David Legwand #11 of the Nashville Predators takes a faceoff against Ryan Kesler #17 of the Vancouver Canucks in Game Four of the Western Conference Semifinals at Bridgestone Arena on May 5, 2011 in Nashville, Tennessee.Frederick Breedon
With every passing period, it is becoming clearer that the Nashville Predators just don't have the inventory to play with the Vancouver Canucks.
They've lost both games on home ice, including a 4-2 defeat Thursday in Game 4, and now must win three straight to extend their season, which falls under the not-bloody-likely department.
The Predators don't have the skill up front, they don't have enough oomph on the power play, and they no longer have a goaltender who is stealing games. Nashville's best hope is that Vancouver relents and beats itself.
If that doesn't happen, than Pekka Rinne better turn into Dominik Hasek real soon, or this series is over.
Some more impressions on Game 4...
Vancouver
Alain Vigneault
The Canucks coach obviously had something to get off his chest, as he took a question about whether his team played its best game of the playoffs and used it as an opportunity to fire back at Nashville coach Barry Trotz. "I hope they don't talk about embellishments," Vigneault said, a reference to his counterpart's claims this week that the Canucks are adept at duping referees into penalties. Vigneault also said that he couldn't believe Ryan Suter had the "audacity" to complain about his third-period penalty that led to the winning goal.
Alex Burrows
He's not getting the accolades that Ryan Kesler is, but the shift-in, shift-out effort is extraordinary. He's a big reason why the Canucks have won four of the last five games.
Nashville
Shots
It's the most elementary rule in hockey: if you do not shoot, you do not score. The Predators just don't get any shots on goal. They finished with 21, but they are simply not shooting enough to expect more than a couple of goals per game. If that.
Forward depth
It's running out. Steve Sullivan and Jerred Smithson have both been lost to injury and will miss Game 5, while several forwards -- most notably Patric Hornqvist and Sergei Kostitsyn -- have been useless.