NASHVILLE -- Thatcher Demko made 31 saves, and Quinn Hughes had two assists for the Vancouver Canucks in a 3-1 win against the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday. Linus Karlsson scored his first NHL goal for the Canucks (23-17-10), who have won three consecutive games.

The surging Canucks have now passed the Calgary Flames by total points to claim the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference. On the back of this small win streak, the Canucks are back in the thick of the playoff race with the fading Los Angeles Kings in their sights for third spot in the Pacific Division.

Wednesday at Bridgestone Arena. Tommy Novak scored the lone goal for the Predators, who have now lost two in a row after their season-long five-game winning streak. Juuse Saros finished with 19 saves in the loss,