3 Keys: Canucks at Predators, Game 4 of Western 1st Round
Vancouver looks to extend series lead by playing faster, attacking more
© John Russell/NHLI via Getty Images
NASHVILLE -- The Vancouver Canucks believe 5 more yards will lead to them taking a big advantage against the Nashville Predators in their Western Conference First Round series.
The Canucks had 12 shots on goal in a 2-1 win in Game 3 on Friday. It's the fewest by a team in a Stanley Cup Playoff victory since the Pittsburgh Penguins had 12 in a 5-3 win against the Predators in Game 1 of the 2017 Cup Final.
Vancouver coach Rick Tocchet was happy with his how his team defended but understands more is needed on offense for Game 4.
"Their breakouts and their neutral zone, I thought they got after it and we didn't," Tocchet said Saturday. "I didn't feel we moved our feet to work back to space. And when you do that, you're disconnected and all of a sudden they look good. Credit to them, they looked good, but I think we made them look good.
"I think we have to work 5 yards harder to our spots, that will help our breakouts, our neutral-zone forecheck. It will make us connected. Five yards will make us connected."
The Predators established a heavy presence in the offensive zone early in Game 3 and will look to keep that going in Game 4.
"I liked our forecheck," Nashville coach Andrew Brunette said. "I think it looked the most like us that it has in the first three games. I think it starts all the way back in our own end. I thought we were quick in our own zone and were able to get up ... get out of our zone, get into their zone in optimal time and put pressure. It was a really good effort from our guys."
Here are 3 keys for Game 4:
1. Attack more, defend less
The Canucks won't give back their victory in Game 3, but realize they have much better play in them and need to display that in Game 4. That means using their speed more, especially up front.
"Just playing it safe last game, first game on the road in the playoffs, you're just a little tentative," defenseman Carson Soucy said. "You want to be safer than kind of be aggressive and make that mistake. But we're such a good skating team, we have to be more in their face and that takes a confidence level that you work at the whole season. That's when we're playing our best, when our forwards are skating forward, tracking hard. That allows us to have good gaps.
"We defended too much and I don't think we were at our best skating-wise in taking away their time and space as the game before or Game 1. I think a big part is us getting on that forecheck and getting our feet moving."
2. Nashville needs more from Novak
Tommy Novak was fifth on the Predators with 45 points (18 goals, 27 assists) in 71 games this season but has no points and three shots on goal in the first three games of the series as center on a line with Mark Jankowski and Luke Evangelista.
"I think he's waiting," Brunette said. "This time of year, you can't wait for things. You've got to initiate. Initiate puck contact. If you wait and you look for soft ice, there is none."
Brunette said he is considering some lineup changes at forward for Game 4, with forwards Cody Glass and Juuso Parssinen each an option. Parssinen was recalled from Milwaukee of the American Hockey League on Thursday.
"Yeah, there's a couple of considerations," Brunette said Saturday. "Some decisions that I'll speak with my staff here after and make a decision."
3. Keep calm and stay aggressive
The Predators were able to put heavy pressure on the Canucks for most of Game 3, but getting shots on net proved difficult, as evidenced by Vancouver's 28 blocked shots.
It was a reversal from Game 2, when the Predators blocked 30 shots in a 4-1 victory.
Tocchet said before Game 3 that his players needed to keep shooting and make Nashville players feel the pain that comes from blocking shots. Brunette wants the same mindset from his players.
"We have to understand we can't be idle," he said. "We've got to put the pedal to the metal a little bit and keep going. Sooner or later, you get your looks, you get your chances and things always seem to work out."
Canucks projected lineup
Pius Suter -- J.T. Miller -- Brock Boeser
Nils Hoglander -- Elias Pettersson -- Ilya Mikheyev
Dakota Joshua -- Elias Lindholm -- Conor Garland
Phillip Di Giuseppe -- Teddy Blueger -- Sam Lafferty
Quinn Hughes -- Filip Hronek
Carson Soucy -- Tyler Myers
Ian Cole -- Nikita Zadorov
Casey DeSmith
Arturs Silovs
Scratched: Mark Friedman, Nils Aman, Noah Juulsen, Vasily Podkolzin, Nikita Tolopilo
Injured: Thatcher Demko (undisclosed)
Predators projected lineup
Filip Forsberg -- Ryan O'Reilly -- Gustav Nyquist
Anthony Beauvillier -- Colton Sissons -- Jason Zucker
Mark Jankowski -- Tommy Novak -- Luke Evangelista
Cole Smith -- Michael McCarron -- Kiefer Sherwood
Ryan McDonagh -- Roman Josi
Jeremy Lauzon -- Alexandre Carrier
Dante Fabbro -- Luke Schenn
Juuse Saros
Kevin Lankinen
Scratched: Tyson Barrie, Jaret Anderson-Dolan, Cody Glass, Gustavs Grigals, Juuso Parssinen
Injured: Spencer Stastney (upper body)
Status report
The Canucks are expected to use the same lineup they went with in Game 3. ... Stastney is out week to week after getting injured during Game 3. The defenseman briefly left the game after being hit into the boards by Joshua at 4:57 of the first period. He returned later in the first but finished his last shift at 9:20 of the second period.
NHL.com independent correspondent Robby Stanley contributed to this report
