NASHVILLE -- The Nashville Predators are looking for a repeat effort, not a repeat outcome, in Game 6 of the Western Conference First Round against the Vancouver Canucks at Bridgestone Arena on Friday (7 p.m. ET; MAX, truTV, TNT, BSSO, SN, TVAS, CBC).
The Predators lost Games 3 and 4 at home, despite both Canucks goals of a 2-1 loss in Game 3 coming on the power play and leading 3-1 with three minutes left in the third period of Game 4. Canucks forward Brock Boeser cut the lead to 3-2 at 17:11 and tied the game 3-3 with eight seconds remaining before Elias Lindholm won it 4-3 at 1:02 of overtime.
Nashville won 2-1 in Game 5 in Vancouver on Tuesday. A win Friday would force a return there for Game 7 on Sunday.
"Just bending not breaking," forward Ryan O'Reilly said. "Those two games we did some great things, had a great chance to win games with leads. Get into that situation again, it's just being on our toes. Do the right thing, sticking with it, not being affected by ... they're a great team over there, they're going to get chances, they're going to get momentum and it's just us being able to, when that happens, counter a little quicker, which in those games we didn't do enough."
Helping counter those moments could be the impact of the Predators' fourth line, Michael McCarron, Kiefer Sherwood and Cole Smith.
Sherwood scored in a 4-1 win in Game 2, but that's the line's only point. Their impact has come with the physicality they've brought to each game, especially Games 3 and 4 when they were able to target Vancouver's top defenseman, Quinn Hughes.
Sherwood leads the Predators with 31 hits, Smith is tied for fifth with 12 and McCarron has seven.
"I think we've been doing a good job of late," McCarron said. "I think we were OK the first couple games. We were able to get some good, sustained shifts the past few games, our line, so I think we can continue that we'll be successful."
Nashville coach Andrew Brunette said that line is one he won't hesitate to put on the ice when the team needs some momentum.
"They've been great the whole series," he said. "They've been great all year, and they've carried it around through this series. They're a big identity line for us. I think they stir the drink a little bit, especially early in games, early in periods, and in moments where we need a momentum switch, they're the line you lean on right now. They've been outstanding and it hasn't stopped in the playoffs."
O'Reilly said the impact of the McCarron line is felt throughout the lineup.
"They're so huge for our group," he said. "Momentum, the physicality, no line wants to play against them just because of that. They're such an impact. And I think that's something that we all feed off of. Whether it's getting a scoring chance or forecheck or the way they defend and finishing, or finishing one their top guys, every shift they feel like they're doing something to impact the game, which is something that gives us life and it's fun to watch."
To force Game 7, the Predators will need more than just the McCarron line to impact the game.
"We probably didn't have the puck as much in the offensive zone," Brunette said. "I know we had stretches that we were really good. And we did some things that were uncharacteristic at different times that led to some odd-man rushes against, which we have to be really mindful of, especially with their skill level that they have. I thought we gave them too many clean looks. I think we've done a really good job of muddying it up for them and we just had a few little breakdowns where we put them in really good positions with that skill for them to make plays.
"I think the message is we've got to play much better than we played in Game 5 and kind of go one game at a time here. Home ice means nothing. We figured that out. It's more of our game has to be a little bit better."
NHL.com independent correspondent Robby Stanley contributed to this report
