bieksa and snuck in, but Hansen scored with 6:12 to play in the second when his shot down low snuck in after Mason made the save, as the puck was pushed into the net when a Predator slid into his goaltender.

Game Notes

Vancouver hosts Detroit on Saturday ... Nashville plays in Calgary on Friday ... The Canucks have won both matchups with the Predators this season ... Neither team scored on the power play as Nashville had four chances and Vancouver two.






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