Pekka Rinne's 11-game win streak came to an end Tuesday night as the Vancouver Canucks beat the Nashville Predators, 4-3, in the shootout. The Canucks are now just a point behind first place in the West, while Nashville's point keeps them tied for first in the Central with the Blues.
Canucks Vs. Predators: Vancouver Stops Nashville Comeback With 4-3 Shootout Victory
Nashville staged a comeback against one of the West’s elite teams, but it wasn’t enough as Roberto Luongo came up big and outmatched Pekka Rinne in a 4-3 Vancouver shootout victory. Rinne’s 11-game win streak ends as a result.
The Canucks entered the game planning to separate the Sedin twins so that Byron Bitz could get some quality time in his second career NHL game. However, not too much longer, the twins were reunited after the first two goals from Ryan Kesler on the power play and a response from Colin Wilson. With Bitz now playing with both Sedins, two goals near the end of the period, one from Bitz and another from Daniel Sedin were scored 23 seconds apart.
It seemed Vancouver was well in control, but much like in the second round of the playoffs last season when the Canucks and Preds met, Nashville didn't go away. Top scorers Sergei Kostitsyn and Mike Fisher answered back 1:12 apart to tie the game, 3-3.
Both teams battled through the third and overtime to the shootout, where they continued to battle for six rounds until Alexander Edler put one past Rinne. After Edler's marker, Roberto Luongo redeemed himself from his earlier mistakes and finally won a shootout for Vancouver with a stop on Wilson.
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