Roman Josi and Alexandre Carrier score goals and Predators stay alive with 2-1 win over Canucks

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Roman Josi and Alexandre Carrier scored goals and the Nashville Predators kept their season alive with a 2-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks in Game 5 of their first-round playoff series on Tuesday night.

Filip Forsberg assisted on both goals and Juuse Saros made 19 saves as the Predators narrowed their deficit in the best-of-seven matchup to 3-2.

Nikita Zadorov scored for the Canucks and rookie goalie Arturs Silovs stopped 20 shots.

The series returns to Nashville for Game 6 on Friday night.

Predators coach Andrew Brunette said his top players knew they needed to step up.

“All year they’ve kind of done it. Proud of them, the resiliency they showed. It was tough,” he said. “It’s been a tough series to create a whole lot, they’re offensive guys. But they stuck with it, and the message was it might take forever to get it, but keep pounding on the door, and I thought they did a really good job just staying true to themselves."

The Canucks had a chance to earn a few days rest, but instead, the team is taking another trip to Tennessee.

“It just sucks. We had a chance to close them out at home with a lead,” said Canucks forward J.T. Miller.

“The margins are obviously close and every little mistake is going to cost you this time of year. It is what it is. It’s going to be a hard-fought series. We didn’t think coming in that it was going to be a five-gamer. And (the Predators) played well tonight.”

Vancouver poured on the pressure early, creating a flurry of chances in the game’s opening minutes.

Ryan McDonagh tried to beat the 23-year-old Silovs with a drag move midway through the first period, but the goalie reached up and snatched the puck out of the air.

Vancouver’s best chance of the first came in the final seconds when Miller bolted out of the penalty box, collected the puck for a breakaway, and sent a wrist shot just wide of the net.

The Predators came into the second with a burst of offensive force, and outshot the home side 11-4 in the period.

Cole Smith unleashed a one-timer from the middle of the faceoff circle 33 seconds into the frame, hitting the top of Silovs’ blocker. The goalie watched the rebound drop to the ice and pounced to cover it up.

Midway through the second, Nashville got another prime chance, this time while down a man.

With Anthony Beauvillier in the box for hooking, Kiefer Sherwood streaked down the ice on a short-handed breakaway but his shot hit the post.

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

The Canucks broke through 3:11 into the third period when Zadorov fired a sharp-angle shot under the crossbar from just above the goal line.

The Predators evened the score with a power-play goal 7:15 into the third after Dakota Joshua was called for boarding.

Silovs stopped Josi on a breakaway, freezing the puck under his body, only to be pushed into the net, with the puck squirting lose and skittering across the goal line.

Canucks coach Rick Tocchet said he thought about challenging for goaltender interference but wasn’t confident the call would go his way.

The goal snapped the Canucks’ streak of 17 successful penalty kills.

Nashville took the lead 12:46 into the third when Carrier, using a screen from Ryan O’Reilly, blasted a shot past Silovs from just inside the blue line.

“He’s a heart and soul kid, highly competitive. Love him,” Brunette said of Carrier. “Nice to see him get rewarded in a big-time moment and a big-time play.”

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Vancouver Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet, back center, Carson Soucy (7), Conor Garland (8) and Teddy Blueger (53) watch from the bench after the team was called back out to play the final 0.6 seconds during the second period in Game 5 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series against the Nashville Predators, in Vancouver, British Columbia, on Tuesday, April 30, 2024. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

Vancouver Canucks' Nikita Zadorov celebrates his goal against the Nashville Predators during the third period in Game 5 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series, in Vancouver, British Columbia, on Tuesday, April 30, 2024. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

Vancouver Canucks' Nikita Zadorov (91) celebrates his goal with teammates, from left to right, Pius Suter, J.T. Miller, Ian Cole and Brock Boeser as Nashville Predators' Tyson Barrie skates by during the third period in Game 5 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series, in Vancouver, British Columbia, on Tuesday, April 30, 2024. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

Vancouver Canucks' Nikita Zadorov celebrates his goal against the Nashville Predators during the third period in Game 5 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series, in Vancouver, British Columbia, on Tuesday, April 30, 2024. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

Nashville Predators goalie Juuse Saros, bottom, stops Vancouver Canucks' Brock Boeser, middle, as he is checked by Nashville Predators' Alexandre Carrier during the third period in Game 5 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series, in Vancouver, British Columbia, on Tuesday, April 30, 2024. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

Nashville Predators' Alexandre Carrier, from left to right, Ryan O'Reilly, Roman Josi, Gustav Nyquist and Filip Forsberg celebrate Carrier's goal against the Vancouver Canucks during the third period in Game 5 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series, in Vancouver, British Columbia, on Tuesday, April 30, 2024. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

Nashville Predators goalie Juuse Saros (74) celebrates with Kiefer Sherwood (44) and the rest of the team after defeating the Vancouver Canucks in Game 5 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series, in Vancouver, British Columbia, on Tuesday, April 30, 2024. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

Nashville Predators players celebrate with goalie Juuse Saros (74) as Vancouver Canucks' Elias Lindholm (23) and Brock Boeser (6) skate off the ice after Nashville defeated Vancouver in Game 5 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series, in Vancouver, British Columbia, on Tuesday, April 30, 2024. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

Vancouver Canucks' Pius Suter (24) celebrates a goal by Nikita Zadorov, not seen, against Nashville Predators goalie Juuse Saros (74) during the third period in Game 5 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series, in Vancouver, British Columbia, on Tuesday, April 30, 2024. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

Nashville Predators' Alexandre Carrier (45) celebrates his goal against the Vancouver Canucks during the third period in Game 5 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series, in Vancouver, British Columbia, on Tuesday, April 30, 2024. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel's communications minister ordered the government to return a camera and broadcasting equipment it had seized from the The Associated Press, reversing course hours after blocking the news organization's live video of Gaza.

