Vancouver Canucks v Nashville Predators Game 5

Nashville were looking to win this one in Vancouver to keep their fading Playoff hopes alive and take the series back to home ice for a game 6. The Canucks needed a win to be the first team into the Western Conference Final.

Nashville took the lead at 3.42 as Ward stole the puck shorthanded and put Legwand clean in on net and he fired under the blocker arm of Luongo and in.

Vancouver were level at 5.59 as Hansen stole a puck in the offensive end and got the puck across for Raffi Torres to slide into an open net as Rinne tried to dive across to save it.

Kesler had the Canucks in the lead at 15.10 as he and Raymond went on a 2-1 breakaway and Kesler beat Weber in a foot race to get to the front of the net and Raymond slid across a perfect pass for him to tip the puck into the net.

Kostitsyn should have levelled near the end of the period but LaPierre made a diving play to get his stick on the puck and block the chance as it looked like the puck was going to be tapped into the net by the Nashville forward.

Nashville levelled less than a minute into the 2nd with a freak goal. A simple battle for the puck behind the net saw it chip up and over the net and it hit Edler on the arm infront and go into the net.

Joel Ward gave Nashville a 3-2 lead 1.4 in the 3d period as Fisher gt a take away and fired the puck fromoneside of the ice to the other to find Ward who one timed the shot blocker side on Luongo as the netminder slid across.

Ward gave Nashville their first 2 goal lead of the series as the Vancouver defence failed to clear a puck and allowed the Preds to jump on it infront, Ward firing a quick wrist shot past Luongo.

Kesler pulled one back with 3.46 left on the 3rd,firing a wrist shot through a screen from the top of the circle.

The Canucks put pressure on the Predator net in the remaining minutes but couldn't find a way through and Nashville took the game 4-3 and back to Nasvhille on Monday night they head.

Best game of the series so far and Nashville up their game to stave off elimination. Rinne kept them in it at times but they managed to find a few more goals with Joel Ward coming up big and they have the chance to tie the series 3-3 on home ice.