Predators' Saros Shines, Slam Shut Door On Canucks To End Skid
Nashville Predators goaltender Juuse Saros made 26 saves for his second shutout of the season as the Predators beat the Vancouver Canucks 3-0 on Friday night. It was Saros' first shutout since Oct. 25, 2022, against the Buffalo Sabres.
The Predators are now 10-4-1 in their last 15 games and have moved into second place in the Central Division. The Canucks have lost four straight games and are now 8-16-3 on the road this season.
Saros' Performance
Saros was outstanding in net for the Predators. He made several key saves, including a breakaway stop on Andrei Kuzmenko in the second period and a point-blank save on Bo Horvat in the third period.
"He was unbelievable," Predators coach John Hynes said. "He made some huge saves for us tonight."
Saros' performance was especially impressive considering that the Predators were playing on the second night of a back-to-back. He also had to deal with a number of deflections and rebounds in front of his net.
"It was a tough game," Saros said. "They had a lot of chances, but I was able to make some big saves. I'm just glad I could help the team get the win."
Predators' Offense
The Predators' offense was not as impressive as Saros' performance, but they did enough to get the win. Mikael Granlund scored a power-play goal in the first period, and Cody Glass and Egor Afanasyev added goals in the third period.
"We didn't play our best game offensively," Hynes said. "But we were able to get some big goals when we needed them."
The Predators have now scored at least three goals in each of their last five games. They are also 7-1-0 when they score first.
Canucks' Struggles
The Canucks have now lost four straight games and are 1-6-1 in their last eight games. They have also been shut out in three of their last four games.
"We're not playing well enough," Canucks coach Bruce Boudreau said. "We're not making enough plays, and we're not scoring enough goals."
The Canucks have been struggling to score goals all season. They are one of the lowest-scoring teams in the NHL, averaging just 2.62 goals per game.
"We need to find a way to score more goals," Boudreau said. "We're not going to win many games if we can't score."
Conclusion
The Predators' win snapped a three-game losing streak and moved them into second place in the Central Division. Saros was outstanding in net, and the Predators' offense did enough to get the win. The Canucks, on the other hand, continued their struggles. They have now lost four straight games and are one of the lowest-scoring teams in the NHL.
The Predators will be back in action on Sunday when they host the Chicago Blackhawks. The Canucks will be back in action on Saturday when they host the Edmonton Oilers.