Canucks make Predators work overtime

Horvat, Sutter, Sedin proved Vancouver was there to play, but it wasn’t enough to outlast Nashville

Even on back-to-back nights with their legs still at the hotel, the Nashville Predators were expected to eventually hit stride Friday. Too good. Too fast. Too opportunistic.

With an embarrassment of riches, the well-balanced Central Division and Western Conference leaders can beat you up on the scoreboard. They have a lethal power play. They have defencemen who score and they laid a 7-1 licking on the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena on Dec. 13.

However, whether there’s something to be said for audition season for the Vancouver newcomers — or that the Predators were too often pressing for the perfect passing play — something else was at play.

The Canucks came to play.

First Bo Horvat and Brandon Sutter scored and then a power-play effort by Daniel Sedin — his eighth goal in the last eight games — looked like the winner, but the Predators wouldn’t go away.

Here’s what we learned as Jacob Markstrom made 39 saves, but Calle Jarnkrok scored 43 seconds into overtime in a 4-3 NHL win on a night the Canucks lost Sven Baertschi to a second-period shoulder injury:

BAERTSCHI’S BAD LUCK, EVEN WORSE TIMING

Baertschi suffered a fractured jaw on what looked like a harmless clearing attempt by Mark Giordano on Dec. 9 in Calgary and missed 11 games. The winger hadn’t scored in nine games and it was the last thing the restricted free agent needed in a contract season.

If that wasn’t bad enough, Baertschi was scratched Feb. 15 in San Jose and then scored two nights later when the Canucks hammered the Bruins.

Then came Friday.

Baertschi absorbed a heavy check from Alexei Emelin early in the second period and judging by the manner in which he was slumped over and favouring his right shoulder, he may have suffered a separation.

With 14 goals in 53 games, Baertschi has dazzled and disappointed Travis Green. The coach didn’t like his perimeter game and lauded the winger when he got more involved down low. As much as Baertschi needed these last 17 games to convince management he’s a no-brainer for an extension, he’s now out of sight.

And if the Canucks are thinking of moving him, there’s nothing to showcase the rest of the season.

CAN VIRTANEN WING IT ON BOTH SIDES?

Asked if he should experiment with Jake Virtanen on the left side — those bolts down the wing, power move to the net and backhand-to-forehand forays are fast becoming his signature move — Green understood the query. But he’s trying to school the right-winger on becoming a competent right-winger whose sense of purpose doesn’t wane from shift to shift, or game to game.

It’s working. Virtanen has earned more ice time when warranted, played 17 minutes in a shutdown role in Denver on Monday and it stands to reason that as a right-shot, he’s going to get better looks coming down the wing or off the wall.

Then came another one of those left-side strong moves down the left side and to the net Friday. He forced Ryan Hartman to take a holding minor. Virtanen also stapled Mattias Ekholm to the sideboards on the backhand, again on the left side.

GOLDOBIN’S GREAT SWINGS AND DISAPPOINTING MISSES

Nikolay Goldobin once again showed why there’s an ongoing level of curiosity about whether the Russian winger can grasp a total team game. The Canucks must see something because Green went out of his way Friday to make his point.

“I met with Goldy today for 15 to 20 minutes,” Green said after the morning skate. “He’s good with the puck when he has it and has to find ways to be good away from it, even on the forecheck.”

That’s the thing with Goldobin. He does things you can’t teach but can he grasp the other stuff? In the second period, he neatly re-directed a shot in the slot and had three pokes at the loose puck. He was also the last guy with a chance to clear the puck before Mike Fisher scored later in the same frame to make it 2-1.

OVERTIME — Alex Edler drew a power-play assist on Bo Horvat’s 18th goal of the season — the centre has nine points (5-4) in his last 10 games — to tie Mattias Ohlund for the most franchise points by a defenceman with 325 and then added another assist for his 326th point.

— DARRYL DYCK/THE CANADIAN PRESS Vancouver’s Derrick Pouliot, kneeling, follows the puck after Ben Hutton, front right, scoops it off the goal-line behind goalie Jacob Markstrom, to prevent Nashville’s Austin Watson, second left, Colton Sissons (10) and Mike Fisher, rear, from scoring...