Forsberg and Beauvillier each get a goal and an assist and Predators knock off Canucks 4-1

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Filip Forsberg scored a goal and had an assist, and the Nashville Predators beat the Vancouver Canucks 4-1 on Tuesday night to level their best-of-seven playoff series at 1-1.

Anthony Beauvillier — a former Canuck — also had a goal and an assist for the Predators, Colton Sissons and Kiefer Sherwood had goals, and Juuse Saros made 17 saves.

Nikita Zadorov scored for a Vancouver team that struggled to get shots on net and experienced a series of unlucky bounces.

Nashville coach Andrew Brunette liked the way his Predators put their bodies on the line, blocking 31 shots.

“I think that’s maybe something we learned from Game 1 a little bit,” Brunette said. “Maybe we weren’t as committed to the pain and tonight (we were), with the blocked shots and the things that we did sacrificing our body. So we learned and we’re still growing. We’re not where we want to be, but we’re getting better and today was a good step.”

Zadorov said the Canucks may be able to take something from the way their opponents played.

“They’re super desperate, they’re laying out for every puck, they’re trying to block with their faces. So that’s what maybe we can learn from them in that particular thing,” he said. “It’s hard to win. I mean, it’s playoff hockey. It’s a long series. There’s no panic in the room.”

The Canucks were playing without All-Star goalie Thatcher Demko, who was ruled out with an undisclosed injury. He is “week-to-week,” Canucks coach Rick Tocchet said after the game.

Casey DeSmith took over in net and stopped 12 of 15 shots, but he got off to a poor start.

Forsberg sent a long shot flying from inside the blue line and Beauvillier, stationed above the hash marks, deflected it in past an out-of-position DeSmith to put the Predators up 1-0 just 1:14 into the game.

Beauvillier started the season in Vancouver before the Canucks dealt him to the Blackhawks to shed salary in November. Chicago then sent the left-winger to Nashville in exchange for a fifth-round draft pick ahead of the NHL trade deadline in March.

“I was fortunate enough to be in on three great organizations this year, starting here and then bounced to Chicago,” Beauvillier said. “And that’s what you live for, that’s why you play hockey. You want to compete for the Stanley Cup and play meaningful hockey.”

The Canucks had three power plays in the first period but struggled to get shots on net.

Elias Pettersson came close to tying the score on a man advantage late in the opening period.

Saros slid over to stop Quinn Hughes as he powered toward the net, but the defenseman passed to Pettersson and the center fired at the empty net, only to have the puck glance off the post.

Both teams went 0 for 4 on the power play.

“We had some chances, some looks on the (power play), some empty nets we didn’t capitalize on,” Tocchet said. “Maybe we got a little frustrated. But we threw a lot of rubber around that area. We’ve got to keep doing that. I think the game plan is there, we’ve just got to start executing.”

The Predators took a two-goal lead midway through the second when Forsberg collected a pass from Gustav Nyquist, stickhandled his way toward the net and fired a shot past DeSmith at the 7:29 mark.

Ninety-five seconds later, the visitors took a three-goal lead when Sissons batted in the rebound of a shot by Beauvillier.

Zadorov cut the deficit to 3-1 with less than five minutes to go in the second. His shot from above the faceoff circle hit the stick of Nashville’s Mark Jankowski and the puck sailed in over Saros’ right shoulder.

Vancouver pulled DeSmith for an extra attacker with just over two minutes left but Sherwood beat Hughes to a loose puck along the boards and put a shot into the empty net 18:07 into the third period.

UP NEXT

The series shifts to Nashville for Game 3 on Friday.

