Predators peak late to take down Canucks

Steven Stamkos scored twice and Zachary L'Heureux scored his first career goal as the visiting Nashville Predators earned a 5-3 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday night.

Roman Josi collected one goal and one assist, Gustav Nyquist scored once and Filip Forsberg posted two assists for the Predators, who snapped a three-game skid. Goaltender Juuse Saros made 24 saves.

Aatu Raty, Elias Pettersson and Kiefer Sherwood scored for the Canucks, who have only three wins in 10 home games this season. Danton Heinen recorded two assists and goalie Kevin Lankinen, who joined the Canucks this season after two campaigns with the Predators, stopped 16 shots.

With his team trailing 2-1, Stamkos started the Nashville comeback at 12:17 of the second period by firing a top-corner wrist shot from beyond the left circle for a power-play goal.

Josi put the Predators ahead at 14:21 when he unloaded a one-timer from the right faceoff dot for his second goal of the season.

Stamkos made it a 4-2 game with 21.5 seconds remaining in the second period, tallying another man-advantage marker thanks to a perfect shot from the left dot for his second goal of the night and sixth of the season.

Sherwood, who spent parts of two seasons with Nashville, made it a one-goal game when he collected his fourth marker of the season with six minutes remaining in regulation.

However, Nyquist's empty-net goal with 21 seconds to go sealed the victory in a game where both teams surrendered a lead.

L'Heureux, a first-round draft pick by Nashville in 2021, opened the scoring at 5:28 of the first period when he pounced on a loose puck during a scramble.

Raty notched his first goal as a Canuck, and first of the season, just over six minutes later by deflecting Erik Brannstrom's long point shot. Pettersson's power-play goal at 9:51 of the second period -- a rocket of a one-timer from just inside the right circle for his sixth goal of the campaign -- gave the hosts a 2-1 lead.

--Field Level Media