NASHVILLE, April 17 (UPI) -- Curtis Joseph needed only 15 saves Saturday for his first playoff shutout in two years as Detroit advanced to the West semifinals, 2-0 over Nashville.
Steve Yzerman had a goal and an assist for Detroit.
Top-seeded Detroit split the first four games of the conference quarterfinal series with Joseph on the bench and Yzerman kept off the scoresheet.
Bothered by an ankle injury that limited him to 31 games during the season, Joseph got the start over Manny Legace in Game Five and stopped 19 shots in a 4-1 victory. Yzerman chipped in his first point of the series, an assist on Brendan Shanahan's shorthanded goal.
Yzerman set up Ray Whitney's first goal of the series just 86 seconds into the opening period, then scored his first 30 seconds later.
Tomas Vokoun made 26 stops for the Predators, who lasted six games in the first playoff appearance in their six-year history.
