VANCOUVER, British Columbia — In an exciting matchup on Sunday night, Steven Stamkos netted two power-play goals, contributing to the Nashville Predators’ 5-3 victory over the Vancouver Canucks.
With this win, Nashville improved its record to 5-10-3, marking their first victory in four games and only their second win on the road this season.
Zachary L’Heureux celebrated a milestone by scoring his inaugural NHL goal, while Roman Josi and Gustav Nyquist added to the scoreboard, with Nyquist scoring into an empty net. Juuse Saros performed admirably in goal, making 24 saves throughout the match.
On the other side of the ice, Vancouver saw goals from Aatu Raty, Elias Pettersson, and Kiefer Sherwood, while former Predators goalie Kevin Lankinen was able to stop 16 pucks on goal. Following this loss, the Canucks’ record fell to 9-5-3.
The game commenced with a bang at 5:28 in the first period when L’Heureux seized a loose puck right in front of the net, sending it past Lankinen to open the scoring for Nashville.
Key takeaways from the encounter reveal the Predators’ struggles against Vancouver, as they had lost all three regular-season games to the Canucks earlier in the 2023-24 season before being eliminated in the playoffs that followed.
From the Canucks’ perspective, they have now allowed the first goal in ten of their last eleven games. Their home record stands at 3-4-3, indicating challenges in securing consecutive wins at Rogers Arena.
A pivotal moment in the match occurred when Nashville, trailing 2-1 in the second period, quickly regained the lead with two goals in just over two minutes. Stamkos scored his first goal in five games while on a power play due to a delay-of-game penalty involving Nils Hoglander. Shortly after, Josi found the net again, just 11 seconds after Saros successfully denied Sherwood’s breakaway attempt.
Looking ahead, the Predators will conclude their five-game road trip with a match against the Seattle Kraken on Wednesday night. Meanwhile, the Canucks will wrap up a six-game homestand as they take on the New York Rangers on Tuesday night.