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Canucks rout Predators

Fri 7th, March 2008

Vancouver, BC (Sports Network) - Alexandre Burrows posted a goal and an assist, as the Vancouver Canucks pummeled the Nashville Predators, 6-2, in a pivotal matchup at GM Place.

Five other players tallied for the Canucks, who snapped a four-game skid. Sami Salo and Daniel Sedin each collected two assists, while Roberto Luongo stopped 21-of-23 shots to earn his 29th win of the season.

"It was a very important game for us," Vancouver coach Alain Vigneault. "And our guys did what they've done throughout the year -- they got ready to play hard and they did."

Vernon Fiddler and Greg de Vries scored for the Predators, who fell to 2-2-0 on their season-long six-game road trip that continues in Calgary on Friday. Dan Ellis started between the pipes, but was lifted after he yielded three goals on 11 shots. Chris Mason finished the game 30 saves.

"We got what we deserved tonight," Nashville coach Barry Trotz said. "We didn't play with the urgency and with the detail that you need to play. They (Canucks) played hard. They were very committed in a lot of areas of the game. They've had a lot of emotion."

With the victory, Vancouver pulled into a tie with Nashville for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

The Canucks had a 4-2 lead after a wild first period.

Fifteen seconds into the game, Henrik Sedin was called for holding, but Burrows notched the club's sixth short-handed goal of the season 22 seconds later. Following a faceoff, Burrows chased a loose puck down the left wing and caught up to it at the left circle, where he wristed a shot over the glove of Ellis.

While on a two-man advantage, Salo slid a pass over to Alexander Edler at the left point that Edler one-timed past Ellis at the 4:11 mark. Vancouver remained on the power play and, off the ensuing draw, Fiddler stole the puck in the neutral zone, broke in alone on Luongo and fired a shot over the sprawled netminder 14 seconds later to put Nashville on the board.

Matt Pettinger, who was acquired at the trade deadline from Washington, netted his first goal as a Canuck to make it 3-1. Ellis stopped Salo's slap shot from the right point, but the puck sat in the crease. Pettinger charged the net and pushed it over the goal line before Ellis could get a glove on it at 6:09.

The momentum was short-lived, as de Vries lit the lamp 12 seconds later.

Kevin Bieksa's first goal since October 21st made it 4-2. Daniel Sedin dropped the puck to Bieksa, who walked into the right circle and snapped a wrister between the pads of Mason with 1:57 remaining in the opening stanza.

Mason Raymond extended the Canucks' lead to 5-2 when he intercepted a pass in the neutral zone, raced down the left wing and fired a shot on goal. Mason made the save, but Raymond corralled the rebound, came around the right post and elevated the puck over the fallen goaltender at the 1:33 mark of the second.

Ryan Shannon's power-play goal with 8:59 remaining in the third accounted for the final score.

Game Notes

Pettinger's tally was the 100th point of his NHL career...Vancouver hosts St. Louis on Saturday...Vancouver finished 2-for-5 on the power play, while Nashville failed to convert on its six chances with the man advantage...The Canucks won the four-game season series (3-1-0).

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