The Vancouver Canucks, leading the series 2-1 against the Nashville Predators in the NHL Playoffs West 1st Round, hit the road for Game 4 at Nashville's Bridgestone Arena on Sunday at 5 p.m. ET, with live coverage on TBS, truTV, MAX, SN, TVAS and BSSO.
The Canucks won the first game 4-2, but the Predators responded with a 4-1 win in Game 2. The Canucks regained the lead with a 2-1 win in Game 3.
The Canucks have a 6-3 advantage over the Predators in postseason encounters, including a 4-2 series win in the 2011 Western Conference semifinals.
Vancouver Canucks vs Nashville Predators: Game preview
The Vancouver Canucks have a strong record this season, going 24-14-4 on the road and 50-23-9 overall. They've won 17 games where they've converted at least one power play.
In Game 3, they secured a 2-1 win with just 12 shots on goal, the fewest in a Stanley Cup Playoff victory since the Penguins in 2017.
The Canucks average 2.33 goals per game and have a 22.2% power play conversion rate. Dakota Joshua leads the Canucks with two goals for three points, while J.T. Miller has one goal and two assists for three points and nine shots on goal.
Nikita Zadorov, Elias Lindholm and Brock Boeser have each scored a goal. On the defensive side, they allow 2.33 goals per game and have a 92.3% success rate in killing their opponent's power plays.
In the net, Casey DeSmith has a record of 1-1-0, a GAA of 2.02 and a SV% of .911.
Meanwhile, the Nashville Predators have a strong season of 47-30-5 overall and 23-17-2 at home. They have a +18 scoring differential, with 266 goals scored and 248 conceded. Despite controlling Game 3, they lost and gave up their home ice advantage from Game 2. They now face the prospect of a 3-1 series deficit.
The Predators average 2.33 goals per game and score on 7.7% of their power plays. Filip Forsberg leads the team with three points from a goal and two assists.
Colton Sissons, Jason Zucker, Ryan O'Reilly and Luke Evangelista have each scored a goal. Defensively, they allow 2.33 goals per game and kill 77.8% of their opponent's power plays.
Goalie Juuse Saros has a 1-2-0 record of a GAA of 2.03, and a SV% of .880 and allowed six goals on 50 shots faced.
Vancouver Canucks vs Nashville Predators: Injury report
The Canucks are without Tucker Poolman, who's dealing with a head injury, while their star goalie, Thatcher Demko, is also out due to a knee injury.
In contrast, the Predators have Spencer Statsney on day-to-day status due to an upper body injury.
Vancouver Canucks vs Nashville Predators: Head-to-head and significant numbers
The Predators hold a playoff record of 3-6-0 when facing the Canucks. Both teams have a faceoff win rate of 50.0%, with the Predators averaging 28.4 shots per game and the Canucks 32.2 shots per outing.
Vancouver Canucks vs Nashville Predators: Odds and prediction
Nashville, being the odds favorite, has won 27 of 41 games, giving them a 54.5% chance of winning this game. They've also won 22 of 32 games when the odds are below -120.
Conversely, Vancouver has upset the odds 17 times despite being the underdogs in 29 games. With odds of +101 or higher, they have a 13-10 record, giving them a 49.8% probability of success here.
Prediction: Canucks 4-3 Predators
Vancouver Canucks vs Nashville Predators: Betting tips
Tip 1: Canucks to win
Tip 2: Total goals over 4.5: Yes
Tip 3: Filip Forsberg to score first: Yes
Tip 4: J.T. Miller to score anytime: Yes
Tip 5: Predators to beat the spread: Yes