The Predators found their focus in the second period after finding themselves on the wrong side of penalty calls by the referees.
"After the first, we were getting distracted a little bit by the calls," Nashville coach Barry Trotz told reporters.
"Some of the guys didn't agree with them. Agree with them or not, it can't affect your game or your focus. I thought we were much better after the first period."
With all four goals coming late in the second period, Nick Spaling restored Nashville's lead just seven seconds after Daniel Sedin had converted Vancouver's fourth powerplay opportunity to level the score at 1-1.
Newly acquired Mike Fisher doubled the advantage with his first goal as a Predator less than a minute after Spaling's effort, and Nashville goalie Pekka Rinne made eight saves in the third period to maintain the home team's two-goal cushion.
"When you tie the game and give them two goals in 50 seconds, you're not going to come back against a team like that because I don't think they crossed the blue line when they went up by two," Canuck Ryan Kesler said.
"They sat back and capitalized on a couple of lucky bounces and that was the game."
Martin Erat had earlier opened the scoring with 5:47 remaining in the second, working a nice give-and-go with David Legwand and sweeping his own rebound past Vancouver goalie Roberto Luongo.
Rinne was spectacular against the Canucks' league-leading powerplay, allowing just the one goal on five opportunities and making 35 saves in total.
"Their goalie played well," Kesler said. "He won them the game."
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