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NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Vancouver coach Rick Tocchet told Pius Suter to keep shooting. Suter did just that, and it paid off.
Suter scored with 1:39 left and the Canucks advanced to the second round of the NHL playoffs with a 1-0 victory over the Nashville Predators on Friday night in Game 6.
"If you keep going to those spots, it'll happen, and it happened for Suits and big game- winning goal for us," Tocchet said about the forward who had three of his five shots in the third.
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. Even with goalie Juuse Saros pulled for an extra attacker, the Predators couldn't beat rookie goalie Arturs Silovs before time expired.
The final four games in this series were decided by one goal. First-year Nashville coach Andrew Brunette said this might've been the tightest series he can remember being in. Replaying the final 33 seconds, the Jack Adams finalist said he could see opportunities his Predators missed.
"You're going to get in one of these games, and hockey's cruel sometimes," Brunette said.
Silovs made 28 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.
"He stepped in and what a crazy scenario he's been thrown into," Canucks forward J.T. Miller said about Silovs. "He made the saves when he needed to in such a big and crazy environment. We're happy for him."
Vancouver will play Edmonton. The Oilers finished second behind the Canucks in the Pacific Division and beat the Los Angeles Kings in the first round.