VANCOUVER -- James Neal scored the game-winning goal with 4:44 left in the third period to lift the Nashville Predators to a 2-1 victory against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena on Tuesday.
With the Vancouver defensemen going off for a line change, Nashville defenseman Barret Jackman threw the puck across the ice and off the boards to a streaking Neal, who beat Ryan Miller over the glove with a wrist shot from just above the right faceoff dot.
Craig Smith scored 59 seconds into the game, and Pekka Rinne made 28 saves for the Predators (23-18-8), who have won three straight games for the first time since Oct. 17-22.
Center Brandon Sutter scored in his first game back after missing 33 with a sports hernia that required surgery. Miller made 17 saves for the Canucks (20-19-11), who played their first game back home after a six-game road trip.
The Predators, who have won the first three of a four-game road trip that wraps up against the Calgary Flames on Wednesday, jumped out to an early lead in Vancouver. Smith drove the net unchecked to deflect a Mike Fisher backhand pass over Miller's glove from the top of the crease in the opening minute.
The Canucks didn't have a shot on goal until 6:10 of the first period, but they tied it 1-1 on a give-and-go between Sutter and Daniel Sedin with 8:21 left in the period.
Sutter, who was injured Nov. 10 and had surgery Dec. 1, dropped a pass for Sedin as they came over the blue line, then cut over to the right slot for the return pass, one-touching it over the pad and past the outstretched glove of a sliding Rinne.
Sutter, who returned to the No.1 center spot of injured captain Henrik Sedin, had a great chance to score again on a shorthanded breakaway less than two minutes later, making a great deke that had Rinne down and out before missing wide with a backhand.
Rinne, who made saves on 49 of 51 shots on the first two games of the road trip, made a point-blank save against Vancouver's Sven Baertschi late in the second period and got his right pad on a Bo Horvat tip with the Canucks on the power play in the final seconds.
Rinne has allowed fewer than two goals in three straight games for the first time since the first three games of the season.
The Canucks are off until after the NHL All-Star break. Their next game is Feb. 4, when they host the Columbus Blue Jackets.
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