The Nashville Predators are on the brink of elimination against the Vancouver Canucks

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The Nashville Predators are on the brink of elimination against the Vancouver Canucks

The Nashville Predators are in a tough spot and have to start winning now or they could be the next victim of the Vancouver Canucks.

In the last game, Ryan Kesler and the Canucks' slumping power play took advantage of some questionable penalty calls, including one midway through the first overtime, to score their first goals of the series and beat the Predators on Tuesday night. Kesler opened the scoring on a broken play with the man advantage off the rush, tapping in his first of the playoffs -- and the first power play goal since Game 4 of the first round -- after a nice play by Christian Ehrhoff to catch goaltender Pekka Rinne out of position.

Kesler helped set up Chris Higgins' go-ahead goal by wiping out Rinne early in the third and, after the Canucks predictably sat back and let the Predators tie it again, Kesler drew a soft hooking penalty on Shea Weber by holding his stick under his elbow, then tipped the winning goal through Rinne.

The most impressive thing about the Canucks being up two games to one over Nashville in the second round is they've done it without their top two forwards. Daniel and Henrik Sedin, who combined to win the last two NHL scoring titles, have just one point in three games against the Predators.

That was a second assist for Daniel Sedin on a broken play that somehow led to a power play goal for Ryan Kesler -- two more firsts in this best-of-seven Western Conference semifinal series -- in the Canucks' 3-2 overtime win Tuesday night. Henrik doesn't have a point in seven games dating to the first round against Chicago, when the Sedins combined for just one goal, three points and a combined minus-13 rating over the final four games.

No wonder the Canucks, who led the league in regular-season scoring, were dead last among the remaining playoff teams at just two goals a game.

Then the twins went out and combined to go minus-4 in the Game 3 win Tuesday, a trend they know can't continue as Game 4 approaches Thursday in a series where goals have been so hard to come by.

The Canucks are in the driver’s seat and they will win again in this game.

Hockey Picks: Vancouver Canucks

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