NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Pius Suter scored with 1:39 left and the Vancouver Canucks advanced to the second round of the NHL playoffs with a 1-0 victory over the Nashville Predators on Friday night in Game 6.
Nashville had a final chance to force overtime with a power play with 33.9 seconds left after Elias Lindholm was called for cross-checking Gustav Nyquist. But the Predators couldn’t beat rookie goalie Arturs Silovs before time expired, and Nashville captain Roman Josi slammed his stick to the ice.
Silovs made 28 saves to become the 14th rookie goalie in NHL history to finish off a series with a shutout and just the fifth in 30 years. He joined Akira Schmid (2023), Matt Murray (2017 against Nashville in the Stanley Cup Final winner), Carey Price (2008) and Ilya Bryzgalov (2006) in that select group.
Vancouver will play Edmonton. The Oilers finished second behind the Canucks in the Pacific Division and beat the Los Angeles Kings in the first round.
The Canucks continued the streak started in Game 2 of the road team winning each of the final five games. They won their first playoff series outside the pandemic bubble since 2011 when Vancouver reached the Stanley Cup Final, a run that included a Game 6 win over the Preds in Nashville.
GOLDEN KNIGHTS 2, STARS 0
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Noah Hanifin broke a scoreless tie at 9:54 of the third period, Adin Hill stopped 23 shots and defending champion Vegas kept alive their season by beating Dallas to force Game 7.
The deciding game in the first-round series is Sunday in Dallas.
Mark Stone also scored on a empty-netter from near his own goal line.
This was a classic goalie duel, with Hill getting his first shutout since having two in three games in early November.
On the other side, Jake Oettinger made 28 saves and entered the game without giving up a goal in this series in the third period or overtime. Hanifin goal ended Oettinger’s streak at 60 saves.
There are numbers that favor either side.
Vegas took a 2-0 lead in this series, and the Knights are 4-0 when holding such an advantage. The Stars have never overcome such a deficit in the nine previous tries since moving to Dallas. NHL teams overall are 351-55 when given that early lead.
The Associated Press