The government seized the AP equipment from a location in southern Israel after accusing it of violating a new media law by providing images to the satellite channel Al Jazeera.

Israeli officials used the new law on May 5 to close down Qatar-based Al Jazeera within Israel, confiscating its equipment, banning its broadcasts and blocking its websites.

After Israel seized the AP equipment, the Biden administration, journalism organizations and an Israeli opposition leader condemned the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and pressured it to reverse the decision.

Israel's communications minister, Shlomo Karhi, said late Tuesday on the social platform X: “I have now ordered to cancel the action and return the equipment to the AP.”

Karhi said the defense ministry will undertake a review of news outlets' positioning of live video of Gaza. Officials hadn't previously told AP the positioning of its live camera was an issue. Instead, they repeatedly noted that the images appeared in real-time on Al Jazeera.

Al Jazeera is one of thousands of AP customers, and it receives live video from AP and other news organizations.

“While we are pleased with this development, we remain concerned about the Israeli government’s use of the foreign broadcaster law and the ability of independent journalists to operate freely in Israel," said Lauren Easton, vice president of corporate communications at the news organization.

Officials from the Communications Ministry arrived at the AP location in the southern town of Sderot on Tuesday afternoon and seized the equipment. They handed the AP a piece of paper, signed by Karhi, alleging it was violating the country’s foreign broadcaster law.

Shortly before its equipment was seized on Tuesday, AP was broadcasting a general view of northern Gaza. The AP complies with Israel’s military censorship rules, which prohibit broadcasts of details like troop movements that could endanger soldiers. The live video has generally shown smoke rising over the territory.

The AP had been ordered verbally last Thursday to cease the live transmission, which it refused to do.

Israel’s opposition leader Yair Lapid called the government's move against AP “an act of madness.”

Karhi responded to Lapid that the law passed unanimously by the government states that any device used to deliver Al Jazeera content could be seized.

Condemnation from journalism organizations was swift, and the Biden administration also put pressure on Israel.

“As soon as we learned about the reports, the White House and the State Department immediately engaged with the Government of Israel at high levels to express our serious concern and ask them to reverse this action," said Adrienne Watson, a spokesperson for the National Security Council. "The free press is an essential pillar of democracy and members of the media, including AP, do vital work that must be respected.”

When Israel closed down Al Jazeera's offices earlier this month, media groups warned of the serious implications for press freedom in the country. The law gives Karhi, part of the hard-right flank of Netanyahu’s Likud Party, wide leeway to enforce it against other media.

“Israel's move today is a slippery slope,” the Foreign Press Association said in a statement on Tuesday, warning that the law “could allow Israel to block media coverage of virtually any news event on vague security grounds.”

Israel has long had a rocky relationship with Al Jazeera, accusing it of bias against the country, and Netanyahu has called it a “terror channel” that spreads incitement.

Al Jazeera is one of the few international news outlets that has remained in Gaza throughout the war, broadcasting scenes of airstrikes and overcrowded hospitals and accusing Israel of massacres. AP is also in Gaza.

During the previous Israel-Hamas war in 2021, the army destroyed the building housing AP’s Gaza office, claiming Hamas had used the building for military purposes. The AP denied any knowledge of a Hamas presence, and the army never provided any evidence to back up its claim.

The war in Gaza began with a Hamas attack in Israel that killed 1,200 people and saw 250 others taken hostage. More than 35,000 Palestinians have been killed since then, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which doesn’t distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count.

Kirka reported from London. Zeke Miller, Aamer Madhani, and Seung Min Kim in Washington contributed to this report.

Follow AP’s war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war

In this image from video, Israeli officials seize AP video equipment from an apartment block in Sderot, Southern Israel, Tuesday, May 21, 2024. Israeli officials seized the camera and broadcasting equipment belonging to The Associated Press in southern Israel on Tuesday, accusing the news organization of violating the country's new ban on Al Jazeera. Shortly before the equipment was seized, it was broadcasting a general view of northern Gaza. (AP Photo/Josphat Kasire)

AP video equipment is laid on the floor of an apartment block in Sderot, Southern Israel, shortly before it was seized by Israeli officials, Tuesday, May 21, 2024. Israeli officials seized the camera and broadcasting equipment belonging to The Associated Press in southern Israel on Tuesday, accusing the news organization of violating the country's new ban on Al Jazeera. Shortly before the equipment was seized, it was broadcasting a general view of northern Gaza. (AP Photo/Josphat Kasire)

A screenshot taken from AP video showing a general view of northern Gaza as seen from Southern Israel, before it was seized by Israeli officials on Tuesday, May 21, 2024. Israeli officials seized a camera and broadcasting equipment belonging to The Associated Press in southern Israel on Tuesday, accusing the news organization of violating the country’s new ban on Al Jazeera. Shortly before the equipment was seized, it was broadcasting a general view of northern Gaza. (AP Photo)