NHL: Vancouver 7, Nashville 4

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, March 15 (UPI) -- Henrik Sedin converted a penalty shot with 2:34 left to give Vancouver some breathing room Thursday and the Canucks went on to down Nashville 7-4.

Vancouver won its second straight and opened a four-point lead over Minnesota at the top of the Northwest Division.

The Canucks built a 5-2 lead heading into the third period, but Mike Fisher and Gabriel Bourque scored for the Predators to bring them within one.

That was when Sedin was awarded a penalty shot, which he converted for his seventh goal of the season. David Booth added an empty-net goal a minute later.

Mason Raymond and Jannik Hansen both scored their seventh goal of the season for the Canucks.

Roberto Luongo allowed four goals on 33 shots, but still came out the winner. Pekka Rinne was removed from the game after giving up four goals on just 12 shots. Nashville lost for the fifth time in seven outings.