Canucks F Miller on Game 5 loss: 'It’s hard to close things out'

After a stunning comeback in Game 4, offence proved hard to come by once again for the Vancouver Canucks against the Nashville Predators on Tuesday.

Vancouver's 2-1 loss in Game 5 marked the third time in the series the team has been held to two goals or fewer. After two scoreless periods, the Canucks took a 1-0 lead early in the third period Tuesday before the Predators scored twice in just over five minutes to keep their season alive.

“Our power play was awful,” Canucks forward J.T. Miller said after the loss. “We have to look in the mirror as a group. We could have been a factor in the game, and we weren’t. A lot of emotion in the game. They were resilient.

"It’s hard to close things out.”

The Canucks failed to convert on their two power play opportunities, failing to register a shot on net over the combined four minutes with the man advantage. 

Vancouver stormed back with two goals in the final three minutes of Game 4 to force overtime, where Elias Lindholm eventually put the Canucks up 3-1 in the series. With the Predators staving off elimination Tuesday, the two teams will now head back to Nashville for Game 6 on Friday.

“Nashville’s a good team,” said Canucks defenceman Nikita Zadorov, who scored the team's lone goal in Game 5. “They push back, they stick with it. I feel like we stole last game in their building, they stole this game here.

"So, it’s on us to go out there and play our best hockey and try to shut them down next game.”