NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP)— Vancouver coach Rick Tocchet instructed Pius Suter to keep shooting, and the forward did just that. With 1:39 remaining in Friday night’s Game 6 against the Nashville Predators, the Canucks advanced to the second round of the NHL playoffs. “If you keep going to those spots, it’ll happen, and it happened for Suits and big game-winning goal for us,” Tocchet said of the forward, who had three of his five shots in the third period.
When Elias Lindholm was punished for cross-checking Gustav Nyquist with 33.9 seconds remaining, Nashville had one more opportunity to force OT with a power play. The Predators were unable to beat rookie goalie Arturs Silovs before time ran out, despite goalie Juuse Saros being withdrawn for an additional attacker.
This series came down to a single goal in the last four games. According to Nashville’s first-year coach Andrew Brunette, this was possibly the most competitive series he has ever been in. The Jack Adams finalist replayed the last 33 seconds and claimed to have seen possibilities his Predators had missed.
Brunette remarked, “You’re going to get in one of these games, and hockey’s cruel sometimes.”
