The Canucks pinch out the Predators

Hoglander's tip keeps Vancouver's wick alive

One goal from dark

It was qualification night in Nashville, and the Vancouver Canucks held a one-goal lead with two men in the box in the third. Mark Friedman went for interference at 13:18. Tyler Myers followed for cross checking at 15:19. On qualification night, a loss means the flame goes dark before the Gauntlet even gets going.

Neither club came in with any Gauntlet past. The Canucks finished 22nd of 32 last season and the Nashville Predators finished 18th. All of it came down to one night at Bridgestone Arena.

A fast second period

Ilya Mikheyev struck first with a wrist shot at 4:29, set up by Andrei Kuzmenko and Ian Cole. Colton Sissons answered alone, an unassisted wrister at 15:38. Then the second period opened in a hurry. Phillip Di Giuseppe backhanded one home 22 seconds in, from Brock Boeser. Just 2:49 later, Nils Hoglander tipped in a Quinn Hughes and Filip Hronek feed to make it 3-1. That goal stood as the winner.

Demko holds the shelf

Kiefer Sherwood pulled Nashville within one with a slapshot at 9:18 of the second, assisted by Tommy Novak. After that, nobody scored. Thatcher Demko stopped 16 of 18 shots, and Juuse Saros made 21 saves on 24 at the other end. Luke Evangelista's interference call at 16:44 of the third was Nashville's only penalty of the night. The Predators were snuffed, and the Canucks burn on as one of 18 flames still lit.