| |
RECAP
|
BOX SCORE
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- The Vancouver Canucks are quickly becoming the NHL's comeback kids.
| |  | |
| Morrison |
Brendan Morrison scored with 36.9 seconds left in regulation as the Canucks rallied from a four-goal deficit to tie the Nashville Predators 4-4 on Tuesday night.
Morrison tied it for Vancouver, which pulled goalie Felix Potvin
for an extra skater, when his shot from the top of the left circle
went under the arm of Nashville's Mike Dunham.
"The first two periods we were pretty much dead in the water,"
Vancouver center Andrew Cassels said. "We came out in the third period and just got the puck deep and kept working. You never know what happens when you throw the puck at the net."
In a 5-4 victory at Tampa Bay on Oct. 8, the Canucks become the third team since 1983-84 to win a game in regulation in which it had trailed by two or more goals with three or fewer minutes remaining.
"We know that we have scoring throughout all our lines," Cassels said. "That's nice to have. We have been scoring a lot of goals, which helps when you're down. You know you can score goals."
Sebastien Bordeleau, Scott Walker, Tom Fitzgerald and Patric
Kjellberg each scored, and Randy Robitaille had three assists to give the Predators a 4-0 lead late in the second period.
"It feels like (a loss)," Predators center Greg Johnson said. "Playoff teams don't blow 4-0 leads."
Markus Naslund finally got the Canucks on the board and started the rally just 24 seconds after Kjellberg's goal when he beat
Dunham, who was screened on the play.
Daniel Sedin connected on a backhander in the third period to make it 4-2, and Trent Klatt's power-play goal cut the lead to 4-3 with 7:33 remaining.
"We had the game in our hands and we let it go," Nashville
coach Barry Trotz said.
Bordeleau put Nashville on top 1-0 just 2:40 into the game. He
one-timed a pass from Cliff Ronning over Potvin's glove from the left circle.
Walker made it 2-0 at 5:44 on the power play. After Canucks
defenseman Ed Jovanovski failed to clear the rebound of Bill
Houlder's shot, Walker slipped a shot between Potvin's pads.
The Predators entered the game with the league's lowest-rated
power play, but connected on their first two power plays.
Nashville captain Fitzgerald increased the lead 1:24 into the
second. He scored from the right circle off a pass from Robitaille.
Fitzgerald's goal, his 250th career point, put the Predators
ahead 3-0 early in the second. He has 110 goals and 140 assists in
his career, which began in 1988-89 with the Islanders.
"Tom's had a great career," Johnson said. "He's a great
captain and a great guy, and he's far from done."
Kjellberg's power-play goal over Potvin's glove made it 4-0 16:56 into the second.
"We came out soft," Jovanovski said. "Every time we play them, they give us a hard time at the start."
Game notes
Nashville rookie center Scott Hartnell, the Predators'
first-round draft pick in the June, played in his eighth straight
game. The team will decide after Wednesday's game at Colorado
whether to keep Hartnell in Nashville the rest of the season or
return him to his junior club. Hartnell's assist on Fitzgerald's
goal was his first NHL point. ... Physical right wing Brantt Myhres
made his Nashville debut. ... Bordeleau's goal was his first since
March 31. That one also came against the Canucks. ... Canucks coach
Marc Crawford was assessed a gross misconduct penalty at the end of
overtime.
| |
ALSO SEE
NHL Scoreboard
Vancouver Clubhouse
Nashville Clubhouse
RECAPS
San Jose 3
Carolina 2
Philadelphia 5
NY Rangers 4
Minnesota 2
Montreal 2
Vancouver 4
Nashville 4
Phoenix 2
Calgary 2
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Scott Walker scores the power-play goal off the deflection.
avi: 794 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
|
