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Canucks eliminate Predators in 6 to set up second-round date with Oilers

Suter scores lone goal, Silovs posts shutout in 1-0 Vancouver win
The Canadian Press
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Vancouver Canucks goaltender Arturs Silovs (31) blocks a shot on goal by Nashville Predators center Mark Jankowski, left, during the second period in Game 6 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series Friday, May 3, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

The second round of the NHL playoffs will feature an all-Canadian matchup between the Vancouver Canucks and Edmonton Oilers.

Vancouver advanced with a late 1-0 win over the Nashville Predators in Game 6 Friday, winning the best-of-seven opening-round series 4-2.

Edmonton ousted the L.A. Kings from the first round for the third year in a row on Wednesday.

The Canucks and Oilers have not met in the playoffs since 1992 when Edmonton won the second-round series in six games.

Vancouver won all four regular-season contests between the two teams this year.

Pius Suter scored with 1:39 left in Vancouver’s Friday night Game 6 win.

Nashville had a final chance to force overtime with a power play with 33.9 seconds left after Elias Lindholm was called for cross-checking Gustav Nyquist. But the Predators couldn’t beat rookie goalie Arturs Silovs before time expired, and Nashville captain Roman Josi slammed his stick to the ice.

Silovs made 27 saves to become the 14th rookie goalie in NHL history to finish off a series with a shutout and just the fifth in 30 years. He joined Akira Schmid (2023), Matt Murray (2017 against Nashville in the Stanley Cup Final winner), Carey Price (2008) and Ilya Bryzgalov (2006) in that select group.

The Canucks continued the streak started in Game 2 of the road team winning each of the final five games. They won their first playoff series outside the pandemic bubble since 2011 when Vancouver reached the Stanley Cup Final, a run that included a Game 6 win over the Preds in Nashville.

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The Predators have lost six straight playoff games on home ice, taking some of the luster off the franchise’s reputation as Smashville. They haven’t won a postseason series since 2018 after winning the Presidents’ Trophy a season after Nashville’s unexpected run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2017.

Suter scored only his second of the series from in front off a pass from Brock Boeser.

Vancouver outshot Nashville for the first time in this series after being held to a combined 92 shots through the first five games. That was the second-fewest in a playoff series through five games since 1960 trailing only Washington (90) in the 1998 Eastern Conference semifinals.

Silovs got into the mix when Vezina Trophy finalist Thatcher Demko was declared week-to-week with an injury after winning Game 1. Casey DeSmith started Games 2 and 3 before his own injury, then Silovs made his postseason debut, winning Game 4 for a 3-1 lead.

The NHL has not announced when the first game between the Oilers and Canucks will be played, but round two of the playoffs is set to begin Sunday.

The Canadian Press