• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Potent power play propels Predators past Canucks

Jan 29, 2009 - 7:43 AM VANCOUVER, British Columbia (Ticker) -- The Nashville Predators put the man advantage to good use on Wednesday.

J.P. Dumont scored a power-play goal just over two minutes into the third period to snap a tie as the Predators handed the Vancouver Canucks their seventh straight defeat by rallying to a 5-3 triumph.

Captain Jason Arnott notched his 800th career point with his team-leading 16th goal and Joel Ward, Martin Erat and David Legwand also tallied for Nashville, which scored three power-play goals in a game for the first time this season.

"In today's game, power plays and penalty-killing are usually the difference in hockey games - specialty teams," Predators left wing Steve Sullivan said. "I think tonight was a perfect example of our power play getting three and our penalty-killing doing a great job, only allowing one of their goals, 4-on-3. I think definitely, specialty teams were the difference tonight."

Arnott credited the return of Sullivan for the team's ability to convert man-advantage opportunities. Sullivan was playing in his sixth game after missing nearly two years with a back injury.

"It helps having him back, no question," Arnott said. "With him moving around a lot, it frees up a lot of open ice, which gives us more opportunities to shoot and we're not so stagnant anymore. We're trying to move and find holes, and it worked out tonight."

Defensemen Dan Hamhuis and Ryan Suter recorded two assists apiece and rookie Pekka Rinne turned aside 27 shots for the Predators, who snapped a three-game losing streak.

"A real character test and a testament to the guys in the room that they wanted to get the win here and get this second half started," Nashville coach Barry Trotz said.

"It's nice, but it's only one game," Predators All-Star defenseman Shea Weber said. "There's been stretches where we've lost a bunch and only won one, so we've got to get on a roll and win a bunch."

Alex Burrows, Ryan Johnson and defenseman Sami Salo scored and All-Star goaltender Roberto Luongo made 33 saves for Vancouver, which lost its franchise-record eighth straight game at General Motors Place.

"Well obviously, we're not happy with the results. I can tell you each and every player and each and every member of this staff is not happy with the results - and obviously, we all think we can play better," Canucks coach Alain Vigneault said. "We have to find a way to play better. It's as simple as that."

"The effort is there. The preparation is there. Everything is there," Vancouver defenseman Kevin Bieksa said. "For whatever reason, we're just not getting results right now."

With the game tied at 3-3 at 2:01 of the third, Hamhuis' shot was denied by Luongo. But Dumont tapped home the rebound from the doorstep for his ninth goal of the season.

Although the Canucks registered 16 shots on goal in the third, they were unable to solve Rinne.

Legwand scored an empty-netter with 55 seconds remaining in the session to seal the win.

The Canucks built a 3-1 lead by scoring three goals in a span of 5:34 of the second period, but the Predators chipped away toward the latter stages of the session.

With his team on the power play, Erat halved the deficit with 3:59 remaining, gathering a rebound and beating Luongo for his 12th goal of the season.

Arnott leveled the contest with 11 seconds remaining in the session - and reached a personal milestone in the process.

With Vancouver's Mats Sundin serving a cross-checking penalty, Arnott received a pass from Suter in the left faceoff circle and fired a blast past Luongo to tie the game at 3-3.

"Was that my 800th tonight?" Arnott asked. "That's nice. I didn't even know."

"When you're up, 3-1, with five minutes to go in the second period, there's no way you should go into the locker room tied," Luongo said. "That's the second time it's happened here, and we lost a couple of weeks (ago). Just got to make sure we do the little things right - those are the things that end up hurting us in the end."