Murray Wood: Riders' revenge, Putin optics, storm beauty
In this Friday "Who's Hot and Who's Not," Murray Wood looks at the Riders' shot at payback in Calgary, Trudeau...
VANCOUVER — Jacob Markstrom made 36 saves and Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller had a goal and an assist apiece to lead Vancouver to a 6-2 win over the Nashville Predators Monday on a night the Canucks retired the numbers of franchise greats Daniel and Henrik Sendin.
Zack MacEwen, Brandon Sutter, Jordie Benn and Jake Virtanen also scored as Vancouver opened ‘Sedin Week’ by snapping a four-game losing streak.
Quinn Hughes had three assists to take over the lead in the rookie scoring race with 44 points.
Craig Smith and Mikael Granlund replied for the Predators.
Pekka Rinne lasted just 20:58, giving up four goals on 17 shots in his first appearance in four games. Juuse Saros stopped 13 of 15 shots through the final 39:02 of action.
The Canucks were 2-for-4 on the power play, while the Predators were 1-for-6.
With Brock Boeser on injured reserve after suffering an upper-body injury in the Canucks loss to the Calgary Flames on Saturday, Vancouver coach Travis Green juggled his lines on Monday in hopes of inspiring a group that had gone 0-3-1 in its last four games.
The move paid dividends early as MacEwen opened the scoring at 7:06 of the first period by taking a pass in the slot from Miller and blasting it past Rinne.
Vancouver added two more goals in the next seven minutes. Sutter deflected an Pettersson shot past Rinne during a power play before Benn drifted in a shot from the point for his first goal in a Canucks uniform.
Fifty-eight seconds into the second period, Pettersson picked up his 24th of the year, ending Rinne’s night.
The momentum started to shift when Tyler Myers took an extra cross-checking penalty when he and Austin Watson dropped the gloves at 5:01 of the second. The Predators spoiled Markstrom’s shutout bid when Smith scored his 13th goal of the year during the ensuing power play. Granlund jumped on a loose puck 66 seconds later to make the score 4-2.
For the next several minutes, the Predators continued to apply pressure. Markstrom faced 19 shots in the middle frame, making spectacular saves on Rocco Grimaldi, Calle Jarnkrok, Viktor Arvidsson and Colton Sissons to help protect his team’s lead.
Vancouver restored its three-goal lead with two minutes left in the second, when a Hughes shot from the blue line bounced off Miller’s knee and past Saros into the net.
Tempers flared early in the third as Sissons ran over Markstrom in his crease, drawing a goaltender interference penalty. The Canucks rounded out the scoring as Hughes fed Virtanen for another power-play goal, 2:32 into the third.
NOTES: Former Canucks captains Stan Smyl, Trevor Linden and Markus Naslund were all on hand Monday for Legends Night, ahead of Wednesday night’s jersey retirement ceremony for Daniel and Henrik Sedin … The Canucks unveiled a new Legends Locker Room interactive exhibit in the Rogers Arena concourse on Monday morning … The Sedins were on hand to take in the game, and received a standing ovation when they were introduced to the crowd … The Canucks wore their black skate retro jerseys against Nashville for the final time this season. Right wing Justin Bailey played his first game as a member of the Canucks after being signed as a free agent last summer.
Carol Schram, The Canadian Press
