Nashville Predators vs Vancouver Canucks Match Player Stats On Dec 06, 2018

Rookie Elias Pettersson had a goal and an assist, scoring on a penalty shot, as the host Vancouver Canucks snapped a four-game losing streak by defeating the Nashville Predators 5-3 Thursday night.

Jake Virtanen and Bo Horvat also had a goal and an assist apiece for the Canucks, who won for just the second time in their past 14 games (2-10-2). Loui Eriksson and Alexander Edler also scored for Vancouver, and goaltender Jacob Markstrom made 26 saves.

Ryan Hartman, North Vancouver native Colton Sissons and Matt Irwin scored for the Western Conference-leading Predators, who lost for the fifth straight time on the road.

Nashville goalie Pekka Rinne, the reigning Vezina Trophy winner who entered the game leading the league with a 1.81 goals-against average, was pulled after the second period. He allowed four goals on 25 shots. Backup Juuse Saros stopped four of five shots in the third.

The Canucks, who lost their previous three games despite scoring the first goal in each, again struck early.

Edler gave the Canucks the lead at 7:48 of the first with a power-play goal, his shot from the point finding its way through a screen and past Rinne.

Horvat made it 2-0 in the final minute of the period. He took a pass from Virtanen on a three-on-two break and beat Rinne on a slap shot from the right faceoff circle.

Hartman made it 2-1 at 7:21 of the second before Virtanen restored the two-goal margin at 8:57.

Pettersson drew the penalty shot after being pulled down by Mattias Ekholm on a breakaway at 18:49, with Pettersson sliding into the net and knocking it off its moorings.

On the one-on-one challenge, Pettersson skated in on Rinne, faked to his backhand at the top of the crease and pulled the puck to his forehand to tap it in, giving the Canucks a 4-1 lead.

Eriksson made it 5-1 at 1:21 of the third, scoring off a rebound from the slot. Sissons and Irwin added goals that tightened the final margin.

--Field Level Media