VANCOUVER, British Columbia Colombia - short of time and chances or blocked below the goal, defenseman Ryan Suter Nashville threw the puck on net and hopes to get a whistle blow.
He did better than that, scoring the equalizing goal with 67 seconds in regulation.
That forced overtime and work for the winner of Matt Halischuk 14: 51 in the second extra session gave the predators a 2-1 victory in the second game of the Western Conference semi-finals series and he attached to 1 Saturday night.
"I just tried to get it on the net and get a whistle blow and got a lucky bounce and travels," Suter said of his shot between the legs of Roberto Luongo and bounced in off the goalkeeper left pad.
After Pekka Rinne made several spectacular saves in the extra periods, Nick Spaling a pass of entry of the Suter and fed the puck cross-ice to Halischuk. He quickly recovered a shot on a sprawling defenseman and Luongo glove, giving the predators of the victory which has plunged in the first series of second round in the history of the team.
"I was trying simply to off get as hard and fast as I could," said Halischuk. "Tried to take my place, and fortunately it went."
Rinne made possible with several acrobatic game-saving stops in overtime, finishing with 18 of his 32 cases after settlement.
"It was definitely their best player, said Canucks defenceman Kevin Bieksa, who had an empty net by a head first dive of Rinne with 2: 14 left in the first overtime." "We had many chances to win in overtime and a lot of chances to go up 2-0, and he was on his head."
Alex Burrows scored a short-handed goal two minutes in the second period, and it seemed that Luongo would stand up for his second straight shutout. But Suter it on shot 36th Nashville, harmless appearance centering pass.
"Obviously, you want to give up a goal for delay," said Luongo, who finished with 44 saves. "Sometimes." We had the chance to win. ?
Several actually.
But after little action in the regulation, Rinne appeared in overtime as a finalist for the Vezina trophy that closes the Canucks, for most of Game 1.
He robbed Henrik Sedin alone at the top of the fold on a rebound very early in overtime and stretched out to divert Maxim Lapierre with one minute left as the predators avoid losing consecutive games for the first time since early March.
The record distinguished has against Bieksa, which seems to have the net together after a beautiful cross-ice pass from Henrik Sedin before plunged Rinne.
"Obviously, I was a bit of luck," Rinne said. "Sedin made a nice pass to Bieksa and I could get my blocker and my stick out there."
Asked how he refocused after no early action, Rinne said, "you have no choice."
"It of sudden death and you are trying to be ready for each unique situation, each shot," he added. "" "". It was easy to stay focused, especially in overtime, it seemed like they were shooting more, and it's always fun when this happens. ?
Game 3 is Tuesday in Nashville, and predators are happy to go to the home page.
"It was a big game for us momentum - and confidence-wise,"Rinne said."".
It was also the longest game in the history of predators and the third longer for Canucks seeded top, which won the series opener 1-0 on Thursday, but surrendered the advantage of the Ice House in Nashville. Predators will host the two following meetings before the series returns to Vancouver for the fifth game.
Unlike the opener, in which the Canucks to know predators and the more difficult tasks of the Luongo was staying awake, Nashville carried the game in the second game. They had a 36-15 benefited in regulation, forcing Luongo to make several good decisions, including a judgment of blocks stacked on breakaway of Jordin Tootoo with 8: 46 left.
"We played hockey predator," coach Barry Trotz said. "We played with conviction." We played with discipline. Our work ethic was there. We have much more detail. I thought that in the regulations, that we had the majority of the piece. "We had the best chance, we could not simply be converted".
After its Burrows scored the fourth of the playoffs - all in the last four games - while Vancouver was short-handed, the Canucks tried to get Luongo a second straight victory 1-0 on predators.
Luongo stuffed Mike Fisher on a rush of game power 3-on-1, in the second, made a right pad save on the explosion of defenceman Shea Weber from the top of the circles and just got David Legwand wraparound: Nashville has pushed hard in the third.
But Luongo seemed bad at stroke of Suter of well below the goal line, ending its series of laundry to 126 minutes and 11 seconds - his best stretch in the playoffs.
"We have beaten our heads against Luongo overnight and he made many of its key decisions, but he could not get one and it was a great confidence boost", said Rinne.
Game notes
Predators RW Martin Erat, who missed two games in the first round with a suspected concussion, briefly left after hit in the head by the deflected Castagne of Weber. ... Nashville Barry Trotz coach said that he studied with attackers J.P. Dumont and Colin Wilson, but none played. ... Vancouver D Sami Salo, out since game 6 in Chicago because of an undisclosed injury, skated on his own Saturday and is expected to go to Nashville.
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