Elias Pettersson's hat trick powers Canucks to a 5-2 win over the Predators

Vancouver Canucks' Elias Pettersson, back left, and goalie Thatcher Demko celebrate after Vancouver defeated the Nashville Predators 5-2 during an NHL hockey game in Vancouver, on Tuesday, October 31, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Elias Pettersson had the second hat trick of his career to lead the Vancouver Canucks to a 5-2 win over the Nashville Predators on Tuesday night.

Sam Lafferty and J.T. Miller also scored for Vancouver. Thatcher Demko made 27 saves.

Colton Sissons and Dante Fabbro scored for Nashville. Kevin Lankinen stopped 22 of the 26 shots he faced.

“You're not going to win every night, but if you can keep putting out a consistent product and everyone's kind of pulling the same rope, that's going to be what drives our ship,” Fabbro said.

Pettersson's second goal of the game came on a wrist shot at 16:38 of the second period and gave the Canucks a 3-2 lead. The 24-year-old forward from Sweden completed his hat trick with just under three minutes remaining in the game when he scored into an empty net.

Nashville had tied and taken the lead in the first period on goals from Sissons and Fabbro.

“I think we just had too many turnovers. Starts with me,” said Canucks captain Quinn Hughes, who had three assists.

Pettersson tied it early in the second for Vancouver. After Hughes slid the puck across, Pettersson cut in front of the net and fired a wrist shot past Lankinen.

“We kind of boxed them into our goalie a couple of times, and don't want to do that too often,” Predators coach Andrew Brunette said.

Lafferty opened the scoring after a shot from the point by Hughes found its way through a crowd and bounced off the fourth-line forward at 13:45 of the first.

The Predators responded quickly after Hughes gave the puck away. Demko went for a poke check, only to see Nashville forward Liam Foudy move around him, allowing Sissons to score his fifth goal of the season.

Nashville grabbed the lead three minutes later after a long shot from Fabbro made its way through a crowd of bodies and beat Demko.

“We're happy to win. Obviously, that's not our brand of hockey. I thought we were pretty loose,” Canucks coach Rick Tocchet said.

The Predators had the best opportunity to open the scoring in the first period after the Canucks were called for a slash on Foudy at the start of a 3-on-1, leading to a penalty shot.

But then Foudy slipped on his attempt and, when he got back to his knees, his shot went wide of Demko's net.

“We let them into the game,” Pettersson said after Vancouver's sixth victory in nine games this season. “They're a good team, too, but we weren't playing the way we were used to.

“The second period was a little scrambly, the first as well. The third, I think, was our best one. We're happy and looking at the things we can do better moving forward.”

Miller was benched at the end of the second period after taking his third penalty of the game. But he returned at the start of the third to bang in a goal off a long, bobbled shot from Brock Boeser.

“I felt at the time he needed to sit for four minutes. It could have been anybody,” Tocchet said. “He responds with a goal and I think he's fine.”