Adam Vingan

USA TODAY NETWORK — Tennessee

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — The Predators suffered a shutout loss to the Canucks on Tuesday, though that briefly wasn't the case.

With under five minutes left in the first period, Predators forward Derek Grant was part of a pileup in the Canucks crease, stuffing the puck past goaltender Ryan Miller to seemingly put Nashville ahead 1-0.

The referee standing behind the net, Ghislain Hebert, emphatically signaled that Grant had scored. But the officials huddled and ultimately disallowed the goal, with Hebert explaining that "it was determined that the intent to blow the whistle happened prior to the puck going into the net."

According to the NHL, Hebert "was in the process of blowing his whistle to stop play when Miller covered the puck with his blocker before the puck crossed the goal line."

"We were all in there jamming away," Grant said. "I thought it was a good goal on the ice, and then I guess he changed his mind later on. That’s just the way this game works sometimes.”

A lengthy review ensued despite such a play not being reviewable by NHL rules, making the situation even more peculiar. The explanation of the overturned call — or lack thereof — didn't set well with Predators coach Peter Laviolette.

“I don’t understand myself,” Laviolette said. "I don’t understand any explanation I got tonight. None. It’s frustrating. We’re in a playoff battle, so we need every point. We’re walking away with none tonight.”

The most disheartening aspect of the non-goal from the Predators' perspective, other than it playing a part in snapping their three-game winning streak, was that it would've been Grant's first NHL goal. He remains without one through 78 career games.

“It’s been a long time coming for that,” said Grant, claimed off waivers by Nashville from Buffalo last week. “But it’s just the way it is sometimes.”

Reach Adam Vingan at avingan@tennessean.com and on Twitter @AdamVingan.