The Vancouver Canucks will go with their backup goalie plan again for Game 3 of their first-round NHL playoffs series against the Nashville Predators.

SportsNet's Elliotte Friedman reported that Canucks coach Rick Tocchet said Wednesday in Nashville that Casey DeSmith would start Friday (6:30 p.m., TBS) at Bridgestone Arena. The best-of-seven series is tied 1-1.

Starter Thatcher Demko stopped 22 of the 24 shots he faced during the Canucks' 4-2 victory in Game 1 on Sunday in Vancouver. An undisclosed injury kept him out of Game 2 on Tuesday, which the Predators won 4-1.

DeSmith allowed three goals on 15 shots in that game.

Demko was 35-14-2 with five shutouts this season. He had a .918 save percentage and a 2.45 goals-against average, both career bests, this season.

DeSmith was 12-9-6 with one shutout, a .895 save percentage and a 2.89 GAA.

"It wasn't the old injury," Tocchet said of Demko before Game 2. "It's a day-to-day thing. It might have been in the game, but he skated (Monday). I don't have an exact timeline, so I don't want to speculate."

Demko missed more than a month with what was reportedly a knee injury before returning in the middle of April. Before that, he was a top contender to win the Vezina Trophy, awarded annually by the league's general managers to the league's best goalie.

The Predators have yet to win a postseason series in 12 tries after losing the first game.

Games 3 and 4 will be in Nashville on Friday and Sunday before shifting back to Vancouver for Game 5 on April 30.

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This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Who will be starting goalie for Canucks in Game 3 against Predators?