Vancouver Canucks rebound, crush Nashville Predators 5-1 -NHL Match Update
After being shutout two days earlier, the Vancouver Canucks rebounded against Nashville Predators and crushed them by a monumental, 5-1, extending their losing streak to four, Thursday night, October 20, 2011, at the sold-out Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British
Columbia, Canada.
Vancouver carried on with their strategy of taking as many shots as possible on the opposing net and were not any different tonight by outshooting the opposition, 40-26, forcing Nashville to change goalie, Pekka Rinne with Anders Lindback, after the first
period.
"We took care of business in the first and took over from there", said Roberto Luongo, who made 25 saves after getting booed by the home fans Tuesday.
Missing some of their veteran players, the Nashville Predators are not worried about what the long term result might be in the 2011-2012 National Hockey League (NHL) regular season, but head coach, Barry Trotz, hopes that his younger players will eventually
adapt to the leadership roles they have been forced into.
"We're the youngest team in the league without Fisher, Erat and (concussed defenseman Francis) Boullion, so our youth shows at times", Trotz said. "We have some young players maybe playing higher than they need to, but they've got to battle through it. You're
going to have to go up against the best in the league. If you're scared of that, then get a dog, because this is the NHL".
Vancouver’s quick thinking in the first period eventually led them to victory as the Canucks scored early and took control.
Daniel Sedin scored the first 2:11 into the opening period followed by Matt Halischuk’s equaliser nearly two minutes later.
Vancouver captain, Henrik Sedin, made the tie-breaker on a power play as Patric Hornqvist went out for tripping. Dale Weise and Christopher Higgins gave the home crowd something to cheer about by scoring back-to-back a little over a minute apart with the
last being on a turnover breakaway by Higgins.
Playing his second matchup of the season, Ryan Kesler scored the last goal of the match and his first, 6:06 into the third period on one of two power play opportunities as Nashville lost two players, giving Vancouver a 5-on-3 man advantage.
Canucks play against Minnesota Wild on Saturday while Nashville will wind up its Canadian road trip against the Calgary Flames the same day.
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