Nashville Predators kept their season alive with a 2-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks in Game 5 of the first-round playoff series yesterday, Tuesday.

Roman Josi and Alexander Carrier scored for the Preds, who narrowed the gap in the best-of-seven series to 3-2. Star winger Filip Forsberg assisted on both goals, after two scoreless periods, defenseman Nikita Zadorov got the Canucks on the board early in the third.

Rookie goaltender Arturs Silovs stopped 20 of 22 shots for Vancouver, while Juuse Saros saved 19 pucks for Nashville.

Vancouver ramped up the pressure early yesterday, creating a flurry of chances in the opening minutes of the game, and as the first period went on, Silovs proved to be a calming force for the Canucks.

Ryan McDonagh tried to beat the 23-year-old Latvian goalie with a pull move in the middle of the frame, but Silovs simply reached out and snagged the puck from the air.

The best chance for Vancouver came in the final seconds of the period when Miller burst into the zone, gathered the puck for a separation, and sent a wrist shot wide of Nashville's net.

The Preds entered the second period with a strong offensive push, outshooting the home team 11-4 during the frame.

Col Smith unleashed a one-timer from the center faceoff circle that was redirected to the top of Silovs' blocker. The goaltender watched the rebound drop to the ice and lunged to cover it.

Midway through the second period, Nashville had another excellent chance, this time with a man advantage.

With Anthony Beauvillier in the penalty box, Kiefer Sherwood pounded the ice with a short-handed breakaway, only to see his shot hit the post.

Vancouver went 0 for 2 on the power play yesterday while Nashville went 1 for 4.

Finally, the Canucks broke through with a goal at 3:11 in the third when Zadorov fired a sharp-angle shot under the crossbar from just above the goal line, marking the defenseman's second goal of the playoffs.

The Predators matched the score with a strong goal at 7:15 in the third after Dakota Joshua was called for a penalty.

Silovs also stopped Josi on a breakaway, freezing the puck under his body, only to have it slip into the net, with the puck rolling across the goal line for the first postseason goal for the Preds' captain.

Nashville took the lead at 12:46 in the third when Carrier, using a screen from Ryan O'Reilly, fired a shot into Silovs' net from inside the blue line.