SAN JOSE, Calif., April 19 (UPI) -- Milan Michalek scored two goals and Evgeni Nabokov stopped 23 shots Wednesday as San Jose beat Nashville 3-2 in Game 4 of the Western quarterfinals.
Joe Pavelski also scored for the Sharks, who now lead the best-of-seven series 3-1. Jonathan Cheechoo and Joe Thornton registered a pair of assists each in the victory.
Jason Arnott and Scott Hartnell each scored their first goals of the series for the Predators, who are facing a 3-1 series deficit to San Jose for the second postseason in a row. Tomas Vokoun stopped 20 of 23 shots in defeat.
San Jose gets its first opportunity to close out the series in Game 5 Friday in Nashville.
Facing a two-goal deficit going into third period, Nashville eventually broke through when Hartnell managed to get his stick on a bouncing puck in the crease for a power-play score with 2:52 left in regulation but that was the end of the Predators' rally. The Sharks failed on each of their three power-play chances in the final period.