AP NHL playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Nashville Predators' Jeremy Lauzon, right, checks Vancouver Canucks' Nils Hoglander during the third period in Game 2 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series Tuesday, April 23, 2024, in Vancouver, British Columbia. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

Nashville Predators' Jeremy Lauzon, left, checks Vancouver Canucks' Sam Lafferty during the third period in Game 2 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series Tuesday, April 23, 2024, in Vancouver, British Columbia. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

Vancouver Canucks' Brock Boeser (6) watches as his shot bounces off the post and stays out of the net behind Nashville Predators goalie Juuse Saros (74) while Alexandre Carrier (45) and Canucks' Conor Garland (8) watch during the second period in Game 2 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series Tuesday, April 23, 2024, in Vancouver, British Columbia. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

Vancouver Canucks goalie Casey DeSmith looks back at the puck as it bounces out of the net after Nashville Predators' Anthony Beauvillier, not seen, scored during the first period in Game 2 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series Tuesday, April 23, 2024, in Vancouver, British Columbia. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

Vancouver Canucks' Dakota Joshua (81) collides with Nashville Predators goalie Juuse Saros during the third period in Game 2 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series Tuesday, April 23, 2024, in Vancouver, British Columbia. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

Nashville Predators goalie Juuse Saros makes a save as Jeremy Lauzon (3) and Vancouver Canucks' Elias Pettersson, second from right, work next to him during the third period in Game 2 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series Tuesday, April 23, 2024, in Vancouver, British Columbia. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

Vancouver Canucks' Pius Suter, left, misses the open net as Nashville Predators goalie Juuse Saros is tied up with Canucks' Brock Boeser during the third period in Game 2 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series Tuesday, April 23, 2024, in Vancouver, British Columbia. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

Nashville Predators goalie Juuse Saros, back left, Mark Jankowski (17) and Luke Schenn (2) celebrate after Nashville defeated the Vancouver Canucks during Game 2 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series Tuesday, April 23, 2024, in Vancouver, British Columbia. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

Nashville Predators' Filip Forsberg, left, celebrates his goal, next to Vancouver Canucks' Noah Juulsen during the second period in Game 2 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series Tuesday, April 23, 2024, in Vancouver, British Columbia. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

PHOENIX (AP) — A judge on Friday rejected an effort by GOP lawmakers to use the term “unborn human being” to refer to a fetus in the pamphlet that Arizona voters will use to weigh a ballot measure that would expand abortion access in the state.

Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Christopher Whitten said the wording the legislative council suggested is “packed with emotion and partisan meaning” and asked for what he called more “neutral” language. The measure aims to expand abortion access from 15 weeks to 24 weeks – the point at which a fetus can survive outside the womb.

It would allow exemptions to save the woman’s life or to protect her physical or mental health. It would also prevent the state from adopting or enforcing laws that would forbid access to the procedure.

Arizona House Speaker Ben Toma, who is a co-chair of the legislative council, said the group will appeal the court’s decision to the state Supreme Court.

“The ruling is just plain wrong and clearly partisan,” said Toma, a Republican.

Aaron Thacker, communications director for Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, noted that the final decision on the ballot itself remains in the air.

“There’s still a lot of scenarios at play," he said. "Even after the secretary certifies the signatures, the courts have to decide if counties can put it on the ballot or not."

Arizona for Abortion Access, the organization leading the ballot measure campaign, sued the council earlier this month over the suggested language and advocated for the term “fetus,” which the council rejected.

Attorney General Kris Mayes wrote in a motion to submit an amicus brief that “fetus" and “pregnancy” are both neutral terms that the council could adopt.

“It’s incredibly important to us that Arizona voters get to learn more about and weigh our measure in objective and accurate terminology,” said Dawn Penich, communications director for the abortion access group.

Democrats have centered abortion rights in their campaigns in this year’s elections. Organizers in five other states have also proposed similar measures that would codify abortion access in their state constitutions: Colorado, Florida, Maryland, Nevada and South Dakota.

Arizona organizers submitted more than double the amount of signatures needed for the measure to appear on the ballot.

FILE - Arizona abortion-rights supporters deliver over 800,000 petition signatures to the capitol to get abortion rights on the November general election ballot July 3, 2024, in Phoenix. A judge on Friday, July 26, rejected an effort by GOP lawmakers to use the term “unborn human being” to refer to a fetus in the pamphlet that Arizona voters will use to decide on a ballot measure that would expand abortion access in the state. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin, File)